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75 his wits with. That is what I crave. That is what I was looking for in the laboratory. That is why I thought the laboratory work would appeal to me. But the laboratory work apparently has so many disadvantages that it becomes less desirable. Dave says that the GE Company has given their Research Laboratory such a lot of publicity that most people have the idea that it is a place where a family of master minds "live and work together in a sort of a blue haze." And then he has tried to show me exactly what it is, and it doesn't seem as glorious as one would offhand think although a great deal of fine work is being done there. And so, as I say, the laboratory is taking more or less of a back seat now and I am considering the engineering department. With the laboratory eliminated, and shop management work also eliminated, the engineering department is the one field left and it is [[underline]] the [[/underline]] real field of the engineer, the field I always intended to enter while I was still in college. But to enter it in this company, the entrance must be made through the avenues of test -- and that [[underline]] may [[/underline]] mean a sacrifice of maybe six months for us. That is the one reason I considered this last of all. But it does seem the way out. I am thinking of the Railway Dept. and if I could get into that, it would mean a six months test at Erie, [[underline]] which is about 400 miles nearer Louisville than Schenectady! [[/underline]] That is merely an idea at present but it may materialize. We must [[underline]] trust [[/underline]], my dearest. This is a hard decision forme to make but I am faced with a very genuine reality of life -- the reality of knowing that I [[underline]] must [[/underline]] get started right. If we have faith and do our best to do right, I am sure God will show us the way and help us. I want to write more but it is nearly midnight. I am trying to do what is right. This is the worst problem I have ever had to face. [[underline]] To Mother, July 27, 1925: [[/underline]] I think I want to get into one of the engineering departments, preferably the Railway Engineering Department, which handles all the railway work -- railway motors, electric locomotives, equipment, and railway electrification. My reasons are these: 1) It is engineering work of the very finest kind, involving all the figuring and thinking I was looking for. 2) It is a field that undoubtedly has a tremendous future, as it is growing more and more important every day. 3) It offers one a chance to train along lines which can lead to other positions outside this company if necessary or inclination makes one want to change. 4) It is a branch of work that has always, as you know, appealed to me.