tues. 5, 1940

Dear Pauline,

I thought for a moment that you had developed arm trouble when I didn’t hear from you for four days. Now I know what it is to wait when you’re hungry for news. Maybe you are giving me a taste of my own medicine. However, all is forgiven as you have written a long letter. After all, I shouldn’t complain when I look back in the past and see how selfish and inconsiderate I was. You ask if I was anxious to hear about the family - I paid a fellow some money to go to Soho and check your whereabouts and got no results. When I wrote the church for my birth certificate, I took a stab in the dark - I took it for granted that dad moved out of the state. I remember one time dad was interested in buying a farm in Warren, Ohio. Ask him. I’ve wanted to come home plenty of times but have been broke so often I kept postponing it. Don’t think it has always been a bed of roses for me. I never missed a meal, but baby, I sure postponed plenty. Tell me what happened from the time I left home at Watson St. Start from there. Was the family hit hard by the depression? I’ve been in and out of Detroit the past seven years. When the depression hit here the people were losing their homes, cars, and other possessions. You couldn’t buy, beg, or steal a job. You were lucky to get something to eat. I myself slept on a bench and used newspapers for blankets for two months. The only time I took my clothes off is when I had to take a bath and that was down in the Detroit River. There are thousands still on relief and that depression broke many a person’s heart and spirit. I used to drive a guy around in his car for two bits and was thankful to get it. One Thanksgiving Day, I woke up with a lone nickel in my pocket and I did not eat any supper the night before. Boy was I hungry! I walked around for a couple of hours and finally went into a pool room, in the rear there were several craps games going on. I bet my last nickel that the guy would pass, and I got lucky and won 50 cents. From there I went to a bookie and picked two horses to place. They both came in and I collected $2.50. Then I went out and ate, bought some cigarettes and paid for my flop in a flop house. I came back to the bookie and started to play again. When the last race was over, I had $53.00, so I rented a room. Then I went out to celebrate by ordering a turkey dinner with a side dish of duck. Yes, sir. Sis there were times when my belly had more wrinkles than a wash board. I lost 3 pounds last week. Must be the freaky weather we are having. A couple of the boys at the shop were taken sick with the flu and gripper lost a week’s work and about 10 pounds. One of them had a 103 temperature, and he broke out in fever rash. [They’re] both back on job but still looking peaked. I sent Mary a picture of my self. I hope it don’t disappoint you too much. I am sending back that picture you requested. Well I gotta hit the hay. I will be thinking of you all.

So – long

Your bro

Pete