Author’s note: The previous letter in August was the only correspondence to bridge the seven month span from June to January. After completing his third year at Purdue, John Fast refused to continue financing Cy’s education. He started work for Wells-Gardner and did not return to school in the fall. He would have been living with his parents near Chicago and would have been able to see Marty on a regular basis, so there was no correspondence.
Buddy and Marty have fallen for each other and have put their cards on the table. Those cards include the fact that Marty is separated from her husband, but not divorced. Buddy cannot support them by being a student and he wants to be out of debt and saving money. They can’t have a very public relationship because Marty is still married. Cy’s letters are vague as to the type of work he’s doing, but it involve some air travel, probably as a consultant. Of some note, in December 1938, Frank Sinatra made the scandal sheets by being arrested and charged with the seduction of a married woman under promise of marriage. I believe it was the very real fear of this sort of charge that was behind the secrecy referred to in Buddy’s letters and his concern of creating any paper-trail of their true relationship.
On the world stage, in October 1938, Germany occupied the Sudetenland, and in November came “Kristallnacht”, a nationwide attack on German Jews, their synagogues, and their businesses, resulting in at least 91 killed.
In late 1938, German scientists split the first uranium atom. Enrico Fermi, an Italian physicist fled Italy on January 9, 1939, and took a post at Columbia University. On January 25th, his team split the first uranium atom in the United States.
In January 1939, once feared and respected, Mob leader Al Capone was transferred from Alcatraz Island to the Federal Correctional Institution on Terminal Island, near Los Angeles, California, because of deteriorating health due to an advanced case of syphilis. (From Wikipedia).
On January 27, in an attempt to better the British Royal Navy, Hitler gives the approval for Plan Z. The plan was a five year project aimed at expanding the Nazi German navy fleet by 1944.
There are no specific details, but in later letters, Cy refers to the December 31, 1938 New Year’s Eve celebration as one where he got quite drunk and was very despondent about not being able to go home with Marty.
1/25/39 Original Correspondence (transcription follows)
1/25/39 Transcription:
Miami Beach, FL
Dear Baby Girl:
I can truly say “I wish you were here.”
The trip down here was not so good. We made about six stops and had rough air all the way. Further, Eastern Air Lines does not serve supper. I got a ham sandwich at Indianapolis. The damn meat was spoiled so it started to bounce on the second bite. I lost it in Louisville, Ky. I then padded my tummy with tomato juice which bounced in Jacksonville, Fla. After that I gave up.
After a bath and breakfast, I piled into bed and slept until noon. Then I had the local manager of Mr. Davis’ store drive me over to his house. It is a beaut, although the furnishings are in very poor taste. I found that about everything had been done wrong as I expected but managed to smile through it. I made faces at myself in the mirror for ten minutes after I got back to the hotel. I shall move in on Davis tomorrow as it is about an hours’ work to get over to the island from here.
Talked to Cheshires* and Ropkes in Louisville last night and to Jack** over in Baton Rouge tonight. If I get my glasses here in time, I shall probably stop off in Louisville and have my optics checked. Cheshires want me to spend the night.
This is truly a land of “ilk and money.” Palm trees adorn the gutters and everywhere are lazy natives, basking in the sunlight. In accordance with the Chamber of Commerce ruling, even the termites are courteous. They say “Good morning, I’m so sorry,” when they so much as nibble at one’s wooden leg.
I shall be healthy when I leave this place. I had fresh strawberries for breakfast. For supper, I ate in a rather novel establishment. When you first enter, you walk past a large table covered with sand. On it are crawling millions of salt water shrimp. A waitress immediately attaches itself to you. If you want shrimp cocktail, you point out the shrimps you desire. She grabs them. If you don’t want shrimp, it is alright, for the next table is covered with tomato plants bearing fruit, the next a pineapple tree, etc. After we passed the appetizer row, we started on the vegetables. The customer picks his own beans or corn or spinach or whatever he desires. I took spinach. By this time, I was having great fun. When we came to the meat dishes, I was stumped. I hated to do it, but I wanted Lamb Chop so there was no alternative. I point out one which looked good and they dragged it bleating to the slaughter. The drinks were handled in a like manner. In the milk stall were a number of cows. Some had blue ribbons around their necks, so I asked my buck-toothed waitress what difference the ribbons made. She said the one with the blue ribbons gave buttermilk.
No, honey, I haven’t had a thing to drink since Monday night.
When I realize what a fine time we could have together, I see how much the past months have meant to me. You appear to represent the satisfactory conclusion of many old dreams and the driving force of many new ones. You are more essential to my well-being than I have ever permitted anything or anyone else to be. The fact that I can’t reach out and touch you is depressing, but the realization that I shall see you soon again relieves the situation.
Well, my eyes hurt, so I shall go out and buy oranges or whatever tourists do on their evenings alone.
Love, Cy
*The Cheshires were the family that Cy’s sister Emma lived with in Louisville for some time, helping to care for their daughter.
**”Jack” refers to Cy’s sister Emma, who apparently was in Baton Rouge at this time.
1/31/39 Miami Beach, FL
Post Card to Marty (living in Wheaton, IL at this time)
Martha:
The girls are having a delicious time on our vacation we wish you were here. We haven’t time to even write postcards so you will have to be content with a verbal story the latter part of this week. Love from all, Grace*
*I believe this is Grace Duffy, a friend of Marty and Cy’s.
2/1/39 Miami Beach, FL
Post Card to Marty
Honey Child & Stuff:
Looks like vacation is about over. Will probably do all the things we haven’t yet done tomorrow. Will stop to see Cousin Sue in Louisville and spend Friday with an opthamologist (?). Fly out of Louisville in P.M. and arrive Friday evening about 10:45 at Municipal Airport if they have dug it out of snow by then. Temperature here about 70 degrees F. I miss you & Brother Rat John. Love from your Gracie