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

Incoming Correspondence, 1941

Paul to Folks, [1941] Nov 23

Bath, New York
November 23,

Dear Folks.

I was going to wait until I heard from you before I wrote again but I have a whole day to do nothing in except study a little so I thought I should use a little time in writing to you.

You will probably be surprised to hear from me way down here but you couldn’t be any more surprised than I am to be here. We arrived in Canadaigua allright and were just about settled when we had our plans changed rather suddenly. The D.P. (district President) met us at the train. Wednesday morning we went out tracting for a little while. It was a lot of fun even if he wouldn’t let me get in very much in the line of comments. Thursday morning my compannion and I (He is Elder Fish and is rather nice) went over to the Joseph Smith farm for dinner. There was quite a crowd and the dinner was delicious. They had everything that makes a Thanksgiving dinner what it should be. It is really a nice feeling to know that someone thinks a little of you. Westayed at the farm at the foot of the Hill Cumorah for the night. The family that runs it are from Utah originally and are very fine people.

When wehad walked back to Canandaigua (we also walked over there, a total of about 10 miles.) we found that our plans had been changed. We were to pack up and go down to Bath (it is about 50 miles south) They had an old car which we had to get fixed and we had to pack up so we had a very exciting day. We arrived down here about eight and spent the next two hours trying to find someplace to sttle permanently. We didn’t find it so we stayed in a tourist home for the night. We found a place the next morning so we moved in. It is a rather nice place. Three rooms and a bath.. The woman is a Methodist but she said that she would introduce us to the right people, and in other ways she made us very welcome (she should for she is making money on the deal).

There have never been missionaries in this town before so we are going to have a decidely new experience. The town is not very large, about 5,000 but it seems a lot smaller that Montpelier. It has a railroad and also a very large Veterans Hospital and a sanatorium. As the name would indicate it has mineral springs around.

The district President is a rather strange fellow. He hasn’t gone to school past High School, and shows it He is rather large and is rather domineering when the occasion presents itself. He likes to do all of the talking and to have everyone do just as he wants. That is the wrong attitude but I am just stating facts. My companion is rather nice. He has three years at the University of Utah, and comer from Arizona. His major was Chemistry so we get along rather well. He is very well read and is not to sober but likes to smile once in a while.

Elder Fish has a violin and would be very interested in playing some duets, so if you think it wise I would appreciate having the violin back here. When just opening up a new town something like that might prove valuable as a means of getting contacts and also as a means of letting the people know that we are in town and that we can do someting besides get their women.

When I had to haul all of my baggage around I thought that I had a little bit but when I saw the stacke some of the others have I decided that I was rather lucky. Elder Fish has two large gladstones and a trunk that is larger than the one we have home. besides that he has his fiddle and his typewriter. While on the subject–each of us has a typewriter and they all are Royals. Mine is the oldest but I think it is the best, at any rate I can type faster with it than I can with either of theirs and one of them is a new one with magic margin. When we all get going there is really a racket.

We will probably be here for some time so you can send all letter and packages (I mean the fiddle) here to Bath. You might tell everyone that so that it will save a day in getting my mail. The address is

105 Gansevoort Street
Bath, New York

There are five of you andonly one of me so let me hear from you once in a while.

Love

Paul