452 4/26/1942 Jim Erwin to Helen Carlson

Jim Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington Sunday, April 26, 1942

Helen Carlson Box 582 Newburyport, Massachusetts

Dear Helen, Pardon the pencil and writing but this letter is being written in bed. Congratulations on the new baby. Bet you are plenty proud of him. Glad both you and the baby are O.K. Thanks a lot for the candy you sent me. It was swell. Didn’t take long to eat it. You must have been surprised to know that I quit school. It sure seems good to be home again though. My job pays $6.40 a day and we expect to get a $1.00 a day raise starting April 1st so that will count up in a hurry. If we don’t get the dollar we’ll get 60 or 70 cents anyway. Not having our car seems awful but hope it will be fixed soon. Tonight a kid (Dale) and I borrowed Rog’s car and went out to the lake and danced. On the way home we ran out of gas. Hitch-hiked into Enumclaw (18 miles) and waited for Rog to get off work at the restaurant and we went back out in his other car and towed the 1st car home. Dale and I gave him a $1.00 so he said it was O.K. In September a lot of fellows are going back to school with me. We are all going to stay in the same house. Probably room somewhere and eat at the frat house. The C.I.O. is trying to get us kids at the mill to join the union. The fee is $6.50 but they said they would give us back $4.00 out of the $6.50 if we joined. Don’t know what the idea is but am not going to sign up until I have to. If I belonged to the union and got fired there would be a strike until I got my job back. If I did get fired there would be a reason for it so I would not want all those men to quit working anyway so I can’t see any reason for joining. I wouldn’t get any more money anyhow. You will have a lot of work now taking care of the baby. Bet you’ll be glad to get home again. If we can get gas, mother and I would like to take a trip in August to see you. It would be fun. Hope we can do it. Sorry I haven’t written to you before but will try and write again soon. Say hello to Papa Carlson for me. With love, Jim. My dear Helen, Jimmie has written you a nice letter so I’ll wait until tonight to write. I must hurry downtown to buy some meat for his lunch to take to work tonight. Radcliffs came last evening about 6. Wanted us to ride into Seattle with them. They were taking Peggy in. She is attending Business College. Said they would be coming right back. Instead they called on friends. I always mark up the lesson Sunday night so it was nearly 1 A.M. before I got to bed. No letters written and Papa says never again no matter how much they want us to go. Much love to you all, Mother.