Post #5: Football and tree climbing

Ithaca, New York
Sunday afternoon, October 1936

Dear Folks,

I will have to make this letter shorter than my former ones because of an overabundance of work which I have to do. Your letter was very interesting and also the clippings and Aunt Julia’s note and Cousin Ethel’s card. I worked for practically all my meals last week and as a result have gotten behind on my school work. I have a seven page report to write for botany before tomorrow, also a bacteriology prelim. tomorrow, a theme to write for English, 50 pages to read in Geology etc. so you can see why I am cutting my letter short.

It takes between 6 and 7 hours a day when I work for all my meals so you see it takes quite a slice off of my time. I have found a way to go home at Thanksgiving with a boy from Saugerties (right across the river from Rhinecliff). I will probably leave here Thanksgiving morning and get to Saugerties about 1 p.m. I will go across on the ferry and meet you on the other side. It is about 30 miles from Smithfield and only 165 miles from Saugerties to Ithaca the way they go. It consists of several short cuts but I will get acquainted with the road on the way out and back so that I will know it. (I will go back again with him also.)

Yesterday I decided that I was going to try and see part of the Cornell – Penn State game so I chimmied up a tree which stood fairly close to the stadium and saw the whole last half perfectly. It was a very nice day and since I had made up my mind to see part of one of the games I thought I would do it then. However I won’t waste my time on anymore this year.

Could you please send me $15 as soon as it is convenient as I am getting rather low. I haven’t heard from Martha yet but expect to soon. Will write her a short letter today and send on the one you sent me. I paid my room rent for the next 4 weeks Friday as it was due. It has been a perfectly lovely day and I took advantage of it by going for a short walk down in back of the fraternity house where I work. I got there ½ hour early this noon accidentally so thought I would do that. I walked down to about ¼ mile from the lake and had an excellent view in all directions.

I got the towels as well as the candy the time before. Remember me to Uncle Charles and tell him to stay out as much as possible during this nice weather. Tell Mr. Moody that I hope he is feeling much better. I am glad that you like Dr. Raeder. I think that he is an excellent product of modern dentistry. It is too bad that Aunt Dorothy is having trouble with her tooth but I hope it is better now. Am glad Papa got a chance to sell the straw. Hope Teddy is alright now. How are the chickens doing?

I take a bus occasionally but usually one has to wait about 15 or 20 minutes for one and it puts you in a hole if you are going to work. Yes Margaret writes to me every week. She went out to Oberlin Thursday to arrange her schedule etc. I have seen one movie since I have been here. Hope Aunt Julia is feeling alright now. I had to work 2-1/2 hours for lunch today but what a meal I had! 3 helping of everything including ice cream. They don’t fool me much. Will have to stop now, but will be expecting a letter soon.

Lovingly, Hall