It has often been said that fantasies are figments of our minds; creations of the imagination. They dwell in our thoughts and for some of us who are dreamers they provide great comfort when due to lack of ability or opportunity we search for a substitute for achievement.
As a youth, I lived in a world of fantasy. I frequently imagined myself to be a Babe Ruth of baseball fame, a great pianist, such as lgnace Padewski and even another Albert Einstein, the world-renowned physicist. The hope of accomplishing something out of the ordinary some day was ever present.
I read many of Richard Halliburton's books that he had written about his travels around the world. He was born in the year 1900. His airplane "The Flying Carpet" carried him more than 50,000 miles around the earth. In that day it was an accomplishment as world travel was not common. Airplanes were of the single engine-type, usually a bi-plane.
Halliburton was interested in visiting historic spots and re-enacting historic incidents. In the year 192I he swam the Sea of Galilee. In the years to follow, he swam other great bodies of water. He climbed the pyramids of ancient Egypt and this last great venture was to be his aim in life - He obtained a sail-boat in Japan and began an attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean to the United States. He was never heard from again and nothing was ever found to indicate what had happened.
Richard Byrd, born in 1888, became an aviator and an explorer. In 1925, he accompanied a man named MacMillan on an expedition to Greenland. In the following year, he flew over the North Pole with Floyd Bennett. This had never been done by anyone in an airplane. He later made flights over the South Pole and became a hero to me and to those who were of my generation.
World War I was in full swing when I was five years of age. Germany had set out to rule Europe and was led by a man who was of the Royal House of Hohenzollern." This family had its beginning back in the 11th Century. William Hohenzollern became the Kaiser (Emperor) of Germany. My older brother Glenn and I became bitter enemies of "Kaiser Bill" and we posted his picture on our bedroom wall to throw darts at him. I had great hopes of meeting him some day to pour forth my vent toward him.
As I have mentioned, airplanes were rare in my youth. One, on occasion, would see a small single or a bi-plane wing with a single engine flying around the valley. Passenger service or mail planes had not yet started. It was beyond even a dream that I would ever have the opportunity to fly in one. One day, my sister, Lisle, had sent me to bed late in the afternoon as punishment for something I should not have done. (Lisle had taken the place of my mother who had died. Adding to my discomfort and sorrow, she told me the next day that I had missed seeing a beautiful airplane that had flown over the house with flags and streamers on it. I thought I had missed something that would never take place again.
In September, 1933, I left Salt Lake City, Utah to fulfill an assignment as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That, in itself, was a fantasy to be fulfilled as I had left the state of tah only two or three times until then. To cross the United States and the Atlantic Ocean and set foot on European soil made me the envy of all who knew me. At that time no thought entered my mind that it would lead to circling the globe and to experience some of the fantasies of my youth.
This, therefore, records my experiences covering a period of a "Thousand and Eighty Days" from the time I left salt Lake City, Utah, in 1933 until arriving home in 1936. The Film
'Around the world in Eighty Days " prompted me to come up with the title.
I am indebted to a friend, Betty Garrett, who assisted me in preparing this to be bound. I owe much to my wife, Ellen, for encouragement to assemble the time-worn notes that had lain in my drawer for 50 years waiting for something to be done to preserve the experiences that made many of my fantasies come true. Without Ellen, it would never have come to light and I wonder what would have happened to them.
I am grateful to my father and stepmother, Agnes, who raised me and made it possible for me to attain manhood in respectability.
I am grateful for my mother who died before I really knew her. I look forward to meeting her some day, with an elder brother Lee, who died before my birth. I am grateful that knew my brothers Van Lafe and Glenn, my sister Lisle, who meant so much to me. My joy comes from my four children: Richard Sterling, Judith Ellen, Robert Lee and Joan; also, the many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who add to my life.
Sterling King Hixson
January 1989
A Post Card from Hong Kong
On May 8th, we were told we would get to Hong Kong so I wrote letters to the folks and others that needed to be written to...
...Mr. Brunner, Doctor Allen, Mr. Owad, the Egyptian, and myself went in a taxi to the center of the city . We mailed our letters then began a walking tour. We were seeing real China as I thought it would be - all the little alleys and streets where one could get lost. We could see in some of the places where there were opium dens and the people were lounging around smoking the drug.
Kids were selling sugar cane so I decided to have some. I purchased a piece and gave him a coin that I was told was worth about 6 cents. The boy left his cane and motioned for me to remain. He ran somewhere and came back to give me my change. He handed me 56 coins. I gave them all to him.
We went in some sort of a carnival and sat down. We found out that we were in some sort of a carnival and sat down. We found out that we were in a place where they were acting. Well, it surely was strange. I have never heard such weird and crazy noises they made. They acted strange and played stringed instruments. Girls brought us hot towels that had been steamed so that we could freshen our hands and faces. We were offered tea of which the three of us refused but noticed that all the others could have all they wanted. After a few minutes, we left and went to other parts but they were all the same. As we came out, Brunner saw a little race track with donkeys. He wanted a ride on one so he went and paid for the privilege. I wish it had been light enough to have taken a picture with him on that animal. He looked a sight.
We toured what they call China town and saw some more opium dens and many other things and I was sure happy that we were in a group and not alone. We eventually got back to the ship by taking rickshas. Wen we arrived, we paid the "coolies" and then purchased some chop sticks sets in carved cases for gifts. They were of excellent quality.
We tried to sleep but had a difficult time as they were loading freight most of the night and making a terrific amount of noise. I lay awake and was so grateful for the opportunity of having seen some of China. It is not a place for me to live with what I saw. It is too crowded and mixed up. Some of it is so unclean that one wonders how they don't all die of something of other.
