Where's Armand?

The Hitchhikers

The Singers continue their journey out of Mexico by car, doing their best to stay ahead of the gas strikes. Here, Armand graphically describes the people who ask for rides.

Thursday, September 5, 1946.
Ciudad de Victoria.
Got bum gas O.K. and some better (Mexolina). Tank and can full, so can get to border o.k. Beautiful scenery today, and took lot of pictures for the U. (took my set on way down).

Picked up a little boy in A.M. - O.K. A man asked to enter as boy got out, and we could hardly refuse. Did he smell! Never had a bath. When he got out, I swabbed car seat with white gas out of spare tank - the cloth, smelled so.  Soon after, a cleaner woman begged a ride. We acceded.

She smelled pretty good (about on a par with the boy), but she was carrying some frijole beans in her sack and little black bugs kept coming out of them (she called them ""gusanos and "gusanitos" and assured us calmly that they didn't bite - she also presented us with two eggs - we never decided for sure whether they were boiled or raw but Mary thought cooked ones wouldn't have hen dirt on them as these did - wrapped in a dried leaf - corn husk, as is common in Mexico, also full of bugs).

When she left, we had some time removing bugs and swearing "Never again" good neighbor policy or no. So far we've adhered to our pact.

 
Painting by Alfredo Ramos Martinez   (1871-1946): Christie's.com

A Hole is a Hole

Armand and Mary continue their drive back to the U.S. from Mexico, hoping to stay ahead of the gas strikes during the summer of 1946:

Wednesday, September 4. Jacala. Left Mexico City 9 A.M. or so, would have been here after five picturesque days' drive by 3 or so, but decided to detour 5 or 6 miles to the mining center of Pachuca and go down a silver mine.

After much running around, got to "Dos Carlos" mine. Were shown around the interesting mill where ore crushed and silver extracted - got chance to see how a Mexican laborer lives and works (our guide, one of miners and well spoken, gets 7 pesos a day for 6 day week - he showed us his work card - and since the mine is a cooperative one, probably he gets more than most of his kind). But, because of work being done on shafts, didn't get a chance to go down in. However, a hole is a hole: we can go down a coal mine in West Virginia anytime.

The detour set us back several hours. Got here by 7 P.M. Ate dinner and got a (12 p.) room at Tom Simpson's as before - an even nicer room and fine indeed. Played bridge and lost (for a wonder, couldn't be helped) to two nice young fellows from Detroit. ...They said they had trouble getting gas - allowed but 5 liters one place, 10 another. We have had no trouble so far except that the 70 octane Mexolina we've only found once (in M.C. 2 days ago) and the 60 octane ordinary stuff is pretty weak kneed. Tank and 20 liters ran full now = 300 miles.

Photo:ASU.edu


Next week: The Hitchhikers

Leaving Mexico, 1946

Armand and Mary toured Mexico by car in the summer of 1946. As they were about to leave in early September, they tried to keep ahead of the gas strikes to be sure that they'd have enough fuel to get across the border.

Tuesday, September 3. Tomorrow is it. Plan to leave in A.M. It's a few days early, but we've seen about all we want to, getting homesick, low on funds, and the projected gas strike is virtually on. All plants shut down, one blown up at Azcapotzalco, a town on way to Tepozotlan; we went through it yesterday, doubtless near time the plant blown up, if the paper is right in its details.

Today we spent 2 hours in National Museum viewing pre Spanish objets d'art, ruins, MSS, etc. Mailed roll of film at P.O. This time the fee was 22 cents + 1. It's been 24+1, 25, 24, 40, sometimes been told I couldn't send it except registered, other times, OK first class mail. They're so damned inefficient at times.

Fine lunch (almost a dinner) at Sanborn's, a la carte, including two orders each of their vanilla ice cream. Last evening when we dined there and this noon is best it's ever been. Almost exactly like Geefer's and that's saying a lot.

To be continued next week.

Photo: Mexico Enfotos

Philosophy Meets Porn

Note: Ward Marden was Armand Singer's pseudonym.

From 500 + of Ward Marden's Favorite Limericks:

A pander / scholastic named Lynn,
Knee-deep in original sin,
   Made his chorus-girl hookers,
   Most provocative lookers,
Dance nude on the head of a pin.

[This one takes some untangling unless you are a philosophy major. Scholastics were a group of medieval religious thinkers who argued, among other puzzlers, how many angels could stand on the head of a pin. Lynn looks to be a complicated type best avoided at all costs. But what possessed Ward to compose those old verses in the first place? He begged me not to omit them, and I haven't. - A.E.S.]

Rara Avis

 

From the Armand Diaries:

Tonopah, Nevada. August 1, 1946. Thursday evening. Staying in some funny, run down cabins here, reminiscent in their screened porch, shaded alley entrance, etc., etc., of something in Mexico or New Orleans.

 
Been a screwy day. Got up early, ready to go by 7:15a.m., noticed carburetor was leaking and then that a nut was missing off manifold. Took it to garage - said carburetor O.K., replaced the nut, then noticed that he could fix exhaust pipe collar so as to stop the miss when engine idles.

I suggested he check universal bolts I tightened in Yellowstone. This led to his noticing that tie bar from transmission to rear wheel loose. Then I suggested he tighten brakes. This he did, also tightening steering bar. End product: 1 1/2 hours work, 3$, and a 9 A.M. start.

Across over 100 mile stretch without even a house. Hit pavement, pulled off road in a juniper patch for lunch, noticed right rear wheel had an almost flat tire. Jacked it up, jack fell off, ditto, then jack broke. Flagged a car. The guy had 3 jacks. Used them all to get car jacked up, since it was lying with axle in dirt, wheel clear off.

The morning's mechanic, by the way, a first rate man, was a teacher of mechanics to soldiers and high school boys, very well spoken, quite educated. A rara avis.



Photo of a man and his car in 1946: Picasa Web Albums