Wednesday, September 17
Dear Andrew and John,
I spoke too quickly in the first paragraph of Monday's letter for John's letter came out to the house that morning, mailed the same day yours was, Andrew. Today I got yours of the 11th here, Andrew, about you all missing out on another good show--Eddie Fisher. I guess I'll make you feel bad by telling you some of the shows you're missing here (and we are, too). Last Sunday night I read where Martin and Lewis were back on TV and Arlene had them on last night (Tuesday) on their new radio show for Chesterfield. This coming Saturday Jimmy Durante comes back on the All Star Review with his first guest, Margaret Truman; and today's paper; which I read in the barber shop (my first haircut in 7 weeks) displayed a picture of Tallulah and scheduled her first TV appearance on the All Star Review for October 11. I guess you read also where she was supposed to go on TV with her Big Snow but the price was too high. I'll come out and tell you the truth now that one big reason we didn't bring your television, for our benefit and yours also, was that Mrs. B. had been hinting around and actually came out and told Ann she was going to present us with one which we would have to call our Christmas present. And knowing we could pull the other out of storage at any time gave insurance if one would go bad and might as well get something for nothing while it's going around. However, in talking with her this morning on the 'phone and telling her that settlement had been made, she said that's fine and that now we will be abel or able to pick up a set and she will see that we get it at wholesale. She was talking about the Harford Gas Company. Which is at Jarrettsville, some six or seven miles away. So I don't know what we will do yet. She also said this Mr. Henderson up there said not to take a service contract with any set as he guarantees the picture tube for one year and a 3 month certificate on the entire set. Also, that for service, they use a fellow who lives out that way but who works for Johnson Brothers and who does the repair work in his spare time and at very low prices. This part sounds pretty good; and I think we'll hold off for another week or so to see if she comes through with her first idea. She really told Ann not to tell ma but that she was going to give us a set as a surprise. From all appearances now, that's out.
As I mentioned in the above paragraph, the settlement was made yesterday; only took two hours and five minutes. I stayed home and brought Ann and the little ones in, arriving at the Fidelity Building a quarter to one. The Seicke's were waiting outside and we went up together. The offices are the law firms of Kohlemann and Dumler, Dumler being apparently the big cheese of the Fairview Loan Company who was granting the loan to the Seicke's. We had to sit and wait for another Settlement to be ended. The door opened and who should walk in but Mrs. Virginia Reyman Emerson. That's where she has worked all these years. Will is still in Frederick on business but she said she is living in their home on Cherrydell, across from 0verbrook Road at Dr. Gallager's. The kids were very good for the first hour but overcame their shyness and got warmed up before it was over. I felt so darn sorry for the Seicke's. I know they're getting a bargain for the little they are paying for the place but they had planned it so there would be a few hundred to spare for fixing up and as it turned out the extra fees took all they had plus two hundred he had borrowed from her mother and $38 they had to sign a note for. Last summer when Downes, the lawyer, had to search the title to the land when I borrowed on the house, bought the land from Mrs. Boutall and paid Mary off, he showed me why it had taken six months times to compile the three inch thickness of papers in front of him which brought the house and land clear and without encumbrances up to August 1951. For that he charged $60 which I didn't put on your expenses as it was strictly a cost to us for buying the land. For the one item of searching the title from last August, the loan company charged the Seicke's $95. The rest of the fees, recordings, notaries, etc. brought their miscellaneous expenses to $250. We had to pay $10 for half the revenue stamps required in these transactions and $7 for placing each of the powers of attorney on record but we got back $19.38 as credit on the property taxes which you and we paid in June so that balanced that. Let me know if you want to know the balances of your accounts at Catonsville as I went out there this morning and made the deposits. You may want to plan what you have to work with when you get back. We're keeping our checking account out there too because they don't charge for the checks as they do these banks around town here
Eden Terrace has been making the papers these days. Something I didn't know, up till now they had a private water supply from underground wells which was owned by a company out there. Recently the State Department made them hook into the city water supply as the wells were polluted and unfit for human consumption. They did so, or rather this company did so and continued its private ownership but didn't pay its on water bill to the city; so the city ups and turns the water off on them which affected all the people living in that area from Glenmore to Dunmore and over to Edmondson Avenue. I don't know if the people have worked it out yet or not but after several days the city ordered the water to be turned back on.
Coming in this morning in the car I heard the news report a terrible explosion near Seoul, about a railway train blowing up and killing a number of school children. Was it near enough to hear about; I hope not.
While writing this (noontime) I had a call from Annie Clapsaddle. Said she was calling me because she talked with Mommie a week or so ago and got her 'phone bill today with a 75¢ call. They must have talked a half hour. She just wanted to report the news which is not news that her hubby had just quit his job in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Also, the car he gave her, the brand new Chevrolet, he was taking back, because the car he was using, the 1940 Chevy, he had sold. He is thinking about going to Canada or on second thought thinks he will stay around Baltimore and find a job but realizes he will have to take a cut. OH, BROTHER.
You will be tenting by the time this reaches you; so take it easy and we'll continue to write up to the last possible minute.
END OF LETTER
The Burtons are Charles' employers.
The family has recently moved from Catonsville to Long Green Valley northeast of Baltimore.
Ann Clapsaddle is an old friend of Ann's.
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Next Posting: September 17, 1952
Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner
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