Big Bird's Adventures

So, I dug out Vivien’s birth certificate and she is officially Vivian, so I don’t know why Elvin insists on writing to her as Vivien. Maybe he used to accentuate the “en” instead of the “anne”. No one can say today.

Dearest Vivien,

I have to write your Sunday letter tonight darling because tomorrow night I’ll be bound for Philadelphia for the night and Saturday night too. Then on Sunday I’ll be on my way to Washington for Sunday afternoon and night and I’ll be returning on Monday afternoon. Altogether I’m looking about 600 miles and more right in the eye again. I guess my title will be the “Globe Trotter” after a while. I certainly should be in shape for that Canton trip when it comes along – shouldn’t I darling?

Dad has been contacted for the sale of the business¹. This, of course, is absolutely confidential. The first important moves will be made tomorrow and we’ll know definitely what’s coming of it by the time I come to Canton. I wish they could sell for a good figure. We have the foundation for a tremendous business but it needs two or three times more capital to bring it to where it could be. If they sold, I’d still have a job with the business more than likely and a much better salary and the family would be well set with plenty of that well known but little seen medium of exchange – Cash in all its verdant glory and green richness. This job would materialize so much faster. It would mean that quite a bit of money would come my way which would be socked away for the income only and the principal wouldn’t be touched. Maybe – who knows darling – we may be somewhere yet, I hope.

My Dad is leaving Saturday on a trip to Cleveland, Chicago and other points. He will be gone about a week. Mother is going with him in the Nash. So there’s another part of the family on their way.

Last night Esther² asked me to look at the fuses for the lights in her room. I found the one that was burned out and put in another when – flash! – went the new fuse. We went into Ester’s room, pulled all the plugs and made sure that everything was disconnected. I tried another fuse and that blew too! So we went back to Ester’s room again and with the aid of matches we started to try to put a plug in a wall receptacle near the floor and it would in!! We looked a little closer and there was a nail pressed into the receptacle. Only one answer darling – Barbara³!!!!! The next fuse we tried was all right. What a child, what a child!! Just a little taste of the prides, trials and puzzlements of parenthood.

Everybody down here except me as far as I an ascertain have been dabbling in chain letters. They’ve been passing around one dollar chain letters! I’ve heard of some people cash in in but I don’t know any of them yet. I’ve still got “our” dollar darling and I’m going to hang on to it even though people are saying that I’m closer than the original Scotchman⁴. As far as I’m concerned, economy drives don’t permit speculation and every dollar in hand is worth one thousand somebody else is reputedly getting. I’m so close these days, the buffaloes are howling and the eagles are screaming. I’m not doing bad though – when June 7th comes around I’ll be $350 ahead of what I was April 1st. Not bad, eh darling?

I forgot to tell you. Your Father liked the polish job I did on my car so well that he asked me to get him some for his car. The Ford actually looks like new.

Thus darling you can see that your hopeful husband – to – be is doing his very very best to insure the happy event scheduled tentatively for that distant month of September. These weary eyes will indeed refresh and brighten when they gaze into those brown eyes of their owner’s bosom pal and companion, his betrothed. Those blue eyes will kindle with extreme rapidity the deep blue fires of the Nordic when they gaze on the September dawns and those to follow⁵.

They’re having an awful nutty program over the radio as I write this. Some fun!!

You needn’t worry about the ring anymore. It is fully insured for its replacement value which is $400. The pokey is made out to you. I got it through Al⁶ but he’s keeping mum about it. I didn’t want to go that distance with it without insuring it and I didn’t want to give the business to anybody but Al.

Two weeks from tomorrow darling and there’ll be a big day in food old Canton, N.Y.

Goodnight Darling.

I love you so much,

“Dutch”

¹ This is news to me. Star Electric Motor company. This is 1935 way before the war effort, and some 20 years into the company’s existence. Emil used to wind motors, as I am told, working in a factory with other Swedes in Belleville, and he and Petersen, teamed up and started their own company. Their first product was an electric fan.

² Ester is the youngest of the children born to Emil’s first wife Amalia Carlson, and was quite a sharp tack. I visited her when she was bedridden in a Nursing home in Oneonta and the staff there loved her because she was so alert and smart and engaging. A far cry from what they were used to with other residents.

³ Elvin’s niece Barbara, Ray’s daughter who was pretty young at the time.

⁴ Haven’t a clue what this means.

⁵ Laying it on thick there.

⁶ Alton Ennis, Vivien’s brother-in-law. As it so happens, Al was Jewish, and so perhaps had family in the jewelry business. I recall stories about the “Issue” when Bernice married Al, but I don’t think that was an “issue” for long. Clearly Vivien and Elvin were fine with it, and since Bernie and Al were living in Florham Park, I can only surmise that Harry and Edna were okay with it as well.