Cape Breton's Magazine

California to Cape Breton, 1917 'j'S'i Crossing the American desert. ;'' Right: Aunt Ruth Auni riyin s rirsi i rip Home In 1917, Miriam Ruth MacRae Bird (upper right photo) came back to her old home in Cape Breton from California, with her husband Marshall, her sister Mary Ann MacRae Stein, and Mary Anna's husband Chris. They took photographs along the way, and Marshall kept a journal, which has since been lost. In 1966, Rev. Murdock MacRae--Ruth's nephew--taped an interview about the journey home. The interview starts on page 3. Ruth's sister, Alice MacRae Smith, gives an in? troduction, below: Introduction by Alice Smith, Murray Road, North River Bridge (There was a bet' made before they left California, with the Ford Company?) Alice Smith: Yes, with the Ford Company, that they wouldn't go inside of a hotel until they got back. And if they didn't, they were going to get a new Ford car. So they didn't go inside of a hotel. They came right through. And they camped every night from the time they left California until they got here. To Cape Breton. (Whose idea was the trip?) The idea was my oldest sister's--Miriam Ruth. She was a very brave woman. And there were a lot of people tried to cross the desert--you know, no water, no garages, no way to get gasoline. And she told my other sister and the 4 of them got together--they said they'd try it. They filled their car up with oranges, fruit, and apples, so they wouldn't perish in the heat coming across there. So, they made it. When they got back, they got a new car. They made it to Nova Scotia. And back. They drove both ways. They had to. If I get the pictures, you'll see: where there was no road ahead of them, they had to try to get sticks. And you try and get sticks coming from California an3rwheres. CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE, NUMBER FIFTY-ONE WRECK COVE, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA SECOND CLASS MAIL -- REGISTRATION NUMBER 3014