[The photo on this post is of my dad (right) and his nephew, Stan Sanders. My dad has just visited the folks on the farm preliminary to induction into the army, and evidently Stan is traveling with him. Stan, who is 22, was crippled as a result of osteomyelitis as a youth and works in Portland. I think they are probably leaving as this photo was taken. Note how they are dressed.
The car belongs to my dad, I think, and he stops in Raymond long enough to sell it for $500 before going on to Portland where he boards a train bound for California. The details of all this aren't clear, but it was interesting that my dad carried chickens and other food from the farm to Uncle Frank Dickson (Ina's brother) and Aunt May in the Portland area. Daddy comments that they were glad to get the food.
This letter was written "aboard the Beaver," a train bound from Portland, OR, to Oakland, on Nov. 23, 1942. His ultimate destination is the Army Presidio at Monterey.]
Dear Folks,
. . . I got my reservation for a tourist sleeper and so am reclining behind drawn curtains and writing. Just came in from having dinner and I find the menu not too expensive. Paid a dollar for roast lamb, salad, and ice cream and cake.
This is a big train. In fact we have a few Pullmans from the Cascade train tacked on behind for some reason or other. I counted 8 coaches ahead of us as we rounded a bend in Portland and I'm not sure how many behind. We were at least a half hour late leaving Portland tho the train was made up there.
Stan and I had quite a pleasant trip to Portland tho it rained a lot in spots from Walla Walla in. We got to Walla Walla about 6:30, took baths and shaved and went out for food. Happened into the Copper Kettle and walked into a couple of acquaintances from Raymond, the Evanses. He is a carpenter and works for the same contractors Al is with. They asked us to meet them in the Shangri-La room of the Marcus Whitman after dinner and while we were eating they called up their niece to come down and join us. I had met Geraldine before in Raymond so we quaffed a couple sodas [Scotch and sodas?], and Geraldine regaled us with stories of her dates with servicemen and we laughed a great deal. . . Well, 'twas fun and we got to bed at midnight. I am really quite weary tonight and hope to get some sleep. Of course we are blacked out so there is no incentive to watch the windows. . . .
[Added the next morning:] I have just discovered that my ticket is to Frisco only, so I may stay over and go on to Monterey tomorrow morning. ["Oh-oh," says my mother's intuition.] I am sure I will still beat the Quincy crowd or be so close behind them it won't matter. Will end this now.
Love to all, Vance
Why are we to note how they are dressed? Is it because they are dressed fancy pantsy?
ReplyDeleteYes. Today we would put on our jeans and sweatshirts, but they are dressed in suits and ties. Of course, I'm guessing about the circumstances. Maybe there's a reason they dressed up. I gather the photos from my collection and fit them to the events in question. Fitting the pieces together is such fun.
ReplyDeleteI kinda think people dressed like that when they went "visiting". I remember Dad saying there were no jeans allowed when he went to high school--they were considered work clothes. People didn't have many clothes back then and they had good clothes and work clothes. If you wanted to show respect, you wore good clothes. Them's my thoughts and I'm stickin' with 'em. :-)
ReplyDeleteChris -- I think that's an astute observation -- showing respect through manner of dress. You and I were raised that way -- only less so. Mother did not wear her house dress to town and was especially careful of her attire when she went to the bank -- to make a deposit. We dressed up when we went to church to show respect for God. It was the same for weddings. We dressed up when we went to Spokane to shop -- perhaps in our next-best clothes -- because we wanted to command the respect of sales personnel and to be well-served. Those days are really gone. I remember saying to Hallie back in the '90s that I needed to change my clothes before we went to the shopping center, and she asked, "We look different than other people how?"
ReplyDeleteMy mom always dressed up to go to town, too, a dress or skirt and shirtwaist blouse. While I always wear makeup and usually put on earrings, my "uniform" for most things is jeans and a sweater for winter and crop pants and a blouse for warmer weather. Times sure have changed, but I must say I don't mind--I like to be comfortable.
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