I have my copy of The Grapes of Wrath near to hand, but still can't seem to find the reference to the family who, unable to afford a car, built a trailer out of spare parts, and hitched rides by buying gas for the owner of the tow vehicle (I do recommend reading Chapter 7, a journey inside the mind of a crooked used-car salesman). Steinbeck did several years of research before publishing, and Darryl Zanuck sent private investigators out to make sure Steinbeck was telling the truth before making Grapes into a movie, so I see no reason to doubt it happened.

A kid posing on the tongue of a trailer is no reason to suppose he rode there. I can remember being fascinated by the tongue of the trailer in 1976, and there was a surplus of seats in our Chevrolet Beauville van. We had it good, I know. We still do.

I do remember my uncle some years ago recounting the days of cotton mattresses, which had to be brought out into the sun in the spring to kill the vermin. He's old enough to remember the Depression. Fortunately, our family was well-off enough that they never had to leave East Texas.

I was wondering where the stuff for those seven kids went, seeing as they would fill up the entire back seat of the car.

The old saying goes that you can't tell a book by its cover but that is one onery looking little kid. If a person were able to go by looks only, I would bet you that this young man made it in life. He just looks like "intestinal fortitude" personified.

for the photos, stay here for the humor! You're hilarious, Dave!

This series is most interesting. Thank you.
Most of us never experienced such difficult times and yet part of us know it could happen again.

[It could indeed be worse -- he could be strapped to the roof of the car. - Dave]

how he got a broken arm!