New Britain herald., 1928-09-08
TRAVEL 5000 NILES
EXPENSE ONLY ;llO.
New Britain Boys Make Way to
Pacific and Buck

meals on freight vessel from New
York to San Francisco, hopping
freights overland and hitch hiking
rides through deserts, over noun
tains, across rivers from California
to their homes in this city was the
experience of two New Britain boys
Lester Hume Of 2024 Stanley street
and Arthur krom of 81 Francis
street.
| They returned this week after be-
ing on a 5000 mile trip which cost
them each about $55. They decided
upon this plan as novel way OF
gaining adventure and experience
and now that 1t Ii over they ARE
unanimous In their opinion that they
have had more than their share OF
both.
600 Miles On Garlic Freight
They sailed through the Panama
i, Canal. saw all types of characters.
visited Chinatown in San Francis
CO, were involved In an automobile
accident In San Francisco but es-
capped uninjured. rode 900 miles on
a garlic freight and in practically
every make of an automobile. All
this experience was packed into six
weekx
They left New Britain on July c,
arrived in New York city. and on
the same day went to the ship. the
Circimus of the Isthmian line.
Krom was assigned to work as q
seaman and Hume was messhoy
whose duties were to serve the tooi
to the 80 members of the crew. Be-
tween meals he was assigend to the
task of chipping rust of the boat.
scrubbing walls, oiling floors. and
painting.
Living conditions on the ship were
very bad. The food was poor and
sleeping quarters were unclean, all
of which had the crew in discon-
tented frame of mind several times
during tho trip. Mutiny was talked
of on several occasions. the boys
said. 1t took the ship eight days
10 arrive at the canal and II days
to pass up the Pacific coast to San
Francisco. When they arrived in
San Francisco they were advised TO
leave the ship by friends In Cali
fornia and within a day after their
arrival they had Jumped the ship"
While they were In San Francisco
they met Edward Dobson OF this
city. brother OF DR.. James Dobson.
George Dobson, chairman of the
board of public works and son OF
Mrs. Francis F.. Dobson. He gave
them money to help them On Their
journey. He is a mechanical ell
gineer.
In Taxicab Collision
While riding in a taxi In Fan
Francisco, the cab was struck
broadside by another cab AMI turn
ed over at one of the city's princi-
pal intersections. The cab driver
had turned around and was listen
ing to the experiences Of the boys
when the other cab came from an
other street. Neither of the boys
was injured.
The boys spent eight days in Cali
fornia and on August s. they decid-
ed to 60 overland to their homes.
They hitch-hiked to Reno, Nevada.
and In company with three other
boys they boarded a box car which
carried them 500 miles to Ogden,
Utah.
is Days Crossing Country
Realizing that autoists would be
unwilling to "pick UP" two who
were hooking rides. the boys decided
to separate. Both took practically
the same route which included Ne
braska. Colorado, Iowa. Indiana, H.
linois, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Cana
da, New York state and Connecticut.
They saw the Sierra Nevada
mountains. Rocky Mountains, Red
desert, Pixies Peak. Buffalo Bills
home, Appalachian mountains and
Catskill mountains. They declare
there Is no place In the country
which has as much beauty AZ New