Ran Away from Home

I was about 14 years old. Dad had bought a Farmall tractor and my brother John, who was 4 years older than I, was the one who had been operating the tractor. For some reason I was supposed to change places with John and I had not operated the tractor very much. Therefore, John and I were both at the operators seat, Dad was standing beside the tractor, the engine was running and we made the tractor jump, it scared Dad enough to make him throw a metal oil can which had a long stem on it. He threw it hard enough to hit the side of my head and it began to bleed. It shocked me and I was offended for he never threw things at us. The injury healed but I began to think that I was not important because John seemed to be better liked than I. It continued to bother me so I decided to run away---that would solve all things. Where would I run to? My sister Elma was going to school in Wichita to become a beauty salon operator so I decided to go to there. Some of mother's family lived there too. I didn't take any food or any clothes except the ones I had on. I got to town and the train came in the evening that would go to Wichita.

The train was pulled by a steam engine that burned coal and the back part of the engine had a big tank that held water and a compartment that held coal to burn to make the steam that ran the engine. It was a dirty place to ride because of the floating cinders. By the time I got to Wichita I was black as coal and I smelled awful. I found the home of my Uncle Lawrence West who accepted me and cleaned me up. I did get to see my sister Elma. She was living at the place she worked to help pay for her room and board. I slept on the porch of that place part of the time I was in Wichita. Uncle Lawrence called back home to tell them where I was but I stayed with my Uncle for about a week before he sent me home to my parents. He got me a ride on a truck to go more than half way home. Then again I had to catch a ride on a train that went through Scott City to get home. It was in an open topped rail car and I nearly froze all the way.

I began walking the 13 miles home but caught a ride from a farmer who got me within 3 miles of home. I began to walk again but by this time I was so tired and sleepy I decided to lay down behind a big weed along a field beside the road and went to sleep. In the morning I was awakened by the farmer of that field yelling at me. He was plowing the field I was sleeping in and he was afraid that he almost didn't see me hiding under that weed. I was so exhausted that I didn't hear the tractor. He could have killed me with his plow. So I got on the road again walking towards home. The first car that came along was Dad and John. They stopped for me and took me home. I was accepted by the family and was not punished for running away. I realize now how good I had it growing up with such dedicated and hard working parents. They may not have told me they loved me but I knew they did.