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Anyone interested in this might want to print it out and read a little at a
time. It is quite long. Thanks for letting me tell my story in the hopes
that those days will never be forgotten.
Bud Caudle
AN ERA OF TIME IN THE LIVES OF THE CAUDLE AND RUST FAMILIES:
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
By Richard "Bud" Caudle
The years of the Great Depression was a hard time for millions of people all
over the world. Especially hard hit was the center of America which became
known as the "Dust Bowl," and Oklahoma was in the middle of it. The terrible
dust storms destroyed not only farms, but, for many, an entire way of life.
I was there, but too young to remember; however, I've heard so much about
those days, I seem to remember them clearly.
For several years during the early and mid 1930's, the Pawnee newspaper, and
others all over the country, was full of "Sale Bills" or "Notice of Public
Auction." Uncle Curt and Aunt Virgie Adkins were about the first of our
family to sell out and go to California. In their sale notice, Uncle Curt
said, "As I am leaving this country . . ." That was March 14, 1935. Then
another sale bill was published saying that H. M. Caudle would sell at public
auction on September 27, 1935. More than a year later, J. M. Caudle and C.
R. Keeton held their sale.
I don't know the date we (Mom, Daddy, Sonny, and I) started (This is the
Herbert and Myrtle Caudle family), but we stopped at Tucumcari, New Mexico on
my first birthday, October 19, 1935. At last we were on our way to that
"wonderland" called California. We went into a store in Tucumcari to buy
some groceries, but the place was full of rats - both dead and alive. I
don't know if anything was bought, but Mom and Daddy were so upset and so
discouraged, we turned around and came back to Oklahoma. That was a long
trip just to celebrate my first birthday!
Mom doesn't remember for sure, but she says it was June or July of 1936
before we left again for our move to California. It must have taken a lot of
time and work for the planning and preparing for the trip. This time,
Charles, Thelma, and Loretta Rust would go with us. Loretta was only one or
two months old. Charles was Mom's brother and Thelma was Daddy's sister. We
would all go in one car, a Model A coupe. Only the bare necessities could be
taken. Of course, bare necessities were all we had anyhow. Decisions had to
be made about what clothes to take and what foods would last through the trip
as there would not be much "spending" money. And how could four adults,
three kids, a dog named Jiggs, and all our belongings fit into a Model A
coupe? Daddy, Charles, and Grandaddy (Jerry Marr Caudle) soon got it figured
out and fixed up. They cut the back out of the car, built a platform with
sideboards on it, then bent green sapling trees over the top and covered it
with the canvas sacks that would be used for picking cotton. The Model A
coupe became a "covered wagon." As much as possible was attached in someway
to the outside of the "wagon." The dishes were packed in a five gallon lard
can, strapped to the side and nailed down. Mom said that in one of the dust
storms the wind was so strong it tore the can off and broke some of the
dishes. Jiggs had an orange crate attached to the running board. That's
where he rode. Throughout the trip, when the car started, Jiggs jumped into
his box and bedded down for the ride.
I've heard Mom and Daddy tell many stories over the years about the trip.
Some I remember, some I don't. Could our generation or our kids survive such
a trip now, or would we give up the first time something didn't work out the
way we wanted it to? Anyhow, we finally hit the road; "California or Bust."
Supposedly Mom and Daddy had $20 or maybe that was for both families.
Somewhere in New Mexico a wheel bearing went out on the old car. We broke
down next to a railroad workers camp. The railroad foreman took Daddy into
town and got the needed part, and they got the car fixed just before dark.
They told us we could put our bedding out and sleep on the ground there in
the camp. That's the way we slept every night anyhow. Sometime during the
night, Jiggs woke us up barking. He would not shut up. Daddy got so tired
of it, he was going to kill the dog. He got the gun out of the car and a
flashlight so he could see Jiggs. When he shined the light, he saw that the
place was covered with rattlesnakes. Beds were picked up and got a good
shaking and we loaded up and left. Needless to say, Jiggs was still alive
and jumped into his box. That was one night we didn't get much sleep.
Evidently throughout the trip, Daddy and Charles took turns driving. I would
imagine we all took turns alternating from the front seat to the "wagon
back."I believe it was at another place in New Mexico that one of the really
bad dust storms hit us. They couldn't see to drive and had to stop for a
while. Mom said we were all completely covered with dirt. Loretta started
choking badly with the heavy dust and they had to use our drinking water to
wet a blanket and cover her face. Mom dug mud out of Loretta's mouth and
throat. She made it okay, but it sure was scarry. Daddy said that when the
dust let up enough to start again, it tried to rain. The rain drops just
became big balls of mud beating down on us.Mom says she believes we were in
Arizona when another terrible dust storm hit us. This time, she said Charles
rode on the fender, holding a flashlight to help see the roadway. Evidently,
sometimes he'd walk ahead, then come back and guide the way. We made it into
a small town that day and decided we just couldn't keep on that day at all.
Mom said it was the only time during the two week ordeal that we actually
stayed inside. She said they got a cabin for the night.
I only remember them telling about the two dust storms and the car breaking
down the one time. I don't know if there was any other trouble on the way or
not. I believe at that time the speed limit was either 30 or 35 miles an
hour. Our car surely wouldn't go that fast through the mountains as loaded
as it was. No wonder it took two weeks. Then, too, we had to stop along the
roadway for meals. I don't know if they cooked every meal each time, or if
they'd fix the meals for the day all at once, then eat as we went.Daddy said
that somewhere near Needles or Barstow, California we stopped at a country
gas station/grocery store. He had 18 cents and when Mom got out of the car
she found a dime. Wow! A whole twenty-eight cents! Anyhow, he asked the
owner of the store if there was any work he could do to pay for some
groceries and gas. Potatos was all we had left to eat. I guess if God had
been with us this long, He wouldn't abandon us in the California desert. The
man put all four adults to work picking a field of cotton behind his store.
We made it on to Los Angeles and spent two days with Aunt Docia and Uncle
Clint Woodrow. Docia was my mom's aunt. Then, we went to Sanger, California
to pick peaches. All four adults got jobs as soon as we got there. We
rented a house that just had one bed. That was all the furniture there was,
but it was better than snake infested grounds in the New Mexico desert.
Daddy was broke, but Charles had enough money to pay rent for a week. I
don't know how long they worked in the peach orchards, but from what I
remember of things talked about, they also worked in the grape vinyards and
the cotton fields. Daddy told many times about how he made more money
betting on Mom's ability to pick than he made in wages picking the cotton
himself. He wouldn't even tell Mom that he was betting she would out pick
any man in the fields. She probably wouldn't have played so much with me and
Sonny or maybe wouldn't have taken as much time to feed us had she known.
We hadn't been there very long when the dog catcher called old Jiggs out of
the yard and took him away because he didn't have on a tag. And another
time, our cat that played hide and seek with us went under the house and we
never saw him again. We had scared Mom by throwing the cat on her. We
always said that was the reason the cat didn't come back.
Then, evidently in November or December of 1936, Grandma and Grandaddy Caudle
(Jerry and Dora), their sons Cecil and Chester, and Code and Dena and Bonas
Keeton came to California. I've not heard anything about their trip - if
they had trouble or not. Mom thinks they only stayed a few weeks. I've
heard it told that Grandaddy didn't like California at all. He said the
people out there were nasty. "They go to the toilet in the house in a little
room right next to the kitchen." But Charles had been bad sick for quite a
while. That was probably more the reason for coming back to Oklahoma.
Grandma, Grandaddy, Charles and Thelma, and Code and Dena all came back
together. I believe Code's sister Clemmie Keeton Smith came back at that
time, too. Grandaddy got a government loan to resettle. I don't know if it
was on their trip back or if it was someone else on a trip back, but someone
stopped on the western edge of White Sands Desert and dumped their drinking
water so they could have jars of white sand for a souvenir.
Cecil, Chester, and Bonas stayed with us. Chester didnt stay long, but Cecil
and Bonas worked at the Jack Delbridge Dairy with Daddy. They did the
milking, three times a day, and that was before the time of milking machines.
Daddy said his hands and arms would swell up almost twice their normal
size.I guess they worked hard at the dairy, but they had fun, too. Mrs.
Delbridge had a lot of laying hens. She kept finding several empty egg
shells in the nests and threatened to kill all the cats. Her husband Jack
was actually the "egg sucking cat." One time when they were cleaning out
the barn, some kids kept climbing on the wooden fence, actually tearing up
the fence. Jack Delbridge sneaked out with a bucket of runny cow manure and
threw it over the fence at the kids. A brand new car with open windows
caught the manure. It belonged to a man who came to just look at the cows.
One year Mom got a package from Charles for Christmas. Inside, a box was
wrapped with pretty Christmas paper. Inside the wrapping, she found a huge
red corn cob and a note that said "Just so you won't forget."Bonas came down
with appendicitis and had to have his appendix removed. I've heard that he
nearly died, but he hung in there and finally got okay.I was crazy about
Cecil. Uncles and Aunts, I guess, normally pet the youngest. I can remember
Cecil picking me up and swinging me really high, then carrying me around on
his shoulders. He'd buy me candy or an ice cream cone, but Mom finally told
him if he didn't buy for Sonny, too, he couldn't buy for me either. Sonny
took my candy or ice cream once, and Cecil held him down for me to hit him.
I broke Sonny's tooth, so I guess I can't blame Mom for putting a stop to it
after that.Mom used to take me and Sonny to the park once in a while. There
were little wading pools in the park, but Mom wouldn't let us get into them.
She didn't tell us why, but she was afraid we'd catch infantiago, because a
lot of the Mexican kids were just covered with sores. One time when I guess
I wanted really badly to go wading, I said "Can we go swimming if we won't
get wet?"
I've always, even as a little kid, thought my mom was a beautiful woman.
One time after the Rose Bowl Parade, a lot of mothers came to school to pick
up their kids early. I was really proud as I thought "My mom is prettier
than anyone else's mom." She wore a really nice two piece suit and a wide
brimmed hat that day. Anyhow, the moms were taking us out to see some of the
floats that were parked near the school.One time, I don't know if we were
just out riding around or if we were going to see
Aunt Docia or Aunt Virgie, but the car overheated going up a mountain. The
steam just poured out of the old car. Sonny and I thought it was on fire.
We picked up tin cans at the side of the road and carried water from the
stream so Daddy could "put out the fire."
At one time, Mom got to where she could barely walk and was in a lot of bad
pain all the time. She was put into the hospital and told that she was
dying. She kept getting worse and wanted to go home to die, but the doctor
wouldn't release her. One day, she saw an ad in a magazine for some kind of
clinic, probably a chiropractic clinic, and told Daddy to take her there.
Still, the doctor wouldn't release her, and told Daddy that he couldn't be
responsible for her if she left the hospital. Daddy told them that if she
was going to die anyhow, she was going to die any place she wanted to. He
had to carry her, but he took her out of the hospital and to the clinic she
wanted to go to. They examined her there and found out that her hip was out
of place, rubbing on her internal organs causing them to be inflamed. They
put her hip back in place, and she walked out of the clinic to go home again.
I suppose Aunt Docia and Uncle Clint were really relieved, because they had
already agreed to raise me and Sonny.There used to be a movie cartoon where
the stork got the black and white babies mixed up. Of course, at that time,
blacks were commonly called "niggers." When I found out we were going to get
a new baby, I kept saying that I didn't want a nigger baby. As the time got
closer, a baby bed was set up, and every day when I got home from school, I
hurried to turn the covers down to see the new baby. At last, there it was!
I screamed and threw a fit, crying "I told you I didn't want no little nigger
baby!" Harold sure was dark and had a head covered with long curly hair.
Mom had a nurse for a while that helped take care of Harold. Her name was
Mrs. Perkins. Sonny and I thought she was crazy. After Mrs. Perkins gave
Harold his bath, she put him on a towel or blanket on the counter top, bottom
side up, to dry him and powder him. Then, to show us how clean he was, she
would kiss his butt!As soon as possible after Harold was born, Grandma Rust
and Augusta Bell came to California. We had just bought a new car, a 1940
Willis. When the salesman asked Mom which car she wanted, she said "That
piss burnt brown one." Daddy and Cecil went to the train station to get
Grandma and "Gustie." Coming home, the brakes locked and the car turned
over. Someway, the door opened and closed on Grandma's hand. That's why her
fingers were held straight out when she crocheted. Her head was cut and had
to have a lot of stitches taken. Daddy and Cecil picked the car up and set
it back on its wheels so they could get Grandma out. I don't remember
hearing if anyone else was hurt at all, but evidently, the car was ruined.
That was our last new car until 1958. Sonny and I really enjoyed having
Gustie there. She was Mom's sister and only 16. She built "string
playhouses" for us and played with us a lot. I don't remember when they came
back to Oklahoma.
During the depression, a lot of people were hungry. Mom has told that the
government took big mountains of oranges and burned them. I don't know if it
was to keep prices up, or what. I've read that cattle were burned like that,
too. Mom never could understand why they couldn't use all that for hungry
people.I guess we must have gotten home sick. In December of 1940, we
decided to come back to Oklahoma for a month's vacation. We closed up the
house and left it in charge of Zelma, Aunt Virgie's Adkins' daughter.
Needless to say, we're still on the "vacation." Everything we had was just
given to Zelma. We got a government loan to resettle.
The trip home wasn't a lot better than the trip out there, except I guess the
dust storms had stopped by then. It was a hard, cold winter, and our car
didn't even have a heater. Snow and ice wouldn't stay off the windshield.
Daddy wrapped his head with one of Harold's diapers and rolled the window
down to put his head out and see the road. Surely, Mom had put in quilts to
keep warm with. Mom is sure that Bonas was with us, but Cecil had stayed in
California. I can remember a lot of snow and deep old ruts in the road where
our car broke down just a couple of miles from Grandma and Grandaddy's house.
It sure was cold. I thought I remembered Daddy saying an axle broke in the
car, but it was the transmission. Anyhow, either Daddy or Bonas, maybe both,
walked on to Grandma and Grandaddy's house for help. Sonny and I both
remember the old truck they came with to tow us on in. There was a big saw
blade mounted on the back that Grandaddy used for sawing firewood for nearly
everyone in the neighborhood. If I remember right, there wasn't even a cab
on it, just a seat for the driver. I believe I remember him connecting some
other equipment or machinery to it with a big belt over some pullies or
something. He would crank it up on Saturday to charge the battery and hooked
the battery up to the radio in the house so we could all listen to the Grand
Ole Opry. He loved to hear Eddie Arnold sing "Cattle Call."It seems like the
entire family was always there at that house. Those were the days! Maybe it
was hard times and hard work, but we were such a close knit family then. Can
our families - or any family - ever be that close any more?
I hope and pray that every one of you who reads this will write out your own
history so that your kids and grand kids will know and understand their
backgrounds and heritage. Some of this I actually remember; some of it I've
heard many times; and some of it, my dear mom Myrtle Rust Caudle Jones has
told me during the past year. Let's never let our past be forgotten, and let
us never stop planning for the future.