Along the Road
Source: "Along the Road: Extracts from a Reporter's Notebook," Fortune, Vol. 19, No. 4 (April 1939), 97-100.
In April 1939, Fortune reported on its findings about the migrant problem in a lengthy article entitled "I Wonder Where We Can Go Now." The magazine sent a reporter to California to live among migrants in order to gather information for the article. The April issue of Fortune included excerpts from the reporter's notebook with the feature article. The following are from the reporter's notes.
In April 1939, Fortune reported on its findings about the migrant problem in a lengthy article entitled "I Wonder Where We Can Go Now." The magazine sent a reporter to California to live among migrants in order to gather information for the article. The April issue of Fortune included excerpts from the reporter's notebook with the feature article. The following are from the reporter's notes.
In an effort to get located I went to the county camp near Shafter but when they found I did not have a tent but was living in my car they refused me admission on the grounds that it would be embarrassing to the people around me. I was just as glad as this camp was one of the dirtiest that I had seen. I decided to stay on the desert but I found that the health authorities were driving them off the desert and trying to get them into the county camp. I tried to get space in a pay camp. There I was told . . . I'd like to rent you a space but I'm full up. I charge $2 a month. I've had to turn away seventy-five people in the last few days." . . . So I decided to see if I could "make it on the desert." The idea was to drive out about a mile or two from town sometime around dusk and then set up camp. There would generally be a dozen or more others coming on right up until dark and soon their campfires could be seen.
One night I talked to a group of family people. There were three in the family, husband and wife, nineteen and eighteen respectively, and the boy's seventeen-year-old sister. . . . They gave the following as their yearly routine: spuds at Shafter, 'cots other side of Merced, Marysville for prunes and hops, then to the Big Valley (couldn't remember the name of it) for tomatoes. This took about six months of the year, which was their full working period. . . .
The costume of the men is almost uniform. The trousers are invariably blue jeans. These, like the rest of their clothes, are many times patched and mended, usually very neatly. The clothes of the young boys are replicas of their fathers' except that they may go barefooted occasionally.
. . . Several cases of typhoid have appeared in the area [Imperial Valley] since I have been here. This is due to their habit of drinking "ditchwater," or that water which flows through the irrigation ditches. An epidemic was avoided only because a great many were vaccinated. There are at least eight, and possibly more, cases of pellagra in the camp. The cure for this disease, which may be fatal, is green vegetables or red meat. However, they have eaten starchy foods for so long that they no longer have a taste for meats and vegetables. When the doctor told one woman to feed meat to her family, she replied that they didn't like meat and wouldn't eat it.
. . . These people aren't relief-minded. I've seen them around where relief was being given out. They'd ask what the line-up was about, then say, "I've got two bucks left, I expect to get work next week, I don't want no relief."
One night I talked to a group of family people. There were three in the family, husband and wife, nineteen and eighteen respectively, and the boy's seventeen-year-old sister. . . . They gave the following as their yearly routine: spuds at Shafter, 'cots other side of Merced, Marysville for prunes and hops, then to the Big Valley (couldn't remember the name of it) for tomatoes. This took about six months of the year, which was their full working period. . . .
The costume of the men is almost uniform. The trousers are invariably blue jeans. These, like the rest of their clothes, are many times patched and mended, usually very neatly. The clothes of the young boys are replicas of their fathers' except that they may go barefooted occasionally.
. . . Several cases of typhoid have appeared in the area [Imperial Valley] since I have been here. This is due to their habit of drinking "ditchwater," or that water which flows through the irrigation ditches. An epidemic was avoided only because a great many were vaccinated. There are at least eight, and possibly more, cases of pellagra in the camp. The cure for this disease, which may be fatal, is green vegetables or red meat. However, they have eaten starchy foods for so long that they no longer have a taste for meats and vegetables. When the doctor told one woman to feed meat to her family, she replied that they didn't like meat and wouldn't eat it.
. . . These people aren't relief-minded. I've seen them around where relief was being given out. They'd ask what the line-up was about, then say, "I've got two bucks left, I expect to get work next week, I don't want no relief."
Understanding the Meaning
Making Inferences
1. What is the reporter's general impression of conditions among the migrants?
2. Compare and contrast the overall views of Steinbeck and Fortune about migrants. What is the point of view of Steinbeck? The Fortune author? Cite examples to support generalizations.
- Fortune was and still is one of capitalism's most prestigious voices. Does its account of the migrants in general agree or disagree with Steinbeck's newspaper articles?
- How does Fortune characterize migrants? Select statements you consider good examples ofFortune's characterization of the migrants. Focus on aspects of living conditions and their effect on people.
- What does "Extracts from a Reporter's Notebook" tell you about the importance of sanitation and diet?
Making Inferences
1. What is the reporter's general impression of conditions among the migrants?
2. Compare and contrast the overall views of Steinbeck and Fortune about migrants. What is the point of view of Steinbeck? The Fortune author? Cite examples to support generalizations.