Viewing page 4 of 99

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

4

And while we were in better shape than Lenore and Bill, we weren't without our problems and were considering moving in the spring unless we could get a reduction in the rent. However, on January 13th I persuaded George Baldwin to reduce our rent 10% for the following rental year.  While I don't mention it in my diary, I may have taken Bab with me to Mr. Baldwin's office on this occasion as he was practically defenseless when it came to children and it was well known that if you wanted to get something out of crusty old George, the chances were you'd be successful if you took your children along with you when bearding him in his den.  My diary notes also on that day, that things were looking a little brighter--the stock market had been climbing steadily for a week and there were no more cut rumors a the plant. And even the January weather was cheering, being 60° officially that day. Also, we were relieved to have Bab's palm about healed after she'd investigated the temperature of the waffle iron three days before despite numerous warnings to keep away from it.

On the 22nd, we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary by attending a bridge party at the Delahookes, from which I took home first prize. We marveled at the rapidity with which the five years had slipped by, so much so that it seemed well nigh impossible.  They had been full and very wonderful and we had Babbie, the greatest blessing of all. We hoped and prayed that "Little Bruv" would be as wonderful. The next day, Willie and Bab left for five weeks in Louisville and Mother, having already gone south to visit the Landrums, being absent, I was left by myself at home for the first time since we'd been married. I came home to a forlorn and desolate house that night after putting them on the Cincinnati sleeper, already satisfied I'd had enough of bachelorhood. The next day was Sunday, which I spent doing all the odd jobs Willie wanted taken care of, a very lonesome business indeed. The next evening, I had a poker party at the house in an effort to alleviate some of my loneliness, but somehow even the party didn't seem the same, knowing dear little Babbie wasn't upstairs and Willie wouldn't be coming in later.  The following night, I was off for New York for the AIEE Winter Meeting where Fred Brehob and I were scheduled to present our three-power locomotive paper a couple of days later.  Ans was I glad to get away from that lonely House!

Spent the next day on miscellaneous GE business at the office as well as getting D.P. Orcutt and Tracy of Electric Storage Battery and Bill Hamilton of New York Central lined up on discussion of our paper the next day, lunching with them at the Cornell Club, where I absorbed a lot of kidding about being a Syracuse man (Cornell and Syracuse being traditional rivals of great anti[[strikethrough]]c[[/strikethrough]]quity). In the evening, went to the Metropolitan and heard "Cavalleria Rusticana" with Jeritza and Lauri-Volpi followed by "L'Oracolo" with Bori, Tokatyan and Scotti, both very exciting and thoroughly satisfactory. Fred Brehob sang in the Shrine chorus and I think he enjoyed it too.