Page 36 - Adobe Photoshop PDF

pike – no Governor writes to a kid in the hospital!
Finally, I was released to go home to Laurine and Grant’s apart-
PHQW 7KH\ ZHUH YHU\ NLQG /DXULQH NQRZLQJ P\ ORYH RI ÀRZHUV DU-
ranged that she, Mother and I take a boat trip down the Delaware River
WR WKH 'X3RQW HVWDWH /RQJZRRG ,W ZDV D PDJLFDO SODFH 7KH ÀRZHUV
LQ WKH WDOO JUHHQKRXVHV ZHUH ORYHO\ )RU WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ P\ OLIH , VDZ
how the truly rich lived. Among other things, they grew fruit indoors
on trellises and vines like cantaloupe grew on trellises with nets to hold
the fruit. Laurine also took us to see the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where
scores of World War I destroyers were tied up and rusting. (These were
traded to the British for certain overseas bases in World War II). One
night Laurine invited an old friend from West High to visit the apart-
PHQW IRU GLQQHU +H ZDV DQ R൶FHU LQ WKH 0DULQHV VWDWLRQHG LQ 3KLOD-
delphia. His name was Bill McKeen. At Laurine’s request, he wore his
Marine dress uniform and I was impressed.
After my hand and my side were healed enough, Mother took
me to New York City. She had never been there and we went to all the
tourist sights. The Empire State Building was brand new at the time
and we went to the top. Mother arranged for a visit to the Roosevelt
campaign headquarters, where we met Jim Farley. He was a big, bald
Irish-American politician who cleverly managed the whole campaign.
+H ODWHU EHFDPH 3RVWPDVWHU *HQHUDO LQ WKH ¿UVW WZR WHUPV RI WKH 5RRV-
evelt administration. Mother took me to Yankee Stadium to see one of
P\ EDVHEDOO KHURHV %DEH 5XWK SOD\ :H VDW LQ WKH ULJKW ¿HOG EOHDFKHU
seats in order to be closer to “the Babe.” However, he didn’t hit a homer
WKDW GD\ :H DOVR ZHQW WR WKH WKHDWHU WR VHH D SOD\ P\ ¿UVW , ZDV GH-
lighted by these new experiences.
Later we went to Boston, (again by Greyhound Bus) and we
toured the usual sightseeing places – Bunker Hill, Lexington, Concord,
etc. We then took a train across upper New York State, which is beauti-
IXOO\ JUHHQ DQG KDV VOLP ³¿QJHU´ ODNHV :H ZHQW WR VHH 1LDJDUD )DOOV
We dressed in slickers to go down behind the falls in a rocky cave there.
We then took a train across Ontario to Chicago and then home.
It was great to be home with family again. After a few minutes,
*RUG DQG , ZHQW RXWVLGH DQG SOD\HG FDWFK ZLWK D EDOO )RU WKH ¿UVW WLPH

32