A Quiet Week

Monday, June 30 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

I hear on the newscast that after several days of continuous rain you're all but floating. We had about two inches yesterday ending the unusual hot spell but the humidity is just as bad with today's 90°.

Got the prints back on the roll of black and white I took mostly at Arlene's graduation and then finished at home with one shot each of Stevie, Kathy and Mike outside. I had that old photo-attachment in the drawer for a couple of years and stuck in on to see what it would do judging the approximate distance. The printing was pretty bad in the Ritz pack but the negatives looked good so I sent to Pavelle for several, in fact three of each of the kids so we can send one along if they are presentable.

Friday night I minded the kids while Ann took a tour of Catonsville and spent an hour or two at her beloved Penny Wise Shop; no purchases, just talk. After she got home, we turned TV on about ten and, good news for John, it was Jackie Gleason's last show for good. I do believe, though, that he's coming back in the fall on another network (CBS) and Frankie boy, who was eased out and off CBS in March, is due on Dumont. As it was too warm to sleep we also saw Picture Playhouse; nothing worth telling about, but billed as a slapstick comedy called "Yes, Madam" with Bobby Bowes and Diana Churchill, if you've ever heard of her. She's a blonde with a close resemblance to Marion Davies in her prime. The announcer kept referring to them as Bobby Howe and Savannah Churchill. We sweated through Saturday around the house but did take a short drive after supper, and turned on your set in time for the Hit Parade. You would have enjoyed this one. It was also their last show of the season and, as they had announced the week before, it was televised from the new liner "United States". They must have had over a dozen cameras set up; started the show on the dock, followed the dancers up the gangplank, down corridors, into staterooms and Snooky, Dorothy and Eileen sang from the bridge, sun deck and ballroom respectively. As the cameras scanned the ballroom you could see they had it filled with an audience sitting at tables. We then turned over to the Gunther Playhouse and Kit Carson with Dana Andrews, Jon Hall and Lyn Barri. I don't know how old it is but it must have been an A and I had never seen it. Last night, in place of Red Skelton, they had a live play called "My Sister Emily", about the Bronte sisters and how they got started and starred Sarah Churchill. This hasn't been on in Baltimore all season yet they announced it was their final play for the year and Sarah made a curtain speech hoping they'd he back in the fall.

To cool off yesterday afternoon, I took Ann and the kids across country past McDonogh and over the Green Spring Valley Road, around and about and finally came out right opposite the Emerson Farm at Brooklandville which is also the home of the Hilltop Theatre. It will be only a short piece away when we're all out in the country as it is only 4 miles from Towson. I didn't see what they were offering yesterday but it must have been intermission and there was quite a crowd. Mrs. Burton called me noontime, by the way, and said she had told the people they had to be out in July. She also said the woman carried on and the husband also telephoned her but they finally agreed and said they had looked at a place in Bel Air and another on the Harford Road and would probably take one of them. As I said to Ann, in the beginning it was our understanding that the people wanted to get away and now you're almost afraid of putting in an appearance in the house. Ann also says it's not right to get something at the expense of someone. So, we're praying harder than ever for the solution.

We'll try to save some magazines for you when we get situated. I had the idea to Air Mail an entire Life but after wrapping in ordinary paper the fee was $1.80 and judging from parcel post, it would be a two month trip and a two pound item. I will, however, get a few of the smaller books in the mail in the next day or two until I think of something else.

You'd get a kick out of Mr. Bellis and his complex on shorts and bare skin. I believe I told you Ann can't send Mike out without his shirt as Jane and Edward won't allow him in the yard even when their father isn't around, and how he embarrassed one of Mary's girl friends and Arlene. Friday was his birthday and they got him two watermelons, among other things. Arlene and Sharon were playing in our backyard along with assorted Bellis' and neighbors and I was watching the kids. When it came time to cut the melons he told Arlene and Sharon, "well, I guess you can have a piece, even if you are wearing shorts". They got huffy and wouldn't accept. Ann was joking about it to Kay and Annie Clap when they were out and Kay, with that serious look she gets on her face as she doesn't laugh much says, "how did he get his 8 children?"

Ann and I walked up to Easton's yesterday morning to pay our respects to Monroe Tucker. Edith or rather Edythe was there and she weighs about 100 lbs. He looked so darn young and I guess he was only about 35. They told us he had been having trouble for about a year but what really gave him his first attack was that Mickey had been playing with a band saw in the back yard several months back when the saw jumped off and ran down his leg, cutting it severely including a tendon or two. When he dragged himself into the house and his father saw him, he suffered an attack. Mickey is all right now.

Earl's snowball stand opened with all the heat and is doing a roaring business mostly from passing traffic

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Charles works for Dr. and Mrs. Burton who have promised him the use of a larger house near their farms.
The Bellis' live next door at 23 Bloomsbury.

Next Posting: July 7, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

A Heat Wave And A Stroke

Friday, June 27

Dear Andrew and John,

I'm glad your weather has been holding off and hope it continues to do so as you receive this but as I write this we're blistering in a heat wave that has killed four here in Baltimore in two days and in the same two days prostrated 232. All you hear morning till evening is the wail of sirens going after another pick up. Ann exaggerates a little when she says the entire city got off at noontime yesterday but all I know is that we did not. Also had to go to school last night and stood it till a quarter to nine when I told them to go home. It was an official 100° at 4:30 yesterday afternoon but the thermometer here at the office said 103°. That you can stand, but when it doesn't go below 86° during the night, you can't even breathe with our famed humidity much less sleep. Like today, right now at noontime, the gal says it's 95° and a relative humidity of 62%, which is terrible. They say out Denver way it's enjoyable with a 90° temperature and a humidity of about 15% or 20%. Just got a call from B. Herbert asking me to fill in for Mrs. B. tonight but I declined.

A little more on those pictures I sent, if you want to call them that. After I had mailed them I took the negatives out of the bag and found a white slip which said "roll received in damaged condition". So maybe it wasn't the two years but light leaks or something which spoiled them. I do know it looked all right to me when I left it down there.

Ann, of course, had to wash and iron in yesterday's heat and almost got a touch of it. She was hanging up clothes and started to get dizzy with cramps but made it in to lie on Michael's bed and took it a little easier for the rest of the day. She also had visitors from supper time till when I got home consisting of Kay and Ken with Dianne and Annie Clapsaddle and Vickie, who are staying at Harundale for the week.

On the house situation, nothing has changed toward prospects of Doctor's place being available anytime soon but Schatz's daughter called Ann to say she thought they were going to have definite word on a settlement within the next week. Last night one of the agent's dropped by to ask Ann if he could bring someone to look at the place on Monday. We also think that Cimlnos want both Bellis' and our place since after looking at Bellis' he brought Schatz down and no doubt questioned him about home. We learned, too that Ciminos own the land where Cladding's - the old blacksmith shop - is.

I stopped right here to call Ann as I do every noontime and she had some news to report--that Mickey's father, Monroe Tucker, had died at 11:30. I believe I mentioned a month or so ago that he was right bad off with heart trouble; it's all over now--a blood clot. Ann and Mrs. Bellis went over to see if they could do anything. I'm sure the heat helped things along.

I should have mentioned, just to make sure to receive them, that one Monday I finally got some flash bulbs off, one carton with 5 and another with just 2. Hope they arrive OK.


END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Charles teaches business courses at night at the Baltimore Institute. B. Herbert Brown is the owner.
Charles works for Dr. Burton who has promised him the use of a larger house near his farms.
The Bellis' live next door at 23 Bloomsbury.
The family is selling the house in Catonsville.

Next Posting: June 30, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Bob Loses His Temper

Wednesday, June 25

Dear Andrew and John,

I tore this out of yesterday's paper because I thought you might know one of the gals, the Cpl. having been at Lee for 19 months.

Also have some additional information on the Olympic Telethon. A couple of the kids in class sat up all night watching and said the best show was between 2 and 4 our time, which made it around midnight on the West Coast. Martin and Lewis, they said, tore things apart and got on Bing's nerves so much that he walked off the stage and wouldn't come back till they had left while they stood there taunting him. At one time, Jerry Lewis was running through the audience and calling back to Bob Hope on the stage. The camera switched to Bob just as he was shaking his fist at Jerry and shouting, "Don't you yell at me like that, you idiot!" And the kids said you could definitely see he wasn't taking it in the spirit of fun.

Another news item which you forecast just before you left Pusan was in the paper this morning; where the train from Pusan to Seoul was raided and 46 killed including an American soldier and 80 taken captive. As you said, it no doubt happens frequently but this was big enough to make the first page.

We're basking and baking in terrific heat since the week-end's cool spell; 103° in St. Louis, 102° in Memphis; only 97° here today but plenty humid.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
John and Andrew were stationed at Ft. Lee in 1951.
Charles teaches business courses at the Baltimore Institute. His students gave him an update on the Telethon.

Next Posting: June 27, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

A Fire - A Flat - An Olympic Telethon

Monday, June 23 - rainy

Dear Andrew and John,

In my last couple of letters I have overlooked answering John's question about his bonds. Another came in last week and got them out to compare postmarks and dates. The way they work it evidently is that the bond states - for example, your first one, John, is "for the month of November" addressographed on the face, dated the middle of December, postmarked the 27th of December and received the first week in January. So it appears they run a month behind. For both of you, I forgot to mention the taxes. This year they were $68 and we held out $17 from each of your deposits last week; I paid the tax bill on Wednesday and received the receipt Saturday together with a refund of thirty-four cents; making I owe you each 8 1/2 cents. Now if we sell the house around the first of July, the new owner has to pay for 6 months worth of taxes and that, too, will be refunded to us.

I called Cousin Anna last Wednesday- because Ann was up the road one day early in the week and Jeannette Bower's sister stopped her to ask if she had heard that Mary had another baby. I knew that Mary had been at 417 August around Easter time and they said they noticed nothing then; so, if you have been in contact with her, let us know. Cousin Anna also said Mary had called them about a month ago when she was passing through town. There was quite an item in the papers about a small house having burned near Ellicott City in April, I think, and five children, all small, burned to death. Several older ones and the mother and father were saved. It seems the mother, who is around 28, was and is Frank's sister and Mary and he had been to the funeral when they called the Boehms.

I filled in for Mrs. Brown at school on Friday night again but could head out of town by my regular route as the Catholic War Vets had a big parade from the 5th Regiment down Howard and Baltimore streets. I had to go up to Mt. Royal and then across Lafayette. Right in the middle of another colored settlement I noticed kids setting something in the street in the opposite lane and just then a big Buick came along and crunched a coke bottle. Yes, I caught one of the larger pieces in the, right front tire and spent a half hour tire changing. This time, though, the casing wasn't damaged and I had the tube repaired on Saturday. One year without a flat and then to have two in two weeks from the same source.

Because of the Telethon Saturday night, the Gunther movie, Brewster's Millions, with Dennis O'Keefe, Helen Walker, June Hayes and Micha Auer, was on from 9:30 till 11:00. I still think the object of sending Olympic team members to Helsinki is a bit silly but maybe it's a worthy cause. Bob Hope came on right at 11:00 but the first three quarters of an hour was devoted to speeches. I managed to take down about one half the names scheduled to be on and I'll list them first: John Scott Trotter and orchestra, Dorothy Lamour, Abbott and Costello, Annamarie Albergetti, Victor Young, The Bell Sisters, Burns and Allen, Dinah Shore, Joe E. Brown, Sonja Heine, Phil Harris, Rosemary Cluney, Corrinne Calvet, Walter Pidgeon, William Bendix, Eddie Cantor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Edward G. Robinson, Ezio Pinzo, John Mack Brown, Ben Blue, Hoagy Carmichael, Dick Powell, Eddie Bracken, Walter O'Keefe, Lina Romay, J. Carroll Nash, Jack Haley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Weismueller, Tennessee Ernie, Peggy Lee, Jack Durante, Champ Butler, Lou Holtz, April Stevens, Joe E. Lewis, Space Patrol, Time for Beany, Frank Fontaine, Rose Marie and Martin and Lewis. Bing came on a little before twelve and he and Dorothy and Bob horsed around for awhile. We also saw Abbott and Costello do their baseball skit and several un-notables and by that time it was a quarter to one and we shut it off as every five minutes they were posting telephone numbers for Hollywood and Baltimore and breaking in for commercials from Baltimore. The show was carried by both NBC and CBS, that is both WMAR and WBAL in Baltimore. WMAR signed off but WBAL kept in on the full 11:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. They didn't list it that way in the papers; there it was scheduled to sign off at 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. but after I took Mommie to 7 o'clock Mass on Sunday I came back and thought I'd see if I could pick the program up from Washington and there it was on WBAL - channel 11. We had it on then until they went off at 1:30. You have to give it to Dorothy Lamour, she stayed at the mikes the whole time--the full 14 1/2 hours but Bing and Bob were out for a massage from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday. I forgot to say they had Bing in full toupe' and Admiral's jacket and he looked pretty good. I thought he'd have an old straw hat and a sport shirt on. Jackie Coogan was acting as master of ceremonies Sunday morning along with Dorothy and we saw Tony Romano, Forrest Tucker, Time for Beany, Patches, Space Patrol, Jack Durante, Peggy Lee, Liberache, Annemarie Albergetti, and the best, Frank Fontaine, who had his ten year old son, Bobby, who did the same stuff in beat with his Frank L. C. Savoni. They also wasted too much time Sunday morning switching to New York for interviews with Joe Walcott, Joe Louis, Grantland Rice, Barney Ross, and many different golf and other sports personalities. They also put on too much pressure, saying such things as "we have Peggy Lee backstage to sing but won't put her on till we get such-and-such an amount" or "the 'phones have stopped ringing and we won't go on with the show until you start contributing again". They could have done without that. Nevertheless, I'm sure you would have stayed up for the whole thing. The papers, this morning reported that it got really good between 2 and 4 when Martin and Lewis tore the place up and Bing, Bob and Ezio did a trio on Doodlely-Doo. Last night and Red Skelton 's last show, he was kidding them all through his program by saying, "we haven't heard from Philadelphia yet" etc. As they went off the air the figures showed $1,000,020.00; their goal had been only $400,000.

It has been raining ever since Friday night. We only went out yesterday about 7 p.m. to take Aunt Tillie home as she had an early-date; she had dropped in at 2.

A fellow and his wife were in on Tuesday to beg us to rent the place to them. She looked familiar and I later found she is the sister of the Baker girl who lives with Moore's, if you know her. Anyway, he is building or rather is going to build a house over next to Smith's on Rognel and he wants a place for about six months close at hand; also, his place has been bought by the county on Mellor Avenue, where they are completing a cut-through to Newberg to link up a by-pass from the traffic on Frederick. He has to be out by July 1st. I noticed a piece in last week's Argus signed with his name: "No longer responsible for debts other than those etc." but they were so lovey I didn't think it could be the same couple. On Saturday I asked Ed Pierpoint and he said oh yes it was, they beat each other up weekly and about a week ago he came home drunk (they have nine children) about 3 in the morning and fired the gun he was carrying into the ceiling. The wife ran out the front door screaming, neighbors report, and children were diving out of every window. Ann says she could just see him in our place, when the toilet failed to work, unloading his firearm into the sewerage.

The Balmarts spoke some outside of church yesterday morning while I was waiting for Ann. They said they guessed you'd be home before long now and I replied that's what everyone thought but you had explained very carefully in your letters to the contrary. They said oh no that wasn't so because Donald is something-or-other in some headquarters and blah-blah-blah. So I just let them go on and hope you don't feel badly about my telling you this but it's just as you say the way the papers and the people don't agree with what is actually happening. So, we understand the way you have shown it but it's no use trying to insist upon it to others.

I'm supposed to get the black and white roll of film this week that I took the day of graduation and everyone's on it so I'll send prints in about another week if all goes well.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Note:
Anna Boehm is Charles' cousin who lived at 417 Augusta Ave. Charles sister, Mary is married to Frank.
Tillie is Ann's Aunt.
John is an amateur playwright and has an avid interest in the entertainment arts. Charles tries to include as much of this as possible in his letters.

Next Posting: June 25, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Registration and A Mighty Wind

Monday, June 16, 1952

Dear Andrew and John

You are no doubt up to your ears in water and bugs and, we are sweltering in 95° plus. I came away this morning again without the movie sections but immediately called Ann and had her save what I had torn out last night. I particularly want you to get the Times this week because it lists all the summer stock groups and then inside their full schedule of plays for the summer.

Last Tuesday I took off to register Arlene. It wasn't a real holiday, I'm sorry to say, as I had to drop by the office from 10:00 to 10:45 and be here while a fellow from the government was going over some payrolls; then, though I had given everyone including the Dr. and Mrs. a week's notice of my plan to be away for the day, Mr. H expected me to be back at the office after lunch. Mr. H started to give ma a lot of stuff; I got angry and walked out and it was on that not-too-happy parting that I spent the rest of the day stewing inwardly. It was hot, but breezy day, and after we left Towson Catholic we went across country to visit Aunt Alice and Jeannie. We arrived there five minutes before a tornado hit. You should have seen the mess. The papers traced it across Pikesville, Reisterstown, Towson, Joppa and Edgewood and it took them almost twelve hours to restore 'phone and electric service. On the way back we had to detour numerous times because of road blocks. All along the road back, as we came through Towson again, you could see where trees about two and three feet in diameter had been twisted off, not blown over. They registered winds of 84 miles an hour. We got home (having left everything open) to find that not a drop of rain had fallen, nor gust of wind. It was all over down the country in about half an hour and Arlene went out to gather hailstones almost as big as golf bails. Luckily, or could have been unluckily, the car was under trees. We had planned and wanted to go from Aunt Alice's down the river to take Kathy and Stevie in for their first swim but because of my mood and the lateness we called that off and, were home by five thirty.

Arlene was tickled pink with your gradation remembrance and it went into clothes she had been admiring; I think several blouses, white loafers and a baseball type hat in addition to some dungarees.

I have another movie for you; not as interesting as the last but English. I was mowing lawns Friday and we didn't come in till late so didn't turn TV on till Picure Playhouse; the feature, "Easy Honour" with Patrick Knowles and Margaret Lockwood. The story: P. Knowles (the spelling doesn't look right) whose name was Jones was managing an art gallery or museum which sells the junk to wealthy patrons. His employer, a fellow named Markham, is away when the picture opens but Markham's secretary, who is nameless, is being touched for 500 pounds by her fiancee who has just escaped from Jail. She doesn't have the cash so he tells her to get it. Next scene, enter Mrs. Markham, a busty blonde 20 years younger than her husband who has come to the galleries for the purpose of arranging the next week-end, starting that evening, she and P. Knowles are going to spend together. Now into the same art store walks Sir Henry Somebody who turns out to be P. Knowles father, a wealthy so and so who hasn't seen his son for years and who wants to bay half interest in the enterprise. Markham returns just then from his trip and is shocked to see Sir Henry and the camera goes deep into his eyes for a flash back to Africa when he was young and working for this Sir Henry, wanted to break away from a five year contract and Sir Henry wouldn't let him so he did anyway and swore revenge. Then in comes Margaret Lockwood, a childhood sweetheart of P. Knowles who has also been away and before he has sold one picture they are madly in love. However, he tells her of his indiscretions and that he has made this date for the coming week-end and Margaret Lockwood replies that it would be nice for him to tidy up his affairs before they become engaged officially. Back to Markham's office, Markham changes the combination of his safe as it is apparently his custom on occasion and gives a copy to his secretary to give to Patrick or Jones. He goes back to the safe and sees her, in a mirror, open the envelope and jot down the numbers, then seal it. He says nothing to her and after hours she opens the safe and gets out 500 pounds for her boy friend. Markham's wife, the blonde, who has made the weekend plans drops in for some cash and receives an alibi 'phone call to enable her to get away. Sir Henry comes in and Markham turns down his offer of going into partnership but is invited by Sir Henry to Sir Henry's estate for the week-end, where Markham tells his wife to meet him on Sunday after she has stayed with her sick friend. As it was arranged, Markham's wife goes to the hotel in the country to register ahead of Patrick (Jones) and as he is on his way to her he is picked up for speeding. They don't catch him till he has arrived at the hotel and the proprietor greets him in the name of Frazier under which they are registered as husband and wife and that is what the policeman puts down with Sir Henry's address. Fade out to Sunday and Sir Henry's estate. Markham's secretary has taken the money to her lover to find him cuddled up with another babe. She tries to put the cash back but Markham has again changed the combination so she decides to confess and brings the money to Markham at Sir Henry's estate. Markham tells her to keep the cash as he has it in mind to blackball Patrick (Jones) and get back at Sir Henry as Jones is the only one who was supposed to have the safe information other than himself. He tells Sir Henry that Patrick has apparently stolen 500 lb. and intends to press charges with the police. While Markham is alone in the room a policeman calls and says he wants to gather additional information on "Mr. Frazier" and is told there is no one there by that name. The others come in and so does Patrick and the cop greets him with the Frasier title. Patrick owns up but then Markham's wife comes in and the cop greets her as "Mrs. Frazier" and everyone is crying on someone's shoulder as Margaret Lockwood was also a guest of Sir Henrys and had come in for the finale to learn who Patrick had been tidying up with. Markham's wife says she sees nothing to get so worked up about as they were only together from 11:30 to 11:45 the previous night and afterwards Patrick had broken off with her as Margaret Lockwood had requested or suggested. Last scene is a speeding car caught by a cop and as he is writing out the tickets Patrick and Margaret stick their heads out and Patrick says he wants the policeman to meet his wife "Mrs. Jones". The cop says, "Oh, another one, eh?" and slowly tears the ticket, not wishing to go through all that again. We stuck it out to the bitter end.

The TV set has been working swell but the horizontal and vertical wouldn't line up and hold so I called for service Friday morning. Noontime, Ann reported the man had been there about 11:45, fixed the trouble with a turn of the screw driver and as he walked out and slammed the door the picture went back to being cock-eyed. They couldn't catch the fellow so I had to call him again and he returned that afternoon.

Saturday was a hot one and we stayed at home. NBC put "The Bicycle Thief" on from 9 to 10 p.m. with English sub-titles and we found it very good. We watched Jay Grayson back again with "Date To Dance" and then to bed. The Gunther movie we didn't see was "MY Son, My Son" with Madeline Carroll. Sunday was a scorcher and again we stayed around till about seven thirty when I took them for an hour's drive and missed Bob Hope on the Comedy Hour. I see where he and Bing are going to be on all night this Saturday to 1:30 Sunday to collect cash for the U. S. Olympic team to be sent a broad or rather abroad. For Bing's first TV appearance, I think the benefit's crazy.

I'm glad the camera's working OK, Andrew and will try to get the bulbs off to you and John tomorrow. How about the small batteries, that is the medium size ones; can you get them all right?

END OF LETTER

Editor's Note:
Dr. and Mrs. Burton are Charles' employers. Mr. Hahn worked in the same office.
Alice and Jeannie are Ann's Aunt and cousin. They live east of Baltimore.

Next Posting: June 23, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Graduation Day, A Flat, and A Good-As-New Watch

Monday, June 9 - 95° F.

Dear Andrew and John

I am glad to hear that you were able to pick up an Argus, Andrew, and I hope you were also able to take advantage of a price discount as John did on the razor. At present the C-3 is selling for $70, or rather $69.95 plus tax. I take it the film situation is OK now with you but imagine flash bulbs are still hard to get; so I will try to get some off to each of you. Also, if you can't pick up one of those small adapters for the midget bulbs and intend to try for some flash pictures, let us know. It's a shame you don't have my Weston exposure meter which just lays in the drawer but with or without a meter you couldn't ask for a better example than the shot of John with the trees, blue sky and cloud in the background. I'm anxious to hear who did the finished print. I put a roll of black and white in the Leica last night, that is yesterday evening and got a few shots of Arlene and the graduation. When we got up church, the graduates were lining up on the new school steps for an official photograph so I ran over and got a shot from right beside him. Another fellow came along with a Polaroid and got four beautiful shots. I asked him if he was interested in buying another camera and he knows of someone who is, so I gave my phone number and am siting and hoping for a call for my Polaroid.

The graduation went off very nicely. It was warm - in the ninties - but a beautiful day. The only ones there on our side were Virginia and Arlene's girl friend (a seventh grader) Mary Margaret Tucker with her mother. They live down on the corner of Frederick Road and Overbrook in a big cream colored stucco house and I remember Mrs. Tucker from when she used to come to 7 o'clock Mass every Sunday with her father, a short fellow with handle-bar mustaches. She is maybe a year older than I, dark and very attractive. I'm sure you've both seen her. She has two daughters and Arlene, for this school year, has struck up one of these acquaintances which has her on the phone for hours at a time. We have to pry them off and then one will call back a short time later. The funniest thing Ann and I have found is that in person Mary Margaret, the daughter, doesn't open her mouth. Back to graduation, I didn't go in but stayed with dynamite Stevie and several dogs he always manages to attract. He chased birds on the Sister's lawn and slobbered all over Coach Woysihowitz or whatever he name's little boy, about 10 mo. The Coach had stopped (first time I ever spoke to him) and asked how you two were and knew you were in Korea. About that time Mike came out of church, followed a few minutes later by Kathleen, with Ann, who went back in. She had to bring Kathy out as she had put on Ann's gloves and was pointing them like guns at the surrounding kneelers and going Ptooo. So I had three of them rolling all over the lawn for about a half hour. The exercises were over about 7:45 and we took Virginia home, then went for a short ride before we drove, Mrs. Tuckers back.

Last Thursday I had school as usual at night. The Walcott-Charles fight was scheduled for 10 p.m. and I get off about 9:20. Last summer when they fought, I was home alone that Wednesday night when the yoke went up on the TV and I missed the knockout. On the way home last Thursday, I ran over a broken coke bottle and had a beauty of a flat right in the middle of the colored section on Franklin Street. I had no money in my pockets and by the time I changed the tire myself and got home the fight was well under way; but I saw part of it. Abe and I, a few days before when he was driving his car, had watched the kids breaking soft drink bottles and carefully placing them in the car lanes. The tire that got it was the spare with only a few thousand miles on it which had been put on just about a month ago when I rotated the tires. The fellow at the Esso station showed me the verdict Friday; the tire has a six inch slash right through the inside casing and a hole in the tube as big as your head. It was so bad he advised not trying to have anything done to it and I had to get a new tire and tube.

With grass cutting, trying to get the cellar in shape and then teaching again on Friday night for Mrs. Brown who had some friends on from New York, I didn't see any TV last week till Saturday and then late. There wasn't much choice. American Beer is bringing the Washington Senators baseball games while the Orioles are out of town. Those grinning gargoyles from Arthur Murray's local "Dance Party" are on from 9:30 to 10:30 and after that we turned the set on to Gunther's movie. This time it was the Corsican Brothers with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in a twin brothers role and apparently an American production with J. Carol Nash, H. B. Warner; I can't remember the girl, was it Helen Varrick or something like that. We enjoyed it and if it's very old I certainly wouldn't have known it. It was an Edward Small production, If that means anything. It lasted a full two hours so I didn't wait to see the coming attractions for next week.

Best news of all for me during the past week was that after eight weeks I got my watch back. The price for a new mainspring, cleaning of the rust, adjusting and regulating, was $3 so I just put it on our account and didn't gripe. I have timed it for four days now and in that time it has gained but ten seconds; if that keeps up I am very fortunate. If either of you get a watch or think about one, make it one of those waterproofs, or as they have to say, water repellent; with incabloc construction and antimagnetic. In 17 Jewels stainless steel they are selling all over now for about $12 and are accurate within seconds. Elgin is now working full speed on their new electric watch; smaller than a regular wrist job, it is powered with a wafer thin battery about as big as a nickel which lasts about one year. Another thing I noticed in the papers is that Hamilton has decided to market Swiss watches under the Hamilton name due to competition.

Coming from school on Thursday night also, I had to walk over here around the corner from the office to get the car before the mishap. When I came past the Knights of Columbus I stopped for a minute to listen to the good music. There was a theater-type signboard outside with pictures and headed "June Week". The band then playing was Ray Anthony's (I've heard of him) and scheduled for the next evening was Tex Beneke (they were just arriving when I got out of school Friday and I didn't hear them). I haven't been able to find out from anyone who was having the June Week but it west be one of the schools; not the Naval Academy which holds all their affairs in Annapolis.

I am going to take tomorrow off, or part of the day at least, to register Arlene at Towson Catholic. I hope it's not a foolish move but I told Mrs. Burton was going to do so and she told me to be sure and tell Ann it was the thing to do. But all that doesn't get the people out of the house and it also doesn't sell ours, and if we do sell ours and the other isn't empty, where are we? I dislike bringing those questions out to Ann but you two might throw in a couple of prayers with me, not to get the house out there especially, but to solve immediate problems.

I forgot to mention that Mary Bellis graduated from high school on Friday, the day of the 18th birthday. She's still necking with the same fellow and it may be serious.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Arlene graduated 8th grade from the Visitation Academy in Frederick. Charles' employer has promised him the use of a house in the country. He is worried that it won't be ready by the time his present house sells.

Next Posting: June 16, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Another Wedding, Ave Maria And A Joke

Tuesday, June 3, 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

I'm afraid some of our letters are not getting through to you for you ask, Andrew, whether we saw Bette Davis with Jimmy Durante and I recall describing a couple of their scenes; one where Jimmy is shooting down Oscars as they run along the oposite wall a'la shooting gallery style; and again she comes downstage and gives with a lot of this long handkerchief and cigarette puffing stuff and fast talk, ending with "See, I too can immediate Bette Davis." I'm sorry. Yesterday we received a letter from you, John, with the picture and that's the first good Kodachrome, or is it Printon, finished product that I recall seeing. It's what I expected and still think the transparencies of Mike and Kathy sitting on the couch and a few others should look like. You mention Bob's uncle; is he a professional as I note there is no stamp on the back as the pros usually identify their mess. Back to Andrew; we also received your picture with the specs over the weekend. I'll have to get out a few of the back letters for I don't remember whether you said you wear them all the time or only for paper work. They look pretty good, anyway, and I believe the Doctor just got a pair like them down Bowen & King's with only the top part as it appears in your picture. Kathy picked up Momnie's a little too hard and snapped them across the middle ridge so they're being held together with bright green Mystic tape until circumstances permit... She doesn't wear them much but I make her keep them on while doing all this sewing lately.

I had Friday - Decoration Day -- off, believe it or not but, in keeping with the past month, it rained. On Sunday they boxed in a special item on the back page of the paper showing that it rained 23 days of the 31 in May. It rained again Saturday and still on Sunday morning so except for driving Ann to the dentist Saturday morning we didn't take the car out till Sunday afternoon. Ann told Dr. Sherrard you both certainly missed a good dentist. Because the banks were closed Friday they were open Saturday morning so I deposited your allotment check, John, which had come on Thursday and took the card you signed, Andrew, and had them put your name in your book. Having the books at hand I should have jotted down the amounts you have. I am sure of your balance, Andrew, of $110 even but yours, John, is either $139.54 or $149.54. The fifth Bond we are holding came on Saturday morning, as it is usually postmarked around the 27th of the month.

There're a fellow at school named Santos Natale Nastasi I've known about five years. He's really a chemist and graduated from Loyola College with Al Fitzgerald, the one we talked to that day a couple of years ago on the streetcar, Andrew. Anyway, we got an invitation to his wedding and reception scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Our Lady of Lourdes. We declined the reception but took the three little ones to the wedding. Stevie fell asleep on the way over and I carried him into the church and we were seated with him pounding away. They had a big messy-soprano with Mrs. Garvey's looks and twice her blast. The organ started softly and when she came out with her first shriek of Ave Maria Stevie's head snapped up, his mouth drooped open and during the whole service he lay around my neck with that slobby look and fixed expression. I think it scared him so he hasn't gotten over it yet. We came back and ate about four, then sat inside while two hours of solid water fell. Show of Shows went off Saturday night till September 6 and All Star Review, also Saturday evening, had Spike Jones in a very good program. We started the Gunther movie of David Niven in "Bonnie Prince Charlie" but couldn't stand it after 20 minutes so switched to the end of the Hit Parade and saw Dorothy sing Kiss of Fire for No. 1. Back to Sunday evening, at 7:30 Jack Benny was scheduled for TV, followed by Herb Shriner on the Comedy Hour, a good Philco, then Red Skelton. Precisely at 7:30 Gerry and Ellen walked in and I hope I didn't look too disgusted. I got one kick out of their stay. Gerry asked if we had seen the Continental, which we hadn't. He then said they always saw the Dagmar show late on Saturday which I've told you about. Ann didn't hear him and he must have thought she didn't know who he was talking about so he added, "you know her, she's got the..." Ellen swung around in her chair and he quickly finished, "She's a big woman".

A copy of the Journal of the American Medical Association (from whence came the bull story I sent you yesterday) which has been thrown away had a pretty cute one in it that went something like this. Hope you haven't heard it:

The manager of a Baltimore plant was a great believer in using psychology to hire his employees. So he called in a noted local psychologist and told him he had three prospective girls, one of whom he would like to choose as his secretary.

The psychologist said he would choose a simple test and asked each girl this question, "How much is two and two?"

The first girl immediately said "four".

The second said it could be "twenty-two".

The third said maybe it's 'four" and then again maybe "twenty-two"

The psychologist turned to the manager and said there you have it, "the first girl said the obvious thing, the second smelled a rat, while the third didn't want to have to decide which." He added it should be obvious which was the best qualified.

The manager didn't hesitate. "I'll take the blonde with the blue eyes,' he said.

I don't imagine anything will come of it, but I submitted an entry to the Reader's Digest. It is the one Dotty pulled; Dotty being the girl Annie Clapsaddle's brother married. They now have two little girls but this happened when Dotty was in the labor room when the first was born. When the severe pains started coming near the end the nurse walked in to find her shouting, "I've changed my mind, I've changed my mind; I want a divorce."

I think we've had enough of me but I just remembered that this Al Fitzgerald I mentioned above is married to Virginia Horn and they have one child so it's been for several years. She is a sister of Carl Horn.

I saw Dee and Virginia at 8:00 on Sunday. We all overslept as Stevie pulled the electric alarm of the TV and Mommie went to 9 with Arlene. Ann told me at noontime that she got the kids haircuts this morning and heard that Tommy Cimino is heading home. He has been at Pusan and Koje and has the necessary points or something, but I don't believe he has been in as long as you have, has he? Haven't heard any comments on the Sr. S.S. play which we didn't get to see and didn't even ask if anyone we knew was in it. Abe took his car and went to Wildwood, New Jersey and Atlantic City for the long weekend and isn't back yet.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:

Annie Clapsaddle is a high school friend of Ann's.
Virginia is a friend of John's.
Gerry and Ellen are friends of the family.
Abe Scop is a lifelong friend of Charles.

Next posting: June 09, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner