Trumbull – A Few Stray Remarks – April, 1940

Lad in Venezuela

R-72    April 21, 1940

Dear Lad:

With only occasionally the sun breaking through that is the record of the last seven days. In spite of that fact I have been walking every morning for at least an hour and feel better physically for it.

Rusty (Heurlin) left Friday for a visit to the dentist in Norwalk and then a 2 weeks stay with Sydney at Whitestone.

Now for a few stray remarks as they come to me. This week I had the John Hancock Insurance Company change your premium to an annual basis. I paid them $23.44 which cleans this up until a year from now.

Cecilia came over the other night and said she was putting on a circus for the P.T.A. food fund and wanted to know if I would print tickets and a program, reimbursing myself by selling ads in the program. I told her I could not spare the time to do the necessary running around to solicit ads but gave her the names of some local people she could probably get ads from. George made up a dummy program with the picture of a clown on the front cover which she liked muchly and is quite sure she can sell the necessary space to pay for the expense which I am doing at about cost, throwing artwork in as my contribution.

Enclosed are your two driver’s licenses, which you must sign to make them legal and valid. You may return them for safekeeping if you wish and I will put them in my safe deposit box with your insurance policy, Investor’s Syndicate papers, etc., or of course you may want to keep them down there in your trunk.

A letter from you arrived on the 16th giving us the last installment of your visit to Trinidad. Here’s wishing you better luck next time. At least you will know more what is required on the next attempt.

“Feel pretty sorry for Ed. His boy went away a year ago and it’s gettin’ kinda pitiful to see him comin’ every day, lookin’ for a letter that never comes.”

The enclosed clipping is self-explanatory. There have been times when I knew just how “Ed” felt but fortunately I haven’t yet had to wait that long.

The only other item of local news I can think of now is that the other day Mr. Woods resigned as chairman of the Republican Town Committee and in his place we elected Ellwood Stanley (son of John Stanley ) who bought Noye’s place. They’re trying to find someone now willing to run for First Selectman on the Republican ticket. A couple of people have asked me if I would run again, but I think I’ve had my belly full for quite a while. Davis seems to be growing more unpopular daily. It is a thankless task and no matter how hard you try and how much you put into it, you get far more abuse than thanks. If Davis runs again I don’t think he will be elected, as many of his own party are dissatisfied.

Did that last box of books I sent ever arrive? I filled up the chinks with old copies of the Sunday Post funny papers, thinking they might thus serve two purposes.

By the way your photos have not yet put in an appearance.

Col. Weeks asked about you the other day. You might add him to your postcard mailing list whenever you get to a source of card supplies at Woolworth’s in Caracas.

Mack is about the same. His ear seems to be bothering him as he shakes his head frequently. He goes walking with me every morning. He starts out with much pep and gusto, but before long he is trailing along ever sedately. He seems to enjoy it nevertheless.

Dan, Dick and Dave have all been working at the office this week, leaving Rusty home alone here most of the day. He has been writing a story which he is in hopes of selling with the idea of getting the illustration work that goes with it. I hope for his sake he is successful although I have some doubts as to how good he may be as a literary man. I have an idea he is depending on what he earns to take him back to Alaska for which place he wants to start in June. His attempt to sell two paintings for covers to the Curtis Publishing Company in Philadelphia fell through.

Tomorrow I’ll post the second half of this letter. Grandpa asks some more questions to fill up the page and not waste paper.

On Saturday, Grandpa tells us in his autobiography about his first job and when he started to notice Arla Peabody.

On Sunday, Ced will tell us about the first few days of his adventure leading up to arriving at Grandpa Peabody’s.

Next week I’ll be posting letters from February, 1941 when Lad is still in Venezuela and Dan and Ced are in Alaska. The time is approaching for Lad’s return home and everyone is getting excited about that. He’s been away from home for two and a half years.

Judy Guion