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Nile Kinnick correspondence, September-November 1942
1942-11-20: Page 01
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Friday evening, Nov. 20, 1942 Dear SB: George is on the prowl, in the car, feeling quite mature I fancy. Said he was going to a show with Hardin, and it is agreed that gas rationing will curtail such tours, when public conveyances will be available beyond the normal endurance of shank's mare. Mother has retired to her downy, feeling abit droopy at this time of the moon, and I retire to my subterranian studio for some well deserved scrivening. Please note the new ribbon on the old machine. Your letter of last Monday reached us to-day, and the mail service seems sluggish for some reason. It appears so with you, I take it. Transportation of all kinds is rather important these days, and from the comment abroad in the press, the RR are doing a good job. Last Sunday night I rode the Rock Island over to Des Moines and found the east bound run almost deserted, until we reached Atlantic where it looked like a thousand getting aboard. Returning to Omaha the next evening the Rocket was jammed. Lots of soldiers returning from leave. I sat with a chap from Baltimore who was returning to the air base at Colorado Springs; a ground crew man. To go back and take it up chronologically; I did have a most pleasant visit with Earl Hall [Mason City]. After our meeting adjourned around 4 PM I walked about town and then stopped at the newspaper office. Met several of the lads around the office, which was about to fold for the day. EH asked me over for dinner, or to dine up town with him. I knew he had to spy out the land around the home front, as all good husbands should. So we went home, and had waffles and sausage. You have been there, and will know what I mean when I say that I haven't in a long time been in such a natural and friendly atmosphere as there was at the Halls. We chatted and visited and ate waffles for a long time, until Earl and Mrs. H. Had to go to a meeting up town. It was a real pleasure. And I liked meeting the young misses, too. Earl wanted to be remembered to Carl Pryor [FLB], and Carl welcomed the salutation with like warmth. Friday, after the last meeting at AIgona, I caught the bus about 2:30 and landed in Des Moines at 7:40 PM. Mother met me by arrangement and we went to a quick lunch at Bishops, being about the only place still open at that hour. Then to see the film at the Orpheum, "My Sister Eileen", which entertained us greatly. So to Adel and into the arms of Morpheus at grandma's. Saturday I had some work done on the family car, visited grandma's farm, and covered your car with a hand tailored heavy paper overcoat. Nice job, and Auntie Kate helped make the fit. Seems that I told you all about this, didnt I? This isn't the first time I have repeated myself in recent letters. If you find it a trifle boring, I'm sorry. Maybe I am mixing this with a recent letter to Ben. But hold on, and maybe there wi11 be fresh news in a minute, I did not make a copy of my last note to you. The excursion last Monday was an interesting one. Judge Powers, General Agent of the Omaha FCA is a member of the Iowa USDA War Board. He couldn't attend the meeting on Monday and asked me to substitute for him. The main purpose was to start the program for the production of 300,000 acres of hemp in 1943. Iowa is to grow 60,000 acres, all for the replacement of the hemp fiber that formerlly came from the East Indies, principally the Philippines. Five millions to build 15 mills in Iowa, each to handle the hemp straw from about 4,000 acres raised by some 400 farmers. It takes good com land to grow the crop, so the north central part of the state is selected
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Friday evening, Nov. 20, 1942 Dear SB: George is on the prowl, in the car, feeling quite mature I fancy. Said he was going to a show with Hardin, and it is agreed that gas rationing will curtail such tours, when public conveyances will be available beyond the normal endurance of shank's mare. Mother has retired to her downy, feeling abit droopy at this time of the moon, and I retire to my subterranian studio for some well deserved scrivening. Please note the new ribbon on the old machine. Your letter of last Monday reached us to-day, and the mail service seems sluggish for some reason. It appears so with you, I take it. Transportation of all kinds is rather important these days, and from the comment abroad in the press, the RR are doing a good job. Last Sunday night I rode the Rock Island over to Des Moines and found the east bound run almost deserted, until we reached Atlantic where it looked like a thousand getting aboard. Returning to Omaha the next evening the Rocket was jammed. Lots of soldiers returning from leave. I sat with a chap from Baltimore who was returning to the air base at Colorado Springs; a ground crew man. To go back and take it up chronologically; I did have a most pleasant visit with Earl Hall [Mason City]. After our meeting adjourned around 4 PM I walked about town and then stopped at the newspaper office. Met several of the lads around the office, which was about to fold for the day. EH asked me over for dinner, or to dine up town with him. I knew he had to spy out the land around the home front, as all good husbands should. So we went home, and had waffles and sausage. You have been there, and will know what I mean when I say that I haven't in a long time been in such a natural and friendly atmosphere as there was at the Halls. We chatted and visited and ate waffles for a long time, until Earl and Mrs. H. Had to go to a meeting up town. It was a real pleasure. And I liked meeting the young misses, too. Earl wanted to be remembered to Carl Pryor [FLB], and Carl welcomed the salutation with like warmth. Friday, after the last meeting at AIgona, I caught the bus about 2:30 and landed in Des Moines at 7:40 PM. Mother met me by arrangement and we went to a quick lunch at Bishops, being about the only place still open at that hour. Then to see the film at the Orpheum, "My Sister Eileen", which entertained us greatly. So to Adel and into the arms of Morpheus at grandma's. Saturday I had some work done on the family car, visited grandma's farm, and covered your car with a hand tailored heavy paper overcoat. Nice job, and Auntie Kate helped make the fit. Seems that I told you all about this, didnt I? This isn't the first time I have repeated myself in recent letters. If you find it a trifle boring, I'm sorry. Maybe I am mixing this with a recent letter to Ben. But hold on, and maybe there wi11 be fresh news in a minute, I did not make a copy of my last note to you. The excursion last Monday was an interesting one. Judge Powers, General Agent of the Omaha FCA is a member of the Iowa USDA War Board. He couldn't attend the meeting on Monday and asked me to substitute for him. The main purpose was to start the program for the production of 300,000 acres of hemp in 1943. Iowa is to grow 60,000 acres, all for the replacement of the hemp fiber that formerlly came from the East Indies, principally the Philippines. Five millions to build 15 mills in Iowa, each to handle the hemp straw from about 4,000 acres raised by some 400 farmers. It takes good com land to grow the crop, so the north central part of the state is selected
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