Rebellious Boy

By the time Lee was fourteen his mother and father were near to a divorce, Lee did not approve of his father's life style and got to the rebellious age when he and Minor did not get along at all.  Lee made up hos mind to run away from home and find Lamond who was in California living with his oldest sister, Margaret. Margaret was married and living on a ranch in Imperial Valley. he and Lamond would find a job and work together.

The whole country was having hard times with men out of work and riding the rails to California seeking employment. Hobo's were every where. Lee joined the Hobo movement when he jumped on his first train and left his home in Las Vegas.

Lee said all he took with him from home was his warm jacket. When he jumped onto the moving train he accidentally dropped his jacket and watched as it landed on the tracks and the wheels ran over it, "clickety clack, clickty clack." The jacket disappeared forever. During the cold nights that followed, Lee regretted losing the warmth of that jacket! He spent his first night somewhere new San Bernardino in a large culvert pipe to get out of the rain.

When he finally reached the town his sister liven in, Lee did not know her address. there were no phones yet. He found a town post office knowing that sooner or later someone from the family would have to pick up their mail. he would just sit there and wait. As luck would have it for this hungry waif, Margaret and her husband did happen by that very day and recognized the dirty little boy.

Lee remained with his sister until he was sixteen. By then he had grown from a rebellious boy to a tall handsome young man who was homesick. He went home to see his mother and brother Lamond. After Mabel had kissed Lamond she said, "Well, aren't you going to introduce your friend?" Tears of joy were shed all around when she realized her lost son was home.