3/24/35

My Dear Ones:

Last night I started answering your dear letter dated 3/8. Since I forgot to take with me today yours and the letter I started, I shall answer it next week.

I was quite busy all week. As a result I did not do a lot of things.

Last Sunday evening I met a few more nice people, then we went to an excellent chicken dinner and then home. Monday night I was at Aunt Henny’s and we played Rummy for a change. Auntie’s nice friend, who had driven us to Michigan City, happened to drop in and since he lives in my neighborhood, I got a ride home in his car.

Tuesday I worked at Miss Cooper’s. I am afraid I have to give that up. It is too much for me to work from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm, with only twice one hour intermission.

Wednesday, I had dinner with Mrs. Sanders and then finished the skirt I was crocheting for Gwen. I tacked it to my floor and steamed it so it would have the right shape. It looks very nice and I am anxious to see next week how it looks on Gwen. The sweater I had to take home again since I made the sleeves too tight. Hopefully I will have it ready by next Wednesday.

RCA Radio

Thursday I had dinner with Saunders again. For $5 I bought their old radio for Leonard’s room. Naturally I went to his room right away and connected it. This is very easy here. You just plug the cord into a wall outlet. He was very pleased with it.

I worked all week at “Gages” but realized that I could not work there for long. Maybe if I had started there before the start of the season, somebody could have shown and explained some things to me.

Now that everyone was very busy they had no time for me. I learned some things differently. When I followed the sample exactly, they wanted some changes made which I did not understand. If something was 2 millimeters different the whole thing had to be ripped. That is no good for me. I cannot make any money that way. I think I would go nuts.

Gage Building

Anyways for the 2 days of the first week I got $6.40 while at the old job at Lipper I got only $6.21 for 3 days’ work. Well, to make my story short, on Friday morning I finished a hat I had started, took my belongings and explained to the manager that I was not good enough for them, and left. I did learn a lot while I was there and will get paid for it. I left there at 9:00 am and for the first time in eight months was without a job. But I just could not worry about it.

It was such a beautiful spring day that I would not let anything upset me.

First I went 2 floors higher, in the same building, to see Marie Bing. She was very sorry that she could not hire me. We just visited for ½ hour. Then I went to see 2 school friends of Leonard whose address I got last Sunday.

Friday is the worst day to go job hunting

Friday is the worst day to go job hunting. They want all to finish as much as possible. I did talk to 1 of his friends and the manager. They took my address; “Maybe next week.” Then I went several floors down to a place where I knew somebody too. “Maybe next week.” Then I went across the street where Budwig had opened again: “Maybe next week.” Then I went to another place where I had been a few months ago. “Maybe next week.”

So I went to Mss Cooper to get some more addresses. When I came to the first one it turned out to be the company I had been looking for all morning.

They wanted me to start immediately. But since it was 11:30am they told me to eat lunch and come back afterwards. So I worked there Friday 1:00 to 6:30 pm. They manufacture similar junk as at Lippers, but better than not having any work at all. I sure am lucky!

Friday night I was at Samuels again. I invited myself for Friday nights there for the future. It is always so nice and restful at their home. Of course I always do some sewing and fixing for them when I am there.

At 10:30, we all piled into 2 cars to drive downtown. A cousin and his wife were here for 1 week and we took them to the bus to go back to NY. Afterwards the 8 of us went for ice cream and I was driven home at midnight. You can believe that I really slept well that night.

And now comes the best. Yesterday I received a letter from the company of Leonard’s friends that I should start there Monday morning at 8:30 am. Of course I will be there, work 1 day and see which job I like better. How do you like that? Now I have to choose which I like better!

Click image for YouTube

Anyway I like changing jobs. At each place I learn more. No 2 work exactly alike and I sure have learned a lot.

Yesterday I was home all day. I really had laundry to do, darn socks, sewing and mending etc. At 7:00 pm I picked up Leonard at the office and after eating we went to see a movie. Wallace Beery and Adolph Menjou in “The Mighty Barnum” — very good.

On the way home we both caught colds. It was beautiful and warm all day. When we left the movie house it suddenly got very cold. The weather really changes often very fast. Sine it was raining and cold all day today we only went to eat together. Now we are sitting in his hotel lobby. Leonard fell asleep while reading the paper so I may write a few more letters. For today I send you millions of greetings and kisses.

Your Lucky Trudel

PS How are Hedwig and children? Please give her my best regards and good wishes for a speedy recovery. I may write to her yet tonight.

PPS regards to all friends especially Liss.

Chicago was a center for the wholesale milinery business in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Gage Bros., was one of he most successful. The story of the “Gage Group,” a set of buildings built for Gage and two other hat manfuacturers on Michigan Avenue is part of Chicago’s architectural history. See also this excerpt from Carson Pirie Scott: Louis Sullivan and the Chicago department store By Joseph Siry. Click forward for several pages on the Google Books site to put the story in context.

This group of buildings was just a bock away from the Garland and Pittsfiled Buildings on opposite corners of Washington and Wabash where Trudel looked for work in her previous letter.