Transcription
November 26, 1938
Dear Richard:
I was pleased to hear from you. About two weeks after you left I thought of writing to the Dunhams, Jane, and composed a letter, in my mind, but do not remember that I ever wrote it.
The weather was not very good during the next three weeks after you left but it was fine after that. Too fine; the woods became so dry that the state closed the park from the 17th to the 24 of October. Winter weather set in the 23rd of this month. We have about 4 inches of snow and this morning it was 8 degrees below zero.
We thank you for the pictures. When I look at the picture of myself on Weller Mountain I see why you did not think it was wise to ask my permission to take it. To be fair you will admit that if I am not little and cute I am at least chubby.
I water-proofed my tent with the gasoline which you gave me. It was not white but green. I think it was Tydol. If you go to a gasolene station and ask for white gasolene they may sell you something whether they have white gasolene or not.
I was pleased with the article which I am sending to you and think that you may like it.
I suppose that you have read about how the two young men got lost in the woods and have probably starved or frozen to death because they did not have a compass nor matches so that they could make a fire for warmth and signals. Carry matches, a good compass and in the late fall, an axe a little larger than a hatchet.
We left camp on the fifteenth of October and often during the following four weeks we wished that we were back on the pond.
It is fortunate that the family has a pastime like music that you can enjoy together.
We are already looking forward to being on the pond next summer. I hope that next year we will get there earlier than we did last spring. We shall look for you then.
After you left las fall I learned that the Superintendent of the Ray Brook State Hospital, Dr. Bray, and his first assistant, Dr. McConkey, had both read my booklet and said that I was right. I met Dr. McConkey and he told me that he was taught the rest-cure in the medical school. When he found that he had T.B. he went to bed and stayed there until he was very sick before he suspected that he was doing the wrong thing. He is now trying to get back by living out of doors during the summer but he is so sick that he is having a hard struggle getting back. If he is able to get into camp next spring I hope to be able to tell him some things about living out of doors that I have learned during the past eight years, that will be of some benefit to him.
Martha and I wish to be remembered to all the Dunhams. We look forward to seeing you next year.
Sincerely yours,
Fred Rice.
Fred RiceTranscriber
Banach, Emily
