November 3, 1942

Nov 3, 1942

425 S. Cabrillo Ave

San Pedro, Calif.

Dear father, mother and the rest at home

It is getting along about time to go to work, 10:00 p.m., but I think I will start this letter anyway. I suppose you wonder why I am working graveyards this week instead of days. Well, I will tell you.

Last week one of the operators got sick so that Dwight has been given that job so that there are only two analysts working, George and I. This week I started working days, of course, but I thought being as there were only two analysts I would ask if I could work one shift steady all the time, that is, I wouldn’t change shift every week. So being as nobody likes to work graveyards and since I don’t mind it in the least, I thought that I would ask if I could work then all the time and it was decided that that would be all right. Therefore I will be working that shift all the time from now on.

Moreover, the operator who is sick, has been ordered off shift work by his doctor so this way he will work days all the time, George having taken the afternoon shift. I didn’t get much sleep Monday night as I went to work again at 12 after having gone off at 4, so that by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning I was pretty tired. However I slept pretty well today so I feel rested up. I went to L.L. after all since Rev. Wellington asked me to come but I felt a little bit like an Edna Nelson — that is, I’m not as young as I used to be. Most of them are in high school I would guess, more or less like they are in Gowrie.

I have written a letter to Eugene as you suggested and I will mail it tonite. Monday I got four pieces of mail, two letters from mother, dad’s letter and a postcard asking me to go to L.L. Today I got a letter from Howard. The letter containing Eugene’s letter, Clarice’s and Vivian;s had 3 cents due on it altho it didn’t feel to me as if it would have needed the additional postage.

Howard writes that teaching six classes a day keeps him busy. One weekend he had gone up to Cedar Falls to the Homecoming game. Another weekend he had gone out to collect scrap and he says he just about froze himself. He says that when it gets cold, he wishes that he were in California. Well, it gets warm here, at least in the days. Monday the temperature was about 81 or 82 along about 3 or 4 in the afternoon but today it has been cool and cloudy — getting ready for another rain I think. So far the rain here has not been accompanied by thunder and lightning. Perhaps it isn’t the custom around here. Howard also writes that his pupils are some bright but mostly dumb. One of them got 00 (whatever that represents) on a reading comprehension test.

I have started taking a daily paper. I wouldn’t have done it except a boy came around trying to get new subscribers and since he gave a nice sales talk for being such a little squirt I got soft-hearted or balmy-brained and said I would subscribe. I suppose it will be ok but I don’t suppose I’ll get much benefit from it.

I have still not developed any pictures from my set because I am waiting till I get up enough nerve to ask the landlady if I can do it in the bathroom. However, last Sunday afternoon I walked around and took some pictures which, as soon as they are developed, I will send home to you. I guess, being as some of them were taken at home, so that I can’t retake them, I’ll play safe and taken them downtown to have them developed. I wouldn’t trust myself too much on my first attempt at developing pictures.

Monday when I was paid I also got my bond, which I thought would be sent to you as was the otherN one. However, since it was not I will include it with this letter. I will also send some more money home. Incidentally every day when I go to eat at Thrifty’s Drug Store I go past the J.C. Penney Store and there is a brown suit in the window that is steadily lowering my sales resistance. Do you think I would be extravagant if I bought it? I don’t know why in the world I should want to buy another suit unless it can be that the California sun has touched my brain.

Today was election day here of course but I didn’t vote as I had neglected to register. I think that Earl Warren will oust the incumbent Democrat, Olson as governor. Warren has been conducting a very vigorous campaign I think but Olson has done very little that I have been able to see.

One unusual thing out here that does not come up very much in Iowa is the way in which various matters are brought to the vote of the people. I guess that the rights of referendum and initiative are more widely exercised out here than in Iowa. In this voting there are about 20 propositions that are being put to a popular vote. I think that this is a very good idea and that it should be more widely adopted and used.

Next day. I see that my sole election forecast came out as I said, Warren soundly trouncing Olson for governor. The Republicans gained one seat in the House of Representatives I think altho I am not certain. I looked at a newspaper rather hurriedly this morning while eating breakfast at the Shell Cafe. I had to hurry because I didn’t have too much time in which to catch the train.

My work is proceeding about as usual. At present, something new is being tried out in Plant IV. It has been found that under certain conditions, the same process used to making toluene by dehydrogenation of methyl cyclohexane can be used in the desulfurization of petroleum stocks. The sulfur comes out in the gas produced during the reaction as hydrogen sulfide. I think that this is a very significant development inasmuch as the present way of sulfur removal is by caustic treatment, which is both clumsy and expensive as compared with the treatment in the catalytic dehydrogenation unit.

I have run out of news so I will quit.

With love

Carl

P.S. Major development on the western industrial front: The P.E. railroad is now double-tracked all the way from Wilmington to San Pedro thereby eliminating a lot of delay occurring at the single track section.