Life In Alaska – Dear Frere – Ced to Lad (1) – Sept., 1940

September eighteenth

8:45 PM

Dear Frere

The Lord knows when your letter was posted, but it arrived in Anchorage on 11 September. The Venezuelan postmark was about as legible as a North American Chinamen’s left-handed signature as seen at 50 yards through the wrong end of Opera glasses. However it must have made fair time and Dan and I were both delighted to hear from you. Your letter was excellent reading too. Well written and newsy. I hope for a repeat performance soon.

As for your baby Lockheed, our Stinson, not Travelaire, should vie with it in instruments. Sometime I’ll count them and let you know. Then you’ll retract your belittling statements. I confess a feeling of envy, however, as there is a P.A.A. (Pacific Alaska Airways) plane which hits Anchorage once in a great while which is a new Lockheed, I think 10 passenger, and is probably the same design as S.V.O.’s (Socony-Vacuum Oil). It answers your description as far as exterior goes, but the inside I haven’t seen.

The further news on the Packard is this. To the end of my stay in Trumbull it seemed “faithful forever”, having masterfully served both Dan and I through two hard winters and at the last, with the new coat of top dressing and two new tires, looked good for another stretch. The top still went up and down frequently and didn’t leak to speak of. On leaving, unable to sell it through the papers, I left it with Dad with the understanding that Dick buy it for $40 if he got a job on the highway Department. P.S.  Dick got the job but not state Highway, instead Columbia photo, and now he has paid to Dad the full $40, which you by now have most likely heard through Dad’s carbons of letters to Dan and I.

The money, which rightfully belongs to you, along with $60 now from me, I took the liberty of temporarily deeding to Dad as help along financing. I am so situated now that I will soon be able to make it up to you. I am ashamed of having let it go so long, but I always figured that you didn’t have any immediate need for it and it was very convenient for me to have it in circumstances up to the present. Thanks for your kind, brotherly patience.

Dad so religiously tells you news of Dan and my doings that I feel unnecessary when I write news of happenings here only to learn (through Dad’s carbons again) that he has also told you the same things.

Tomorrow, I’ll post the rest of this letter.

On Wednesday and Thursday, a two part letter from Dan to Lad.

On Friday, An Absentee Ballot mailed to Lad from the Town Clerk.

Judy Guion

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