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Portland, Ore.
Aug 1, 1937


Dear Elsie -

My Gosh! Here it is, the first of Aug. and Vernon still not working. Boy, but he certainly will have to snap into it and get some work if I'm going to send for you this month like I said I would, because how in the world am I going to send you the money for your fare and pay your board & room before you get work if he doesn't get work so that he can pay his own board and room. Just this last week I made $15.00 minus 15 cents for Social Security Funds and the board and room for Vernon and the baby and myself amounted to $15.50. So I received 65 cents less in wages than what I paid out for our board and room. When Vernon can pay his own expenses, then my board and room will only amount to $5.25. So then if I get steady work, I will have $12.57 left out of each week's check with which to pay for my gas and cigarettes and save the balance for your fare out here. When I say $12.57, I suppose you ask where I get those figures? Well here's my figures -

wages for week               $18.00
Subtract for Soc. Sec. F.       .18
                             ______
                              17.72
My Board & Room                5.25
                             ______
              Balance         12.57

I intend that when I send for you that I should wire you $50.00 for your expenses. So if Vernon was working beginning now, it would take me 5 weeks to save up that much because you know, $12.00 time 4 wks. is only 48.00. while $12.00 times 5 weeks is $60.00. Vernon and I have each got $3.00 coming from the Safeway Stores for working in their store, here in Multnomah, last Sun. which is a week ago today. We will receive that tomorrow morning.
    Well, this morning Uncle Vern and I took my car down to the Capitol Motor Co. shop, where Vern is employed as a mechanic, and put a new intake manifold on and also a manifold gasket which I blew out when I was coming through Reno Nevada on my trip out here. Boy, but my car sounds like a new one now.
    Well I promised you that I would tell you all about Portland Sunday. Well today is Sun. and so if I'm going to keep my promise, I'd better write you that which I promised you.
    First of all I'm going to tell you what Mrs. Armena Pittman wrote about this city in a little book which Vern has here. Here it is, word for word - "Portland, the largest city in Oregon, is one of the most beautiful cities in all America. Situated at the confluence of the beautiful Wilamette and the mighty Columbia Rivers, surrounded by timbered hills, with half a dozen mountain peaks in sight on clear days, the term "the city beautiful", so often overworked, truly applies in the case of Portland. The city is the center of and the gravitatiing point to some of the most inspiring scenery the North American continent affords. Nature has painted canvases more colorful, but none more perfect in blending, none more harmonious in composition. A wonderfully mild climate is hers. It is a land of temperate winds from the ocean, which serve to bring forth all the beauties of her forests, all the magnificence of her flowers. "Portland, the Rose City", is an application well deserved; the "summer capitol of the land of outdoors". Under the combined excellence of soil and climate, the most perfect blooms of this queen of all flowers are produced literally by the millions. Miles upon miles of rose hedges remain in bloom from May until November, and roses on the Christmas dinner table are not an unusual sight. Portland is a city of heights. From Council Crest, the highest point in the city, with an elevation of twelve hundred feet, and from several less eminent spots, may be had some of the most inspiring views in the world. From the crest the city spreads out like a huge canvas, affording magnificent view of the Columbia and Wilamette Rivers. From this eminence the eye may scan a region of three thousand square miles, and on especially clear days a much larger vista is obtainable. Off to the east is wonderful Mt. Hood, whose snow capped peak stands forth in an everchanging glory. Swinging around the horizon one may see Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Jefferson, and far to the north, on very clear days looms Mt. Rainier. Beyond the city are beautiful fields and forests. No other American city, it is said, offers such an inspiring view."     She certainly tells you all about the city in those words.

  1,892,770 people are served in Portland's natural trade territory.
  Portland is the largest lumber manufacturing city in the world.
  Portland's fire Dept. employs 521 men,
  in 36 station houses and 3 fire boats.
  Police Dept. employs 471 men.
  Portland's largest theatre seats 5,500 people.
  There are 62 theatres with a total seating
  capacity of 55,620 people.
  Population over 313,000.
  Area 66.86 square miles.
  The average temperature for the year 
  is about 53 degrees above.
  There are 56 parks with a total area of 2,292 acres.
  Portland has 207 miles of streetcar track.

    No, I never want to leave Portland, Darling; and neither will you once you get here.
    Uncle Vern took Vernon and I up on Council Crest about two weeks ago. I never saw such a beautiful sight before in all my life as I saw then.
    Next Sunday, a week from today, Uncle Vern and Aunt Lu are taking us to the seaside, as I told you a few days ago. It, of course, will be my first glimpse of the ocean. I will undoubtedly have a lot to write you when I return Sunday nite.
    Well Aunt Lu says that dinner is ready which you or I would call supper, so I shall close for today. Until you hear from me again tomorrow Goodbye my Love   From Irvin

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