Dave, Francis, and Ruth’s cousin Kent are all out of work and are looking for jobs. Francis gets lucky and finds something, while Dave finds a small job that Francis turned down for a better one. Plans come into place for Ruth to drive to Middleburg on Saturday with her mother.
August 3, 1936
Adams Center, N.Y.
Hello Honey,
Gee, I have another sinus headache and between that and the kids’ noise I don’t know how far I will get tonight.
I sure was glad to receive your letter today, darling. I was in hopes it would come but didn’t dare expect it too much. Thanks anyway for writing so it would get here before Tuesday.
It sure is awfully hot here tonight. This is the first real hot day we have had up here since the first Sunday we went to the lake.
Did you stop to think that we have been married one whole month today? It doesn’t seem that long does it? I’m a lot happier now than I was two months ago.
Be sure and let me know how mother is. I hope she is feeling good again by now. No doubt the berries have been too much for her. How much longer will the berries last?
I went to Adams this afternoon for medicine for Mom. I got her enough to last for a couple weeks. Dr. Alden says he thinks Mom has an “after bath itch” or itch caused by dry skin. I didn’t say anything about myself as I think part of mine was nervousness.
You should be here now, Honey, and I would make you get fat in a hurry. We got over two hundred pounds of milk back today. It wasn’t cool enough. Looks like we get some cottage cheese or sompin’.
I wish you had stayed last week. Mom said she would have had you remove part of the clothes press in the bedroom and make room for the chest of drawers. Maybe you can do it some other time when you are up. The room is too small as it is to even make the bed.
I bet it is plenty hot down there this week. It is bad enough here but it is always worse down there. We aren’t getting much benefit from the lake breeze tonight. You have my sympathy if you sleep in your own room tonight. I don’t believe I care if you don’t even wear pajamas.
Mom is waiting for me to come to bed so me thinks I’ll scram.
Good night, my precious husband.
Yours,
“Me”
Tuesday morning
We had a letter from Bill yesterday and he said he thought he would get paid the 2nd but if they happen to get in port at night he can’t send it. I am in hopes the money will be here by Thursday. If it is, we probably will be down there Saturday. However, don’t plan on it too much.
Do you suppose we could get a studio couch on a car somehow? I hate to make a special trip to Watertown to get the money. Maybe if I could wait until we get down there, you and I could go to Albany and pick it out.
P.S. Maybe we will go to Watertown as we have to go to the Center anyway. So we will send a money order from there. I’ll try and send $27.50. I’ll leave one dollar in to keep the account open. I don’t know if that will be anywhere near enough or not. All you can do is get the best you can with it.
August 4, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
My Darling Wife,
Received your lovely letter when I got home tonight and believe me I sure needed it to revive my spirits a little.
Fran and I started the week job hunting Monday morning. We covered everything from Schoharie to Cairo and no luck. We had dinner at Sprague’s in M. that day and I stayed down to Fran’s for supper. Today I didn’t expect to go anyplace but when I got home Mom told me there had been a fellow here to tell me about a dam going in at Downsville. Fran and I had both heard rumors about it but we decided to go over and see for ourselves. All we could find out is that there is going to be one but no one knows when work will start so we had a 140 mile drive for nothing. I guess all I can do now is sit down and take it until something shows up. I have driven over 500 miles since I came back here and I’m getting pretty low on cash now so I don’t know what more I can do. It sure is discouraging.
I don’t know what to tell you about getting the studio couch. I’m not sure we could get one good enough for that price. Fran’s Mother wants him to take my car and take her and Ruth to Schenectady Friday for glasses. So if they go, maybe I can go too and look around a bit, but I hate to buy anything until you see it.
I hate to think of you making that drive down here alone. It really is more than you should do. I had thought of coming up after you and Mother but if I don’t get work, I won’t have the money. I’ll give you an outline of the route as best I can though so if I can’t come up, you will at least have that. Whatever you do, honey, take your time and don’t try to make it down here in any 4½ or 5 hours.1 I would advise you not to start out on Sunday as most of the heavy traffic is out then. Even if you start on Saturday, it should be very early in the morning because by afternoon everyone is starting for someplace. Of course I would be overjoyed to see you down here this weekend but I won’t plan on it and then I won’t be so disappointed if you don’t get here later.
I would have forgotten all about a year ago last Sunday if you hadn’t reminded me of it. That sure was an awful day for you, honey.
Well, dearest, I can’t think of much more to write except that I love you and am anxious to see you.
Here is the road to best of my ability.2
Route 177 from A.C. to Lowville. Turn right at traffic light in Lowville. Just outside of Lowville the road forks and either road will take you to Boonville, but we always take the left branch through Lyons Falls and Port Leyden. Coming into Lyons Falls you will have to make a sharp left turn and the road is crooked all the way through the village but I guess you can tell the main highway. The route is 12D. If you take that route, the road is straight through Boonville and from there to Trenton the route is 12 and 28. At the lower end of the village of Trenton (not the four corners) you turn left off the concrete onto macadam. The route is 28 through Poland, Newport and Middleville. I think it is in or near Poland that Route 28 turns sharp right and again in Newport at the main corner you turn right. At Middleville go straight through the traffic light. Don’t turn right and go to Herkimer. From Middleville to Little Falls Route 169. Coming into L.F. it is a steep downgrade and a fork in the street. Take the right branch and follow it straight until you have to turn right down a short steep pitch to a traffic light. Turn left at the light and come straight out of the city. About two or three miles out of the city you turn left off the main road, go up a short hill and over the long bridge. Follow route 5S into Fort Plain. Go straight in Ft. P. until you have to turn. Then turn left and about 500 feet turn right, still on 5S, into Canajoharie. Coming in there you bear right to the first traffic light and turn right at that, go straight by the next blinker light. There you will see two streets to the right, both uphill. Take the left one of these and follow it up the hill and around the corner. Route 10 to Sharon Spr. Turn left at traffic light on Route 20 and follow Howe Cavern signs into Cobleskill Route 164 Sharon to Cobleskill. Go straight thru traffic light in C. across the tracks by the fairground and over the bridge until you have to turn again. Turn left and keep bearing right until you reach M. I guess you know the way from there, so goodnight, darling.
All my love and kisses to my darling wife.
Yours forever,
Dave
August 5, 1936
Adams Center, N.Y.
Hello Honey,
It is 8:35 so there isn’t much time left before the mail goes. I intended to answer your letter last night but so many things happened that I didn’t get time.
We went to Watertown yesterday forenoon and I sent the money order which I hope you will receive today. I looked at the studio couches at Montgomery Wards. They are having an August furniture sale. They had one for $24.94 which I thought looked cheap. There was another one with wooden arms for $29.94 which was more like what we spoke of, so maybe you can come somewhere near what we want.3
Glenn and Dot were over yesterday afternoon. They said if we would come over we could have some string beans so we went. They insisted we stay for supper so it was about 9:00 when we finally got home. Before I got in the house Lynn and June came with Eunice Anne and Beverly. They stayed all night. They had to get up early so Lynn could get back to work. I was up at five to get breakfast for them. I should have stayed up after they left but I wasn’t feeling too good so I went back to bed.
They are going to try and come and see us while we are in Preston Hollow. Lynn says he has been by your place with the truck several times but he couldn’t stop as there is an apparatus on the trucks which records every stop and how long they stop.
Well, dear, at least we don’t have to worry about “Leslie” for a little while yet. I knew you would be glad to know that. The worst of it is I have a washing to do and feel more like going to bed.
It is nearly nine so I will have to sign off and write a card to Eva.
I love you, my darling boy.
Yours always,
Ruth
P.S. Lynn and June thought my rings were very, very nice.
I hope you can figure this out.
I was glad to hear Mother was feeling better. I hope she is back to normal now.
August 5, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
My Darling,
I thought I wouldn’t write until tomorrow night but when I got your letter and found there was a chance of your being down here Saturday, I changed my mind. I won’t look too much for you but I do hope you can make it. Whatever you do, be careful, honey. I don’t like the thought of you driving all the way down here. I don’t mean by that that you aren’t capable because I know you are, but it is a long drive for one to make.
Fran and Lydia were up for a few minutes tonight. He went out and found a job this morning near East Durham. He also had two or three day’s work on a house in P.H. but he can’t do that now and he came up to tell me to go down there in the morning. From what he says it will only take two or three days. Just some repair work. I’ll have to look it over in the morning and order what lumber I need.
Today I finished painting the woodshed and built a screen door or rather I built the door and will put the screen on when I get it.
We won’t be able to go to the city Friday as we planned now so I guess I can’t do anything about the studio couch until you get here. I’ll try not to spend all the money, hon. I must have nearly two dollars here in dimes. I forgot to deposit them the last time I was up.
Gee, hon, I’m glad I’m absolved of all blame for sleeping without pajamas for that is exactly what I have been doing and I think I’ll continue yet tonight anyway. You may have a job breaking me of the habit when you get here.
Well, dearest, I can’t think of much more to write tonight except that I’m feeling better than I have in some time. Even the prospect of two day’s work seems good now and then thinking of seeing my darling wife soon helps, too. It is only a week ago today I left you but it seems much longer.
I love you, sweetheart, and I’m just dying to hold you in my arms again and tell you so.
Goodnight, dearest,
“Me”
P.S. I just made the mistake I have nearly made a dozen times. I addressed an envelope to you at M. It just seems that name belongs down here and I have just caught myself in time before.
August 6, 1936
Adams Center, N.Y.
Hello Hon,
This probably won’t be very long as the kids haven’t had their breakfast yet. I intended to write last night but was too tired and had rather a hectic night as it was but feel better now.
Bill’s money is in the bank so we are going to Watertown this morning. Tomorrow we are going to get the car fixed up. We are going to try and get a good early start for down to your country Saturday. We hope to get there some time around noon or before. Of course, I can’t make as good a time as you did because I don’t know the way and won’t drive as fast. Don’t worry if we aren’t there when you think we should be. If you aren’t working, stick around and maybe I’ll stop and let you see us before we go to Preston Hollow. While I am down there maybe I’ll give you a break and let you come and see me some night.
Don’t worry about us will you, dear, because I’ll be careful and won’t drive very fast.
Kent and Ethel were here again yesterday for dinner. Kent is still out of work and feeling pretty blue. He said he went to see a man in Adams yesterday about work and he said if he was a carpenter, he could use him. He is moving quite a large building from one side of the street to the other. I don’t know just how long a job it will be. The fellow sells farm machinery. Mom, Harold and Glenn have done quite a lot of business with him so the boys might be able to use their influence in getting you work. Everyone seems to think he is a good fellow.
Well I had better close and get Billy’s breakfast before he gets mad and fires the cook.
Be good and don’t worry will you, darling?
Lots of love and kisses to my very own husband.
Yours,
Ruth
P.S. See you Saturday unless something happens to upset our plans.
Footnotes
- This same route today (~160 miles) would take about 3 1/2 hours. Some of the roads may not have been paved, and automobiles at this time could not safely go much faster than 40 mph or so.
- This route still exists! I’ve mapped it out in the interactive map with Dave’s instructions pinned at each point. Road trip! Historical note, interstate highways were not constructed until the 1950’s. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 under Dwight Eisenhower authorized $25 billion for the construction of 41,000 miles of highway. It was the largest public works project in American history for that time. Eisenhower was inspired to advocate for this Act for the purpose of National defense. During his service in WWII, he noticed that the German autobahn allowed for efficient military operations there, in contrast to places such as France. To see more on this topic, click here and here.
- This price is equivalent to about $568 by today’s standards.
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