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3              LETTER EXCERPTS
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[[underline]] To Mother, July 13, 1924 [[/underline]]: As to Roger (Casler): They are having an interesting line of work at the Air Brake Co. (WABCO). They are a little highbrow and don't work out in the factory with the rest of the men but study and write answers to questions pertaining to the work. They spend their afternoons going through the plant hunting up "elusive steps in production." I thought Rog sounded a little homesick although he's there with Rowley and "Hammer" Howe. Still, he's a good, long way from home at that and feels more isolated than I. He says, "I imagine I will soon envy your proximity to our home, for we really live in the same place when you are hundreds of miles from either, and they are only twenty miles apart. ...... (Re 8 Union St.) The roomers are not of the college class -- most of them work at the plant if the alarm clocks I hear go off all over the house at 6 a.m. are any indication. However, I fell into a good part of town. Right next door lives the sister of the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad , so Mrs. Schenck tells me. Across the street is the Historical Society, and next to that, on the corner, the Mohawk Club, the most exclusive one in town, I guess. This is the oldest part of the city and is the section which was entirely burned by the Indians during the massacre of 1690. I also have found out about the name of this town -- Schan-naugh-ta-da -- meaning "over the pine plains." It is a very historic old city-- I shall get a book on it at the library when I get time. ......

[[underline]] To Mother, July 16, 1924 [[/underline]]: Had my breakfast at the GE cafeteria this morning, and took a lunch composed of three huge sandwiches and a big piece of apple pie to Bldg. 105 to eat at noon. The lunch cost me 20¢. It is a cheap place to eat -- dinner is 25¢ -- soup, roast beef, mashed potatoes, coffee or milk, and pie or pudding. They feed about 7,000 people in a half-hour so everything is down to a science. You are obliged to place your tray on a moving belt that travels at a good, fast walking speed, and you have to make your mind up mighty quick as to what you want. There are [[underline]] no [[/underline]] waits. ...... Yesterday and today I ate all three of my meals at the cafeteria, having breakfast and supper with some of the other fellows. I might as well eat there -- they serve fine food, there is a good variety, and talk about cheap! -- the stuff is sold at cost. Don't be alarmed when I tell you that my bills for all three meals today amounted to a sum total of 77¢ -- and I had more than I could eat. Had a sandwich left over to eat during the afternoon. I drink milk twice a day and never touch coffee.

[[underline]] To Willie, July 16, 1924: [[/underline]] This letter will, I hope, partially repay my debt of gratitude for those four letters written to me from Star Island at a time when letters saved the day for me. ...... I never knew before just what it was to be out in the world facing its realities alone -- with no September and school to look forward to, but just the old fight to make good. And so I've done lots of philosophizing to myself and in my diary these