1951 • Larry’s diary (age 17)
Jul 1 Bob Durham slept late and I got him up at 4:05 A.M. Mailed letter and 3 bucks to Bonnie. P. Barnard is moving out of the bunk house.
Jul 2 Changed from room 10 to room 3. Bigger room with 1 locker, better view. Had steak for supper. Dropped razor and broke corner off
Jul 3 First day off after working a solid month. Have 4 off altogether. Worked till noon then hitchhiked to Sonora.
Jul 4 Went on picnic with whole family at Phoenix Lake. First went to Parrots Ferry. Carleen only one who didn’t go.
Jul 5 Went to San Jose with Frank Long, started at 7:00 A.M. Met Dr. Downy and got set up for school. Met Janet Hardin and Mrs. Nelson, went to 1st drive-in, El Rancho Riviera
Jul 6 Got place to live in fall at 101 So. 5th St. about 23 boys live there 1/2 block from campus. Went to Esquire show in San Francisco, saw Apache Drums
Jul 7 Had car trouble coming back. Generator and battery gave out. Left San Francisco at 12 got home at 6 A.M. Slept in Moccasin, then home and hitchhiked back
Jul 8 Now on day shift. Porter now in clubhouse for night. Mark back from New York. Cashed checks other day and got $50 bill.
Jul 9 Dad came over and got me for 1st Tuolumne County Band rehearsal in over a half a year, about 12 there.
Jul 10 Drove back this morn and gave car slow charge. Saw show You’re in the Navy Now alone
Jul 11 Drove back with Carleen and Pat Green, they went swimming in pool and then took car back. Got handle on trunk mashed in.
Jul 12 Mrs. Sullivan, the housekeeper at Moccasin died this morning in childbirth and leaves 5 other kids. Shined bell of horn at work
Jul 13 Antrim came around and picked Ken and me up and took us down to Mountain River Lodge. Ken just got back from 4 days off
Jul 14 Penstock (note: 4 large water pipes that brought water from the Hetch Hetchy dam down to the turbines in the power house) broke and I took a walk up there at 8 o’clock got back at 10:30 went to top of mountain, got some poison oak
Jul 15 Saw show Fabiola. Drove guy to Stockton all night. Got $51.00, got to bed by 12 noon and slept all day
Jul 16 Went to 2nd Tuolumne County Band rehearsal. Got off work at 8, had four changes, 2 short and 2 long in last four days. Got 2nd check $150.00
Jul 17 Went over car with Carnu polish took all night on shift to polish and shine it. Took all other dents out of car
Jul 18 Saw shoe Operation Disaster with Ken then drove him back to Moccasin. Back in Sonora by 1. Vacuumed and blew out car
Jul 19 Got letter from Mrs. Crookshank telling me that Bonnie is now in reform school and has met a guy she will marry when she is 18
Jul 20 Ed Glasscok went on 3 week vacation. Practiced sax for a while. Now keeping Ken’s guitar in my room because it is cooler in here.
Jul 21 Officials up again. Mac told me to go in back door after dinner. Ken says he will never join union because he is against them
Jul 22 Saw show The Great Caruso Mario Lanza. Mr. Hagemeyer is putting in new floor and sink and accessories. Saw him about theory and pictures
Jul 23 Went to Tuolumne County Band but it was called off because only about 10 guys showed up. Gave car wax job. Drove George and Sara out to Nitor house but she was sick
Jul 24 Hit head on corner of steel window frame. Saw Dr. Giles and he cut off some hair, bandaged cut spot and gave me tetanus shot
Jul 25 Went to Angels Camp band 2nd time. Took car and Chet Pressey, only bass there. New guy from Columbia there, about 10 there
Jul 26 Read little of Bob’s book Naked and Dead war story. Went to Oakdale and met musician in soda bottle works
Jul 27 Saw Dr. Grosso and ordered new pair of glasses $20.00. Have new tooth coming in and saw Dr. Parker and made appointment
Jul 28 Day off. Worked in store fixed sheet music and ordered film. Dad borrowed $50 for store
Jul 29 Saw Passage West with Al Curnow. Cooked up deal for future at house. Started reading Naked & Dead
Jul 30 Went to Tuolumne County Band and played tennis with Joe Drabkin afterwards. Home at 1 and up at 3:30. Called up Pat, now going steady with guy
Jul 31 Got check #3 for $153.40 minus deductions + $119.58. went to bank and banked $278.83 making total of $290.50
to be continued …
© 2017. Catherine Sevenau.
All rights reserved.
Patricia says
Who was Mrs. Sullivan? I couldn’t find a record of her death in the California Death Index.
Catherine Sevenau says
My brother does not remember.
Barbara Jacobsen says
I must have missed something. What was he doing in Moccasin?
Catherine Sevenau says
He had a summer job there working at the Powerhouse. See June 1951 diary post.
Larry Clemens says
Clarification about automobile: As I did not have a car and could not afford to buy one as I was 17. I’d just received my driver’s license in June. The car mentioned was my father’s car which I would obtain for my days off by hitch-hiking to Sonora so I could do errands and go to San Jose to obtain my housing for college. When I was finished with the car I’d take it back to Sonora and then hitch-hike back to Moccasin. On July 19, I got a letter from Mrs. Crookshank about Bonnie getting married; Bonnie was just a friend and I never had any intention of getting married at 17. I was happy to learn that she was to be married.
Kay G says
Thanks! I thought that was sad how you got a letter from her mother. You sure took care of the car. I love your diary, Larry. You’re an amazing man.