close

Cambridge, Wisconsin,
February 13, 1936.

My dear Beanie:

I haven't been to town this morning, and don't know if I can get out with the car or not, but I'm going to try it after dinner. We've been snowed in four times, and had to shovel out. Each time we shoveled out the snow, in filling in the cut we had made, got deeper, will the last time we had to shovel into banks over our head. If these cuts fill again, as seems probably, as there is snow flying in an east wind with a promise of more to-night and to-morrow, I imagine we'll just have to content ourselves as best we can till spring comes to liberate us. I got plenty of coal before the snows came, figuring I had enough to last till spring. But in that bitter cold weather we had to burn twice as much coal as usual, with the result that we soon got to the bottom of the bin. We got the road opened yesterday, and right away (we have no coal in Cambridge) I got to town and hired a man to haul me a load from London. I had to pay extra for the hauling, bit it was a relief to get the coal. I now have slightly over a ton. The radio yesterday said more snow coming, so in addition to getting in coal I got a stock of groceries and gas for the cooking stove; so we'll be all right for a few week. I can always walk to town for the little things, and the mail -- in fact I've walked to town many times in ten-below weather. Pretty cold, but we're getting used to it. Out in front of Saunders' house there are banks of snow that will take weeks to melt away in the spring. There are tons of snow there. Otto Swenson, to get to the road, had to shovel through a drift about two feet over his head. You just can't conceive how much snow there is unless you were to actually see it. There is one-way travel on the concrete. The road was closed to London, but the men worked tow days and got it open. The Cambridge fuel company sold it's last pound of coal day before yesterday. Harry Goodrich is out of coal and has had to cut down trees to keep from freezing. We gave them some coal, but when we began to run out, Harry started on his trees. He cut down another tree this morning. He has been promised some coal to-day (if the truck can get in and the expected car of coal arrives at London). A lot of families in Cambridge are out of fuel. It's a desperate situation, but we're all right now, so if Mother has been wondering about us, tell her all is well. If we had run out of fuel, and couldn't get more, we were planning to close up and walk into town to stay with people there, or at the hotel. But I had planned, as a last drastic step, to burn the trellis' we had in back. The snow in the yard has rocks, fountain and everything covered -- we can't even see the top of Mrs. Olson's fence. Well, that gives you an idea of what the snow is like, and how things are here. By burning plenty of coal, and keeping rather late hours to keep the fire going, we've been comfortably warm in event he coldest weather. To-day is rather mild and we're burning less coal. Your mother washed yesterday, the first time in about a month, though she has kept washing out little dabs now and then. She says she won't have to do another big wash for another month. Otto came up this morning on his skis -- he was wondering if we were all right. He comes up that way every few days. Mrs. Swenson hasn't been able to get out for weeks, nor Mrs. Goodrich. Pickle Faces got some coal yesterday. Tubby's grade tournament started yesterday, and the Cambridge boys won their first game. But we had only one game last night -- Lake Mills and Waterloo couldn't get there. I don't know if the tournament will continue to-day or not. Cambridge beat Cottage Grove last night. It was a close game, with C.G. ahead all the time till the last two minutes. I yelled so my throat is sore to-day. I sure like to see the boy win -- that is their eleventh (I think) straight victory. Yesterday afternoon Fort beat Edgerton and London beat Marshall. Tubby was guite upset because the other teams couldn't get there last night. When the games are over, plans are under way to get up a nice party for the victorious grades. The Cambridge kids had Monday and Tuesday off -- school started yesterday -- but there will be no school Friday -- teachers' convention. Country boys, but a mile or two from town, haven't been able to get in -- Al Kenseth was snowed in till yesterday, and even now the road is closed, the farmers are going into the field. Leroy Egry, living three miles from town, has to drive thirteen miles to get here. I sent your grandmother a new Todd book yesterday. We hope you are helping your grandmother take care of things down there, and that everything is all right.

Lovingly,
Leo