Alfred Duryee Guion
R-92 September 8, 1940
To the Guion settlers in
the Cook Inlet and Orinoco River Sections,
Greetings:
Nellie ( Nelson Sperling) is home again. He is on leave of absence from the Army for recuperation purposes. He walked in here a few minutes ago. He doesn’t know whether he will go back to his old post or be sent to Kelly Field in Texas. He likes the Army, and the treatment he receives. Mrs. Mantle has heard nothing from Art but as his term of enlistment is about up she would not be surprised to see him walk in any time now.
For the last week we have been having bright sunshiny weather with just enough edge in the coolness to suggest fall days ahead. Alas I cannot take unadulterated enjoyment from the fact because sneeze days are here again and, while each year, attacks seem to be a little milder than the previous year, they are yet bad enough to be unwelcome. Maybe if I live long enough I’ll outgrow the thing entirely. Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why I have stopped taking morning walks. Stirring up pollen or merely being in amidst it in field and wood quickly puts my eyes, throat, nose, etc., in such a state of irritation that all the benefits of the exercise are nullified. Another reason why I discontinued the walking idea in the early summer was because as soon as the mosquitoes became prevalent it took much of the joy out of woods walking and then, as I do not especially enjoyed tramping highways with cars whizzing by at frequent intervals, I strike off as soon as possible into words, roads, across fields, along narrow paths, etc., and I found that early in the morning the dew is so thick on the fast-growing vegetation in early summer that before many hundred feet my shirt, trousers, shoes and in fact every bit of clothing was saturated. I might as well have stood out in the rain. However, I intend resuming walks in the fall and winter.
Following my usual custom in order to celebrate the reaching of another milestone on the journey through life, I have started on its way to each of you boys a little birthday remembrance. ( To celebrate his own birthday, Grandpa always gave his children presents.) Of course it won’t reach you by the 11th but it would be pretty difficult to know when to mail it so as to reach you by parcels post at any designated time. As far as Dave and Dick are concerned, I am considering the possibility of taking them to New York to see some of the current shows, but this is contingent on Dick’s being able to get time off. Dick is talking about saving up his money and taking a hobo trip with Bobby Kascak through Florida.
It looks as though I would have a busy few days next weekend. Mr. Burr has promised to have somebody up here with a power saw so that we can saw up that wood which has been piled up near the barn since you boys took down the Locust trees and it may be that we shall be able to complete arrangements with the Trust Company, to move into new business quarters, and naturally Sunday is the best time from a traffic standpoint to do this.
Gale Brand, Bruce Lee, his daughter and his niece came up one day this week. We were unable to persuade Gale to do any card tricks.
No letter from Lad this week, a short one from Ced and a real letter at last from Dan, very interestingly written and being passed around through many hands. Someday when Dan is famous and his biographer undertakes “The Life and Letters of Daniel B. Guion”, this one will have a place, if for no other reason then it’s dating the time of patent medicine advertisements, Ugda tablets, etc.
Wells, a few words to each of you individually and then I will see what Charlie McCarthy has to say.
DAD
Saturday and Sunday I will post more Special Pictures.
Judy Guion