1924: Getting Away

At the onset of winter I had made a gun of ½ centimetre metal pipe (using Russian cartridges.) I straightened the then end and made it a hunting gun. Powder and other things could be bought. Arturs had a real hunting rifle. That year there were a lot of squirrels; they were everywhere that firs grew, eating the seeds from the cones. The skins could be sold for 3 lati, which was a days’ pay for a labourer. By walking around the different areas I could shoot 2-4 every day, which was very good money. It was illegal to shoot them, but when it is necessary you can do anything. With my illegal earnings I saved 30-40 lati. My dream was to go to Riga and work during the day and study at night at the technical college. After Christmas I decided to do it. Until this time I did not even have an overcoat, so I had one made from a rough, home made material. I packed my belongings in a home made box like a suitcase with a lock. My belongings consisted of what mother gave me: a small cushion, a thin blanket, and one sheet. My oldest brother, after all my summer work, refused to give me anything saying, “You are just going in the world to become a thief.” I decided that I would never come home to the farm again because it could not be worse than anywhere else. At least I could always work for food.

Now, I am surprised at my determination and courage to go back to Riga in the worst weather without even knowing anyone there. The beginning was a shock. There was very bad unemployment. I spent the first night in a hotel, but for the next night I found Dzirnavas street where the farmers who came to the city stayed with their horses and loads of goods. At these special accommodation areas you could get a straw mattress in a warm room for ½ lati. Fully clothes, the farmers used this for sleeping. For a few santimi (cents) you could buy ½ a loaf of white bread with water, and that was breakfast. I had to find work. Vacant positions were advertised in the paper “Jaunakas Zinas.” After a search I found a newspaper publishing place in inner Riga in a narrow lane, “Mazu Kaleja” street. When I got there, the street was full of people queuing for the paper to come out so that if there were any jobs advertised they would be the first ones there. Seeing this I became quite depressed. Standing there, I met a school friend from Aizpute in the crowd. He was also looking for work. We talked about accommodation and he offered me ½ a bed in a place he was staying. It was a room with 2-3 beds, all the people were strangers. The bed was all you got. The old woman who ran this rooming house was kind and suggested that it would be all right to squeeze up until I could find something better. I started to learn about Riga, which I did not know at all.