June 18
Brentwood
Dear Fay:
Here I am in good old Cali doing nothing and not doing it much better than I did in Ogden. The change in climate was good for me, anyhow. And there is lots and lots of fresh fruit to be eaten for nothing. I guess that I could be in a worse place.
How is the old hip? I'll bet that you have given up and gone back to dancing by now. I'll admit that you should do something about that case of nerves before you chew all of the corners off your mother's newest deck of cards or something. i was scared for my underwear! I've seen these shows where some nervous dame starts to unravelling them.
I guess that you have something to do most of the time, anyway - picture shows or something. There isn't even a picture show in this burg. The only amusement here was a strike that the fruit workers staged. We had Reds and bums and A.F. of L. workers and everybody else out of work down here for the free meals. The fruit men lost plenty of money because of these strikers.
So far here have been no deaths due to the fighting and that is something. There are deputies and regular cops around here by the hundreds with everything from machine guns to gas bombs as armament. That doesn't sound as if I should be having such a dull time does it? The truth is that it is not as interesting as it sounds. I have read magazines by the score, done a house cleaning, walked for miles, and developed into a very accomplished loafer - all inside of a week. Oh, yes, I drove Aunt (Mrs. Wilkin to you) down to Oakland last week. I went to visit the C.U. and took in a picture sure (with vaudavill (how the h--- do you spell it?))
This is certainly a great country. I wish that you could see it. I'm sure that you would like it. I am in love with Calif as a state. That is, I like all of it. If I'm lucky, this is where I'll come to live when I'm out of college.
To get back down to earth however, if I don't get a job inside of the next two days I am coming home. There is no use in just wasting my time like this - not that my time is valuable, but there are things that I can do elsewhere.
Well, as I am running short of paper, if not of time, I guess I'll have to close. I'll be thinking of you until I hear from you or see you again.
With lots of love,
Lee
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
April 13, 1934
April 13, 1934
Dear Fay:
Are you still having your troubles like those you wrote about last week? You had me feeling almost sorry for you - if I didn't know that that yeeping is a matter of form with you. You will probably make a flock of A's in your subjects.
Todays is Friday the thirteenth and I have had no bad luck whatsoever. I believe that I even got a good grade in the Physics test this morning. As I was going to town today, a black cat ran across my path. So I have had all of the signs, but, so far at least, none of the promised results.
I am doing about the same as usual, only I have to work a little harder just now. This is mid-quarter and I have about three exams coming up the first of next week. But nothing peps me up like a good stiff exam. Heh, heh!
I spend all of the time that I am not in classes or studying for them or swimming or going to club meetings, by eating (as much and as often as possible), sleeping (ditto), drinking (water), talking, reading, and day dreaming, not to mention movies and baseball, and then I repeat the process. By far the most important of all this is, of course, the part about eating and sleeping. In fact, I have eaten so much lately that I have gained about five pounds. I now weigh 141 lbs. I may get man-size yet.
I think that I shall be coming home in about a week. This weekend is going to be a busy one, but I think I'll be in Ogden, next weekend. If you are a good girl and help your mother with the dishes andall, I might give you a call when I arrive.
In the meantime, keep your nose clean, kid.
Love,
Lee
Dear Fay:
Are you still having your troubles like those you wrote about last week? You had me feeling almost sorry for you - if I didn't know that that yeeping is a matter of form with you. You will probably make a flock of A's in your subjects.
Todays is Friday the thirteenth and I have had no bad luck whatsoever. I believe that I even got a good grade in the Physics test this morning. As I was going to town today, a black cat ran across my path. So I have had all of the signs, but, so far at least, none of the promised results.
I am doing about the same as usual, only I have to work a little harder just now. This is mid-quarter and I have about three exams coming up the first of next week. But nothing peps me up like a good stiff exam. Heh, heh!
I spend all of the time that I am not in classes or studying for them or swimming or going to club meetings, by eating (as much and as often as possible), sleeping (ditto), drinking (water), talking, reading, and day dreaming, not to mention movies and baseball, and then I repeat the process. By far the most important of all this is, of course, the part about eating and sleeping. In fact, I have eaten so much lately that I have gained about five pounds. I now weigh 141 lbs. I may get man-size yet.
I think that I shall be coming home in about a week. This weekend is going to be a busy one, but I think I'll be in Ogden, next weekend. If you are a good girl and help your mother with the dishes andall, I might give you a call when I arrive.
In the meantime, keep your nose clean, kid.
Love,
Lee
Thursday, October 4, 2012
April 1, 1934
April 1, 1934
Dear Fay:
I started out by writing a letter to the folks. I was none too enthusiastic about writing it either. But as I am now warmed up to the job, I find myself hunting for people to send letters to. I happened to think of a nice girl that I know at home and here I am writing to you. So much for the excuse ----.
Having done nothing much during the elapsed interval since you last heard from me, I have nothing much to relate as to activities. About the inactivities, however, much could be said. I do study some, though. My studies are not snap courses and they all require quite a bit of preparations. I have an eight o'clock class every morning but one, and my classes run through from then to six o'clock every day but Friday. Then (on Friday) I have the afternoon off except for a one hour class. I go to the open swimming periods two nights a week and that constitutes the greater part of my fun for the week. I have a lab all Sat. morning and I study on Sat. afternoon, but on Sunday I do Nothing (with a capital N.) The nothing includes baseball, walks, magazines, eating, sleeping, loafing, spreading the bull (a favorite pastime), going to shows, tennis and in the case of my roommates and me, chemical experiments.
I spend a good deal of time setting around and dreaming. I am especially good at that. I find myself with a book open and my eyes glued upon the spot where the little groups of letters tell me the value of the charge on an election and I find my thoughts in Ogden, or the Grand Tetons, or in sunny California. And there you are. I cannot help thinking what a bust of an electrical engineer I am likely to be.
Last night I was about to go out with the fellows to the the dance at the Moose Hall here. It is a terrible dance and everything there is soused. I probably would have been in that condition by the evening's end, but the drunks were even too drunk for me. I was disgusted, as was the majority of our party, and we went to a midnight show and had a lunch afterward at three o'clock. This morning I slept past the time for the Easter service, so I didn't go to church. I'm going to the dogs, Fay! One of my roommates who is taking the same kind of engineering that I am says that science can take the place of religion. I am beginning to believe the same. I can explain parts of the bible more satisfactorily, at least to myself, by use of analogies to the fourth dimension which proves nothing.
How are all of your love affairs coming along? You can confide in me. I surely hear plenty of them around this house. All kinds - good and bad. One of the boys has a book on love that is intended to leave nothing to the imagination. In that sense it succeeds rather well, but for that very reason is very far from being a work of art.
One of my letters is visible proof of the wanderings said to occur in the feeble mind, but having, as I stated in the beginning, very little importance to relate I am able to fall back upon the small details that ordinarily escape notice - and which are sometimes interesting. But as the hour grows late (it just struck nine) I fear that I must close.
Write and tell me all about every small detail as I have just done. Hold nothing back that isn't important. It is a great American custom - like dealing with the bottom of a cold deck.
Surprisingly enough, I will close without verbosity.
Lots of love,
Lee
Dear Fay:
I started out by writing a letter to the folks. I was none too enthusiastic about writing it either. But as I am now warmed up to the job, I find myself hunting for people to send letters to. I happened to think of a nice girl that I know at home and here I am writing to you. So much for the excuse ----.
Having done nothing much during the elapsed interval since you last heard from me, I have nothing much to relate as to activities. About the inactivities, however, much could be said. I do study some, though. My studies are not snap courses and they all require quite a bit of preparations. I have an eight o'clock class every morning but one, and my classes run through from then to six o'clock every day but Friday. Then (on Friday) I have the afternoon off except for a one hour class. I go to the open swimming periods two nights a week and that constitutes the greater part of my fun for the week. I have a lab all Sat. morning and I study on Sat. afternoon, but on Sunday I do Nothing (with a capital N.) The nothing includes baseball, walks, magazines, eating, sleeping, loafing, spreading the bull (a favorite pastime), going to shows, tennis and in the case of my roommates and me, chemical experiments.
I spend a good deal of time setting around and dreaming. I am especially good at that. I find myself with a book open and my eyes glued upon the spot where the little groups of letters tell me the value of the charge on an election and I find my thoughts in Ogden, or the Grand Tetons, or in sunny California. And there you are. I cannot help thinking what a bust of an electrical engineer I am likely to be.
Last night I was about to go out with the fellows to the the dance at the Moose Hall here. It is a terrible dance and everything there is soused. I probably would have been in that condition by the evening's end, but the drunks were even too drunk for me. I was disgusted, as was the majority of our party, and we went to a midnight show and had a lunch afterward at three o'clock. This morning I slept past the time for the Easter service, so I didn't go to church. I'm going to the dogs, Fay! One of my roommates who is taking the same kind of engineering that I am says that science can take the place of religion. I am beginning to believe the same. I can explain parts of the bible more satisfactorily, at least to myself, by use of analogies to the fourth dimension which proves nothing.
How are all of your love affairs coming along? You can confide in me. I surely hear plenty of them around this house. All kinds - good and bad. One of the boys has a book on love that is intended to leave nothing to the imagination. In that sense it succeeds rather well, but for that very reason is very far from being a work of art.
One of my letters is visible proof of the wanderings said to occur in the feeble mind, but having, as I stated in the beginning, very little importance to relate I am able to fall back upon the small details that ordinarily escape notice - and which are sometimes interesting. But as the hour grows late (it just struck nine) I fear that I must close.
Write and tell me all about every small detail as I have just done. Hold nothing back that isn't important. It is a great American custom - like dealing with the bottom of a cold deck.
Surprisingly enough, I will close without verbosity.
Lots of love,
Lee
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
March 20, 1934
(On University of Wyoming letterhead)
Dear Fay:
I had a terrible ride up here, and now that I am here, I wish that I was elsewhere.
Do you still believe that man is a terrible experiment? You must have been reading Macbeth the other night. There is a scene in that where the Lady wishes to lose all of the milk of human kindness, or that it would turn to gall, or something.
Before I got to register yesterday, the basketball team arrived home. We gave them a regular welcome. Two bands and the whole team and University turned out to give the boys a cheer.
I registered for 18 credit hours including two kinds of physics, chemistry, calculus and some other small stuff. There will be plenty of work to keep me busy for a quarter. My average for last quarter was only 2.6 - which is slightly above average. (It would correspond to a C+). I have done quite a bit of studying in th e last two days and I am now quite a bit ahead of the classes.
Maybe it won't impress you as being news, but I at last got to go swimming once more. My daily swim has become a daily habit with me. I surely missed it for the last two weeks. When I was home I told you, that I was on the swimming team. I didn't break any records in any of the meets, but I got so I could swim fairly well. And its good exercise of sumpthin.
I hope that you will excuse my having written you on both sides of the paper, which is, I understand, not good form. I was slightly too lazy to go back to my room for a fresh sheet. Will do better next time.
I am sorry for the way I have been to you for the last few vacations. I will try to make that up to you when I am home again. In the meantime - have a good time. I'll try not to speak in parables the next time we meet, but we got more to the foundation of things last night more than every before - at least I did. Maybe you already understand me. If so, congratulations. I don't understand myself. The more I try, the worse it gets.
Well, I doubt if I said anything of interest. It's the thought that counts, anyhow. I hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Lee
Dear Fay:
I had a terrible ride up here, and now that I am here, I wish that I was elsewhere.
Do you still believe that man is a terrible experiment? You must have been reading Macbeth the other night. There is a scene in that where the Lady wishes to lose all of the milk of human kindness, or that it would turn to gall, or something.
Before I got to register yesterday, the basketball team arrived home. We gave them a regular welcome. Two bands and the whole team and University turned out to give the boys a cheer.
I registered for 18 credit hours including two kinds of physics, chemistry, calculus and some other small stuff. There will be plenty of work to keep me busy for a quarter. My average for last quarter was only 2.6 - which is slightly above average. (It would correspond to a C+). I have done quite a bit of studying in th e last two days and I am now quite a bit ahead of the classes.
Maybe it won't impress you as being news, but I at last got to go swimming once more. My daily swim has become a daily habit with me. I surely missed it for the last two weeks. When I was home I told you, that I was on the swimming team. I didn't break any records in any of the meets, but I got so I could swim fairly well. And its good exercise of sumpthin.
I hope that you will excuse my having written you on both sides of the paper, which is, I understand, not good form. I was slightly too lazy to go back to my room for a fresh sheet. Will do better next time.
I am sorry for the way I have been to you for the last few vacations. I will try to make that up to you when I am home again. In the meantime - have a good time. I'll try not to speak in parables the next time we meet, but we got more to the foundation of things last night more than every before - at least I did. Maybe you already understand me. If so, congratulations. I don't understand myself. The more I try, the worse it gets.
Well, I doubt if I said anything of interest. It's the thought that counts, anyhow. I hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Lee
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
August 11, 1933
Brentwood
August 11
Dear Fay:
I swear that I would have written sooner if I had had time. I still owe about four letters to various people.
For the last two weeks I have been working plenty hard. The hardest since I've been down here. And I have worked long hours for this week. I put in from eleven to sixteen hours a day. Night before last I got only three and a half hours of sleep. And you know how I like to sleep. I didn't lose sleep over any Mexican girls, either.
What are you going to do this winter? Are you going to Weber? I am going back to good old Wyo. I guess that I will go to the World's Fair in Chicago when I am through working down here. It looks as though our time spent together will be rather small. Why don't you go to U. of W. then we wouldn't just be writing letters.
Is it still hot there? It is only around 100 here now. Practically freezing.
I haven't done a darn thing but work since I sent you the last letter so the news value of this will be small. I told you about us going to Yosemite didn't I? That was a swell trip. We drove up there.
Well I have to eat in a hurry and get back to work. Tell everybody hello for me. Give Marge my congratulations in your next letter.
My Spanish has had no exercise since I have been here, but -
Hasta la vista
Con amor
Lee
August 11
Dear Fay:
I swear that I would have written sooner if I had had time. I still owe about four letters to various people.
For the last two weeks I have been working plenty hard. The hardest since I've been down here. And I have worked long hours for this week. I put in from eleven to sixteen hours a day. Night before last I got only three and a half hours of sleep. And you know how I like to sleep. I didn't lose sleep over any Mexican girls, either.
What are you going to do this winter? Are you going to Weber? I am going back to good old Wyo. I guess that I will go to the World's Fair in Chicago when I am through working down here. It looks as though our time spent together will be rather small. Why don't you go to U. of W. then we wouldn't just be writing letters.
Is it still hot there? It is only around 100 here now. Practically freezing.
I haven't done a darn thing but work since I sent you the last letter so the news value of this will be small. I told you about us going to Yosemite didn't I? That was a swell trip. We drove up there.
Well I have to eat in a hurry and get back to work. Tell everybody hello for me. Give Marge my congratulations in your next letter.
My Spanish has had no exercise since I have been here, but -
Hasta la vista
Con amor
Lee
Monday, September 24, 2012
July 26, 1933
Brentwood [California]
July 26
Dear Fay:
I suppose that you have cussed me by now for not writing sooner, or is it a cussing matter with you? I owe about three letters now. I have intended for the last two or three days to get busy with a pen - but I didn't until now.
Things have been happening here thick and fast. My folks came down for a few days and they had to be entertained. And I have been working ever since the first of July except for a few days in between jobs. But in spite of that, I have not earned any fortune yet. I worked for a while at two-bits an hour and then for fifteen cents. This last job is over now and I think I'll land another tomorrow. The fruit business is very uncertain. You don't know when you are working and when you are not. I was just layed off at 2:00 afternoon.
My job consisted of piling boxes that had just been through the box washer in the largest fruit drying plant in the world. The boxes were quite wet when I get them, and I was also wet after a minute or two. It was a sloppy job, and hard work for only fifteen cents an hour. I sometimes had to pile as many as five thousand boxes in a day. now if you would like to use a little simple arithmetic (is that spelled correctly?) here are some statistics that I have gathered. The lugs (or boxes as you will) weigh 8 lbs a piece and the water from the box washer weight another lb. 9 x 5000 = 45000 lbs which is 22.5 tons. I carry the lugs 3 at a time which gives me 1666 2/3 trips with the three boxes over an average distance of 30 ft. 30 X 1667 = 50,010 ft = 9.47 miles in 10 hours work.
This is a great country for scenery, and while my folks were down here I got to see quite a bit of pretty country. We drove down to Santa Cruz and Monterey and all along the coast. You get a lot of good practice in your Spanish by just trying to pronounce the names of the towns down here. I swam in the ocean. It was hard work. The water is pretty heavy to swim in. We also drove through a big redwood forest in the Big Basin. The drive was beautiful. We took two days to make the trips. It was nice and cool on the trip, too. That was something. It's hotter than hell here. This valley that Brentwood is in is called Diablo Valley because of the heat. It was 110 in the shade today. I put in 9 hours work with a scrub brush yesterday under a tin roof with the temperature around 105 all day.
Although when I am working I am just one of the hired hands. Mr. Williams is the big boss. He rides around in an Oldsmobile and smokes expensive cigars, etc. Everything he and Aunty (Mrs. Williams) do is expensive. I have a good hunch that Mr Williams makes around $350 a month. He made $100 more than that last year. So he can afford an expensive car and expensive habits. I drive the Olds around once in a while. I wish that you were here. We'd go for a spin tonight and a moonlight swimming party. Moonlight swimming is swell down here. I went swimming this afternoon with a fellow from the place I was working (the dry yard). He and I had just got layed off at the same time.
What are you doing now days? Going on partys and dancing and everything I suppose. I have been to just one dance here and it was a flop so far as I was concerned, although I did learn about one guys love affairs. They included an incident concerning a Filipino and a knife. When I am working I don't bother hunting up amusement. I just go to bed. You know how i love to do that.
I don't know when I shall be home again. I may not get home until the latter part of August. I'll work here as long as I may. In spite of the heat. I rather like it here. But I will be seeing you soon - not soon enough of course.
Well, give my regards to your folks. Tell the snipe sisters "hello" for me. (Maybe they will take offense at that nasty word - so show it to them) tell everybody "hello" for me. Even Pat. Write soon.
Lots of love,
Lee
July 26
Dear Fay:
I suppose that you have cussed me by now for not writing sooner, or is it a cussing matter with you? I owe about three letters now. I have intended for the last two or three days to get busy with a pen - but I didn't until now.
Things have been happening here thick and fast. My folks came down for a few days and they had to be entertained. And I have been working ever since the first of July except for a few days in between jobs. But in spite of that, I have not earned any fortune yet. I worked for a while at two-bits an hour and then for fifteen cents. This last job is over now and I think I'll land another tomorrow. The fruit business is very uncertain. You don't know when you are working and when you are not. I was just layed off at 2:00 afternoon.
My job consisted of piling boxes that had just been through the box washer in the largest fruit drying plant in the world. The boxes were quite wet when I get them, and I was also wet after a minute or two. It was a sloppy job, and hard work for only fifteen cents an hour. I sometimes had to pile as many as five thousand boxes in a day. now if you would like to use a little simple arithmetic (is that spelled correctly?) here are some statistics that I have gathered. The lugs (or boxes as you will) weigh 8 lbs a piece and the water from the box washer weight another lb. 9 x 5000 = 45000 lbs which is 22.5 tons. I carry the lugs 3 at a time which gives me 1666 2/3 trips with the three boxes over an average distance of 30 ft. 30 X 1667 = 50,010 ft = 9.47 miles in 10 hours work.
This is a great country for scenery, and while my folks were down here I got to see quite a bit of pretty country. We drove down to Santa Cruz and Monterey and all along the coast. You get a lot of good practice in your Spanish by just trying to pronounce the names of the towns down here. I swam in the ocean. It was hard work. The water is pretty heavy to swim in. We also drove through a big redwood forest in the Big Basin. The drive was beautiful. We took two days to make the trips. It was nice and cool on the trip, too. That was something. It's hotter than hell here. This valley that Brentwood is in is called Diablo Valley because of the heat. It was 110 in the shade today. I put in 9 hours work with a scrub brush yesterday under a tin roof with the temperature around 105 all day.
Although when I am working I am just one of the hired hands. Mr. Williams is the big boss. He rides around in an Oldsmobile and smokes expensive cigars, etc. Everything he and Aunty (Mrs. Williams) do is expensive. I have a good hunch that Mr Williams makes around $350 a month. He made $100 more than that last year. So he can afford an expensive car and expensive habits. I drive the Olds around once in a while. I wish that you were here. We'd go for a spin tonight and a moonlight swimming party. Moonlight swimming is swell down here. I went swimming this afternoon with a fellow from the place I was working (the dry yard). He and I had just got layed off at the same time.
What are you doing now days? Going on partys and dancing and everything I suppose. I have been to just one dance here and it was a flop so far as I was concerned, although I did learn about one guys love affairs. They included an incident concerning a Filipino and a knife. When I am working I don't bother hunting up amusement. I just go to bed. You know how i love to do that.
I don't know when I shall be home again. I may not get home until the latter part of August. I'll work here as long as I may. In spite of the heat. I rather like it here. But I will be seeing you soon - not soon enough of course.
Well, give my regards to your folks. Tell the snipe sisters "hello" for me. (Maybe they will take offense at that nasty word - so show it to them) tell everybody "hello" for me. Even Pat. Write soon.
Lots of love,
Lee
Friday, September 21, 2012
July 6, 1933
Dear Fay:
I've moved again. This time I am in California, the land of the sunshine. I called you up the morning I left. You weren't home and I had no time to call up the number that your sister gave me, so I had to give up,. You see, I didn't know that I was leaving until 8:30 on Thursday morning and the train left at 10:00. I had to pack in a hurry.
I reached here on Saturday at about noon. After dinner I visited the B.G. Fruit packing concern here, and that night I had a job. I worked for two hours that night, and the next day, Sunday, I started in earnest.We worked all day the 4th of July. I haven't had much time to play around down here, or to write letters. I was laid off today, however, and I have time to catch up on little details like that. I believe and hope that I shall get another job tomorrow. It will be quite a bit different from the one I have been doing.
There are lots of cute Spanish girls down here. I guess I"ll have to date a couple of them just to learn Spanish, of course. I might have to feel around and see if they carried a concealed knife of course, too. You would not mind that would you?
I expect that I shall be down here for quite a while. As long as I can get a job in fact. So I may not be back in Ogden for very long before school starts. This travelling around all the time doesn't permit us to get together very often does it?
How is Marge's matrimonial venture coming along. I'd like to see the wedding and kiss the bride.
Well, I have to get this letter off in the mail, so I'll be seeing you.
Write soon,
Love,
Lee
I've moved again. This time I am in California, the land of the sunshine. I called you up the morning I left. You weren't home and I had no time to call up the number that your sister gave me, so I had to give up,. You see, I didn't know that I was leaving until 8:30 on Thursday morning and the train left at 10:00. I had to pack in a hurry.
I reached here on Saturday at about noon. After dinner I visited the B.G. Fruit packing concern here, and that night I had a job. I worked for two hours that night, and the next day, Sunday, I started in earnest.We worked all day the 4th of July. I haven't had much time to play around down here, or to write letters. I was laid off today, however, and I have time to catch up on little details like that. I believe and hope that I shall get another job tomorrow. It will be quite a bit different from the one I have been doing.
There are lots of cute Spanish girls down here. I guess I"ll have to date a couple of them just to learn Spanish, of course. I might have to feel around and see if they carried a concealed knife of course, too. You would not mind that would you?
I expect that I shall be down here for quite a while. As long as I can get a job in fact. So I may not be back in Ogden for very long before school starts. This travelling around all the time doesn't permit us to get together very often does it?
How is Marge's matrimonial venture coming along. I'd like to see the wedding and kiss the bride.
Well, I have to get this letter off in the mail, so I'll be seeing you.
Write soon,
Love,
Lee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)