 |
| 1929 Pontiac (not the actual car) |
I got my love of baseball from my Great Uncle, David Nelson, "Uncle Dave" to the entire town of Lowry. In 1929, Dave bought a new Pontiac. On July 24th, 1929 he and Herman Engebretson set off from Lowry, heading east, with four major league ballparks on their radar - although that word had not yet been invented in 1929. Men after my own heart.
What follows is an edited account of the journey, transcribed from the August 29th, 1929 edition of the Pope County Tribune.
Pope County Tribune August 29, 1929
LOWRY MEN HAVE INTERESTING TRIP
Drove Four Thousand Miles Without Car Trouble - Only One Puncture
 |
| Herman Engebretson |
 |
| Dave Nelson |
Departure was made from Lowry on the morning of July 24, 1929, in the David Nelson Pontiac car - practically a new one, loaded with a complete camping out equipment. After a few hours spent in the Twin Cities, the boys journeyed on to Menonomie, Wisconsin, where the first night was spent at a lodging house or hotel as the storm prevented camping out. The second night was spent at the Methodist Camp in Milwaukee. The tent was pitched, but another heavy storm came up and blew it down, Herman’s coat being blown away. The next day the travelers started for Chicago, and when south of Milwaukee a ways the car ran out of gas. An attempt was made at several farm houses to secure gasoline, but none could be found except a half-gallon at one place where no one was home. Dave “copped” this and left a note of thanks and a promise to send back the pay. When he returned to the car, Herman had forgotten all about the trouble of being out of car fuel and was enjoying himself and whiling away the time playing his clarinet. Carefree boy, that Herman!
That day a stop was made at Zion City, Illinois, the home of John Dowie and his strange cult. A visit to the Dowie tabernacle and mammoth broadcasting station maintained by the Dowie people was made. Evanston, IL, a suburb of Chicago, was made for an all-night stop with an uncle and aunt of Mr. Nelson.
{Editor note: John Dowie was a Scottish evangelist and faith healer that founded the city of Zion, IL}
 |
| Wrigley Field |
Editor note: Wrigley Field.
The Cubs won the National League pennant in 1929, but went down to the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. The Cubs last won a World Series in 1908. On the field that July day were 4 future Hall of Famers: Lefty O'Doul, Rogers Hornsby, Hack Wilson & Kiki Kyler (Note - The HoF was not established until 1936)
Cubs 6 - Phillies 1
On July 27 they departed from Chicago for Cincinnati, Ohio, via Indianapolis, Indiana. Through this part of the country the travelers disliked the low swampy land, so they stepped on the gas and made the longest single-day drive of the entire trip - 400 miles. A stop for one day was made at Cincinnati. On Sunday evening, they left for Wheeling,West Virginia and then on to Pennsylvania. When approaching the Allegheny mountains there were lots of foothills and these contained many bad curves and drop-offs into canyons, ravines, etc., and instead of guard-rail fences there were numerous crosses at about every turn. These crosses were new to Dave and Herman, so when the stopped for the night, they asked their meaning, they learned that each cross represented a bad accident or a death from going over the brink. But the informer stated that there were not very many of the crosses left anymore as the road patrolman had taken most of them down because it was too much trouble to mow around them. The visitors thought there were a-plenty at that.
On to Washington D.C. the pilgrims traveled, arriving the night of July 30th, where a real tourist camp was found and where some good horse polo games were taken in by electric lights. In Washington, while driving down the Potomac boulevard and in congested traffic, a girl, noticing the Minnesota license on the car and the home-like looking faces of the occupants, worked her way through the congestion of the boulevard and up to the car, hungry to talk to someone from her old home state. The young lady was working in Washington but had formerly lived at Canby, Minnesota. We couldn’t learn from Dave or Herman if she was good looking, but even if she had been it would have made not the slightest difference with Lowry’s most confirmed bachelors. They didn’t need a cook or a rear-seat driver, so after a few courtesies, left her to go her way. Cruel heartless boys! Eh, what?
The next morning Arlington Cemetery, in which the tomb of the unknown soldier is, was visited; also the large and wonderful amphitheatre. The boys went to the top of the Washington Monument, taking the electric elevator on the upward, walking back down the stairs. Then on to Mount Vernon, seventeen miles south of Washington - the home of George Washington. Everything appeared to be the same as the day of the great general and statesman - the house, the furnishings, the yard and everything being kept about the same as Washington had been wont to keep it. |
| Griffith Stadium |
Then a drive back to the city of Washington was made to take in the baseball game between that city and the St. Louis Browns, Washington winning. The visitors from Lowry were fortunate in getting “dugout” seats at this game, and met Walter Johnson, famous big league player and now manager of the Washington team, and to whom they talked and he autographed their cards for them. Many other notable baseball players were seen here also.
Editor note: Griffith Stadium. 6 future hall-of-famers were on the field: Heinie Manush, Rick Ferrell, Sam Rice, Goose Goslin, Joe Cronin & Walter Johnson.
Senators 13, Browns 9.
Senators 13, Browns 9.
August 1st, the visitors went to the White House, but say they didn’t get into the pantry. They also went through the United States Capitol building. The guard lead them to the Senate chambers, then to the House of Representatives hangout. This guard was sort of a joaker, and stated there were too many representative members to furnish all with desks, which caused another visitor, a lady, to ask: “Don’t they every get to sit down?” Mssrs. Nelson and Engebretson also visited the Lincoln Memorial before leaving the city.
The next morning a start was made for Philadelphia by way of Baltimore and Wilmington. At Baltimore, little piccaninnies rushed out into the street with a small express wagon, and to avoid hitting the little black children, Herman, who was driving, swerved sharply to one side and had a fender slightly nicked by a large truck. This was the only scratch the car received on the entire trip, which is most commendable to the boys driving, when considering the large, strange cities and congested traffic they drove through - they not being used to such. That night and two other nights, the visitors stopped at the headquarters of the Independent Order of the Loyal Moose . These noted and popular lodge members proved to be fine fellows and showed the visitors a royal good time.
Editor note: The Order of the Loyal Moose is a fraternal organization, complete with secret passwords, and having had 4 presidents as members.
At Philadelphia the boys took advantage of the occasion and went to Independence Hall where they saw the famous Liberty Bell. A visit was made to the Benjamin Franklin tomb, and the cottage of Betsy Ross, maker of the first flag of the United States. At this point the boys again succumbed to the baseball fever, and they wound their way to the ballpark to witness the game between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers, and saw Harry Heilman hit two wonderful wallops, both good for home runs. The Waldorf Theatre was visited in the evening.
Editor note: 5 more Hall-of-Famers in old Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Charlie Gehringer, Harry Heilman, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Jimmy Fox.
Athletics 11, Tigers 10.
Editor note: The Order of the Loyal Moose is a fraternal organization, complete with secret passwords, and having had 4 presidents as members.
 |
| Shibe Park |
At Philadelphia the boys took advantage of the occasion and went to Independence Hall where they saw the famous Liberty Bell. A visit was made to the Benjamin Franklin tomb, and the cottage of Betsy Ross, maker of the first flag of the United States. At this point the boys again succumbed to the baseball fever, and they wound their way to the ballpark to witness the game between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers, and saw Harry Heilman hit two wonderful wallops, both good for home runs. The Waldorf Theatre was visited in the evening.
Editor note: 5 more Hall-of-Famers in old Shibe Park, Philadelphia. Charlie Gehringer, Harry Heilman, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Jimmy Fox.
Athletics 11, Tigers 10.
 |
| Yankee Stadium |
On August 4, Philadelphia was left and the boys went straight through to New York City, via Newark, NJ, stopping about noon and taking in the baseball game between Cleveland and New York at Yankee Stadium. This was a hard-fought battle and the Cleveland team scored nine runs in the ninth inning after two men were down. The Stadium has a capacity of about 70,000. There were about 50,000 fans in it the day Dave and Herman visited it. Editor note: And the piece de resistance - Yankee Stadium & Murderer's Row. 8 Hall-of-Famers: Joe Sewell, Earl Averill, Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Tony Lazzeri, Bill Dickey, Herb Pennock.
Indians 14, Yankees 6
In New York City, after the baseball game, the travelers went downtown for supper, and at a cafe, after ordering refreshments, a great commotion brook loose out in the street; horns tooted, bells rang, etc. and the cafe table was left to see what the h___ was going on. It proved to be the Graf Zeppelin passing over the city of New York and the boys could just see its full length up above and between the tall skyscrapers.
Editor note: The Graf Z, presumably heading for a docking at Lakehurst, NJ, site of the 1937 the Hindenburg disaster.
They returned to finish the meal but got into the wrong cafe. After waiting a time and the meal did not appear, a polite girl waiter suggested it was just barely possible they were in the wrong place - which they were.
The next morning, August 5th, the trip to the top of the Woolworth Building was made - 54 stories high. This building has elevators for local passengers desiring to reach any of the different floors, and other elevators which go straight to the roof without a stop --limited, one may call them. Here cameras and other loose articles are taken from you and checked - for safety’s sake. On the elevator ride the air pressure on the ear drums is hard and one trip is usually enough, but when the sightseeing was over at this building and the Lowry visitors had returned to the ground floor, it was found that herman had forgotten his camera and he had to make another trip on the elevator to the roof to retrieve the article.
Editor note: Built in 1913, the Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world until eclipsed by the Chrysler Building (1930) & Empire State Building (1931). The Woolworth Building was designed by Cass Gilbert, designer of the Minnesota State Capitol building.
 |
| Trinity Church |
Then a boat trip was made to the Statue of Liberty in NewYork harbor where a climb was made to the top of this symbol. This piece of work proved to be much larger than is the common belief, for instance, 8 men can stand in the index finger of the “lady”. The statue was made in France and donated by the French government to the United States of American years ago as an act of friendship and good-will. The Acquarium(sic), where everything from sunfish to large sea lions were to be seen, was visited and proved to be most interesting. Also a visit to Trinity church was made, as well as to the Chase National Bank - a wonderful banking institution housed in a forty story building - and through banking connections, Herman succeeded in getting permission for a trip through its inner workings. A vault door, two stories underneath the ground level, weighed 38 tons. This bank receives on average of one hundred letters a day that are so poorly written that they cannot be deciphered. Through the Chase National Bank, credentials were fixed up for the Lowry visitors and a pass through the New York Stock Exchange was secured - where all the stock and bond speculators carry on like inhabitants of a madhouse. Editor note: In a mere 3 months, Oct 28-29, 1929 the Wall Street crash and they might have witnessed Chase Bank jumpers.
 |
| Roxy Theater, NYC |
 |
| Roxy - 3Aug1929 |
The old boyhood home of Al Smith was visited; also the Chinatown region and the “jungles”, as well as the slums of New York City. David was asked by the Lowry Press editor if these sights weren’t pretty tough and the answer was: “Well, I would rather live in Lowry”.
August 6th was spent at the American Museum, where skeletons of pre-historic mammals, 66 or more feet long was seen. A trip to Coney Island and return by boat was also made, and a striking sight was the city of New York seen from a distance on the water at night - the sky-line, skyscrapers and the millions of bright lights shining. Colgate’s large clock could be seen for a long distance and the time easily told miles away. The clock is so big that 18 men can stand on the hour hand.
The next day was spent in the Upper New York, where Grant’s Tomb was visited. On August 7th, New York was left for a drive up the scenic Hudson River and a stop at West Point Military Academy, and a band concert taken in. David says this is where Herman was in his glory - music. The band is made up of all oldtimers, playing new music and to say they are good is putting it mildly. 
Part of the following morning was spent driving around the peninsula on which West Point is located, visiting Kingston, where the great city of New York gets its water supply. When driving around the water basin or reservoir the speedometer showed 40 miles. There are 600,000,000 gallons of water a day fed through one tunnel, and there are 4000 small pipes shooting water into the air continually for purification purposes. The rest of the day was spent in a drive through the Catskill Mountains, viewing the wonderful scenery, and a visit was made at the famous Ichabod Crane Sleepy Hollow.
Editor note: This is the first reference I have ever seen to the "Lowry Press". Anyone have issues?
Then came the drive from Buffalo to Niagara Falls and the tent put up on the Canadian side. All the next day was spent at the Falls - one of the biggest things the visitors saw on the entire trip. They went down underneath the waterfall into the tunnels and where are located a number of wonderful power plants. At night, powerful searchlights are played on the falls and the different color lights used to make a beautiful scene of the water as it comes tumbling down.
Sunday, August 11th, the party went to London, Ontario, crossing back into Michigan at Port Huron, where they sat for an hour or more watching the custom officials search the baggage and cars of tourists for smuggled diamonds, liquor, etc. These officials are wise birds and it takes a good one to slip anything over on them. The next day the party drove through Michigan and on to Chicago where they stayed all night at Evanston with the aunt and uncle, having arrived there about 10:00, then the next day they pointed their car towards Mason City, Iowa and on to Lowry, home and friends.
David said they got an average of 18 miles per gallon of gasoline (except the half-gallon which was stolen on which they traveled the limit).
Attesting to the boys’s good driving is the fact that in all the 4000 miles traveled, they didn’t get bawled out once by a traffic cop or other officer of the road or law, but time or two some smart-aleck truck driver had a word to say. No car trouble of any kind was experienced, except on flat tire the day before arriving home.
Fifteen states and one province in Ontario was visited. Three weeks and one day was spent and some good “dough”.
Appendix: Pope County Tribune Article
Added a photo of Herman abt 1924 from his grandson.
ReplyDelete