Viewing page 417 of 421

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

ready to jump off the deep end and put in new trucks with 4 axle hung motors to clean up the complaints, a very costly proposition. So I put in my oar in and asked them why they couldn't make the side rods work – others could. I asked them if they had ever seen a booster on a tender truck. That brought the side rods right back into the picture and they studied boosters in the Locomotive Encyclopedia for an hour afterward. So I felt maybe I done my good deed for today.

Rog vastly improved tonight and gaining rapidly – gleaming eyes full of mischief, like himself. Babbie is growing so and is so pretty and young ladyfied – I can scarcely believe she's mine. The Colonel pulled out on schedule tonight, all pleading to no avail – he must get back on the job tomorrow! So he went – we seldom make him change his mind. He is set and determined and stubborn that way.

Erie, Pa.,
Wednesday, Dec. 27, '39.

St. L called this morning to say he had a note from Clark saying we got the 50 cal. machine gun mount and [[underlined]]very peculiarly[[/underlined]], we were the [[underlined]]only bidder[[/underlined]]! Blair & Clark both had said there would be 20 or 30 bidders! The only explanation was that some of the bids may have been lost in the X-mas mail rush. Well, anyhow, it appears we got it.

Whitey instructed me today to go to Sch'dy. with St. L. next week & accompany him & Captain Ewans to Washington instead of meeting them in Washington. I thought that was the correct procedure but wanted to get his slant. St.L. suggested I [[underlined]]meet[[/underlined]] them in Washington.