Viewing page 242 of 421

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Rudy. Wow! If I can steer a straight course through all this, it will be a wonder. I think I can and I feel confident if I work and give my best to it all, the future will be bright.

Jake is going to fly to Panama to negociate on the Panama Railroad job - a nice trip. Takes two days down from here by plane.

We finally lost the Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern conversion job to [[circled W]] on price - about $3400 to our $5000. That was a job I worked damned hard on but was afraid it was a losing game.

Erie, Pa.
Thursday, Aug.31,'39
A rather routine day at the office with considerable accomplished on my A.I.E.E. paper, which is teaching me a lot about braking if nothing else.

Situation in Europe very tense. Hitler has made a 16 point proposal which the Poles as well as Britain and France consider impossible.

Had Jim Williams and his wife, Blanche, over this evening to see some of our movies as he is trying to decide whether or not to buy a movie outfit to get a record of their 3 weeks old daughter from the start. Jim is a likeable kid. His wife is from Mississippi; he met her at Auburn College in Alabama, where he went too. Jim is young, enthusiastic, intelligent and I think he'll make a valuable addition to the San Francisco organization.

Erie, Pa.
Friday, Sept.1,'39.
THE WAR HAS STARTED! This morning at 5:20 European time, Germany struck at Poland! Warsaw and other cities already have been bombed!

Transcription Notes:
THE WAR HAS STARTED!