Furnished room for rent. $4 per month.

This room was even in a good part of the town. It was located on east 2nd street in Pomona, California. The year was 1939 to 1940. I was 14 or 15 and had a job washing dishes at the U & I Cafe on west 2nd. I was being paid my meals and an amount of money that figured out to be 17 cents per hour.

I can almost remember the lady that rented me the room. She was nice. The room was probably smaller than 6 by 10. It had probably been a closet. There was a bed and a dresser. Nails in the wall served as a closet. My room was upstairs and was centered over the sidewalk and front door. The bathroom was down the hall. The house looked something like this one.

At this time I was on my own. My Dad had recently suffered a bad stroke and was disabled. I was too young to go in the military. In a year or two I lied about my age for the draft and was soon in the Army at age 17.

I got my meals at work So my monthly expenses were $4 a month for my room. I was rolling in money even at 17 cents per hour!

I did not have a driving license. I did not know how to drive. I paid $35 for a Model A and had a friend drive it to my home. I drove back and forth in the backyard, then up and down the alley, then  around the block. Away I went. I will have another blog about what happened with the car.

Imagine. A car that drove down the road for $35!