February, 17, 1940
Ithaca, New York
Dear Folks,
Well I guess you must have been pretty well snowbound, as well as we were. It didn't do Farm and Home Week any good but the high school boys from around the state who were visiting here go a real kick out of being marooned for a couple days.
Mrs. Roosevelt and Governor Lehman drove in from Syracuse by car on the afternoon of the blizzard. She arrived after the Chamber of Commerce had announced that all roads leading from Ithaca were blocked, and it took her five hours to come the 60 miles from Syracuse.
I did a lot of shoveling here, but you must have had an awful job getting shoveled out, and I was sorry I couldn't have been there to help you. The trains haven't been able to make it up here from New York City for three days. I saw some pictures of cars in the Syracuse paper today that had been completely buried in the snow by 12 foot drifts, and the ones down here were pretty well buried too.
Did the snow plow get the road plowed out going up the hill? Having the whole road widened ought to have helped a lot. If you get any more real cold weather, you ought to leave the water running in the house overnight to avoid it freezing. The ditch by the silo may be down deep enough so that it let the pipe freeze there.
I hope that Katie didn't have too much trouble with her car. Everyone is hoping that the snow doesn't melt too fast, because if it does, downtown Ithaca will probably have to get out their row boats. I hope everyone is fine, and that things are running okay.
Lovingly, Hall
Gilbert Hall Flint was born August 14, 1918 and raised on Flint Hill Farm in Amenia, New York. His formal education began in a one-room schoolhouse in Smithfield. He graduated from Amenia High School in 1936 and from the Cornell University College of Agriculture in 1940. He taught high school agriculture from 1940 to 1944, served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946, taught high school agriculture from 1946 to 1963, and finished his career as a school principal from 1963 to 1975.
Gilbert Hall Flint passed away on December 16, 2009. The letters are published in his memory. To view the letters in chronological order, please click a timeline label from the side bar menu, scroll to the bottom, and read up.
Gilbert Hall Flint passed away on December 16, 2009. The letters are published in his memory. To view the letters in chronological order, please click a timeline label from the side bar menu, scroll to the bottom, and read up.
Showing posts with label Cornell 1940. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cornell 1940. Show all posts
Post #50: Night skating on Beebe Lake
Ithaca, New York
February 4, 1940
Dear Folks,
Well I'm all through with my finals and I have a couple of days before registration for the second term. I guess I made out fairly well and expect a little better than an 80 average for the term, which isn't too bad. Besides my finals I put in $10 worth of NYA time this last week, so with both activities I really kept stepping.
(Editor's note: NYA refers to National Youth Administration, a New Deal work study program for high school and college youth. A later notation by GHF on the letter states that NYA paid 25 cents per hour, so $10 represented 40 hours of work.)
I saw Professor King on Friday, and he told me that he's going to have a few boys who will have to go out on a farm this coming term, starting in February. I was thinking that it would be rather a good investment if I could get someone who had some experience to help out. By the time spring came around, when there was even more work, he ought to be fairly helpful, and it would be much less lonesome for Andy. I am going out in the county about five miles today to see a boy who has been working all last summer and last term on a farm near here, and find out if he would like to change.
I received nice letters from Catherine and Martha last week on the same day. Martha says she feels much better and is gaining some weight, which I am certainly glad to hear. I was thinking that perhaps Catherine and Andy would like to look into the advisability of making use of the Home Loan Association for a small loan sometime, perhaps something on a similar style that Katie and Pop have used. I think it might be quite practical in their case, and I am going to mention it to Catherine when I write.
Lat night I was skating on Beebe Lake for the first time in over two years, and I sure feel it today. However I hadn't forgotten how at all, and didn't fall down once. They have flood lights which made it just as bright as day. They have the toboggan slide all fixed up so that six people can go down it and the whole length of the lake. It's the first time I ever saw it in operation.
I am expecting a good mark in my Rural Education course. I have received nothing less than A+ in it the whole term. Catherine said that Aunt Dorothy wasn't feeling too good for a few days. I sincerely hope that she is fine now and that Aunt Julia had a very pleasant birthday, and that everyone else is fine.
This is about everything for now, so I will close, hoping that I hear from you soon.
Lovingly, Hall
February 4, 1940
Dear Folks,
Well I'm all through with my finals and I have a couple of days before registration for the second term. I guess I made out fairly well and expect a little better than an 80 average for the term, which isn't too bad. Besides my finals I put in $10 worth of NYA time this last week, so with both activities I really kept stepping.
(Editor's note: NYA refers to National Youth Administration, a New Deal work study program for high school and college youth. A later notation by GHF on the letter states that NYA paid 25 cents per hour, so $10 represented 40 hours of work.)
I saw Professor King on Friday, and he told me that he's going to have a few boys who will have to go out on a farm this coming term, starting in February. I was thinking that it would be rather a good investment if I could get someone who had some experience to help out. By the time spring came around, when there was even more work, he ought to be fairly helpful, and it would be much less lonesome for Andy. I am going out in the county about five miles today to see a boy who has been working all last summer and last term on a farm near here, and find out if he would like to change.
I received nice letters from Catherine and Martha last week on the same day. Martha says she feels much better and is gaining some weight, which I am certainly glad to hear. I was thinking that perhaps Catherine and Andy would like to look into the advisability of making use of the Home Loan Association for a small loan sometime, perhaps something on a similar style that Katie and Pop have used. I think it might be quite practical in their case, and I am going to mention it to Catherine when I write.
Lat night I was skating on Beebe Lake for the first time in over two years, and I sure feel it today. However I hadn't forgotten how at all, and didn't fall down once. They have flood lights which made it just as bright as day. They have the toboggan slide all fixed up so that six people can go down it and the whole length of the lake. It's the first time I ever saw it in operation.
I am expecting a good mark in my Rural Education course. I have received nothing less than A+ in it the whole term. Catherine said that Aunt Dorothy wasn't feeling too good for a few days. I sincerely hope that she is fine now and that Aunt Julia had a very pleasant birthday, and that everyone else is fine.
This is about everything for now, so I will close, hoping that I hear from you soon.
Lovingly, Hall
Post #49: Planning ahead
Ithaca, New York
Sunday afternoon, January 21, 1940
Dear Folks,
I enjoyed your nice long letter very much, but was sorry to hear that you have been having so much trouble with the cars. It certainly has been cold for the past week. It's been almost constantly below zero here, and together with the damp atmosphere and wind, it was pretty uncomfortable outside.
Tell Andy that I certainly sympathize with him when he has to be up in the paddock in this kind of weather. I've had plenty of work myself this last week, and have finals starting this week and next.
I finished up my practice teaching and gave the class their term exam on Thursday, and reviewed it with them on Friday. That winds up my teaching for awhile.
Katie asked what courses I'm taking next term. Over half of them are Education courses in Psychology, Principles of Education, and Methods of Teaching (an advanced course in which there will only be about 10 students.) I am also taking a course in Farm Electricity, and a course in Advanced Judging of Farm Animals, which I thought I would like to have. I will also have a course in Cooperative Marketing as applied to Farming Cooperatives, so I guess I will have plenty to do.
I got a nice letter from Martha this week.
I am still one of four out of ten who were interviewed and asked to send their credentials to Levonia (the town on the last one of the Finger Lakes where the teaching job is open.) Don't worry about my getting it because three have gone to Summer School and are better qualified for this particular job, but I think it's good experience.
How are Linda and Catherine and everyone? Remember me to them.
Lovingly, Hall
Sunday afternoon, January 21, 1940
Dear Folks,
I enjoyed your nice long letter very much, but was sorry to hear that you have been having so much trouble with the cars. It certainly has been cold for the past week. It's been almost constantly below zero here, and together with the damp atmosphere and wind, it was pretty uncomfortable outside.
Tell Andy that I certainly sympathize with him when he has to be up in the paddock in this kind of weather
I finished up my practice teaching and gave the class their term exam on Thursday, and reviewed it with them on Friday. That winds up my teaching for awhile.
Katie asked what courses I'm taking next term. Over half of them are Education courses in Psychology, Principles of Education, and Methods of Teaching (an advanced course in which there will only be about 10 students.) I am also taking a course in Farm Electricity, and a course in Advanced Judging of Farm Animals, which I thought I would like to have. I will also have a course in Cooperative Marketing as applied to Farming Cooperatives, so I guess I will have plenty to do.
I got a nice letter from Martha this week.
I am still one of four out of ten who were interviewed and asked to send their credentials to Levonia (the town on the last one of the Finger Lakes where the teaching job is open.) Don't worry about my getting it because three have gone to Summer School and are better qualified for this particular job, but I think it's good experience.
How are Linda and Catherine and everyone? Remember me to them.
Lovingly, Hall
Post #48: A near miss
Ithaca, New York
Saturday night, January 6, 1940
Dear Folks,
Well I've been back here almost a week now but the time passes so quickly that it certainly doesn't seem like it. This weather we are having is cold enough to freeze an Eskimo, and I bet it is pretty cold and windy there too. We don't have very much snow but what we have is pretty well drifted.
Herman got here OK on Wednesday and made all of his connections. I wondered whether he would. I got the box today. Thank you very much for doing everything up so nicely and for the apples.
Did Andy get Mandy's letter alright? Tell him that I hope he can manage to keep warm and that he should drink plenty of good-hot-milk-Postum in the morning. How much longer does Katie have for her vacation? I hope that she has entirely recovered from the trouble she had before I left.
I didn't tell you that the morning I took the train from Amenia I almost missed it because I was over in Philip's store keeping warm since the station was unheated. It was the first time I had ever been up that way to Chatham and the scenery was quite nice.
This is about all there is for now.
Lovingly, Hall
Saturday night, January 6, 1940
Dear Folks,
Well I've been back here almost a week now but the time passes so quickly that it certainly doesn't seem like it. This weather we are having is cold enough to freeze an Eskimo, and I bet it is pretty cold and windy there too. We don't have very much snow but what we have is pretty well drifted.
Herman got here OK on Wednesday and made all of his connections. I wondered whether he would. I got the box today. Thank you very much for doing everything up so nicely and for the apples.
Did Andy get Mandy's letter alright? Tell him that I hope he can manage to keep warm and that he should drink plenty of good-hot-milk-Postum in the morning. How much longer does Katie have for her vacation? I hope that she has entirely recovered from the trouble she had before I left.
I didn't tell you that the morning I took the train from Amenia I almost missed it because I was over in Philip's store keeping warm since the station was unheated. It was the first time I had ever been up that way to Chatham and the scenery was quite nice.
This is about all there is for now.
Lovingly, Hall
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