Photos

Julius' father, Franz, wanted him to study business and math. Julius was more interested in chemistry. He was sick and spitting up blood before he ran away from home at the age of 14.

He left home in Vienna following an Italian opera company to Italy. In later life he was insistant that his daughter, Joan, not persue her interest in theater.

In Italy, Julius joined the Italian merchant marine. He signed on as a cook, a skill which he learned on his first trip to Alaska. He reported being amazed by the size of strawberries he saw growing there, and by the blood oranges in Spain. In those days, new sailors were taught to swim by being thrown overboard. That is how Julius learned.

One time Julius and a friend rode across the Isthmus of Panama on donkeys. A snake dropped out of a tree and bit Julius on the right leg. Not being near medical facilities, he cut the top from a can of peas and scooped out the wound. Julius carried the scar from this the rest of his life.

His travels took him up the Amazon river in Brazil, where he reported staying at a hacienda and dining on a very sweet meat which later was identified as snake.