Trumbull – Report of the Purchasing Agent – (2) – June, 1940

This is the second half of the letter “Report of the Purchasing Agent” from Grandpa to Lad in Venezuela.

Col. W. C. Weeks’ address is P.O. Box 201, R.F.D.3, Bridgeport, Conn. I noticed it on his mailbox as I rode by this morning. For my daily constitutional I had driven up to Baskerville’s and walked from there on a circle up around Huntington way for about an hour.

We were going to give a farewell party for the boys tonight but because the Chandler Chorus Society fixed upon this same afternoon for their picnic and the boys have decided not to leave before next Saturday, our party has been postponed. Just when they will start has not yet been definitely decided, Ced wanting first to get some definite information as to boat connections on the coast with the idea of transporting the car to Alaska.

I note you have a new ribbon on your machine. It is much improved from a legibility standpoint.

I was quite interested in your paragraph referring to the Venezuela Petroleum affair as I was wondering what happened after the one reference in that first letter. Now I note you will talk with Mr. O’Connor when you visit Caracas which perhaps is the best thing under the circumstances. I am surprised you have not yet had Ted’s letter that he said he wrote you but that again may be the fault of the mail. If I were you I would make a friendly call on Mr. MacMillan. He is a good person to know under the circumstances. Don’t forget also to send some postcards to your friends in the states while you are here. Have you made any definite plans as to when you will make a visit to Caracas?

Am glad you have a congenial roommate. The wrong kind of companion at such close quarters could make things very unpleasant as you probably know. However I should think you would be the easiest kind of person to live with as Tip has already found out, I don’t doubt. I suppose your old Dad would think that anyway, in view of the large place you occupy in his heart.

Arnold has finished the engine and clutch on the little Willys but just today something went wrong in the gas line on your old Packard and I suppose he will be having to fix that up as Dan has been using it to get back and forth to his job on the Merritt Parkway. I suppose both Ced and Dan will continue to work another week in order to accumulate as much money as possible for their trip. Dan is very much tanned, far darker than when he came back from Venezuela. Dick has been taking sun baths lately although for the last week, with the exception of one day, we have had rainy or cloudy weather. Decoration Day was the beautiful exception and today was not half bad. If it were not for the depressing news from abroad and poor business, things would be quite cheerful.

Page 3 of R-78

The foregoing was written Saturday afternoon, so that in case I was unable to write you today (Sunday) it would not be the delay in sending you my weekly newsletter that has occurred during the last two weeks.

Late yesterday afternoon we all went down to the Choral Society picnic at Traphagen’s where they roasted hamburgers outside, sat around and talked, some playing games like pitching horseshoes, badminton, etc. An enjoyable time was had by all.

This morning Dave and I arose early, drove over to the end of Seeley Road and walked north to the end of the lake. We disturbed a mother duck and six little wild ducklings who swam out on the lake to avoid the horrid man things.

In celebration of Ced’s birthday I had ice cream, and as per the old custom, for dessert, after which Ced opened his presents. As a combination birthday and going away gift I gave him a watch similar to Dan’s. That and the traveling bag from you were the high spots.

This afternoon I planted some seeds in the flower bed between the barm and the incinerator. It has been a beautiful day, warm and sunshiny except for occasional brief spaces when pleasing clouds drifted across the Sun.

The boys have decided tentatively to set a week from tomorrow as the time of departure. Arnold has located and fixed the leak in the Packard gas line. It occurred just where the pipe joins the tank.

I learned that both David and little Raymond are to be baptized next Sunday by Mr. Bollman. David was the only one of you children that was not baptized. He is now down at the Young People’s meeting at the church. In a few minutes I shall tune in and listen to Charlie McCarthy with the thought that you might be doing the same.

The Lilacs are just about done and now the iris are coming into bloom. Dan, after hours, has been doing a lot to make the place look better and his example has induced Dick and, to some extent Dave also, to do a bit along this line. Zeke doesn’t do a thing around the apartment to make the place look decent and as Elizabeth isn’t much inclined that way either, it doesn’t look anywhere near as nice as far as the grounds are concerned as they did when Grandma lived there.

With all the more important news out of the way this is now dwindling down to small talk which probably is not very interesting to you, so I suppose I might as well do the inevitable and say au revoir to you and tune in on 660. Greetings and all that sort of thing from your one and only       DAD

Tomorrow and Thursday, I’ll be posting another two part letter and I’ll finish the week with a letter from Larry and Russ, friends of Lad’s.

Judy Guion