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33

Erie, Pa.,
Wednesday, November 2, 1927.

Plugged all day on my Cleveland Union Terminal proposition--plugged hard, very, very hard. Mr. Webb told me today there's no question about my staying in the office permanently, [[underlined]] glorious news! [[/underlined]] And tonight I bowled my best yet--122, 109 and 137, twice being second highest on our team due to the other being way off form, of course.

Precious Willie has had a sore throat for two days now and I wish she would get over it. She is indeed the sweetest thing on earth--I love her very, very much--I don't think I realize how very, very much I do love her.

[[underlined]] To Mother, November 2, 1927: [[/underlined]] At the office, my time is occupied every minute nowadays. The Spanish Northern proposition is now completed but we haven't much prospect of getting the order because the [[underlined]] selling price [[/underlined]] of most of our European competitors is less than our factory cost. However, the General Electric quality is so great that in spite of the high prices, we sometimes secure foreign orders as you know. I guess on the whole, the GE monogram stands for about the finest available in its competitive field. My biggest job right now is the Cleveland Union Terminal proposition for passenger locomotives and there is a prospect of securing this order although the C.U.T. don't seem to be quite sure yet what they want or when they want it. These locomotives are to be designed for a maximum speed of 80 mph to meet the demands of the New York Central's passenger schedules over the new electrified zone. And then my Chicago, North Shore locomotives are being built now so they are a source of demands for attention every day, this and that coming up to be straightened out. Then I also am handling the Hershey Cuban and Bethlehem Chile locomotives now going through the factory. They are both duplicate equipments however, so require little attention. Nevertheless, I'm certainly kept busy.


Erie, Pa.,
Thursday, November 3, 1927.

Willie is much better today for which I am very, very grateful. Tonight as we left the plant and headed westward toward the city, the sun was setting. And the westward sky was just a great flaming vision ofcolor--jade green, purple and gold running in great broad bands across the sky, the colors as vivid as the colors of life itself. And in the distance, the buildings and chimneys of the city were silhouetted in a hazy soft-blue against that background of sky. A feeling of joy went through me, a great gladness, a wonderful warmth to be witness of such beauty, to be priveleged to live in such a world. I wanted most of all to express it someway. A great book! A great story of life! Something truer, more beautiful, than has ever been known before. That I want to do. Will I ever, I wonder?