Crackers, Beer and Tomato Sandwiches

Monday, September 29, 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

Standard time again as of yesterday. Couldn't have wished for a nicer, quieter week-end. We did our shopping Friday evening at the store in Jacksonville and I puttered around early Saturday morning till about 10 a.m. when Abe walked in. It was like old times sitting around the kitchen table with crackers, beer and tomato sandwiches. I sent him your greetings and he says likewise and stayed till about 12:30. He's pretty worried about his father and doesn't like to stay away long. About four Ann and I went to confession; Arlene had to stay home because she turned her ankle again Saturday while talking to horses but she's up and around on it again. Confession was crowded with one other person besides ourselves and it was extra special because yesterday was Forty Hours. But they really turned out yesterday morning. Eight o'clock Mass yesterday let out at exactly 10:14. I rushed Ann hone and came back with Arlene at 10:20 and we were home from our Mass at 11. Ann says if we're still here when our ship comes in, first donation goes for new kneeling benches. In the afternoon yesterday we left Arlene with her foot and took the kids up church for a visit. Afterwards, Father Doran was outside and I introduced Ann. We stood there talking for over a half hour. We had noticed what we thought was a plaster statue or the Blessed Mother on the church lawn as the church is back about 300 yards from the road. He gave us the lowdown and a closeup view of the statue which turns out to be of one piece of Italian marble carved in Italy. Wait till you see it. It weighs 4,000 lb. and was donated by a woman in Towson whose son is a priest. The Archbishop blessed or dedicated it the same day in 1950 as the school. Father Doran says during the summer they have the rosary services there on the lawn Sundays under the trees. Just about that time, Sammy pulls up and says Pud is down the house. So instead of a little drive we went back and sat around. They stayed for a meal, our first guests, and Ann suggested a movie, which she hasn't seen now to five weeks. So she and pud went to Hamilton for the Will Rogers Story. When they returned at 7:15, Sam and I came in to Baltimore as he wanted to see A Minute or One Minute to Zero and the Walcott fight pictures. We left home at 7:30 and were buying the tickets in front of the Town at 8:05. I liked the show but wondered how many persons Howard Hughes killed in taking it. We were home again by 11 and found Mommie with another touch of the virus in her tummy. She still has it this morning as I 'phoned her noontime but not so violent; so does the gal next door.

We saw a couple of TV shows Friday and Saturday. Friday we didn't go up till 11 and saw the movie "Tonight Or Never" with Melvyn Douglas and Gloria Swanson. It was supposed to be a drama but we laughed till our sides hurt. Gloria had bobbed hair and would walk over to a doorway the way they satirize now, throw out her chest and place her arms, palms outward, windmill-like against the wall and groan "Do you want me'?" This masterpiece was before censorship. I'll give you an idea how old it was. Boris Karloff had black hair and three lines as a waiter who told Melvyn Douglas that Gloria was going to visit his apartment. Alison Skipworth had co-starring in the billing. To top it off, the jerk at WBAL kept calling him Melville Douglas. Last night I didn't go up at all, being in town, but Saturday I saw my first complete Show of Shows and it was wonderful. Ella Raines was guest Hostess. Immogene's solo was a musicale with chorus boys, swell music and dancing and called Give Me a Ragtime Turn or I Want a Ragtime Band something like that. They wouldn't stop applauding. If nobody else suggests it I want to ask that they bring back on film some of these shows or parts of shows that are so darn good and so many people miss. And Marguerite Piazza's number was her portrayal of that page-boy part Rise Stevens has been doing at the Metropolitan the past few years with Aariana Knowles singing opposite her. We were so contented after Show of Shows that we enjoyed Gunther's following movie--"Intrigue" with George Raft and June Havoc. It was made in 1948 but I don't recall it being around here. The Century usually gets stuck with G. Raft. She is the boss of a black market operation in Indo-China and in one scene sways in with a sprayed on gown and admires his shoulders. He says back, "I can see you ain't packing no rod neither". Next week, Abroad With Two Yanks with Wm. Bendix and Dennis O'Keefe.

At the Town last night I was thinking it was my first time in Baltimore to a show on Sunday night since we've been married. We've been down during the week but not on Sunday. They showed a special notice on the screen to the effect that in a month or two they're going to offer the new three dimensional Cinerama and that it's being installed right now. I don't remember if I've told you the Hippodrome is For Sale and has been for several months with no takers yet; it has been closed since the little fire they had back stage around April or May.

Ann berates herself for not writing but I told her I've stepped up my pace to a couple a week and she has been pretty loaded. She has a pencil written letter I forgot to pick up this morning but will get it off tomorrow sure.

Got a long letter from Brother Bertin this morning and he's at St. John's Prep for another year as principal. He's coming down around Christmas for a short stay at St. Joe and promises to come out and see us if Brother Nilus will provide transportation. Br. N. is now stationed at St. Joe once again. I told him we'd see that he got there as long as he gave us a call.

I'll be on the lookout for the boxes and will probably put them in the storage room on the third floor till you get here to open them.

Three weeks and three days....

END OF LETTER

Next Posting: October 2, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

A Hurricane and A Lake

Tuesday, September 2

Dear John and Andrew,

Got more letters from you at the office here this morning--two from you, Andrew and a two pager from you, John. By this time we're settling down and I hate to do an about face, but they've been very nice to us. Ann's 'phone conversation telling her just where we stood seems to have worked and there has been mention of the subject they were going to tell us all about. Since Friday, the house has blossomed out with rungs, that is rugs, chairs, pictures and little odds and ends which we had hoped to acquire if the house was sold at the higher figure. But we got them anyway showing our prayers were answered and this was evidently meant to be.

I tried everywhere to find a New York Times on Sunday but Baltimore is the closest spot and we didn't get in nearer than Parkville. I'm going to work out a little deal with Mr. Beesemyer starting next week where he can get it for me here in town an he likes it himself and can bring it across the street from his apartment on Monday mornings. I even asked the paper man on our route out there but he said he couldn't order it. I have a copy of LOOK I'm mailing today to make up for it and we should be back on schedule next Monday.

Don't worry about the monthly payments to J. Norman Geipe. We'll take care of them and work it out with you. In fact, I'd better cell them because they're supposed to start sending the statements here to the office and we haven't received their typed copy the inventory yet. I believe the down payment of the $10 takes care of the first month.

This was a pretty nice and a pretty bad week-end, the bad part being only the weather. Saturday was OK and we spent a quiet day putting a few more thinqs in place and looking for others. It clouded up by nightfall and Sunday morning was rainy. I took Ann to 8 o'clock Mass which they start when they feel like it. Ann says it got under way about 8:20. I went to 10 and that began on time but didn't let out till 11:05 with a long sermon. The church, as I said before, is smaller than St. Mark's but nice. It wasn't crowded at the 10; maybe due to the rain and maybe not that many usually are there as I noticed a number of out of town cars. Not a soul visited on Sunday and we left the house for only one hour, to go to Parkville for a little ride and some magazines. A hurricane that turned inland hit us Monday morning about 5 o'clock. The wind was so strong it forced the water under the weather-stripped doors and windows. At 6 a.m. the electricity went off and we didn't have water or cooking till five after twelve. But later in the day I found out we were lucky and that parts of Baltimore didn't get service until yesterday evening. You should see the pictures in the paper of Catonsville and Ellicott City. In Ellicott City the water burst the fronts out of almost every store on Main Street and washed the contents down to the Doughnut Machine Corp. One picture shows 17 autos that were carried down and dumped in a mess of silt. Abe (whom we talked to by 'phone last night) said refrigerators and electric appliances as well as watches and all sorts of jewelry and junk were floating over the place. Catonsville was hit almost as hard and till this morning and maybe still has only bus service to Irvington. I called up Schatz first thing this morning and he says the loan has been approved that all they're waiting for is the settlement. So if the house is still there, it is apparently going through.

Our lone visitors for the entire week-end were Aunt Alice, Sam, Pud and Jeannie, who came by yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. I forgot to say that the storm abated as quickly as it began and by noontime the sun was shining. Now the papers say there's a big one coming in from the northwest that is supposed to hit this evening sometime.

This morning was school for Arlene. I haven't located the other girls we heard were going to Towson Catholic from out our way but I can bring her in all right. She was supposed to have a half day for this first day but at 10:25 she called me and said they were through. I drove out and picked her up and she's downtown with her weekly allowance right now seeing The Greatest Show on Earth at popular prices.

I see that your Show of Shows is due back this Saturday night and all the others are slowly falling in--Hit Parade, Dinah Shore and Perry Como. We never listen to the radio hut Arlene has it on quite a bit and gets around 30 stations. What the stations are I don't know, but two in particular have the same program one hour apart. For instance, Sunday night she listened to, and called me in to verify it, the Frank Fontaine show at 8 p.m Daylight Time and at 9 p.m. Daylight time heard the same show over again. Both stations are strong and clear and one is from Pennsylvania.

It took a little longer getting in this morning and the roads were tough going. The two temporary bridges they had built around the bridges that were knocked out by that big storm in June were washed out yesterday along with another bridge on the alternate route a half mile down the road so we had to come in by way of Glen Arm and the Joppa Road and found the Joppa Road cut off which necessitated more detouring; but there's many ways and a mile or two doesn't seem much when you're not in traffic. Mrs. Burton always wanted a lake on her place and this morning she has one which you can see from our windows looking out across and beyond the fence Mike was sitting on in one of the pictures we sent. It's about 160 feet in diameter but not very deep. The wonderful feeling is going down the basement and finding not a drop of water but I still worry about the house on Bloomsbury,

I hope they don't try to kill you off with pneumonia as a result of your messy set up and let's hope the cold weather isn't upon you too quickly after all the water subsides. If it takes all that time in transit, will they start moving you out in October instead of November. They do have to get you out by Dec. 6th, don't they, if nothing happens?

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Mr. Beesemyer also works for the Burtons.
Ann's Aunt Alice's children are Puddy and Jeannie

Next Posting: September 4, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Blow Out The Candles And Then You're Five

Tuesday, August 19

Dear Andrew and John,

Keep your fingers crossed. We may have something here. Nothing is definite as yet but Mr. Corbett of Schatz dropped by the house last night to tell Ann the Seicke's had put a deposit of $500 with them on the house. The reason I say it is not definite is that they have not approached the bank or Building and Loan for the financial arrangements. I understand if they placed the money with the real estate dealer with that agreement, they will get their cash back but if they don't specify, they lose the down payment if the financing falls through. So Ann is trying to learn more of the details this morning so that she will know whether to notify the movers for next Monday, August 25. Andrew, you said not to mention cash so I won't, but if either you or John wants to know the selling price, just ask. We didn't get what Schatz led us to believe, but we'll be able to take tare of the mortgage, the moving and Arlene's tuition all right.

Let's get off the subject a little while; or maybe better not for I've just read the above paragraph and you're wondering who in the heck the Seicke's are. First thing last Saturday morning Ann said she was tired of this fooling around and would get something out of Schatz. Up there she went at 9 a.m. and back in fifteen minutes. She didn't see either of them but scarcely had she walked in the house when the 'phone rang, and an agent wanted to show the house on Sunday at 2 p.m. I hung up the receiver and Mr. Corbett, of Schatz, was knocking on the side door asking to show the place that afternoon at 1 o'clock. He came on time with one of the Seicke's, a wife and one kid. I don't know which one it is but at the present time they live right on the corner of Bloomingdale and Bishops in a large shingled semi-detached house -- the one bordering right on the turn. I thought at the time they were interested because they were the first ones who asked to see the cellar and I had just been down there wiping up the last traces of water. From the entrance way back it was all nice and dry. The prospects on Sunday were in and out of the house so fast you would have thought a dog was chasing them, so we knew there was no hope there. Yesterday I tried to get Schatz all day but could talk to no one but Marion. She asked to be remembered to you, but I can't picture her. I had school last night and came home via Bishops Lane, hoping to drop in and ask if they were considering the house as they don't have a 'phone; however, the first floor was dark and only one light on the second so I kept on going. Ann was waiting for me on the porch, wondering why I hadn't called from school. She had left word there and they didn't relay the message. She wasn't excited or anything; it's a sort of anti-climax.

Back to Saturday, we were going to confession in the afternoon but we put it off till 7:30 and Arlene watched the little ones who were poohed. They were in bed by six-all three, so after confession we rode down the Edmondson Highway to Ellen and Jerry's. They weren't home so we continued on over to Irvington and visited with Cousin Anne and Cousin Claire for almost an hour. Cousin Claire said she had a letter--from John I think, and she said you were thinking of living in Catonsville some day. Well, just remember, you're to stay with us just as long as you care to--both of you. Even though we couldn't get your things moved out there, we're not squeezed on room. We even planned the evening of the day we first saw the place that we would try to put the Hide-A-Bed in the one bedroom with the kids so that when you returned you would have a bedroom all to yourselves. The Hide-A-Bed has lasted us nightly for over two years now-no, I'm wrong, it was one year in May, but anyway I'm sure it will hold out for another year or so. It better had. I want to see them move the thing it weighs over 400 pounds.

Cousin Claire looks OK now and is supposed to be back at work as of yesterday. They hadn't heard anything of Mary and wondered because she was supposed to come out during July and take them out to her place.

You're right, we sure do miss the TV set. This last was the longest week end I ever spent. We were back from the Boehms about a quarter to nine and with fooling around and reading in bed, were asleep before eleven. After the people rushed through the house on Sunday, Ann suggested dinner and getting out for a ride. We ate about three and Ann had a cake she had made for Mike's birthday so we invited Jane and Edward in. All morning long Mike had been announcing that he was not 5 yet. We said yes as of early that morning. After we lit, I mean lighted the candles and he blew them out he proudly announced, "Now, I'm five years old!" We decided the drive to Ann's cousin, Dot's, place at Middle River, but when we got there no one was home so Aunt Alice's is only fifteen minutes away and that's where we ended up. We didn't get there till 6:30 and found Sammy and Pud visiting. Pud took Ann to see their apartment and when they returned at 8:00 we headed for home. I came out to get some diapers out of the car and Virginia and Dee skidded to a stop, coming up Bloomsbury. Virginia had been trying to call Ann all afternoon to find out what time we were going to move as she had offered to help out on Monday„ I had to tell her it was all off but Ann got her last night and she was up for awhile yesterday and offered to lend a hand next Monday, if that is the date.

We heard on the radio this morning that the southern part of Korea was hit by a typhoon with 100 mile and hour winds so I guess you got part of it up your way.

Got a nice long letter from Brother Bertin, answering mine of last November 27. He said he has not been in Baltimore for any length of time but during July drove up from Camp Calvert with Brother Malcolm to drop Brother Hilary off and returned right away late at night. Says he is well and still at St. John's Prep, Danvers, Mass. That was last Friday, the day they change their slates.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Charles' family is moving from Catonsville. Charles' employers, Dr. and Mrs. Burton, have promised him the use of one of their houses in Long Green Valley.
Virginia is a friend of John's.

Next Posting: August 21, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner