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(transcript of a recorded interview I conducted on August 17, 2000) My family moved to Riverside in 1924, and I met Mr. Jaeger in 1926 when I was a student at Riverside Poly High School across from Riverside City College. That year, I and another student were invited by Mr. Jaeger on a weekend trip to the desert. Mr. A.G. Paul was principal of Poly and president of RCC at the same time. Mr. Paul and my father were good friends of Mr. Jaeger. I remember that Mr. Jaeger had a Ford touring car, and my father built a trunk on the back of it, and Mr. Jaeger kept the trunk on the car until he sold it. Later, my wife and I both had classes with Dr. Jaeger at Riverside City College. In 1927 I graduated from Poly and took an extended seven week summer trip with Dr. Jaeger and Ben Mc Elroy. Dr. Jaeger took photographs using a box camera and later gave the photographs to me, and I am happy to pass them on to you. We camped for a week in the Charleston Mts - it was one of Dr. Jaeger’s favorite places - a beautiful forest inside a horseshoe shaped range;. It took us 1 1\2 days to climb to the top and a half day to get down. You could see down into death valley - a spectacular view. We drove to St George, Utah. There was hardly anything there; a lady lived there who sold quilts. I bought a quilt; I don’t know what became of it. From St. George we drove to the north rim of the Grand Canyon before the bridge was across the river; we were really isolated; we loved the beautiful trees, the cool weather; we stayed a couple of days. Then we went to Lee’s Ferry. There was a pulley on both sides of the river to pull a raft across the river. The raft held 2 cars. The river washed out the month after we were there. A couple of cars were lost and 4 people died. I remember we each had $50 for the trip, and we had money left over. 1st Palaver I don’t remember how I found out about it; I took my son Steve in my pickup truck from my Center lumber yard. We had sleeping bags but no tent. Some other friends who attended were: Fred Olandorf, who was on the Board at EdisonOne time Dr. Jaeger asked me to ride with him to San Diego where he was to speak before the Women’s Club. He stopped before arriving in San Diego so he could shave - he said he wanted to look extra nice for the talk. Mr. Jaeger’s mother lived on 4th Street. One of Mr. Jaeger’s sisters gave piano lessons - she would ride her bicycle to the student’s house. One year, unbeknownst to her mother, she bought a new Ford. She rented a garage a few blocks away where she parked the car, and would ride her bicycle home. Her mother found out about the car and made her sell it. I remember Dr. Jaeger was always enthusiastic with everyone who came out on the desert outings. |
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