DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick correspondence, June-August 1942

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Nile Kinnick correspondence, June-August 1942

1942-06-29: Page 02

already guessed, these blonde women of the evening dusk were matrons of
50 years or more, at least. My favor with women under 10 and over 50
has been unfailing. It then being about dark and making it impossible
to be discriminating, we walked a bit farther and then headed back for
the car. Incidentally, the college has a beautiful campus and fine
buildings. There was just time left to make a show which we did. Moontide
starring Ida Lupino and Jean Babin wasn't too good, but neither was it
real bad. As we came out of the theatre afterwards, I recognized Bob
Vernon, a tall, dark southern chap, who used to teach my geology lab.
class when I was a freshman at Iowa. We both shook hands with an
exclamation of what a small world it is and asked what the other was
doing down that way. It turns out that he is now assistant state
geologist, has acquired a wife, and, also, about twenty five pounds.
Back at out cabin camp we slept well and were glad we weren't in a
stuffy hotel.
At nine oclock the next morning we were under weigh again, taking
route 500 out of Tallahassee, till we hit number 19, following it to
Williston where it joined with route 41.  Turning south at this junction
we followed that highway into Tampa, then on 541 to Bradenton where we
again hit number 41, and so on down the western edge of the state thru
Sarasota, Punta Gorda, to Fort Myers where we stayed all night. It was
a long hot trip, almost dull. There didn't seem to be much to see, at
least not from the highway, and we had no time for side excursions.
At Punta Gorda we ran into the heaviest rain I have ever seen. We couldn't
see 15 yards ahead of us, necessitating that we creep along at about
25 miles an hour with our headlights on. It let up after about 15 minutes
although it continued to drizzle all the way into Fort Myers. Not being
able to locate a suitable looking tourist camp we were forced to put up
at an hotel. The Franklin Arms sounded high toned and even looked good
from the outside, but the five dollar room we got was as free of a breeze
as a cedar closet. We piled in rather shortly after eating, but might
as well have slept in a Turkish bath. I was wringing wet when I got up
the next morning. And oh yes, the head, you will want to hear about it.
It was a cubicle about four feet wide and six feet long, housing,
nonetheless, a shower, a wash bowl, and a toilet.  It was all very intimate
when we all started to shave, shower, and "read".  In fact the whole
layout must have been planned by a New Deal architect, the toilet paper
being situated high and directly back of the right shoulder which was
already in close contact with the exterior wall, an almost impossible
"get" even for an athlete. And so passed our sojourn at Fort Myers.
It was ten oclock before we got started on Sunday morning, Carlson
being a bit indisposed and refusing to get out of bed any earlier. While
waiting for him to get up I read with interest a Time magazine, and a
Readers Digest. From the former I have enlcosed an item which I read
with much pride and approbation, and from the latter I snipped an article
by Pegler which is more than a little pertinent. From Fort Myers we took
41 until we hit 94 which took us right into Miami--arrival about 12:30.
En route through the Everglades, which from what we saw is nothing but
many square miles of swamp land, we had our only unhappy incident of the
whole trip. For some cause I can't ascertain for sure, a large, jagged
hole was torn in the rubber of my right hind tire. When it occurred it
sounded like a blowout, but the inside casing was still intact, and the
inner tube still had its load of air. It didn't take us long to change
to the spare, and we were soon on the road again, I am hoping that I
shall be able to get the injured tire fixed up so that I can at least
use it for a spare. Arriving in Miami, we drove north a ways looking
over t he town, then turned east across the causeway into Miami Beach.
Starting south down the Beach we drove by block after block of fine
looking hotels all situated right down next to the ocean. Things not
being quite what they used to be down this way we decided to find out
if it would cost too much for us to stay at one of them. Pulling
up in front of the Caribbean Haugeback went in to inquire, and
came out with the news that three of us could get a room for five
dollars, plenty satisfactory to us.

Saving...

already guessed, these blonde women of the evening dusk were matrons of 50 years or more, at least. My favor with women under 10 and over 50 has been unfailing. It then being about dark and making it impossible to be discriminating, we walked a bit farther and then headed back for the car. Incidentally, the college has a beautiful campus and fine buildings. There was just time left to make a show which we did. Moontide starring Ida Lupino and Jean Babin wasn't too good, but neither was it real bad. As we came out of the theatre afterwards, I recognized Bob Vernon, a tall, dark southern chap, who used to teach my geology lab. class when I was a freshman at Iowa. We both shook hands with an exclamation of what a small world it is and asked what the other was doing down that way. It turns out that he is now assistant state geologist, has acquired a wife, and, also, about twenty five pounds. Back at out cabin camp we slept well and were glad we weren't in a stuffy hotel. At nine oclock the next morning we were under weigh again, taking route 500 out of Tallahassee, till we hit number 19, following it to Williston where it joined with route 41. Turning south at this junction we followed that highway into Tampa, then on 541 to Bradenton where we again hit number 41, and so on down the western edge of the state thru Sarasota, Punta Gorda, to Fort Myers where we stayed all night. It was a long hot trip, almost dull. There didn't seem to be much to see, at least not from the highway, and we had no time for side excursions. At Punta Gorda we ran into the heaviest rain I have ever seen. We couldn't see 15 yards ahead of us, necessitating that we creep along at about 25 miles an hour with our headlights on. It let up after about 15 minutes although it continued to drizzle all the way into Fort Myers. Not being able to locate a suitable looking tourist camp we were forced to put up at an hotel. The Franklin Arms sounded high toned and even looked good from the outside, but the five dollar room we got was as free of a breeze as a cedar closet. We piled in rather shortly after eating, but might as well have slept in a Turkish bath. I was wringing wet when I got up the next morning. And oh yes, the head, you will want to hear about it. It was a cubicle about four feet wide and six feet long, housing, nonetheless, a shower, a wash bowl, and a toilet. It was all very intimate when we all started to shave, shower, and "read". In fact the whole layout must have been planned by a New Deal architect, the toilet paper being situated high and directly back of the right shoulder which was already in close contact with the exterior wall, an almost impossible "get" even for an athlete. And so passed our sojourn at Fort Myers. It was ten oclock before we got started on Sunday morning, Carlson being a bit indisposed and refusing to get out of bed any earlier. While waiting for him to get up I read with interest a Time magazine, and a Readers Digest. From the former I have enlcosed an item which I read with much pride and approbation, and from the latter I snipped an article by Pegler which is more than a little pertinent. From Fort Myers we took 41 until we hit 94 which took us right into Miami--arrival about 12:30. En route through the Everglades, which from what we saw is nothing but many square miles of swamp land, we had our only unhappy incident of the whole trip. For some cause I can't ascertain for sure, a large, jagged hole was torn in the rubber of my right hind tire. When it occurred it sounded like a blowout, but the inside casing was still intact, and the inner tube still had its load of air. It didn't take us long to change to the spare, and we were soon on the road again, I am hoping that I shall be able to get the injured tire fixed up so that I can at least use it for a spare. Arriving in Miami, we drove north a ways looking over t he town, then turned east across the causeway into Miami Beach. Starting south down the Beach we drove by block after block of fine looking hotels all situated right down next to the ocean. Things not being quite what they used to be down this way we decided to find out if it would cost too much for us to stay at one of them. Pulling up in front of the Caribbean Haugeback went in to inquire, and came out with the news that three of us could get a room for five dollars, plenty satisfactory to us.