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[[underlined]] To Willie, May 20, 1925: [[/underlined]] I have a little joke on some of the men at the plant. Mount, one of the fellows up in Newman's design department, has just announced his engagement and is to be married in the fall. Of course, he gets considerable kidding, particularly from Newman, the boss, who is a great hand for kidding anyhow. Newman will say, "Well, I'll be mighty glad when fall comes because then Mount will be some good to the General Electric Company again. Now he's no good at all. He's been drawing one line for the last three days, etc., etc." And then, if I happen to be there, he will always say, "Craton, you aren't in love, are you?" To this I always reply strongly in the negative -- "Oh, no! My no!" for I have no desire to be kidded on that subject. But I always have to laugh within myself every time the subject comes up. ...... Did you see in the paper that a power boat beat the time of the "20th Century Limited" between New York and Albany by 20 minutes. Averaged almost 52 miles.

[[underlined]] To Willie, May 26, 1925: [[/underlined]] Dave (McClenegen) and I had a wonderful ride down the valley yesterday afternoon. At one place down beyond Little Falls, we stopped way up on the hillside where the whole valley lay out before us for miles and miles. It was a beautiful sight. The river wound its way down among the green fields. The steel ribbons of the railroad swept down through the fields and along the river banks in long graceful curves. The speeding trains were toys from where we were. At sunset time, we stopped on Tribe's Hill and looked back toward the west. The sky was nearly as beautiful as I have ever seen it -- the colors marvelous! We were so happy to be able to appreciate the beauty of it all.

[[underlined]] To Willie, June 6, 1925: [[/underlined]] It was lovely driving up last night. The moon was brilliantly white and lighted the country up as if it were day. It was beautiful along the river, with the moonlight sparkling like silver across the water. At one place near Little Falls, the road runs along the top of a very high hill where one can look almost directly down the valley. The river wound like a stream of molten silver down between the hills and the whole valley was spread out so clearly before us, or rather behind us. And what a glorious sunset there was! It promised faithfully all sorts of hot weather but nevertheless it was beautiful, turning the western sky a brilliant set of reds of every tint, and finally fading away into lavender, and then the bright darkness of a moonlight night. Several times we saw the long trains of Pullmans go flying down the steel highway, all brightly lighted early in the evening and later quite dark except for the reflected light of the furnace on the white stea as the fireman opened the doors. I said to myself, "In only three weeks from early tomorrow morning, Willie will be flying along over that same track and I shall be waiting in Albany -- only three more weeks! -- only three weeks!