A Real Cloudburst

Thursday, May 29, 1952

Here I am again. It's noontime and I just talked with Ann; we received a letter from you today, Andrew. But, to continue with what I began yesterday, starting a little after six on Sunday evening we had what the papers next day called a real cloudburst. I know you have plenty of it over there but 1/2 inch fell in a half hour and before the evening was over 3.36 inches was the total. I was bemoaning a couple of inches of water in the cellar but felt awfully lucky when I read the accounts in the paper and saw the mess when I drove in to work. Frederick Avenue, from the National Cemetery at North Bend down to Beechfield was almost washed away. Somehow the water undermined the road and on both sides of the car tracks it had disappeared for blocks at a time. Luckily where it was missing on one side of the street there was passageway on the other. Abe had come out that way at the slackening part of the storm and said cars were all over the place and in the two foot gap in the road left by the missing asphalt. City crews were filling in with dirt and temporary surfacing so that some sort of normal traffic could proceed. Down at Chapel Gate where they've put in all those new apartments, a young fellow, name of Jack Edward Bentley, I believe, could bring his car at the height of the storm only as far as that Sherwood service station. There's a ditch there on the corner of Rock Glen and Frederick Ave. and he rolled up his pants and tried to jump it, according to several witnesses. He missed and was carried right into the storm drain. They didn't find his body until Tuesday morning somewhere at an outlet in Loudon Park Cemetery behind the Boehm's. You know those houses across from the high school on Bloomsbury. The McNaney's live in one and Ann was talking to her. Each house has a club cellar and each was flooded to the extent that water came up into the first floor. The stores along Frederick next to Abe's, - Cimino's etc. had water pouring out the front doors when we left for work Monday morning.

When you look out the front room window downstairs as of Tuesday, you can see part of Folkers and most of the hole across the street and Mrs. Mac's. The "For Sale" sign is not quite that large but almost so. Up till last week I disliked the idea and almost shuddered at it but it's funny how you can get used to something. I'll try to forward a picture but there are so many things I've promised and haven't that I won't promise.

Ann had a pretty rough day yesterday so we went for a ride for a change. I thought a good talk would do her good and headed to Ann Clapsaddle's. We were there only a short time but it did her good. Earl's on the move again. He is still working out of Connecticut. Comes down each weekend for a visit and golf. Went up to Conn. this past Sunday night and was back in Baltimore on Monday. Told his boss he was tired of the drawing board and wanted to go out on the road. Came down to see if Ann wanted to drive to Detroit with him but she said no. Plans to come back from there this evening and head for Kansas City this weekend.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes
The Boehm's are cousins of Charles who live near the Cemetery.
Abe Scop is a lifelong friend of Charles.
The Folkers and Mrs. MacDonald are neighbors on Bloomsbury Avenue.
Ann Clapsaddle is a long time friend of Charles' wife, Ann.

Next Posting: June 3, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

House For Sale And A May Procession

May 28, 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

I posted a letter to each of you today with some movie and show news together with notes that I would get a real letter off tomorrow. I have a few minutes left while I'm waiting for Abe and I will start this but probably won't finish till the morning.

We have received three or four letters from you this past week; your description, Andrew, of the bug protection was a surprise and John's May, 1952, autobiography arrived just yesterday.

Last Friday Ann and I laughed at another example of our simultaneous mental telegraphy. While talking with her at noontime on that day I had in mind to consult Schatz about the house but thought I would surprise her, make the appointment for Saturday and then tell her then. So, I 'phoned Schatz Bros. at 12:30 and made an appointment for that same time on Saturday. When I got home Friday I found that Ann had called them at 12:45 and they had been down to look the house over. We both felt a little dumb about the two calls but I kept 12:30 meeting Saturday, up at their office next to Easton's on Frederick Avenue. We discussed you, Gran and the family for two generations back before settling down to business. I told them of the assets and the growing liabilities of the place and finally took their suggestion of an asking price of $9,000 plus a ground rent. Their fee is 5%. Naturally, if any more can be gotten they will dicker for it but let's hope we don't have to think about anything less. I signed up, then hurried home and went to work on the cellar, sweeping, sealing off the drain and polishing up the pipes a bit because, when dry, the heating system is something we have to be proud of. We got through this winter on $230 worth of oil but I believe if someone puts asbestos shingles on, the added insulation will show a lot of difference.

I went out Sunday morning to bring the car over for Mommie as it was raining lightly and found our first really flat tire. We made it to the corner slowly but I was afraid to take it any farther and Ann went on from there. Filled it with air at Esso and it held while Arlene and I made trips to 8:00 (I went down in the hall as it was First Communion in church) and 9:00 respectively. But I saw it was losing air and took it back to Esso where the fellow found a small carpet tack. I still don't see how they can put your spare on, remove the tube from the leaking tire, vulcanize it, put it back together and in the rear of the car for only 75¢ and I think it's the one bargain in auto repairs today, until somebody realizes it. We had the car back by one o'clock and at three we dressed the kids (Kathy was a doll in a new blue dress Ann made), gave them each a bouquet and went to the May procession. Kathy and Mike didn't want to march but Stevie was everywhere, mostly between people's legs. We talked with Winnie a little while - she was alone - and she looks swell. There must have been 2,500 there; they couldn't find room for the cars and the crowning of the Blessed Mother was held on the sister's lawn - nothing in church. We left before it was over and rode down as far as Cousin Ann's but only Cousin Claire was there as they, too, had the same festivities up church. The sun had come out and it shot up to almost 90°.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes
Abe Scop is a lifelong friend of Charles.
Mr. Schatz is a neighborhood realtor.
Easton's is a Funeral Home.
Cousin Anna and Claire are sisters.

Next Posting: May 29, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

The Kids Are Fine - The Roses Are Bursting

Monday, May 19 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

Ann has an unfinished letter to each of you home on the shelf she swears she will get off today. And over the weekend Arlene comes up with the fact she has written you four letters which she hasn't mailed. If they are still around, I am taking home postage this evening. I believe I can report all's well again, though Stephen took a bottle to bed with him last night and promptly threw it all up. We kept him up a little after that but he had no temperature and evidently it was just an upset stomach resulting, no doubt, from the way he buckets around the house. He's not as surefooted as Kathy and they like to spin in circles till they fall on their little faces. Mike still goes into trances every now and then - just thinking, he says. He is one you won't have to worry about forgetting you and Kathy still insists with violent shakes of her head that she remembers. The little slob takes to everyone and especially animals. Every dog we meet he has to hug and grunt over if it seems safe on our part, but regardless on his. The bigger the beast, the juicier he gets. Ann is getting more and more disgusted with cousin Pud, whom we haven't seen or heard from since the wedding and that was February. I try to get her to shrug it off and tell her the reason we saw so much of them was because it was a convenience and a half way point between Edgewood and Washington when Sam was on duty. But she's quite hurt by the silence. I talked to Mrs. MacDonald a little while on Friday when I took what's left of our ladder over for Claude to fix her roof. She just asked the latest word on you; seems well herself and continues to work a couple of days a week at that cleaners across from Westowne. Mary Bellis has it bad; a new fellow or rather of several months duration. Beyond the hand in hand stuff--sitting on his lap in the school field and necking on the side porch with no brickbats from the family. She graduates in June. The junk house of a gas station across the street is open for business once more. I don't recall telling you it shut down, but to repeat, if I did, the young fellow who was running it appeared to be doing well till one weekend right after Easter we saw the cops over there looking around and they kept coming back on foot and in a squad car. One of the Bellis' got the explanation that the kid had backed up a truck and cleaned the place out of all the supplies and equipment he had been renting or offered for sale. The dope who is running it now is living with a wife and a son back in the hole where Florence used to be. They have a large Buick which they service nightly at closing-up time. Last Thursday and Friday about 11 p.m. and again Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. they were repairing either a broken muffler or something with the exhaust, with atomic-like explosions that wouldn't let us get to sleep and night and woke everyone, even the Bellis', extra early on Saturday.

You remember Schlitz used to have the Playhouse of Stars for an hour each Friday. It has been cut to a half-hour show since February but still presents well known stars. Friday night they did something different and something which in my opinion they can keep on doing--a musical, called "Autumn in New York" with Skip Homier, Polly Bergen and Don Briggs. It was well written and acted, some new music, some old like "April In Paris" and I was surprised how S. Homier can sing. I had heard of Polly Bergen before but only as being in a movie with Martin and Lewis which I didn't see; and her acting and voice were excellent.

Each day for the past week has had some rain. While it was dripping Saturday morning I painted the furnace and some of the pipes just in case and sealed up the drain again. Later, as it cleared, got some more grass out of the way. The roses are bursting forth all over and the peonies have more golf ball sized buds than I've seen. This year I'm leaving them strictly alone for you remember last year or was it the one before I sprayed away all the ants that cover the blossoms and didn't know that the ants eat mites which weren't killed but which destroyed half the partly opened flowers. In the afternoon took care of kids while Mommie went first to the hairdressers and then to Dr. Sherrard's to have a filling replaced which I think was loosened by this iron she is taking. We got the groceries, ate and got the kids ready for bed (not that they went). With baths and messing around I didn't see the All Star Review from 8 to 9 which had the Ritz Brothers but I tuned in to hear them announce Martha Raye for next week. We did see Show of Shows and they've turned a bit economy minded using Judy Johnson, Bill Hayes and I forget who else as m.c. for three weeks. Marguerite Piazza was soloist with the Baltimore & Ohio Glee Club here in Baltimore last Wednesday.

After S of S we watched London Films present Leo Genn in "The Wooden Horse" which turned out to be that story of how a small group of English flyers escaped from a Nazi prison camp by tunneling underground. I liked it because they didn't continually dwell on that one topic but got them out in a hurry and then traced their escape across Germany into Denmark and finally Sweden. The trailer for next Saturday showed scenes from "The Small Back Room", with names I can't remember.

I actually did remember to bring yesterday's Times in this morning; and will try to get some more show propaganda off to you before the week is over.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes
Mrs. MacDonald is a neighbor.

Some of the Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database.

Next Posting: May 28, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Roses And Penicillin

Thursday, May 15th a.m.

Dear Andrew and John,

First of all, I want to tell you how tickled Ann was and is with the roses. She'll write you herself but hasn't been feeling so well again but more of that later. On the telephone Monday noontime she was going through one of her headache-depression periods (I think fooling with Mike she forgot to take her iron tablets over last weekend). Then, later in the afternoon (I worked Monday as usual) she told me your notes and 21 red roses had come. They were beautiful big tight buds when I saw them late Monday night which opened on Tuesday and this morning are still going strong with not a fallen leaf or rather petal. I was glad because that was the only thing she received on Monday, on her birthday. She did get a card yesterday from Jerry, of Len and Jerry, out Oregon way. I had a chance last week to sell my Stenotype machine so I jumped at it and gave the proceeds to Mommie, all of $25, with which she got a dress, shoes, hat and slip. Stevie stands under the roses with one arm and finger pointed and gives with his Tarzan call.

Now to Stevie; Dr. Gallager told Ann last week not to worry about the others, that Mike's ear condition was not contagious. All day Monday Stephen was very irritable and neither he nor I got more than ten minutes sleep at one time Tuesday night. We thought he had gas but couldn't relieve him. He was exhausted by yesterday morning and seemed to be a little woosy. As soon as I got in to work Ann 'phoned to say he had a 102° temperature at 5:30 so she called the Doctor right away. I checked with her later and with Mike not quite himself and her nervousness I thought it best to leave the office about 11:30 and got home just after Dr. Gallager had left. He had clocked Stevie's temperature at 104° and rammed him with penicillin in his little butt, prescribing more tablets like Mike took and pronounced it a coincidence, but the same thing Mike had. He also OK'd Mike to go out and took a look at Kathy's head. So the rest of the day passed pretty smoothly. The medicine took over late in the evening and Stevie awoke only once during the night.

So this is the reason for the delay in the footprints and Ann's correspondence but she says to hang on.

END OF LETTER

Next Posting: May 19, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Ear Troubles, Ann's Birthday, And Forever And A Day

Monday, May 12, 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

The snapshots Andrew mailed on May 4 were received already on the 9th and were excellent. The side view of you, John, and the full length, Andrew, were particularly good. Maybe it's the lighting due to the good weather, maybe it's the film, but they're the best yet. Speaking of color film, I see in the new M. Ward photo catalog that Pavelle is offering 1-7/8 X 2/3/4 round corner color Prints for 36¢ each but must be made in units of 2 each; also, they're making duplicate 35mm. Kodachrome transparencies for 25¢ each. I see in the N. Y. Times where this Minifilm outfit in New York is offering "Kodachrome Reloads" of 20 exposures each -- 5 for $10. Whatever this is I can't imagine as Eastman is the only one who can process them because of the 20 different operations necessary and they're being advertised as fresh dated.

Mike's ear troubles were a little worse than we anticipated. He first complained on Thursday and lay on the couch all day Friday with heat on his head but had no temperature until Friday afternoon when Ann got a 102 reading. Dr. Gallager said he'd try to make it by 6 but if he did not, to bring him down and he'd take him right away. We had to wait an hour at his office and then the diagnosis was a severe inner ear infection. So he promptly shot Michael's bottom with a few hundred thousand units of penicillin as the fever at the office was recorded at 104°. He also prescribed 100,000 unit tablets which Mike is still taking. It seems to be great stuff as the temperature was normal by Saturday morning but he didn't start to feel frisky till yesterday afternoon.

Saturday night's Gunther Playhouse movie was Forever And A Day. You no doubt saw it but I'm sure it must be four or five years old. I noticed they played up it was the first time presented on TV in the U.S. but omitted as they usually say "a first run". Anyway, to refresh your memory or maybe surprise you, I jotted down the actors as they appeared, following a short prologue which stated that the pick of English and Hollywood stars "clamored" for these bit parts. It was certainly a big production and lasted a full two hours; even Arlene stayed up till The End. I won't give you the whole story but it started in England during World War II with Kent Taylor or is it Kent Smith, an American visiting there to sell the family home, which is now occupied by Helen Parrish. Reginald Gardner as a hotel clerk in the beginning and Victor McLaugallan(??), hotel doorman. During an air raid and with the usual dramatic scenes, Helen Parrish conducts Kent what's his name on a tour of the place and tells him its history since it was built in 1804 (accompanied by flashbacks that were very good, blending from the exact spot now, and then). In the order of their appearance were these stars we recognized; the above mentioned, plus Herbert Marshall, as minister; Edmund Gwenn, cab driver; C. Aubrey Smith, the original ancestor, an Admiral; Dame May Witty, his wife; Ray Milland, their son; Gene Lockart, lawyer; Anna Lee, ward of Claude Rains; Reginald Denny, a lawyer; Charles Laughton, butler; Ian Keith, 3rd generation head of the house; Buster Keaton and Sir Cedric Hardwick, plumbers; Edward Everett Horton, a knighted son; Cecil Kelloway, relative; Brian Ahern, another decendant who marries a maid, Ida Lupino; down another generation into World War I, Eric Blore, butler; Leo Carroll, laywer; Una O'Connor; Merle Oberon, who marries Robert Cummings and is the mother of Helen Parrish. But back again for a few minutes; at the time Merle Oberon was in the act of meeting with Robert Cummings, also staying at the house were Richard Hayden, Nigel Bruce, Roland Young, Elsa Lancaster (a maid) and so many more throughout the entire show we couldn't recall. For instance, Roland Young's wife and the wife of Tan Keith were so familiar. Even the smallest part was played by someone you had seen before. I think the last one I couldn't remember was the fellow who won the best character Oscar for "How Green Was My Valley". The preview for next Saturday showed "The Wooden Horse" with Leo Genn and looks recent. Now that I think of it, C. Aubrey Smith has been dead a couple of years and Dame May Witty much longer.

One more thing I should mention about it is that the picture was billed in a 3" X 4" morning Sun ad as Forever And A Day with Charles Laughton, Robert Cummings, Ida Lupino and Ray Milland. Charles Laughton lasted a minute and a half at the most. The others -- a little longer.

Today is Ann's birthday and while we've passed them up in favor of the kids, Aunt Tillie came out yesterday with a cake for Ann, who didn't tell her but she has been keeping away from sweets again. It was a dull day outside and rainy with wind, but a storm that was really something hit us about 9 p.m. I waited till it died down to take Aunt Til home and driving across on North Avenue it was a mess as this morning's paper said. Every block had trees uprooted wires down and several fires started.

This morning I had to go downtown to get some checks countersigned and said hello to Aunt Hannah. I promised to pick her up some Wednesday evening after work when I have the car and take her out home for dinner. She still looks bad. She wants to send you something and I said I would try to remember any suggestions. So, if you have any, make one because she is insistent.

Aunt Rose is visiting the Bellis family but I remarked to Ann yesterday that we hadn't had Jane and Edward beating on doors for a few days though the others were all very much in evidence. When the rain stopped for a little while about six o'clock yesterday, I went out on the side porch as Tim and, Jane started to come in, asking about Michael. I said he was still under the weather and Tim spoke up and said Edward was, too, as he had whooping cough. I practically dropped my teeth and said it was certainly a shame Michael wasn't well enough for visitors. Ann got all agitated, too, and as she had to go to Tony's for a load of bread she verified with Mrs. B. that it was true and at the same time stopped Cassie from coming in the back door. Maybe it's not so bad but I'd just as soon the kids didn't get it.

END OF LETTER

Editor's notes:

Aunt Mathilda "Tillie" is Ann's Aunt.
Aunt Hannah is Charles' Aunt.
Aunt Rose is the Bellis' Aunt.

Next Posting: May 15, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

An English Movie, Family in South Baltimore, and Kathy's Boo Boo.

Monday, May 5, 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

We received three or four letters from you two last week. They are breaking more records air mailing--for instance, two of Andrew's were postmarked April 27 and received on May 2--in just five days. I'm glad you brought up the rubber stamp you use on the letters. That's just one of many things I've meant to ask about. We've saved everyone of your letters and for some reason the majority of them seem to come on a Monday or Thursday because it seems that is when I'm most found reading them as I pick up something to eat about 10 p.m. coming home from school. I make mental notes of particulars I want to ask you about and then promptly forget them as I write these letters from the office. So, if I've overlooked any questions maybe you'd better ask again or I'll start to take notes as I read.

It is not summerish yet but we had beautiful weather over the weekend. We didn't go anywhere Saturday. After an 8 a.m. hair cut I started on the jungle in the back yard. I cut half with the mower and used the golf-club-type cutter on most of the remainder till the blisters got too big; then I weeded the roses and cut the front hedge and ended up bailing the cellar. That crazy cellar is something. After the first five days of the deluge I told you about, everyone was complaining about water in the basement - but not us, dry as could be. Then, in a space of about five hours on the sixth day, we have six inches. I don't know if I told you but I've found out after all these years what it is. It's the water table as they call it and the old wells. That's why flash flood and hard rain doesn't bother us until the ground gets saturated near the surface and then it'll force its way through steel. With daylight savings now in effect, it's bright till almost nine o'clock. For some reason I wasn't so tired Saturday and sat through Show of Shows and the Gunther's movie. Show of Shows was good as ever, especially Imogene's imitation of Ima Sumac, if that's the way you say it. The English movie was Flesh and Blood with Richard Todd. Not bad, but what we call typical English - they went through three plots in the first fifteen minutes. It begins with Richard Todd as a young genius scientist in an attic. His doctor comes and tells him he has only months to live. A few minutes later a gal rushes in and begs him to marry her because he has her pregnant. We follow the, girl home and find she is the young sister of the doctor, who is well off. Late that night they receive word Richard Todd has died: she faints. Next scene is nurse running to tell doctor it's a little girl and the doctor's sister dies in this childbirth. Eighteen years pass, the doctor has brought the girl up and she's fooling around with a young fellow who is studying medicine with the doctor, as his apprentice, and who was a kid in knee pants - the son of the woman who ran the boarding house where Richard Todd died. So this eighteen year old gal, if you're following me, is Richard Todd's daughter. Well, she comes home from a dance one night after the doctor has gone to bed and this apprentice is compounding some medicines in the study. She tells him she is going to marry a captain which angers the fellow and he tells her he will expose the letters she has written him. She fixes him a drink with half a bottle of his poison and that ends him. Two years pass and she has been acquitted but has a baby which we haven't figured out yet but presumably the apprentice's, and is still living with her uncle, the doctor. The mother of the apprentice is now the doctor's housekeeper or apparently has been for some years prior to his death. Each time she meets the girl in the hall all she does is stare at her. So, one nice windy night the girl walks out the front door and over a cliff leaving the baby who, in the next scene, turns out to be Richard Todd, again a medical student and would-he genius and this is where the picture really begins as all the above has taken place in approximately fifteen to twenty minutes.

This letter is a sloppy mess, as usual, but I try to get in finished during lunchtime.

Sunday, after church, breakfasts and naps, it was 1:30 and Ann suggested going to see Virginia and the new baby in South Baltimore. So, we found 1802 Light St. OK and Charlie opened the door for us. I can't say I don't like him but Ann's comment was that he and Frank would make a good pair. All he did was criticize Virginia and say she "gabs all the time and gets nothing done" which is a lie as the place was spotless and so were the kids. Virginia was so glad to see us. The baby had just been baptized at noontime and they said Dave and Lid, the godparents, had left only a few moments before. Other news -- George is continuing with P & G but now has a bar of his own on the side. And, in Virginia's words, the big scandal is that Bill and Eleanor are separating. She is getting the divorce to marry someone else. The funny thing, Virg says, neither blames the other; Bill says she's wonderful and she says Bill has been swell. We stayed over an hour and a half. Bonnie is getting along fine. She and Stevie would love each other, then slug either other by turns; but they all got on fine for the most part. They bought a new Ford a few weeks ago. As Charlie put it, their other two cars, besides the six trucks, were a '29 Ford and a '34 Chevie which the smoke hounds used to sleep in and, still quoting him, as they were all covered with sores he was afraid the babies might pick up something so they got a new car they could lock. I don't mean to pan him so much but Virginia seems too good for the guy. While we were down in that section I drove on to Fort McHenry but we didn't get out of the car and then out as far as Sherwood Gardens to ride around once through the mob. The morning papers say 40,000 visited there yesterday afternoon alone. Then we headed home for supper.

The little ones watched film funnies as Ann started the cooking and she then let Mike and Kathy go out back where she could see them while I was putting things on the table. Resurrecting things, Kathy must have started up the side steps over Bellis' and someone must have been in the porch swing. Mike was down in the yard and he says Kathy fell backwards. We didn't know this at the time. It seemed only about half a minute from the time they went out when Kathy, without tears, told Ann "I fell, Wommie". Ann asked if she hurt herself and she said he did not but came in the back door. I started to help her off with her coat and what a mess. She had hit the back center of her head and I'm not sure yet what broke but it must have been a small artery because it was spurting. Her dress and undershirt were so soaked with blood you could wring them out and still it came. Ann went all to pieces but I got her to hold a cloth to the wound and ran for the car where I had a tin of special antiseptic clotting powder. By the time I got back Mrs. Bellis was in and helping. I also got gauze and tape and wrapped the head and we kept her awake for an hour or so to watch her. She was calm throughout but the bump that finally came up was as large as a golf ball. And that's how it stands this morning. There is a large scab and I have advised Ann not to wash or pull the hair till I'm sure it has set good and won't open again.

Every time the word Korea pops up in conversation or on TV Mike automatically comes out with "that's where Jody and Drew-Drew are" and Kathy with a big head nod and her closest word to yes says she still remembers you. With Stevie you will have no trouble at all. He loves everything, animal, vegetable or mineral, without hesitation. When I ran to the drugstore for the gauze last evening I saw the Scannells waiting for a cab and did my good deed for the day by offering our services after I patched up Kathy. There were five of them and they don't know when Anne will be out of the hospital.

We voted this morning for the primaries. First time they've used voting machines and they've moved our precinct to the Catonsville Elementary school. Took only half a minute to vote and five minutes to explain to both women I wasn't you, John, as the one kept getting her pages stuck with your name.

More later.

END OF LETTER

Editor's notes:

Charles teaches night school at the Baltimore Institute.
Virginia is Charles' cousin and Charlie is her husband.
George, Dave and Bill are brothers of Virginia.
Jody and Drew-Drew are Mikes affectionate names for John and Andrew.
Ann Scannell is a neighbor and is in the hospital for an amputated arm.
The Bellis' live next door.

Next Posting: May 12, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner