Transcription
July 5, 1939
Mrs Milton W Harrison
56 Highland Circle
Bronxville, N Y
Dearest Irene:
I dropped Milton a line the other day thanking him for his birthday letter, and before departing for the Northland this morning I want to thank you for your “Volume of Good Wishes From the Library of Birthday Joy,” and particularly for your personal annotations thereon.
You will never know how much your expressions of faith and confidence in me have done to help sustain me in the months of trying battle through which we have come. Bob Guinther says that in his opinion the Seiberling family is a most remarkable one - the way they all work and pull together for each other, devoid of jealousy and selfishness, when danger threatens and even most of the time when it doesn’t. Certainly that is true and I hope that as time goes on the years will only serve to strengthen the bonds that tie us together.
My birthday celebration this year was exactly the opposite of last, and in its way was even more enjoyable. As you will probably remember, Harriet staged a big surprise for me last year with over forty present to help celebrate my fortieth birthday. There was great excitement and great goings on. This year, having crossed the “great divide” and having begun the slow descent downward, Jimmy and Mary Margaret put on a grand 6:30 a.m. bed-room birthday party which kept me laughing from start to finish. Jimmy had to sing the “Happy Birthday” song about half a dozen times and was all for speed in opening up the presents so that he could play with the ribbons. The grand finale came when Mary turned on the radio at 7:30 and a local radio station, after ten minutes of commercial announcements advertising everything from furniture to the latest kind of sausage, read off my name along with many others and extended birthday greetings – and was Mary Margaret impressed! It was too cute for words.
I worked hard at the office all day and then had a nice finale with dinner, a birthday cake and candle wishes just with and from Harriet and Mary Margaret, Jimmy having gone to bed at six o’clock with his final birthday song of the day. Thus ended the forty-first birthday celebration.
We had a nice day yesterday—although it was terribly hot and humid—playing golf with Van Chittenden (Ann Starr’s husband), Joe Powell (Mamie Starr’s second husband and a dandy fellow - Princeton 1924), and Art Saalfield. After the golf game I came home, took a shower, dressed and
Mrs Milton W Harrison -2- July 5, 1939
had a light lunch, and then headed for a cocktail party at Eber Robinson’s, which preceded a steak roast at Bert Huber’s. We left Bert Huber’s about half past eight, returned home and picked up Mary Margaret and went over to the Country Club to watch the fireworks, which were very beautiful. For the last couple of years the Club has assessed the membership for a fireworks display, which is very sensible. It only costs each member $3.00 and they all have the pleasure of witnessing a $1000.00 display. This year was the loveliest ever, ending with a grand finale with the sky completely filled, it seemed, with sky rockets from 500 feet up to 1000, in all the various colors. After the fireworks display there was dancing but we came home immediately and it was lucky that we did, for we had hardly gotten in the house before it started to rain and it rained hard most of the rest of the night.
We are leaving in a couple of hours for Up North and even though the house is buzzing with excitement I hope to be able to get off a few final letters through the noble assistance of Miss Johnson.
I certainly am looking forward to this vacation as I feel very much in need of a good rest. Also it will give me a grand opportunity to really visit with Mother and Father, which I have not had an opportunity of doing for over six months. Mary Margaret of course, will have a grand time playing with her cousins and enjoying the thrill of Cedar Lodge and its environs. Because of Jimmy’s age and the fact that his ceaseless day-time activity would necessitate having someone trail him from early morn until late at night, Harriet felt that it was better that he stay behind this trip, so we are not taking him with us, as your card indicates you thought we were doing.
As I told you over the telephone, Milton is going to stand guard over the situation during July and do what he can to hasten the day when our financing can all be completed; then in case we do not wind things up in July, I will guard the fort in August so that he can enjoy a good rest too, free from any immediate worries. Depending upon developments, I expect to be back some time between the 15th and the 20th, and immediately upon my return will contact Milt in order to be brought up to date.
I certainly will be glad when our financing is finally concluded, your note at the bank cleaned up, and the whole program of constructive financial accomplishment achieved and definitely behind us. Then, relieved of any financial anxiety, we can set about doing a sound and constructive job of building the business into an impregnable position.
I must stop now, but want this letter to bring to you not only my very sincerest thanks for your thoughtfulness but also my love to you and yours.
Affectionately,
Pen
J P Seiberling
J
dbnrTranscriber
Cindi RokeLanguage
English
