DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick's correspondence with his family, January-June 1939

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Nile Kinnick's correspondence with his family, January-June 1939

1939-03-29: Page 01

March 29, 1939, Omaha, Nebraska
Dear S.B.
Upon examination of the record I find that my last letter to you was on
the 12th, and that since then you have written two splendid letters, on the 14th
and 22nd, and a card on the 27th. Your chiding on our lack of response is not without some justification and of course there is no real excuse. My only defense is
that I have allowed other pressing duties to crowd in ahead of the letter that I
have been intending to write.My work at the office has been especially heavy in
the past few weeks, requiring thatI put in more overtime than has been necessary
since the rush days of the loan committee in 1933 to '35.    Seven o'clock usually
finds me in the elevator enroute to the fifth floor, there to do my stint until
five-thirty or nearly six o'clock.    Business correspondence at home takes a good
share of most of my evenings, and so to bed and a quick cuddle in the arms of
Morpheus until the dawn breaks and duty calls again; inexorable as time itself.
Fortunately 1 am very fond of my work and find it interesting ant not irksome in
any degree.    Somewhat the schdule of a college boy,  I should say. Not so violent
but a full schedule I should say.The roof tops of downtown Omaha provide much
less interesting scenery than the college campus, and the appeal of the average
office damsel is perhaps less disconcerting than the co-ed nevertheless, each
day usually provides some diverging moment.    An anecdote or a verbal sparing match;
no raspberries lately as the present diversion appears to be the propagation of
hirsute adornments for the "Golden Spike" celebration late in April. There are
some very interesting animated mattresses to be seen in Omaha these days.
Your letter of the 14th struck a responsive chord in me, that has not yet
ceased to vibrate.    I refer to your expressed wish to have a part in trimming the
sails of this vast agricultural argosy of ours.    A most worthy ambition, and one
in which I am sure that you can some day find a congenial work worthy of your
finest effort. The field is practically unlimited no matter from which angle
it is approached; production, marketing,  processing or economic.    I believe that
the problems will continue to grow larger and more important as the country matures
and tends to become even more industrial.    History seems to indicate that the
agricultural interest are too often neglected until it is too late to repair the
damage. This country should be smater than that.    And I know of no group of people
that I would rather work with and for than the folks who occupy our middle western
farms.    There are lots of real people among them; men, women, boys and girls.    On
the front of the last Wallaces' Farmer were some pictures, and I am enclosing two
for your inspection.   A great deal has been accomplished in the last forty years
to add to the comfort and daily enjoyment of country living, but little if anything has been added to the economic security of agriculture. The AAA activities
of the past six years have done more,  in my opinion, to teach cooperative effort
in working out the general agricultural problems,  than all other efforts prior
to this period combined.    I believe that more farms are alert to the problems of
agriculture as they are related to world influences,  than ever before, and if
no other thig has been accomplished by this administration, the cost is well worth
it.
Your picture of the fanciful demesne merely composites the dream and
ambition that has never departed from the back of my mind.    Nothing could be
sweeter of realization to me than to just that. Not just the country squire with
few real problems, but a practical, operating, self sustaining unit.    One that
might serve to lead in the community.   What more could one ask for?   1 would not.
A strong nostalgic groundswell stimulates my imagination when I am making an excursion thru certain sections of our native state; and I know that the same
spark kindles afresh in the bosom of every man who has his roots in contact with
this middle western soil.    Paul Stewart, who you will remember is manager of the
Farm Service Division, is a native of Nebraska, but he fairly hurts to own and
occupy a well developed farm in north central Iowa, which looks like the Garden
of Eden to him.
For your own part, I should like to see you establish yourself in your
chosen profession or in a sound business institution, and then take a part either

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March 29, 1939, Omaha, Nebraska Dear S.B. Upon examination of the record I find that my last letter to you was on the 12th, and that since then you have written two splendid letters, on the 14th and 22nd, and a card on the 27th. Your chiding on our lack of response is not without some justification and of course there is no real excuse. My only defense is that I have allowed other pressing duties to crowd in ahead of the letter that I have been intending to write.My work at the office has been especially heavy in the past few weeks, requiring thatI put in more overtime than has been necessary since the rush days of the loan committee in 1933 to '35. Seven o'clock usually finds me in the elevator enroute to the fifth floor, there to do my stint until five-thirty or nearly six o'clock. Business correspondence at home takes a good share of most of my evenings, and so to bed and a quick cuddle in the arms of Morpheus until the dawn breaks and duty calls again; inexorable as time itself. Fortunately 1 am very fond of my work and find it interesting ant not irksome in any degree. Somewhat the schdule of a college boy, I should say. Not so violent but a full schedule I should say.The roof tops of downtown Omaha provide much less interesting scenery than the college campus, and the appeal of the average office damsel is perhaps less disconcerting than the co-ed nevertheless, each day usually provides some diverging moment. An anecdote or a verbal sparing match; no raspberries lately as the present diversion appears to be the propagation of hirsute adornments for the "Golden Spike" celebration late in April. There are some very interesting animated mattresses to be seen in Omaha these days. Your letter of the 14th struck a responsive chord in me, that has not yet ceased to vibrate. I refer to your expressed wish to have a part in trimming the sails of this vast agricultural argosy of ours. A most worthy ambition, and one in which I am sure that you can some day find a congenial work worthy of your finest effort. The field is practically unlimited no matter from which angle it is approached; production, marketing, processing or economic. I believe that the problems will continue to grow larger and more important as the country matures and tends to become even more industrial. History seems to indicate that the agricultural interest are too often neglected until it is too late to repair the damage. This country should be smater than that. And I know of no group of people that I would rather work with and for than the folks who occupy our middle western farms. There are lots of real people among them; men, women, boys and girls. On the front of the last Wallaces' Farmer were some pictures, and I am enclosing two for your inspection. A great deal has been accomplished in the last forty years to add to the comfort and daily enjoyment of country living, but little if anything has been added to the economic security of agriculture. The AAA activities of the past six years have done more, in my opinion, to teach cooperative effort in working out the general agricultural problems, than all other efforts prior to this period combined. I believe that more farms are alert to the problems of agriculture as they are related to world influences, than ever before, and if no other thig has been accomplished by this administration, the cost is well worth it. Your picture of the fanciful demesne merely composites the dream and ambition that has never departed from the back of my mind. Nothing could be sweeter of realization to me than to just that. Not just the country squire with few real problems, but a practical, operating, self sustaining unit. One that might serve to lead in the community. What more could one ask for? 1 would not. A strong nostalgic groundswell stimulates my imagination when I am making an excursion thru certain sections of our native state; and I know that the same spark kindles afresh in the bosom of every man who has his roots in contact with this middle western soil. Paul Stewart, who you will remember is manager of the Farm Service Division, is a native of Nebraska, but he fairly hurts to own and occupy a well developed farm in north central Iowa, which looks like the Garden of Eden to him. For your own part, I should like to see you establish yourself in your chosen profession or in a sound business institution, and then take a part either