Post #18: Planes and trains

Ithaca, New York
Sunday afternoon, Fall 1937

Dear Folks,

I received Katie’s and Pop’s letter and was glad to hear that Andy is coming along nicely. This has been a very busy week for me with my Plant Pathology taking up about six hours a day besides my Coop work, farm practice tests, and other subjects. There has been an epidemic of colds and grippe going around the University and almost every other person has a cold.

Irving was sick in bed Thursday. Friday he had to leave for Rochester on a field trip at 7 in the morning and got back last night. He is playing on the 150 pound football team again this year. He and another kid bought a car for nine dollars this summer (you can imagine what it looks like), but it runs ok and that’s the main thing.

Last Sunday we went for a ride out to the farm where we worked this summer. It is about five miles up the west side of the lake on top of a hill, and it commands a magnificent view of the lake and surrounding country. He is a graduate of Cornell and quite an interesting person to talk to.

On the way up we stopped at the Ithaca airport and looked over about a dozen different types of planes and sat in one a while. A fellow wanted to give us some lessons but we decided we better wait. However, flying does appeal to me and I think I would like to learn some time, but I guess there’s no rush right now.

Today I heard a very good sermon by a man who is pastor of one of the large churches in New York City. This afternoon I had a contract to go with a gang of fellows from the Coop out to Cayuga Heights to pick apples, as we got them very cheap out there. After we got back, Irving and his friend and I went out to East Ithaca. We got the Engineer of the train which was resting over there to show us how it is operated, and he also gave us a short ride.

I got 96 on my first Animal Husbandry report in animal nutrition and I only wish I could keep it up - anyway I’ll try. Tomorrow I go on a small trip in my Rural Education lab out to a central High School in Groton to observe how a vocational agriculture class is carried on. I have to do some studying now so remember me to everybody.

Lovingly, Hall