Dancing In a Jar Read Free Page B

musty dorm rooms and feel the excitement of approaching the library before anyone else in the morning. You will love it all as I did. As I still do. Don says you are to stay well away from the young engineering students, ESPECIALLY the sophomores. This is rich advice from a once sophomore who pursued a once sweet freshman, but he says this all with genuine concern not recognizing himself in any fashion. And I must second his concern: freshman can be naïve, my darling sister, so please be extra cautious.
    Send me your reading list when you can. I am worried already about running out of books here. I don’t see a single one in Mrs. G’s house although they may be simply tucked away and I have yet to ask. I have also not visited a single other house since we arrived, as Don wants me to be careful about who I befriend until he settles things down with the men.
    It appears that no one has been paid for the last month or more and poor Don has come into this situation totally blindsided. He is having trouble reaching Mr. Siebert to get the situation settled. Apparently he is duck hunting in Ohio. I would like to be hunting Siebert in Ohio! I cannot say anything to Don, but I have always had my quiet dislike of that man. But I must support my husband (see it’s rolling off my tongue now). Say a little prayer that they can get paid soon. Mostly so I can get to another house and find new books.
    Sweet kisses to you right back, dear Ivah,
U
    TELEGRAPH
TO WALTER SIEBERT
SEPTEMBER 26 1933
    C/O FIERCE VALLEY LODGE
ORVILLE OHIO
    MEN DEMANDING PAY OWED SINCE AUGUST STOP
CANNOT PROCEED WITH PROJECT STOP PLEASE ADVISE
FULL STOP DA POYNTER
    St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
    September 27, 1933
    Dear Mr. Siebert,
    I hope your duck hunting was successful. I hear it’s been a good season in the Midwest.
    I had no response from my telegraph so I hope I have better luck reaching you by direct mail.
    We have a dire situation concerning compensating the men. I would like to take a team to continue working our lease on the Black Duck property. I can’t get a soul to agree until they’ve been paid for days worked already. They claim to not have been paid since the middle of July. As you are aware, Mr. Smith is not due back in St. Lawrence for a week or two so I am not fully informed on the situation. I am helpless to arbitrate and, despite my assurances that we will rectify this as soon as possible, to a man they refuse.
    If you could wire the funds to our account in St. John’s, I will take care of it from there.
    In the meantime, I have been attempting to modify the machinery you purchased in Cape Breton. As you know, it was used for coal mining so some adaptation is necessary for this hard rock drilling. It is somewhat rudimentary but I feel confident that it can help us get started.
    Otherwise, Urla and I are settling into our boarding house. Thank you for making those arrangements for us. It is very pleasant.
    Looking forward to hearing from you shortly.
    Best regards,
Don
    St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
    September 30, 1933
    Dear Mom and Pop,
    Hope this finds you both well. I was looking forward to some news from you when the coastal boat arrived yesterday, but I figure you must be busy shutting down the beach house and getting rid of pesky squirrels on Wayne Place.
    It has been two weeks since our arrival and there’s not much to report work wise. Looks like Siebert has fallen behind in wages and I’m having a devil of a time getting anyone to work. On top of that, he was sold a bill of goods by some fast talker in Nova Scotia and I’m stuck trying to salvage what I can from the rusty mess of machinery he has purchased. Siebert’s man on site, Mr. Smith—a German geologist known here as Doc Smith—is away visiting his family until next week, so I am in the dark. At least the typewriter I bought in Halifax is serving me well.
    Urla and I are settled into the boarding house. It is one of the loveliest houses in town. We couldn’t ask for better