February 19, 1943

C. P. S. #59
Elton, Oregon
Feb. 19, 1943

Dear Harry,

Today is the 19th, I seem to remember something about you seeing Norma on the week-end of the 19th. Well, I hope you had a good time. I suppose that you found our again that “parting is such sweet sorrow”.

The score here is up to 99 now if I’m not mistaken. We just got 6 men in the last three days. One guy was from Des Moines, I havn’t talked to him much yet but I think that I’m going to like him. His name is John Aldon. The day before he arrived there were two letters addressed to him in the mailbox and the return address on them was Emily Newlin. He’s 30 years old and has some white-colar job in Des Moines. There must be something between him and Emily or she wouldn’t have written two letters to him before he got out here. I guess I’m just a gossip at heart. I tel myself that I’m really interested in people.

Old Tek wrote me a letter and I got it today. It had only been about a month since I wrote to him, that’s pretty good for him. I recon that you have seen him by now tho, but he said that he was waiting for his 101 questionnaire. That’s the one about what camp you’d like to go to. He said that he liked the sound of this camp and thought that he’d like to get into San Dimis and then his second choice would be this camp. I’d sure like to have him out here. I used to get a big bang out of talking to him.

This place seem sort of deserted now, 35 men went to a spike camp to plant trees till the season is over which I guess is about May first. So all that is left here are the men on camp overhead and Technical Service overhead and the new men and about three men that have been sick since they got here. Also there are about 8 drafters that are using some of the tables that I have been making. Did I tell you that we are making drafting tables in the shop now. Well, we are. The top of each on is 5 ft. by 43 in. Some fun. When we get them done there will be 6 drafting tables and one tracing table with a hunk of plate glass in it 2 ft. by 3 ft. The tracing table is all done and in use but the last 4 drafting tables aren’t finished yet.

Did I ever tell you about the church that I have been going to for the last two Sun. nights. The name of it is the Assembly of God. I guess it is of the penticostal variety. But that doesn’t bother me much. What I go for is to hear a couple of cute little girls sing and play guitar. These kids are about 16 and 14 so do not get excited. They sing the good old gospel songs and the swing them about right. The preacher is an old logger and can’t and don’t say much. They run their meetings about like a revival meeting which I guess is a habit of that church.

So you havn’t been going to church, tisk tisk. I think that I can see how you feel. I got out of the habit of going while at Coshocton and found that I got much more out of silent meditation but I can see where some people wouldn’t get a thing out of Meditation. In fact most of the men here in camp now don’t care for meditation at all and go to church in town very regularly. I find that I have to do some sort worship or I will go to seed. I’ve done a lot of thinking on Church since I’ve been in CPS and it seems to me that the church as failed, but we are stuck with it and till something better comes along we will have to be string along and do as much as we can. I think that one thing that we are apt to lose sight of is that by going and taking part in church we may help some one else so we shouldn’t think always of what we get out of a thing but judge it somewhat be what we can give to it. I guess I’ve let myself get to preaching to you again. Go ahead and do what you feel like, don’t let me influence you.

Yours,
Bernard