Overcome by the loss of family and loss of hope in the middle of the Great Depression, 13-year-old Sven Johnson caught a freight-car in Minnesota to head west. Via the Great Northern train and the hobo jungles along the line, he expanded his education and his chance for opportunity. In Montana, he was thrown off by the railroad "bulls" and toward a fresh start in a new family, community and school. Applying his talents and tenacity, he grew in character and capabilities toward remarkable associations and accomplishments.