It seems as though we have it rough now, but be thankful you were not alive in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Throughout the Great Depression about one-fourth of the work force was unemployed, leaving many unable to provide food for themselves or their families. This lead people to “riding the rails”- illegally hopping from train to train in order to find a way to make money during the Great Depression. In the letter entitled “What a Cruel Thing to do on Mother’s Day” written by a 13-year-old boy by the name of Claud Franklin. Franklin decided to ride the rails because it seemed a great adventure. Franklin states within the letter, “I’d developed a wanderlust, hearing my two oldest brothers talk about riding the freight trains to
