A Fire In Baldwin and Tallulah Does Durante

Monday, October 13.

Dear Andrew and John,

We're working naturally and so is school tonight but the banks and most of the business offices are closed down today honoring your birthday on yesterday.

One Friday, I mean on Friday afternoon I 'phoned Abe and he is feeling much better since he found he has only a tendency toward diabetes and not the actual stuff. Noontime Mommie told me she got a letter from Mrs. Bellis but didn't read it because I have to keep these calls from the office to home short. Got the 'phone bill Saturday and Arlene had called her friend Mary Margaret in Catonsville to the tune of $1.19 worth. For other news of Catonsville, Virginia called Ann to say she was dropping in on Sunday and Dee called again Friday to say no they wouldn't. And yesterday afternoon we have a - I can't even think straight - we had a short visit from Ellen and Gerry Bures. They are anxious to get out of West Edmondale where they bought their new house but can't find cheaper quarters elsewhere. They're so darned on edge they're nervous wrecks.

It was raining Friday evening so we postponed our trip to the food store till Saturday morning. It cleared Saturday noontime and I fixed the back door and wiped off the car and then drove Ann and the kids as far as Woolworth's on Harford Road. We were gone a little over an hour and came back Long Green Valley Road way to find fire engines racing past us to a big fire. If you still have a map or remember my describing Peterson's store and packaged refreshment shop, it's right next to that. Burned down into the ground with not a beam or shingle standing were the post office (Baldwin) general store and hardware and a good part of Baldwin Motors, a combination garage, repair shop and sales agency for tractors and farm equipment. Doctor's property ends down that way - it's almost a mile from the house really -- and one of his barns full of hay was partly burned. Arlene went with her friend Ann Woodward, our second neighbor to the south, and her father who is a member of the volunteer firefighters. She said they had eleven fire engines there but it got too much of a start. Ann didn't see the results but I drove past yesterday morning with Mike and Kathy when we event to pick up Arlene from Mass. Ann and I went to 8:30 yesterday for a change as it was Holy Name and in memory of our 8:30 Mass six years ago. Father Doran takes his good old time and has a sermon no matter how long he talks on the matter of Propagation of the Faith or the particular problem for the Sunday. We got home from 8:30 Mass at 10:02 and it started on time. Arlene was out in half an hour. We could go over on Harford Road to an earlier Mass or in to Towson but I think it's better to stay in the parish and they need our two-bitses.

I guess it was about 5:30 when we got back Saturday and I didn't look at the paper till after we ate so were we surprised to see Tallulah listed for All Star Review at 8 p.m. We were up and waiting for the beginning. You remember how Jimmy Durante used to and still does close by walking off as though into the distance. Well, Tallu comes from way back walking slowly and playing with her hair, right up into the camera and croaks "Hello Dahlings". We loved it. Her support all through the show were no less than Ethel Barrymore and Groucho Marx. But the show was all Tallulah's. She danced, sang and had several skits to herself as well as with the others. It was from New York as she remarked Ethel and Groucho had flown in from Hollywood. I liked her semi-final, a solo of how she had gone from her place at 59th Street to visit some friends in the country -- way out at 181st St. on a thing called the subway. Maybe it's old stuff but we enjoyed her applying at the money changing window for a drawing room and saying of course they would take her check. She pauses and gives her name as the fellow has evidently asked who she thought she was. She says, "I'm Tallulah Bankhead", then another pause listening to him and reaches her hand through to shake saying, "I'm so glad to know you, Mr. Bonaparte". Just as she is about to board the subway train, the camera follows her past a big paste up ad featuring the head and shoulder picture of Betty Davis and "Two's Company" which is apparantly her latest. Tallu goes past, does a double-take and then comes back to whip out her lipstick, hunch over the pic and step aside to show her decorations of glasses, a mustache and beard; no talking. Her ending of the show was a reversal of the beginning; saying "'Bye Dahlings" in front of the camera and walking slowly to music off into the rear center. Show of Shows did everything right as usual, this time with a host, Dennis O'Keefe. After this Ann retired but Arlene and I sat to watch Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett and George Sanders in "Son of Monte Cristo". I didn't realize it was such a big production and lasted just five minutes short of two hours.

We sat around all yesterday and had finished eating and cleaning up when Gerry and Ellen came. I guess they were here from about 5:30 till 6:30. We went up to TV for This is Show Business which was fair and Colgate's Comedy Hour had a pretty good show in Bob Hope with Fred MacMurray and Connie Haines. Phil Playhouse which last night was Goodyear Playhouse came on with some gypsy offering O Ramany. Ann said the author is a good one but we didn't care for the beginning so turned it off for the evening. Ann heard Mrs. Baldwin next door calling and I went down and read awhile. Ann came back and told me she had promised to go next door to stay with the kids in the event Mrs. Baldwin would be called back to town. Her husband's father, Streett Baldwin, had suffered a heart attack and stroke on Friday. So far they have kept it out of the papers for some political reason or other but as of this morning he's hanging on. The doctors now say there's no hope whatsoever and he is paralysed except for the fingers of one hand.

On our ride to the ten cent store Saturday we had to go past the Maryland School fort the blind on Taylor Avenue. They have their annual sign out advertising apples and cider. Ann says, from past experience, there's none better. They'll have it for some time but we don't want to get any as it might turn or that might be for the better also. It's only twenty minutes away by car.

That Stevie slob at the table will shovel in three helpings of meat, potatoes and vegetables I couldn't come near downing, then sit back with his shoulders slumped and mouth omen and wait for the monstrous bubbles that usually follow. Right after eating his stomach hangs down the way Kathy's used to. Nothing new on Kathy this week but Mike is due one of my famous haircuts no later than tomorrow.

END OF LETTER

Editor's notes:
October 12, Columbus Day, is Charles and Ann's sixth wedding anniversary. It is also the birthday of twin brothers, Andrew and John.

Next Posting: October 15, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

The Previous Tenants and Mickey Mantle

Thursday, October 9th.

Dear Andrew and John,

Haven't much to tell you but like to get something off anyway.

When I got home Tuesday I found that Virginia had called and cancelled her trip to see us. She and Connie were supposed to come but one of them couldn't make it.

Kathy's virus in her tummy persisted through this morning and I called home noontime to find out how she was and Ann says she's much better, having produced her first burp in three days. Stevie, the slob, is back in there shoveling in the food with both hands. His face is getting fat and he's going to outgrow Kathy in the weight department. But she's getting taller, I'm sorry to say, though I do think she'll still be in the cute stage for a couple of months till your return. Mike is all legs and has his spells of eating like a horse and staying away from everything but you can't call him unhealthy. Arlene we don't have to worry about. In the Christmas Card we chose for this year, I put her name next to a caption of Food Editor. Stephen is saying just a few more words but understands everything. His pronunciation is not as good as Mike's was at the beginning, as he calls our little girl, Kaki and has a few other wild expressions but you can't cross him up. I think you'll find Kathy changed most for she was just saying a few words as I remember it when you left and now she'll string an endless sentence into 5 minutes without faltering or stammering. But she's got to warm up to you first. And that'll probably take a couple of hours. When we went out to see Abe last month, while Ann was downtown shopping that day, Kathy wouldn't even look at Abe for the first hour; she buried her heady in my shoulder even when he tried to give her a little china dog. Abe is having a bit of trouble right now, too. I guess it's the combination of his father and I'm sure there are financial difficulties. He was feeling so bad he went to see our Dr. Gallager who gave him a thorough physical and suggested he take hospital test for diabetes. So Abe tolls me he was at Mercy Hospital for 5 hours on Monday with some sort of glucose test and there is a show of diabetes. His father is on the first floor at home, apparently to stay and the bathroom Buzz has half-built is still unfinished as you know Buzz. I asked him Monday what's new in Catonsville and he said nothing that he could see.

Tuesday evening I sew about an hour and a half of TV. Milton Berle has gone the way of the many others and is now on only every other week. In his place we saw the last half of a show sponsored by Buick with the regular performers apparently being Joe E. Brown as a clown and Dolores Gray and a John Ratti as singers. I don't know if the circus is to be the continual scene but that's what I got from it. Last night we saw the first half of Godfrey and Arlene switched to a new show starring Frank Fontaine and Patti Page with some very good dancers and sponsored by Scott. They played up their Cut-Rite wax paper and paper towels and Scotties but no mentions of the toilet tissue; Ann says they probably don't think that good advertising.

It turned quite cold Monday night. Western Maryland had temperatures down to 28° but we went no lower than 42°. Today it's raining but I'm sure we'll have nice weather again in October.

Andrew, you mentioned you'd like to get out of uniform as soon as you can when you get back and I've been thinking about fast ways of obtaining something decent to wear inexpensively and if we could run out as far as Sam the Tailor in Catonsville, I noted he is now carrying a full line of suits as well as slacks, coats and other men's wear. And knowing him, he'd put the cuffs on and make the alterations while you wait. In an hour I bet you could get pants and a coat, if necessary. And if either or both of you don't have company and intend to go on a shopping spree, I'd like to take off and see what they're offering these days. I'm down to one pair of shorts myself which I'm washing out at nights and those dacron socks I bought in the spring of '51 are still holding up pretty well. The rest of my wardrobe is good enough for another year, except for ties and there my last additions were what you two gave me last Christmas. So I'll provide transportation if things work out and I also know your credit is OK at Katz for when Ann talked with the fellow the last time he called to say he had received your remittance, Andrew, he said he was glad as you no doubt would want to use the account when you got out.

We've been learning a little more about the Barbours, the people who occupied the house before us. Jean Baldwin next door and Mommie lean on the fence or hang up clothes together. Mrs. Baldwin said one day this past spring she came over to what we occupy now to pick up laundry that was left while they were out and Mrs. Barbour was stretched on a couch smoking and reading while one of the smaller girls was dragging dump trucks full of dirt in front the outside and dumping the loads behind the pillow on an armchair with no correction from Mrs. B. Also, Mr. Barbour made all the clothes for the family in the garage and in the cellar and also sponsored a baseball team which met several times a week in the back yard or the Pasture across Long Green Valley Road. The kids were never supervised And one night in early summer, when Mr. Baldwin was on the verge of trying for his bar exam, at 2 a.m. in the morning the kids were whooping it up in the back yard. He asked them to quiet down a bit and Mrs. Barbour stuck her head out of the window and yelled, "Ignore him, he don't own the place". And just before they moved, referring to Mrs. Burton she said, "We're going, but I called the old bag up and gave her hell."

I heard the last two games of the World Series on the old radio here at the office and the papers around are giving Mickey Mantle the hero role. I mention this as I went down to Peterson's store last night for some bread and one of the farmers was addressing a small group and saying, "I was with the Bums and if it wasn't for that wop, Mickey Manuel, we'd have beat 'em."

Take it easy with the final moving. Mr. Pearson here at the office picked up a bag of Micalith at the mine and got himself a hernia which he has to have operated on in December.

Two weeks from today!

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Two weeks from todayis the deadline for John and Andrew to leave Korea!
Charles' employers own a mine that results in a product called micalith.
Abe is a longtime friend of Charles

Next Posting: October 10, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Frankie and Ava Have Split

Tuesday, October 7th,

Dear Andrew and John,

I'm late this week; had a busy day yesterday and could only get off the Times. We got a letter at home from you yesterday, John, and we hope the cold has cleared up. Wouldn't want anything to delay departing for either of you. Nothing has come to the office yet in the way of packages but I think six weeks is the minimum we can expect service. We had a little trouble with our mail but I think it has been corrected. When we didn't received our 'phone bill or Hochschild's by the end of September, I called and found they had been mailed out. Ann asked Mrs. Baldwin next door and she said oh yes a little girl down the road, the same one who had gotten in her deep freeze in the cellar, has been caught reading the mails in the neighborhood and then tearing up the evidence. We hope nothing of importance has gone that way. Hochschild's and the C & P are mailing out new bills today and the postman is now going to toot his horn when he puts mail in the box as it can't be seen from our part of the house.

We shopped again at the grocery Friday evening and had things cleaned up for some TV by 9:30. It's dark at 6:30 now but we're getting used to it. We saw some quiz program and then Ann and Arlene were almost asleep and gave up but I sat through an English mystery called "Tangled Evidence" with nobody I recognized. I worked on the car and played around with the kids Saturday as the weather stayed in the seventies. We didn't have a visitor or hear from anyone as usual. It wasn't until after supper however, that we looked in the paper and saw WBAL had taken off Show of Shows for a darn pro football game. We put the Stevie to bed and pajamaed Mike and Kathy when Arlene called down she had it so we went up and found Show of Shows coming from Washington and clearer than we used to get it at home. Following that, we switched hack to Baltimore and enjoyed Abroad with Two Yanks with Dennis O'Keefe and William Bendix. The hostess on Show of Shows, I forgot to say, was Wanda Hendrix. She has changed her hairdo or let her jaw dawn or something for where she used to have a heart shaped, face, it's now square: looks like Kathryn Grayson. Speaking of show people, I heard on the radio this morning that Frankie boy and Ava have split up--Ave giving him her wedding ring back, of all things. Sunday, Arlene and I get home from church at twenty minutes to twelve and the 'phone rang two minutes later, which I answered. It was Virgina asking if we'd be home Tuesday (today) and I said of course, so she said she'd be out this evening. She talked to Ann about two weeks ago and was supposed to drop by but came down with a bad cold. Kathy picked up the virus on Sunday that we've all had but wouldn't stay abed, just wanted to be held. It reached a peak yesterday when she tossed her breakfast but this morning woke bright and happy. Sunday afternoon we left Arlene at home with the World Series and took an hour's ride to Jarrettsville, which was new to me. It's only 8 miles and we circled back around the farms and home as Kathy was restless. It was another lovely day and nice and peaceful. We ate early and brought the little ones upstairs with us for TV. Red Skelton is on at 7 p.m. Sundays this year and on film. I don't think it's as good. He was followed by Jack Benny's monthly appearance and I had forgotten to look who was to be on the Colgate Comedy Hour. At 8 o'clock they flashed the station break announcement saying next in line was Colgate Comedy Hour. There was a 15 second pause and the announcer came in to say "We're waiting for the Colgate Comedy Hour from Hollywood". Still nothing, and here's where it got good. Again the announcer came in to say while they were waiting we'd have a film of something by Schubert. The music swelled up in the background but they must have pushed the wrong projector for on the screen came the regular motion picture makeup " The Thief of London" starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Valerie Hobson; that faded to "With" and pictured Alan Hale, nodding, and the rest of the cast; then fade-out and as the first scene came on everything went black for a moment, then there was the conductor leading the Schubert symphony. That was followed by another short and finally at 8:20 the announcer returned to say that we would watch Tanhauser for the next forty minutes as there had been a "disagreement" with the engineers in Hollywood and the Comedy Hour would not be seen and heard. We switched over to Ed Sullivan who was having an ASCAP show of all famous composers in person, playing their own melodies and it wasn't bad. Philco presented a pretty good one--Jeffrey Lynn in "Black Sheep". After that we turned it off.

Ann found a cleaner who seems to do good work. Anything sent on Wednesday is returned Saturday and pick-ups Saturday come back the following Wednesday. I believe he charges a dollar where I was paying 75¢ before but we can't be too particular when you're off the beaten track. You'll have to look forward to seeing the place next spring as you're missing a lot of the good scenery right now. The only thing around in the roar of flowers seems to be something out front which we're not sure whether it's a rose bush or a blackberry vine. In the back yard are three or four lilac bushes. Maybe we can add something that will bloom right away. We have searched the store room for your tulips and as I've said to Ann, I still believe the movers made off with a lot of stuff as I can still remember making the last trip to the truck and he slamed the door before I got there and said that's all. They may be at the bottom or some of the carton boxes and I hope so. In the last days at Bloomsbury with Mike and Kathy, and Jane, Edward, Susie, Tyson Ann and many others roaming the house, they broke the radio-record player combination and Mike's little record player as well. Some of these quiet evenings we've wanted to listen to the few records we managed to save. I shouldn't really say few because there are about 50 or so. In transit, our Nutcracker Suite and part of the Carmen Abe and I bought were broken but a lot of individual records are left. You mentioned in a letter a month or so ago that one of the boy's father had sent him a 45 r.p.m. I played one for the first time at Ann Clapsaddle's and I remember telling you I liked it but now they've added something new to that, what they call 45 extended play records. Each side of a regular size 45 plays about 8 minutes. At Parkville last month I noticed Read's was selling a big counter of popular 45's at four for a dollar so they must be overproducing.

I'm copying this last paragraph from a Prentice-Hall Accountant's Weekly Report which came yesterday and the case is listed as true:

A New Orleans lawyer sought an RFC loan for a client. He was told that the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to property offered as collateral. The title dated back to 1803 and a had to spend 3 months running it down.

After sending the information to RFC he got this reply: We received your letter today inclosing application for a loan for your client, supported by abstract of title. Let us compliment you on the able manner in which you prepared and presented the application. However, you have not cleared the title before the year 1803 and therefore before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary that the title be cleared back of that year."

Annoyed, the lawyer replied: "Your letter regarding titles in Case No. 189156 received. I note that you wish titles extended further back than I have presented them. I was unaware that any educated man in the world failed to know that Louisiana was purchased from France in 1803. The title to that land was acquired by France by right of conquest from Spain. The land came into possession of Spain by right of discovery made in 1492 by a sailor named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the then reigning monarch, Isabella. The good queen, being a pious woman and careful about titles, almost, I might say, as the RFC, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope upon the voyage before she sold her jewels to help Columbus. Now the Pope, as you know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, who, it is commonly accepted, made the world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that He also made that part of U. S. called Louisiana, and I hope to hell you are satisfied."

END OF LETTER

Next Posting: October 9, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

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 New Number and A Visit To Catonsville

Monday, September 15, 1952

Dear Andrew and John

From now on you can send mail to either place; the only thing I will say is that it is delivered one day sooner here to the office. The letter you wrote on the 10th, Andrew, holds the record so far. I'm enclosing the postmark to show it was mailed on the 11th and was delivered here at the office about 8:15 this morning, the 15th. I believe I told you we have a big fat mailbox out there on the Hydes Road side of the other house, that will hold six or seven full Sunday editions of the New, York Times and if something comes that is too large, the man brings it to the front door.

On the TV set, I think an aerial is a must in our location. The Baldwins next door have a contraption with a dozen arms on it waving atop the roof. I'm sorry in a way we didn't bring the set along but there were so many circumstances at the time. Everything we thought we would smash we took with us in our car and with the family it made quite a load. I understand from Geipe, however, that any time we can go out there, sign for and take away anything; that is stored or they will deliver free. Maybe the set would work on the third floor with the indoor aerial which we have with us to prevent the, boys in the warehouse from playing with it.

Our telephone number has been changed. It is now, FORK 3690. We're on the same line; just the last digit to 0 from 4. How come is that we were getting six or eight calls a day for a Mr. Flaccus, of Three Cousins Farm, a big horse place on the other corner of Long Green and Hydes Road. I looked in the Harford directory and sure enough he too was listed as Fork 3694 so I thought he no longer had the number and that it had been given to us when he was disconnected. But on Friday I happened to look in the Baltimore suburban section where we shall also be listed with the new book and there Flaccus was as Fork 2694. I called the C&P in Bel Air and they had made an error in the Harford book so they thought it best to give us the O. This now means that instead of two, short rings we now answer four short rings. You only hear the rings of two of the four parties on the line. But yesterday (Sunday) morning the 'phone gave two shorts and I thought maybe I should try it. It was for us - Frances Seisor wanted to know if we would be home. She and Albert came at 3:00 and stayed till 6:15.

Nobody else from Catonsville has come to visit us so we visited there on Saturday. The kids were down to rags for p.j.'s and underclothing so Ann came in as far as the bargain basements and the rest of us continued on to Bloomsbury Avenue. I dropped in at the bank (it was open Saturday as Friday was a holiday) and put in your latest check, John, and then Kathy and I went to see Abe while Mike, Arlene and Stevie met Jane and Edward in front of the school. Abe walked down to the Bellis' with us and after saying hello to everybody I went over to home and looked in the cellar windows. I was relieved to find no water but they haven't let the people in yet to clean up. Schatz called on Friday again and we made definite arrangements for the settlement tomorrow (Tuesday) down in the Fidelity Building at 1 p.m. I plan to stay home tomorrow morning and bring Ann and the kids in at noontime. Arlene will be at school. About Catonsville, they're digging up the whole schoolyard. They have bulldozers and tractors all over the place and someone said there were complaints of smells from the sewerage system. Someone else said they are planning a road from the other side of the school near the Amoco station across the field to Bishop's Lane. I don't know if it's permanent but they have a road there right now of gravel. They are also making preparations for the fence they always talked about. Arlene said she walked in the Bellis' back yard and Mr. B was up on a ladder as usual painting. She said hello and he gave back a casual "Hello, Lene" and then did a double take as he realized it wasn't just an hour before he had last spoken to her. Same thing with Mrs. B. They couldn't believe we had been away only two weeks and five days.

Ann still can't get adjusted to St. John's after St. Mark's. I went with her to 8 o'clock Mass yesterday and I think it's because they take everything so easy. You never saw so many big fats slumped over pews. Actually, the Masses aren't crowded--there's plenty of room. Yesterday was Holy Name Sunday but everyone sits just where he or she wishes. Kids, parents and several nuns are all mixed up over the church. The organ played and a couple of Mrs. Garveys entertained. At communion time the men crawled over each other and went to the altar rail first, then the others. As soon as Mass was over we got up to go and I was already out in the aisle when the fellow at the end of our bench started the Litany of the Holy Name. If I had known, I would have stayed. He gave out with three or four lines and no response. A dozen or so men had remained in their seats but none had player books. This fellow got up and turned around and yelled, "Come on, let's hear it, cancha?". Eight o'clock Mass began at 8:05 and was over at 9:15 but Arlene went to the 10 and they were out already at 10:50.

Friday night we shopped in Parkville, far the last time I hope. It was worse than, Towson the week before. It took us an hour and forty-five minutes to get out of the A & P and we had to walk three blocks to their parking lot. Our plan beginning next week is to try a place called Jacksonville, about 4 miles up the road where the prices are supposed to be pretty much in keeping with the big places.

We read in the papers that the temperature hit 97° in town on Saturday late in the afternoon but we were back at Hydes at 1:45 and thought it just pleasant. It went to 90° yesterday but we didn't notice it, so if the winters aren't as cold as the summers aren't hot, it will be all right with me.

You probably won't hear from me tomorrow but try to get something out on Wednesday about tomorrow's meeting and anything else I've forgotten from this hurried thing.


END OF LETTER


Next Posting: September 17, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

When It Rains, It Pours

Thursday, August 21.

Dear Andrew and John,

I'm not making any more rash statements, but by the time you get this we should have moved; if we haven't, we'll be without 'phone, water or gas and electric. Tuesday night this Corbett of Schatz came to the house with the contract of sale already signed by the Seickes. I was a little reluctant to sign but did so, but first changing the date of "on or before" settlement from September 24 to September 15, which means it has to be settled by then. I also questioned Mr. Corbett further and he said they had not yet approached the B & L Association but would do so on Wednesday; also that if it was not approved, then Schatz would take it up with their B & L and if that fell through, they would declare it no sale and return the cash to the buyers. Well, no sooner had I signed and gotten him on his way when the 'phone rang and Ann talked to Mrs. Herrig, who was happy to say her brother-in-law had OK'd giving them the cash and she wanted the house. She hung up and we were still looking at each other when Mrs. Murphy, another Schatz agent, called and said she had what looked like a definite sale as the people had to be located in Catonsville by September 1. So there you are; stewing over this thing for a month and then three possible sales in one hour. I'm trying to put some pressure on Schatz to hurry this one through or at least find out by the week-end if the loan is to he made to the Seickes so we can let Mrs. Herrig know right away. Her set up, I'm sure, would go through much faster, as is the case when you are dealing with a bank.

Virginia offered to take Ann and the kids for a ride out to the house on Friday and Ann accepted but I found out yesterday that Mrs. B. plans to be at the house all day Friday and wants us to try to meet her out there Saturday afternoon to see what Progress has been made as we have only been inside the house that one time. I dislike the idea of leaving the house on Bloomsbury empty for maybe a week and maybe more but Arlene has to be in school a week from next Tuesday and I guess we can't delay it any longer. As for transportation at the new place, until you pick up your Cadillac, we'll have to make friends fast. The Hyde railroad station is within walking distance down Hyde Road but the darn train makes only one trip north and one trip back to Baltisore each day. It hits Hyde in the morning about 8 a.m. and goes on up to York, Pa. Coming back that same day it stops at Hyde a little after five and gets to Baltimore about 6 p.m. There is a bus that goes from Baltimore to Jarrettsville a couple of times each day but as far as I can determine, it doesn't use any road nearby. But there's plenty of people out that way so they must use something. When we were at Aunt Alice's last Sunday we found out that St. John's may not have a high school but they have a senior social club. They advertised in the Baltimore Sun last Saturday that they were holding a carnival and chicken picnic Saturday and Sunday from morning till night.

Abe had to take his father to the hospital again yesterday. His blood pressure was way, way up and he couldn't speak. They had a night nurse on him and he seemed to be resting this morning, so Abe said.

I'm filling out a forwarding address card this morning for all of us and I see it is for two years so we won't have to worry. I'm also checking the block promising to guarantee postage on any parcel post or other literature in case anyone sends you or us anything.

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.
Abe Scop is a long time friend of Charles.

Next Posting: August 22, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner

Worrying About Houses

Wednesday, August 6, 1952

Dear Andrew and John,

We don't know if we'll be moving on August 18 or not now, but this time it's not the fault of our new landlords. We just haven't sold the house yet. We brought the price down another thousand and still no apparent bites so I've been on the 'phone the last two days to learn why. The reason is not that the people don't want it - they do, but though the Government has relaxed the restrictions on down payments for homes and only require about $800 down for a house such as ours, I found out yesterday that about six persons actually wanted the house but the banks and loan companies want about four thousand down and the balance paid off in ten years instead of twenty. And it's not just because our house is older that they're doing this. Even on new homes. There's a couple working on it right now that haven't given up yet; Mr. Scop knows them. They were up to see him yesterday trying to get him to back them. He offered some suggestions and told me last night when I dropped by from school (filled in for Mrs. Brown) that they will know definitely by Thursday--tomorrow. I'm going to wait till then and if nothing happens I'll ask Schatz what he thinks of Cimino. He probably won't tell me because he handles all of their real estate but Mrs. Bellis told Ann again yesterday that they are still waiting to hear from him and they are asking ten thousand. I don't know what to do but we have decided that we can't move out until the place is sold because the kids would wreck the place. Ann is so darn nervous she was sick all Monday night. But we're trusting that our prayers will, come through.

We've still got it easy compared to some. Ed and Marie are having a rough time. Marie was up to visit her Mother in Philadelphia all last week and now that she's back she's more dissatisfied than ever - she told Ann when she dropped by the house yesterday. She and Mrs. P. never talk to each other and she and Ed quarrel about moving every day. Ann is sure she's going to pack up and leave one of these days and maybe soon.

Mary Bellis and boy friend have notified their respective parents that they are going to get married next spring.

We were talking about your things last night and I'll see what we can manage to take with us. I'm sure you'll want to change into something as soon as you get home and the moth balls seem to be holding up very well. I'm happy to say the children have not gone into your room upstairs and I don't believe a drawer has been opened since you left.

END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
Charles' family is moving from Catonsville.
The Bellis' live next door. Ed and Marie are friends that live in the neighborhood.

Next Posting: August 8, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner