Cross-Country Trip Filled With Wonder

The summer of 1939, when I was 10, my daddy surprised my brother, Clyde, and me with the announcement that we were going all the way to San Francisco, California for the world’s fair on Treasure Island.

One of Daddy’s perks from his job with Railway Express Agency, in Bir-mingham, Alabama, was free transportation with his immediate family to nearly anywhere in the U.S.

We’d economize on our summer trips by not riding in the Pullman car or eating in the dining car—luxuries not included with a pass.

The day before any of our trips, Mama would fry up one of the chickens we raised so we’d have our own travel meals. I’d help by preparing deviled eggs. When our food ran out, we’d buy sandwiches, coffee and milk from the steward making his rounds.

Our San Francisco trip was especially memorable because we stayed in a hotel, since we weren’t visiting relatives.

Mama had crocheted a pretty coat for herself and one for me, too. We also wore our hair in snoods, which were very popular then and worn by such stars as Dorothy Lamour and Ingrid Bergman in some of their movies.

THE PRECIOUS PURSE above is the same one held by author, shown with her parents, in the above 1939 photo, taken in San Francisco.

Mama had also bought me a multicolored, beaded pocketbook that matched hers, and my pocketbook went everywhere with me.

The trip from Alabama to California took a full 3 days, and Daddy got to know the conductor and somehow negotiated for us to sleep in the Pullman car.

Our kindly porter made us feel very special. He made it look so easy as he unfolded the two bottom seats and created the lower berth. He unlocked the upper compartment and proceeded to bring it down for the upper berth, providing a ladder for Daddy and Clyde.

When we got settled in our beds, Mama fussed at me for raising the window shade. It was hard to resist looking out at the night lights, especially when I’d hear the dinging of car crossings or when the train stopped in big cities to load and unload passengers and mail.

In California, we’d board the ferry for Treasure Island each morning to see the sights at the fair, officially called the Golden Gate International Exposition. I remember seeing and hearing Benny Goodman and his Big Band playing their popular dance tunes for crowds in an open-air theater.

On the way home, we changed trains in New Orleans. During the 2-hour layover, everyone in our family was tired and eager to get back home.

Finally, we were on the train headed back to Bir-mingham when I discovered that I had left my cherished, beaded pocketbook in the New Orleans train station. I felt terrible about it and started crying, and Daddy tried to console me in his usual, calm, reassuring manner. Mama scolded me for being so careless.

A few weeks after we were home, Daddy returned from work one day with a package for me. He had contacted the New Orleans station, where an attendant had found my pocketbook and returned it to Daddy. I was so very happy.

Through all of these years, my pocketbook has been following me around. It’s more than a cute pocketbook. It’s a reminder of very happy times with my family.

By Theolene “Tillie” Ussery Millen, Newport News, Virginia