Journal of Victor League
Introduction
By
Herbert Brown, III
The following journal entries were written by Victor League between 1936-1945 in Kearney, Nebraska. These entries are his reflection and thoughts of the days events. Victor Arthur League was born 20 December 1884 in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas to Reuben Mixon League and Emmaretta Celestial Maria Austin. He was the 7th of 12 children.
On 05 December 1905 he was united in marriage to Ida Ellen Hyatt. They had 3 children: Hazel, Elsie and Frank. Victor died 29 September 1968 in Kearney, Nebraska at the age of 83 and is buried in the Kearney City Cemetery.
I am his great-great-grandson and have transcribed his journal entries to show a small glimpse of what our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. went through with the hardships of the depression, the dust bowl, WWII, and just plain being poor.
Things were simpler back then, but much harder than today in many respects. It is our responsibility to try to understand the hardships they went through.
March 11, 1936
Seems like Germany and France will get into war if something don't happen pretty quick, the damn fools.They will kill off lots of poor devils so the "Big Shots" can have big honors and the poor devils will flock to the front and eat (???) and gas and shell shock and everything else that ain't nice. And when it's all over and the "Big Shots" have got what they are after, they won't be willing to give what few of them that there is left a chance to earn a living or even standing room on the street corners.
That's the way they used our boys after the World War (I). If they stood on the corner more than so long when they were broke and out of work there would be a cop there to tell him to move on.
March 15, 1936
I look for some trouble pretty soon between Germany and France and some allies in sympathy with France. Hope U.S. don't get in.Hitler of Germany said he will stand pat on what he has said and done and not violate the Rhineland. But he may just think he will and will not do so.
April 3, 1936
Bruno Richard Hauptman got his tonight at 8:00 o'clock or five minutes 'till so they say. [Execution for the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's son.]I didn't work today, but they say we are going to start pouring at 7 in the morning, so maybe we'll get plenty of it by night.
I went up to the meeting tonight. They took up a collection for Charlie Lantz's wife and kids. They say they hadn't anything in the house to eat. They got $2. Maybe that will help them until they can get some more help from some place else.
June 18, 1937 1623 1st Ave
6 bells in the morning, been quite a spell since I've written any thing in this book. We have been playing Peanuckle nights and that's why. We've had some nice rains. Night before last, June 16, we had an inch. Stuff looks sure good. The weeds are belly deep, the wheat and other small grain are fine they say. I sure hope there will be a crop this year. It has been a long time since we had one, the last good corn crop we had was in 1933 and it wasn't too good and the price wasn't no good then. There was a real crop in 1932 and then is when the price started to go to hell and everything and it sure went too.
July 15, 1937
Rained just a little this evening and we had quite a little wind and the dust blowed to beat the band. Hope it rains more yet tonight. For it is getting dry and hot, the corn around town is starting to burn. I don't like to see that and the grasshoppers are just plain hell. We heard today up on the grade, that there are a lot in Hastings. Yesterday 8 inches deep all over the ground, but that sounded to me like lots of grasshoppers.Hazel Carter is playin' cards with the old lady and Nell and George tonight.
I hope it rains more tonight. That's all for now, so long.
December 7, 1941
The Japs started war on our islands today, this is a day we will never forget and I hope we will give them little squint eyed devels something that they will never forget. We have kept out 'til now and done pretty good to do that, I think. I hope it will soon be over but I am afraid not.I started in the back of this book and up side down.
December 8, 1941
The U.S. declared war on Japan today, it will (be) hell for a while now, for war is hell. All you can hear on the radio is war.
December 9, 1941
The air is full of war there was an air raid alarm in New York today. The first one that ever was in New York, and I guess the one in San Francisco yesterday was the first in the United States. Roosevelt will talk in twenty minutes, I want to hear him. Guess he'll say (????) of things about what will happen.
December 26, 1941,
About 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground. I worked for the city (Kearney). Shoveled snow this forenoon and helped unload trucks this afternoon. I hope I get some more work. I need the money. I am not quite broke, but I don't want to get that way either.
January 1, 1942
Ma League cooked an old Leghorn hen for dinner today, and she made nuddles (noodles) and dressing both. And made pie and cake both, so we had quite a good New Year's Dinner and enough for supper and we didn't get into any bad fights, so things went along pretty good for us. We generally have from 1 to 2 or 3 pretty fair battles a day when we are both around the house all day. But neither of us get hurt much, we just shoot a lot of BS back and forth at each other. I think I'll go up and try to get some more work on the streets in the morning. Our hens have quit layin' all together, but I guess they are lucky if they don't freeze to death. The old hen house is so cold.
Guy Skinner and his band went to play at Upland and they got stalled in the snow and didn't get home 'til this evening about 6 or 7. I guess so anyway.
January 5, 1942 1623 I Ave.
I worked for the city today, dumped snow on 20th and 4th and it was cold, 17 below zero. May get to work tomorrow yet. Hope so need the money. Had to pay the rent today, 12 bucks. Got the lights and water yet to pay. If I don't pick up quite a little work, I'm going to get damn awful poor between now and spring. And it sure is going to take coal this cold weather.The Ruskies are sure puttin' the screws to the Germans now, and may God help them. The more they give them the less we will have to. I wish we were in shape, be right where we could help 'em to slap them (Germans) right back into their own corner while they have them on the go.
January 7, 1942 Kearney
Still cold been below zero most all day. I worked on the city snow job 5 hours. Then done a few little chores around home and that's all I done. Lee came tonight and wanted to stay all night and got sore because the old lady told him he better go on home and stay some other night when it is stormy. We got through hauling snow off the city streets. Got nothing to do now maybe will find something to do. Got a little dough left, but hate to go plum broke. But have before, so guess I can stand it. If I do again it ain't like it was when the kids were small, if the old lady and me got kind of hard up we can tighten up our belts and stand it. We know what it's all about, but little kids don't understand these things. We never went hungry or cold yet in 36 years since we've been married. Unless we were just too lazy to eat, we never have missed a meal or postponed one because we didn't have anything to eat. We always have had a little something to fill our bellies and some kind of clothes to cover our worthless backs and a roof to crawl under and we've always been able to crawl, thank God for all that. But I'll knock on wood now and I guess my old head is the nearest thing that is made of wood and it maybe concrete. It snowed last night.
January 10, 1942
It warmed up some today and the snow melted some. The first time it has melted to speak of since it snowed around Christmas.Joe Louis licked Buddie Bear in a little more than two minutes of the first round last night.
I got my last check from the city this evening. It was $10.50, got one for $2.97 and one for $13.13. I received $26.60 for the city snow job.
Ground Hog's Day, February 2, 1942
Cloudy, but there was times if the hog was looking he could have seen his shadow all right.I walked clear out to the airport, five and a half miles. That's too far, just exactly too far.
Ma went to play cards with Zeeke and Helen and Mildred.
I took all the money with me this morning and the old lady couldn't pay the rent, so I must give it to her in the morning. Then I'll have that off my chest. Guess I'll hit the hay, my feet are sore with chill blends.
February 7, 1942
Sunny and snowing, but I don't think it will snow very deep, but can't tell yet.I went out and swept it of the walks and now it looks like it will put it right back on them.
Emory is still driving truck on the gravel at the airport. The snow is sure coming down now. We haven't had too much winter yet this time, but I am getting so I would like to see the spring time - birds and flowers.
Tomorrow is the first day of the "new" daylight savings time. We must turn our clocks and watches one hour ahead.
We got up so late this morning, it seems like it should be early yet it's 12:30.
April 3, 1942
Pretty nice today. Got cloudy this evening.I helped Evert Tatum to run a concrete floor in a basement on 31st and 2nd (Ave). Merl Tatum helped too. He has just got back from Midway Island.
Ma, Mrs. Skinner and Mrs. Steele went to the Townsend Dance tonight.
We got 4 eggs today.
Sat. April 18, 1942
They dropped bombs on Toyko today for the first time. I've been looking and longing for that. Hope they keep it up and have a lot of good luck.Ma is uptown and it looks rainy.
We got 4 eggs today. ...a little in the row of trees north of the sidewalk, but it was quite wet. We got a little more than 1/2 inch of rain last night.
Sunday, Kearney, Nebraska April 26, 1942
Tomorrow is the day all of us old devils have to register for the draft. I bet it will be a sad day for the Japs when we all get over there. We'll be from 45 to 65, old and tough. We will sure put the ding on to them.This day has been chilly, tried to rain some of the time. Didn't rain much though. I went up to town once today.
Lee was up this forenoon. Then he went up to town and hunted in the alleys for junk. He came back and put some on the porch.
3 eggs today.
It was so wet last week that we didn't get much time in at the airport. I hope we do better this time. Need the Do Ra Me.
April 27, 1942 1623 1st Avenue
I registered today for World War II, 24 years ago I registered for War I.I went to work today. And did the wind ever blow. It made the gravel cut our faces like hail. We worked 2 hours and came home.
I saw Emory this morning. He had a 100 pound sack of spuds. He was going to plant them. So, I'll know he planted his spuds on the day we registered that is if he got them planted today.
We got only 2 eggs today.
June 3, 1942
The night before last was the biggest rain we have had in Kearney this spring. It was on June 1, 1942.At Odessa they got a flood, 7 inches. Flooded the Highway 30 and the RR Tracks. And done some damage to the crops on the low land.
Emory's corn got washed under. He told me today he don't think he can get it planted again before it gets to be too late. I plowed some ground on the place south of this place today. Guess I'll plant it to something or other in a day or two.
February 1946
Cold today and the wind has gone down. Yesterday it blew all day and was cold, with just a little snow. But, I guess it snowed more some place else for the paper said a blizzard. It couldn't be wrong, I don't think.Last Friday I started to dig a sewer ditch for Mrs. Ray B Landen on 15th & A, it was froze so hard it took me nearly 3 days to dig about 30 feet. And I nearly pounded my arms off. I don't want anymore. That is froze so hard as that.
That is all I've done since I got through shucking corn three weeks ago.
MJH, Buffalo County NEGenWeb Project © 2001