"Dearest:
If anyone, anywhere, was any busier than I've been today I'd like to see him. Our three month's estimate sure is a beauty. We require 53 operators on duty this month, 57 next, and 51 for July. How in the world to build a force to meet these requirements is more than I can see. It's specialized work and you can't bring anyone in for a month and let them go. It costs the company about seventy five dollars to train an operator, so you see, she has to work quite a while to be worth anything to us.
Oh, well, I've been threatening to let some poor ones go, so I guess that can be done. The proper adjustment of force is the biggest part of a traffic chief's job.
Forgive my talking shop but I can't seem to drop it at five o clock.
I had more fun last night. I went down about nine-thirty- just as it started to pour. Busy- I never saw anything like it. Lights standing all over board. So I put on a headset and went to work. I got an awful kick out of it. I could hear people say "why it's a man". I didn't ring any wrong numbers, either.
Saw Pola Negri in "Hotel Imperial". Very, very good. And the comedy was good. I don't usually stay for them but I'm fond of Harry Landon- aren't you?
I got a keen new notebook, thru the company. Mr. Bowlsby got it for me. We can get paper for it through his office so I wrote for some. His clerk called me and said they had 3 or 4 forms, and which did I want. I asked me to send some samples and they came today. Twenty two different kinds- you should see them. Cruve sheets, data sheets, ruled, plain, squared, perforated, pink, blue, green, flat, folded, indexed, address sheets- I feel like a travelling man. I got my sample all right.
One of the fellows from the commercial office was in C.R. over the weekend. I envied him.
Anyway, dear, our friends the Vincents have proved long engagements are possible. Add they've been engaged longer than I ever hope to be.
I got a nice little sermon from my daddy about saving money. He suggested I send some home each month jand let him bank it for me. But I'm having the company deduct some from my pay check to be put in a savings account. That way I never see it, so I don't miss it.
I fear me this has been a dull letter. But nothing ever happens in this town but work.
What are your plans for summer? I hope they include at least a weekend in Dubuque.
I wish sometime were going to be this summer. We'd have such a good time, darling.
I love you- always
Bob"