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.
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.
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.]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
February 7, 1942
Sunny and snowing, but I don't think it will snow very deep, but can't tell yet.
April 3, 1942
Pretty nice today. Got cloudy this evening.
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.
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.
April 27, 1942 1623 1st Avenue
I registered today for World War II, 24 years ago I registered for War I.
June 3, 1942
The night before last was the biggest rain we have had in Kearney this spring. It was on June 1, 1942.
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.