May 31, 1943

My present address
Gov’t Survey
Drain, Oregon
May 31, 1943

Dear family,

Well, here I am. The first night out in the wilderness on the surveying crew. They just started last Fri. and they left a place for me. I was glad to get it. The more I find out the better I like it.
We are located about 9 miles from Drain which is pretty good, close enough to get mail occasionally and to get back to Camp Elkton once in a while.
There are 3, 8 man crews that are out surveying now the other teams(?) are farther north away from Elkton than we are. I don’t know about the other crews’ foremen but the Gov’t man that we have is a peach so far. He is from the General Land Office and is an Engineer. His name is Gould.
We are allowed $1.35 per man per day for food. How does that sound. The boss likes good stuff he told the cook to bake pies and cakes and stuff so we are living high as rationing will let us.
We have 4 tents in the camp. The boss has one for his quarters and office and we have on to sleep in and one to keep our clothes in and loaf(?) and one to cook and eat in. They are 12’ X 14’ 4’ wall tents. We have some tin stove and they cook on one that has an oven attached.
They haven’t done anything except set up camp yet as it has been raining since Sat. night. Our camp is about 20 feet from the creek so when we want to brush our teeth or wash our feet we just run out the door. We drink out of it too.
Maybe you’d like to know about my getting in to camp. I got to Drain about 11:30 Sunday noon (?) and tried to hitch-hike to Elkton but it was raining and so I gave up. There were some high school boys hanging around the oil station admiring their cars and so I offered one of them a $1.00 to take me to Elkton and he took me up after considering his gas and time. So I got to camp in time to eat dinner. They don’t eat till 12:45. I doubt that they will count Sunday against me as furlough but I don’t know. The Asst. Director talked like they wouldn’t.
The Asst. Director went last Tuesday to start school for the China visit they are send(ing?) a few more I don’t know when he will go across.
Beside my ring I forgot my spectacle case and little pocket note book one of those that has refills, you know. You will probably find it in that little drawer of the dresser upstairs. The glass case I’d think is on the top of the refrigerator and the ring is hanging up on a nail by the water bucket. I’d kind of like to have the glass case out here so I wish send them back. We have such good rats that Mom doesn’t need to bother to send me any cookies. You will find a sugar stamp included. The cook back at camp said that they were doing both now and it seems that they get to keep our points while we are surveying so they will get along better with 24 extra man rations. So he got generous and gave me a stamp I hope you can use it.
I had plenty to eat on the train, had one sandwich left when I got here. Those cheese really filled me up. All I bought was 2 glasses of milk. 20¢. Not bad. I had some cookies left too.
I packed up my stuff this morning and stored most of it and got to camp here in time for dinner. This afternoon I went to Eugene to get my fingerprints taken. We are working directly for the federal Gov’t I guess.
Tell me, just how hard is it to read my writing? Had I better spruce up a bit?
Well I’m getting (I should say still) sleepy.
God has been very good to me.
Yours,
Bernard