A trip to Yesteryear

                                                                

On occasion a treasure accidentally falls into your hands.  Running a thrift store(Twelve Baskets Cooperative Ministry) and a consignment shop (The Calico Cupboard) provides me with more opportunities than most to find treasures.  I discovered a diary among a box of consignment items recently.  After seeking out the owner, I found she had no idea who wrote the diary and she gave me permission to publish it in my blog.  I hope you will enjoy stepping back into yesterday and experience a trip to the "New Frontier" with a pair of young ladies in 1939.


My name is Pauline.  It is 1939 and I am off on a trip to Alaska.  Join me as I journal my way through my adventure.  I documented my trip with an Argus Candid Camera Model A27.  Unfortunately, I have no original photos to share.  They have been lost to history.  (All photos in this blog have been taken from internet with permission.)


June 15, 1939, 7 AM.  On the train getting near to Sacramento.  Farm scenery - lots of cows.  Slept pretty well last night, considering the ice man ran up and down the isle all night.  The conductor flashed his light at us all night and there was no room for my extremities.  It rained during the night too and the day is still overcast.

Mt. Shasta

June 15, 1939, 9:30 PM.  Followed the Sacramento River, lovely mountain scenery.  Saw Mt. Shasta, all snow and ice covered, rather cloudy but beautiful.  Took some pictures too.  Had fun trying to catch a picture of the engine a head of us.  May have a whole seat to ourselves tonight.  The man across the isle is getting off at the next stop and said we could have his seat.  Met a Washington girl who works in a bank just back from the Fair.  Hooray, just entered Oregon.  Can't see out though.

Steam engine passenger train.

June 16, 1939, 6:30 AM.  had a good nights sleep, a whole seat to myself.  Margaret was across the isle.  Last night ate dinner in the diner - 98 cents.  Going through rolling Oregon farming country.  Sky is overcast, may rain.  It stormed last night and our train is over a half hour late.  Country is very green with many trees.  Just had a nice cup of tomato juice - 10 cents - feel very cheerful.  Bought a Portland, Oregon paper - can't by the Times any more.

June 16, 1939, 10 PM.  At Gebaroffs.  Had a good dinner tonight and then a trip around Seattle.  All set for tomorrow.  A real bed tonight for a change.  So must hurry and get into it.  Helped pick the strawberries for dinner - very good.  Clair, Diana, Paul and Margret are the only children at home.  Two are married.

June 17, 1939, 10:30 AM.  On the boat.  We got up this morning at 7:05 after a grand nights sleep - a real bed felt good.  Had a good breakfast - scrambled eggs, bacon, toast buttered.  I didn't drink coffee and miss my milk.  We ended up with nice fresh strawberries and cream with homemade doughnuts.  Then there was a scramble to get to the boat.  Everyone thought we would miss it.  We didn't start until 8:20 and does Mr. Gebaroff drive slow.  But we made it in plenty of time.  We got there at 8:45, got our tickets checked.  The man took all our ticket and only gave us a little piece of it and a key to room 237 on the SS Yukon.  We came on board, the steward used to be a pupil of Mr. Gebaroff's  and he told him to take good care of us.  He brought our bags to our room.  The room is about six by nine foot.  Two bunks on one side, one above the other, there are curtains you can pull if you wish.

Actual photo of the SS Yukon.

1:30 PM.  We continue after lunch.  Had vegetable soup with little crackers, steak tomato salad, milk, bread, apple sauce.  Excellent.  We have a nice table too.  Besides Margret and I, there are three men.  Mr. Shedd from San Francisco, a railroad man from Chicago, and a man from South Africa.  The two lady teachers from Tennessee, all very nice and interesting.  Had a fun lunch.  We had to fill out our cards for the passenger list and also got several pamphlets about Alaska.

Now I will continue about our room.  Opposite from the beds is a sort of couch where I am now.  Margret sits on her bed to write and I sit here.  It is upholstered and very comfy.  The porthole is right above me and we can open it up if we wish.  It is too cold now, though, it is still misty out.  Between the beds and couch on one side is the door.  Opposite the door is a wash stand with hot and cold running water, soap and above that is a toilet cabinet with an open shelf on the bottom then three enclosed shelves.  I have the top, toothbrush, cream, etc.  Margaret the middle and we share the bottom.  Beside the wash stand next to the beds are two shelves on the wall for water pitcher and glasses to fit into holes in the wood.  Below this is the towel rack with four towels on it.  Below the towels is a small steam heater that gives forth strange protesting noises from time to time as part of its work.  Our bags fit under the bed and under the couch.  They furnish six hangers on pegs at every available place around the room.  M and I have put some of our own things on top of the toilet cabinet, and some of the lovely roses Mr. G gave us when we left.  The take off was fun - streamers and the band playing "Anchors Away" and "Good Old Mt. Music".  Took a few pictures but it was pretty dull and misty.  The sun is coming out a little now.  Margret and I got some boat stationary now so guess we will write some letters.  There is a mailbox on board where we can mail them.  Forgot to say that while waiting to our table seating at the pursers office, M and I met a  Mrs. Wilson.  She and her husband have lived in the interior of Alaska a long time.  Mr. Wilson was a miner, now retired, with money.  She said he would show us around.

11 PM.  In my top bunk, we have our porthole open and it is swell.  Sun came out this afternoon and M and I took some pictures and also got a little sunburn.  We go along so smoothly that you can't even tell we are moving.  Had such a good dinner tonight that M and I couldn't even eat our midnight lunch.  We had consumme, hearts of lettuce salad, olives, baked halibut, potatoes, carrots and cauliflower, and blackberry pie a la mode and two glasses of milk.  Good.  There is a boat passing us now and he is tooting away.  This evening had a grand talk in the observation car with the South African man and then stayed on and saw some dancing.  I danced with Mr. Shedd, the man from our table.  Then M and I went out on deck for a while, then to bed.  M just came back and said we are entering the Seymore Narrows and it is our boat whistling and we are hearing the echos.


To be continued . . .

Just writin' on the River Road