Handwritten letter postmarked January 18, 1937

Sunday 9:30 PM

Dear Bet,
    Sunday night and all is well.  I hope you are over your illness.  You mother said she was afraid it might be appendicitis.  I have a pain in my stomach this evening but the CE had their business meeting and potluck dinner after church this morning and I think I ate too much.  It might be possible--not probable.
    Dad and I went to Sweet Home this afternoon and collected from Myrle McCready but failed to get any money from Johnson for his furnace and eave trough jobs.  Stopped at  Peter Whitakers but he was broke too.  I may always have something coming.
     Gee, I'll tell you a joke on me.  Last night I took my bath and came to bed soon after nine o'clock.  I planned to write a line to you.  I started to read your letter.  I think I finished it but at 2 o'clock I woke up with a start and the light was burning.  Please don't get the idea from this that your letters are uninteresting for I read them several times.
     Friday right after dinner I planned to go to Portland to take in a Banquet and Lead wiping contest.  Well, the Mt. States Salesman sold the Hospital girls a dishwasher but fortunately they let me off if I would get it in Saturday afternoon.  About three twenty Marvin and I finally left town.  We stopped at Orins and made arrangements for our beds and then on out to the banquet at Inverness Golf Club Grill Room out on 117th Ave and Sandy Blvd.  $1.50 a plate.  A very nice meal--roast pork, spuds & gravy, green peas, lettuce and tomatoe salad, pickles, olives and celery and coffee and pie.  After we had eaten awhile they emptied our glasses and filled them with beer.  We refused the first waitress and when the second one pestered us Marvin said let her fill our glasses and then maybe they will let us alone, which they did.  There was plenty of bottled liquor there, too.
    After everyone had eaten (I imagine there were about three hundred there) they took out most of the tables and gave us a floor show.  Oh yes before this  they introduced the main figures, inspector, etc. and a Mr. Fletcher told of some of his experiences in Africa and Ethiopia which were very interesting.  He killed a crocodile that weighed about two tons and the natives dressed it.  After they had it cut up one suggested that they look in its stomach which they did and found twenty pieces of women's jewelry so they threw the meat into the Congo because they did not want to have the spirits of the women in them.
   The floor show consisted of two no. by the 4 Portland Rose Buds (Dancing) two no. by a couple of dancers and a tumbling act by a trio of boys which was excellent, a trio from under the big tent put on an act in which they performed on a large Ball--juggling, skipping rope and even balancing the ball and rolling it up on a plank and down some steps.  The champion fiddler of the US gave us a couple of numbers.  After this they had the lead wiping contest three master Plumbers and three journeyman plumbers.
     Marvin and I took in the Oregonian Building.  Saw how pictures are made for the paper.  Got to bed about 3:30.  Had breakfast at six and then went to the Electrical foundry and saw a blast furnace in operation and saw them pour the molten iron.  All in all a very interesting trip.  Here's hoping you have the best of luck with your exams.
        Yours,
              Lee