Lorenzo Swensen (1887-1955) and Beatrice Eloise Wride (1893-1979)

Incoming Correspondence, 1941

Paul to Folks, 1941 Dec 1

Bath, New York
December 1, 1941

 

LOCAL BOY TRAVELS TO THE EAST ON MISSION
Elder Paul Swensen, local missionary
leaves for New York on the Challanger
from Salt Lake on the 12th of Nov.

Dear Folks,

Hold on for here comes that letter <I mean Newspaper>. If you find a few duplications of previous letter just cancel it because I am going to give a comprehensive statement of my trip and work up to the present time.

We left Salt Lake at about 6:40 on the evening of Wednesday the 12th. Most of the relations of the city were there to see me leave. (they must all have been glad to get rid of me). We were very fortunate in having a car all to ourselves, which was very fine. There were thirteen of us. Three for the North Central, five for the Northern and five for the Eastern States. We had a very nice trip most of the way. We sang, told stories, talked, studied and just plain did nothing. I found sleeping on the train very easy, most of them didn’t however. I have decided that it is is a very decided advantage to have short legs so that they fit in between the seats. We lost three of the kids at Omaha where they left us for Minneapolis. We arrived in Chicago about 8:00 on Friday morning and after taking our bags over to the other station we spent the rest of the day in seeing the city. We first went out to the Field Museum for awhile. It was very interesting but rather tiring in walking all around those long halls. We then went overto the acquarium. That thrilled me very much. I was rather tired but it was fun anyway to see all of those fish. We then took a tour of the city. It was a private deal so we saw all the tours give plus a few specials. It cost a little but I thought that I might never get a better chance so I did it. We visited most of the big buildings. We went down into China Town and saw the Chinese City Hall (1,000,000 dollars). We went down into the Ghetto and got in a very nice traffic jam. That is the place where all the Jews have their shops right down on the side walk. You can buy anything you want from nuts to used underwear. We were in open top cabs so we could really see the city. We went up on top of the Civic Opera building, which is the oldest opera building in the world. They have a lighting exhibit ontop which is really marvelous. They have a model house (full size) with all the rooms and lighted according to the best known methods. You can really get a view from up there. We went to the Merchandise Mart building which is the largest building in the world, according to floor space. We watched them put on an N.B.C. broadcast. It was really fun. We went into Marshall Field and wandered all around. It is really some building. By the time we got on the train we were really ready to go to sleep. The coaches in the east are worse than the cattle cars in thewest. They are terrible. But as bad as they were we really got in some rest.

We arrived in Buffalo the next afternoon and we took a trip out to the falls. It was cold and rainy and slightly foggy so we didn’t like them very much. We enjoyed the walk over into Canada very much however so the trip was not entirely wasted. Buffalo isn’t a very desirable city to my way of looking at it. We had another hard night to New York and arrived there on Sunday morning at about 8:00. We were met by two of the Elders from the office. We took a ferry up the river a ways. It is really something and also a lot of fun. We were taken to a Hotel and told to get ready for Church. We went to Sunday School in the Manhatten Ward and enjoyed it very much. I looked up Maureen Cook’s brother (she is one of the girls that came up to the party wit Orin) He is a member of the bishopric. He is very nice and treated me very nice. We spent the afternoon in getting rested up and in seeing a little bit of the city. In the evening we went to church again. I was called on to open the meating. It was somewhat of a surprise but I was glad of the chance. I also sang with their choir for several numbers. It isn’t very much of a choir but it is muchbetter that the Montpelier first ward can boast of.

Monday morning we went out to the mission office. It is really in the swanky part of town. We had breakfast with Pres. Iverson. It was very fine. He is really a marvelous man and certainly makes one feel at home. We had a little meeting and talked about this and that. We then spent a few hours in seeing the city. We went to Rockefeller center and saw the town from the top. We visited Times Square. I was going to go Ice Skating at Madison Square Garden but they only wanted $1.30 cents for the tickets so I went home and took a bath. We went out to the office again in the afternoon. We were given our assignments and a few words of advice. As you know The L.M. (Lady missionary) and I were assigned to go to Canandaigua. We left on Tuesday Morning and had a very fine ride up the Hudson. We followed the river until we got to Albany. The river is really beautiful and the New York Central railroad has some fairly comfortable coaches. They don’t compare with the ones on the U.P. system. We arrived at about 8:00 and were met by the D.P. (district president), one of the L.M’s. and the branch president and his wife. After a cone and a visit we went home to bed. The room was fairly nice. It had two bedrooms, a bath and the use of the family kitchen. We got up on Wednesday morning and after breakfast we went tracting for a while. It was a lot of fun even if the D.P. wanted to do most of the talking.

The D.P. went down into Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. (he left Wed. night) My compannion arrived in the afternoon. His name is Elder Melvin S. Fish, and is very nice. We walked to the Hill Cumorah for dinner, as you probably know. After a very fine dinner we went to the Hill Cumorah farm for the night. The people are very nice and have some cute daughters. The next morning we had to walk back again. When we got back the D.P. informed us that we had to move camp down to bath. (that is a city and not an Order). We didn’t have any available means of transportation so we had to fix up an old car they had and try and coax it down here. After a lot of hard work and a lot of anxiety we finally arrived. We spentseveral hours in looking for some place to live but couldn’t find anything, we finally had to stay in a tourist home. We found one in the morning so we moved right in. It is a nice place, very close to town and right in the center ofth whole works. There is a bed room and a cot (for the D.P.), a living or study room, a bath room and a small kitchen. It has a gas stove but no over which I miss. We hav been doing our own cooking and haven’t gotten indigestion yet.

Sunday we did some more resting up and went to the Methodist Church for their song service. It was rather nice but when we introduced ourselves to the minister he actually seemed to be afraid of us. We invited ourselves to him house for a visit however. We called today but he wasn’thome so we will call again soon and have a friendly little chat. The rest of the week has gone so fast that I have completely lost track of it. We made a lot of fine contacts and have some very fine friends among the business men of the city. We have had fair luck in tracting but we haven’t baptized any-one let, nor will we for some time yet.

We went up to Palmyra Friday night for their Harvest Ball. It was another hard trip in the old jitney (it is a ‘28 Chrysler) I had the privelage? of driving it up there. It was a rather hard job to have to sit on the sidelines and just watch the rest of them dance. Even at that it was a lot of fun. We stayed at the ‘Hill’ again and drove back Saturday afternoon.

This Sunday we had to spend the morning in resting up and getting a little studying done. In the evening we went down to the Baptist Church and saw a movie. It was really corny but that is really part of the services around here. The minister is a strange man so we didn’t get to say very much to him. We are going to talk to him some day soon however, so the fun is yet to come.

Though this town is larger than home it is really hard to get anything. We can’t even buy dish towels, except little 2x4 pieces. We can’t get anything like we can in the west. Food is so expensive that we can hardly afford to eat. We are however eating the cheapest food we can find. Milk is 12 , butter is so high that we eat Oleo-. I t really isn’t so bad as it might be. Idaho potatoes are selling for 10 lbs. for 35 , and they are little even at that.

I don’t quite understand what you mean by the paper yousent. I haven’t seen any of them but if you would send one out occasionally I would appreciate it very much.

I would still like to have the Violin. We have all of our evenings of in which to practice and we might get the chance to play out in public. We have already gotten us a job with the scouts and have a good chance of getting to speak at the Rotary meating some week. It is a rather bulky article but we will be here for most of the winter (we think) and then we have the car to get us where we are going so I think the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages. Of course it is up to you but if you send it you might wrap it up in a dish towel or two.

There are so many things that I would like for Christmas that I would be satisfied with nothing. A shaver would be nice,a camera, a nice robe, a good scarf, etc. etc. etc. But they are all too expensive so a nice letter would be very fine. There are probably a half a thousand things I have ommitted but they will come out in the next edition. Give my love to all of the family andtell them that they might write once in awhile even if they don’t hear from me so often. After all there is only one of me but a big crowd of you so you don’t need towait till you hear from me to write. I am interestedin any news that you might give me about the old town so—

I have been meaning to mention for some time that I would appreciate it very much if you would pass out of few of my Ward scholarship blanks. I know I don’t deserve it on account of my laziness in the past, but I could certainly use about 3,000 in credit by the time I get home so if you find the time and the opportunity I would be very greatful if you could do that for me.

I’ll write to the kids one of these days and let them know what is going on. I want to thank Dorthea very much for her fine letter and I envy you very much for the chance you have of going skating. We haven’teven had any snow back here so it will likely be sometime before we get any skating, however they say that there is quite a bit of it. If you think it wise I would appreciate very much having my ski socks and my ski jacket and hat. Also my mittens if you can find them, they are probably under the bed in one of those boxes. If you think it too expensive don’t bother but I can use it.

I guess I really have run out now. I hope this has answered all and any of your questions as to what I have been doing for the past month. If it doesn’t just write the questions and I will be glad to answer them. I will continue to keep you posted and might expect the same from you once in a while.

Ye olde Newspaper Reporter

Paul