DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick correspondence, March-October 1943

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Nile Kinnick correspondence, March-October 1943

1943-04-08: Page 03

Theodora: (Nile's cousin, Theodora Clarke) She married Gordon Bell
If I may ask, do you know well
The import of this magic spell
That promises, as I hear tell,
To mutate you from belle to Bell?
Most anyone with sense of smell,
Without a doubt, can surely tell
A packing 'plant' from an asphodel,
And Red Heart Brand from roast gazelle.
Oh, where is he, when sweet notes swell,
With ear so deaf he cannot tell
A mooing cow from a phllomel?
Ne'er the less, my demoiselle,
I confidently now foretell
Your Happiness as you toll this Bell;
And hasten now to long dispel
All clouds of doubt; where e'er you dwell,
In Wapello, or shady dell
Or If you abide in a citidel.
Now I haven't heard, yet, how Theo has responded to this bit of ribbing. I trust
that she doesn't regard her uncle as unmindful of the more delicate phases of
young romance. No offense was intended.
Enclosed are some clippings that may be of interest. You need not return any except
the two marked X. The one on the Red Cross drive may be of interest as I was active
on the speakers bureau.  In eight appearances I spoke before one group of laundry
workers (certainly the most uninspiring bunch of women I ever saw, and no disrespect
meant), Art Swanson's Cook Paint outfit, one shoe store, Isard's painters working
in the U.P. shops and another group of the same in the U.P. roundhouse at Council
Bluffs, the Motor Depot at Ak-Sar-Ben Field, Paxton-Mitchell machine shop (where they
are making ship parts for the navy) and the employes of Skinner Macaroni. Very
interesting and apparently helpful in most instances. The drive started off poorly
and the early response was small, especially where they had no speakers. After
the emphasis was made thru the speakers things picked up and the goal was made without much trouble.
The cookies that you received are partly due to the thoughtfullness of Reese Hastain.
The butter rationing was imposed without warning and caught us a trifle short. The
news appeared on the radio  one Sunday afternoon and, upon peeking in the icebox
mother discovered less then a half pound to last the ensuing week. She at once
dispatched George to find another pound. He was gone an hour and came back empty
handed. Reese had 16 lbs in his freezer locker and gave me a pound, which I took
with the understanding that cookies would go to the armed forces.
The Old Missouri is on the swell again, and they say this one will rival the flood
of 1881, when Carter Lake was cut off. We haven't been down to see, but it really
is something. The upper Missouri area had a rather heavy snow fall about a month
ago, and it all melted quickly with the coming of warm weather about ten days ago.
Therefore, most of that snowfall ran into the river at the same time. The crest will
not come for three or four days and already it is rather serious.
One of the men at this fieldmen's conference is named Reuben Swartzlender and he
used to be a restaurant man in Iowa City. Maybe you will remember him; middle aged,
medium height, heavy and almost bald. He has been a real estate salesman for the

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Theodora: (Nile's cousin, Theodora Clarke) She married Gordon Bell If I may ask, do you know well The import of this magic spell That promises, as I hear tell, To mutate you from belle to Bell? Most anyone with sense of smell, Without a doubt, can surely tell A packing 'plant' from an asphodel, And Red Heart Brand from roast gazelle. Oh, where is he, when sweet notes swell, With ear so deaf he cannot tell A mooing cow from a phllomel? Ne'er the less, my demoiselle, I confidently now foretell Your Happiness as you toll this Bell; And hasten now to long dispel All clouds of doubt; where e'er you dwell, In Wapello, or shady dell Or If you abide in a citidel. Now I haven't heard, yet, how Theo has responded to this bit of ribbing. I trust that she doesn't regard her uncle as unmindful of the more delicate phases of young romance. No offense was intended. Enclosed are some clippings that may be of interest. You need not return any except the two marked X. The one on the Red Cross drive may be of interest as I was active on the speakers bureau. In eight appearances I spoke before one group of laundry workers (certainly the most uninspiring bunch of women I ever saw, and no disrespect meant), Art Swanson's Cook Paint outfit, one shoe store, Isard's painters working in the U.P. shops and another group of the same in the U.P. roundhouse at Council Bluffs, the Motor Depot at Ak-Sar-Ben Field, Paxton-Mitchell machine shop (where they are making ship parts for the navy) and the employes of Skinner Macaroni. Very interesting and apparently helpful in most instances. The drive started off poorly and the early response was small, especially where they had no speakers. After the emphasis was made thru the speakers things picked up and the goal was made without much trouble. The cookies that you received are partly due to the thoughtfullness of Reese Hastain. The butter rationing was imposed without warning and caught us a trifle short. The news appeared on the radio one Sunday afternoon and, upon peeking in the icebox mother discovered less then a half pound to last the ensuing week. She at once dispatched George to find another pound. He was gone an hour and came back empty handed. Reese had 16 lbs in his freezer locker and gave me a pound, which I took with the understanding that cookies would go to the armed forces. The Old Missouri is on the swell again, and they say this one will rival the flood of 1881, when Carter Lake was cut off. We haven't been down to see, but it really is something. The upper Missouri area had a rather heavy snow fall about a month ago, and it all melted quickly with the coming of warm weather about ten days ago. Therefore, most of that snowfall ran into the river at the same time. The crest will not come for three or four days and already it is rather serious. One of the men at this fieldmen's conference is named Reuben Swartzlender and he used to be a restaurant man in Iowa City. Maybe you will remember him; middle aged, medium height, heavy and almost bald. He has been a real estate salesman for the