Flip of the coin leads south

JERRY PERSON

The streets of a big city can be a frightening place for a young boy

just entering his teen years.

This week, we’ll look way back at such a boy and how he would

overcome life’s misfortunes.

It was in Chicago that such a boy -- Bernard Cieck (pronounced

“seek”) -- was born in 1886. Over the years, he would become a

respected Main Street businessman in Huntington Beach.

Life was hard in those early years for Cieck. In 1899, when he was

only 13, he ran away from home for a new life. He headed into the

heart of the windy city of Chicago and soon found he had to fight

just to survive.

He shined shoes, ran errands and sold newspapers on street corners

for pennies. But he was never ashamed of doing an honest job, no

matter what it was or how hard it was.

During those times, Cieck never lost a chance to educate himself

in spite all the difficulties that life handed him. He learned to

stick to a job and to be cheerful and happy, to be good, to be

honest, industrious and to be courageous.

As he grew older, Cieck found time to get away from the big city

and holiday in one of the quiet suburban towns nearby.

It was on one of these holidays that Cieck met Ruby Morrison. She

was a year younger than he, and the two began seeing each other.

They had long talks about Cieck coming to California to live. Ruby

encouraged him in his plans, and promised that if he made good in

California she would join him there.

When a man is in love, there is no stopping him from his dream.

With little money in his pocket, Cieck hopped a boxcar in 1906 and

headed west for sunny California.

Sometimes when the trainmen found him, he would have to pay for

his fare. At other times, he would hide inside those cold, empty

boxcars.

During his journey across the country, Cieck had to endure the

cold weather and two train wrecks -- from which he escaped injury

because luck was on his side.

He hopped off a boxcar at a point where the tracks branched off --

one set heading toward San Francisco and the other set heading for

Los Angeles.

Now his big question was, which way should he go? The 20-year-old

took out a nickel from his pocket and flipped it.

Los Angeles won the toss, and Cieck headed south. Arriving in Los

Angeles, he soon got a job as a streetcar conductor on the old Los

Angeles railway system.

For the next six months, he saved every extra penny, and finally

with enough money, he sent for Ruby. Shortly after her arrival in Los

Angeles, the two were married. In 1907, their first son was born.

After five years as a streetcar conductor, Cieck tired of trying

to ride to fame and fortune on the streetcar. After his daughter was

born in 1911, he quit his job.

With a week’s pay in his pocket, he began looking for a better

paying job to support his family. He was hired as a salesman by

Standard Oil Company and stayed with the company from 1911 to 1916.

He was making a good living when his second son was born in 1916.

With some extra money, he was able to purchase a grocery store in Los

Angeles and even able to dabble in real estate.

Later, Cieck purchased a small movie theater in Riverside, selling

it in the early 1920s. He then purchased real estate in Orange

County.

In November 1922, the family arrived in Huntington Beach, where

Mayor Richard Drew welcomed them.

Cieck quickly purchased and opened the Rotary Sweet Shop at 211

Main St., where he served “good eats and drinks.”

The family settled into a home at 206 Fifth St., and in the years

that followed, their three children would attend local schools.

Throughout his years in Huntington Beach, you could count on Cieck

to be looking on the bright side of life, something that we all

should be doing today.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.