April 14. 1946

April 14, 1946

1046 W 24th

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

It’s quiet and still this evening — so still that if you just sit and listen you can hear sounds from all over the neighborhood — dogs barking, people talking, cars going by far away etc etc. It’s been sort of cloudy most of the day and not very warm, like it was yesterday and in marked contrast to Friday and Thursday which were quite warm. They almost reminded me of summer.

As usual I didn’t get very much done over the weekend. Friday night I went over to Mr. Neiburg’s and helped him fill out the financial report (he’s the church treasurer) for the first 3 months of the year to be sent in to the Home Mission Board. we got that finished about 8:30 or so and then sat and talked till about ten o’clock. As I may have told you before he is a longshoreman and he was talking about the strike they think they will be going on. Right now an average longshoreman makes 50% more than a high school teacher here in Calif and Calif in general pays its teachers better than other states (at least before the war they did). But of course that is a very unjust situation for the longshoremen who must heave heavy boxes all day — much more important work than educating the future citizens of the U.S. Maybe that’s what the U.S. needs, more strong backs and weak minds — I really couldn’t say.

Yesterday I took Mrs. Johnson the pound of butter which I had not yet taken over there, having put it off on a couple of occasions. I also took over some Christian Heralds which she wanted to read.Mr. Johnson is about the same, but seemed to be in fairly good spirits while I was there. Mrs. Johnson told me that her daughter is going to have a baby in May sometime. She told me to greet you from here. I think she much have somebody that comes and stays with Mr. Johnson because she comesto church almost every Sunday.

Afterward I went downtown to get some money and buy some stuff — some manila folders at the stationery store and some lunch for next week. In the afternoon I went to the library for awhile and browsed around and took out a book on the “Continent of Mu.” This book advances the theory that the Pacific Ocean once consisted largely of a continent, called Mu; much as Atlantis is supposed to have existed in the Atlantic. It is a very interesting book and the theory accounts for a lot of anomalous facts and discoveries, but the writer doesn’t present his case too convincingly. He probably could have done a better job if he had written more coherently, altho who am I to criticize? Probably as more and more archaeological discoveries are made the theory will be either disproved or substantiated. Later I went to a show. The main feature was no good but the companion feature — a Dick Tracyadventure was funny, possible because it was so corny.

Today I haven’t done much. I went to church as usual this morning, had dinner down at Thrifty’s, came home loafed and read, listened to Fred Allen, and played on the piano awhile and took a nap.

Could you send me (now hold on the the table or chair or something) about 20 lbs of butter? The word has leaked out that I got some butter from home for Mrs. Eldridge and several other people have asked for some. If you think it’s too warm now to end it, say so and I’ll have an excue for saying it can’t be done. If you do decide to send it, you’d better make several packages out of it. If it’s too much bother just say so too and I’ll not ask you to put yourself out to send it.

With love

C.P.