Page 155 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Early days in Los Angeles

The boat trip took us five days, and was a real honeymoon to
Fannie, although we had to travel yet another four days on the train
to Los Angeles, where we arrived on May the tenth. My brother
Benjamin met us at the Southern Pacific station on Fifth Street. He
had been there six months already, and like a scout he had reported
on conditions there—but he was a poor reporter, as I have said. The
most he had written was that I would come and get in business and
make a living. I expected him to appear neat and clean when meeting
his just-married brother and his new bride on a Sunday in May, but
what a pitiful picture he presented: dressed in old rags, an old cap,
and torn shoes with laces of wrapping twine.
It has always been my misfortune—and their good fortune—that
others have been able to manipulate me and cash in on my efforts. I
never borrowed money or asked for support from others, and got
along the best a man could with as little as he needed to sustain
himself. It was said by one of our old sages, “Better to skin a
decomposed animal in public for a living and avoid charity.” Another
sage said, “Make thy Sabbath like weekdays and do not ask help from
others.” The few people I have come in contact with have always
been deceived, judging me to be well-supplied with funds and,
naturally, either wanted to borrow or criticized my simplicity of
living. To be considered a miser, hoarding my money, was never felt
by me as an insult; I just laughed inwardly and could see very well the
intentions of the person who was so disappointed with my way of
living. My own brother had the same idea about me, and wanted me
to come to Los Angeles so he might get a lift from me. And he could
not be blamed as merely an envious brother, for he certainly was in
bad circumstances when I arrived.
But he was not to blame for our situation; at the time, there was
an economic crisis in this country. Teddy Roosevelt had become
president, and some of the bankers were not satisfied with him,
considering him a liberal—which he was far from being, and proved
it in many ways after he was in office. He condemned a few big

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