In November of 1936, Gordon will observe his 20th birthday.
His letter home begins with thanks for a birthday gift.
He also expresses appreciation for the gift
his two sisters have sent him.
"
They sent me a swell desk set for my birthday.
It is colored red and all the pieces are
made with a leather covering. The set consists
of an ink container, a nice little desk calendar
of the perpetual type,
and then there is a pad of blotters with a
leather covering, and a container for
pencils, etc., and a desk pad.
It's a swell set."
All of his letters, with the exception of one, have been
written with a fountain pen.
It is the year of a national election,
and he closes his letter with the following words:
“Well be sure and vote for the right man next Tuesday
so that the money will start flowing into everyone’s pocket.
I don’t know which is the right man
but perhaps you do.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt will receive 98.49% of the electoral vote;
it is the eighth year of the Great Depression.
Gordon was unable to make it home for Thanksgiving that year.
“Well we managed to get by Thanksgiving
without overeating or anything,
but I had all I wanted to eat and then some.
We went down to Jacobson’s boarding club for our dinner.
It cost 50 cents, but we had a swell meal.
Turkey, sweet potatoes, two pieces of pie and then
a lot of other stuff.
We all ate until we felt uncomfortable for a while,
but we wanted to be sure and get our money’s worth.”
December approaches, and with it,
hopes for a trip home for the Christmas holiday.
“The going home for Christmas spirit has gotten in the air
and we already have it all planned out how we will get home.
We’re going to rent my roommate’s car
and then take all the kids from Wheaton home with us.
We can get the car for $5 round trip. It’s an old car but it has a heater in it and runs well.
There will be about six of us, so including gas and oil
and the rent on the car,
we figure that we can get home and back here
to school again for two dollars a piece.
Of course if there happens to be a lot of snow by that time
so there is danger of our not being able to get through,
we’ll have to find some other way to get home.
Otherwise I think this is about the cheapest way possible.”
Sincerely, Gordon
* * *
It will be a memorable Christmas.
