April 9, 1944
Dear Dad,
One of the chemists at the laboratory reminded the rest of us that last Tuesday was 4/4/44, and that such a repetition of numbers would not come again for over eleven years. Of course he was feeling rather different anyway since he had just become a father for the first time. He said it in a tone of voice that sounded as if he were worrying about waiting eleven years before he could see 5/5/55.
I worked 44 hours last week, and I now know the "ropes" fairly well. Now all that I have to do is concentrate on speed while keeping my accuracy on the same level. I am learning how to use a slide rule, the Steinlite, a machine which finds moisture content of feed, and I am learning the know-how of oil extraction from linseed meal.
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| A Steinlite machine like the one Stewart was learning to use |
The snow has finally all melted, and we are experiencing deep mud now. Easter Sunday, today, First Church had its altar decked with large, beautiful ferns. A trumpet solo was played, a cello solo, a soprano solo, and the choir sang two long anthems. It was a very impressive service, and the auditorium was practically filled to the last seat.
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| The auditorium of First Congregational Church, Minneapolis |
Dr. Smith said not to worry about my leg because it is all right except for a slight thickening just above the ankle. That is all that has ever been wrong with it, but before, it was more painful and there was swelling even as far as around the ankle. [1]
School ends on Thursday, June 16. I am on the Commencement Committee, and in our first meeting today, we discussed the whole program generally. One thing was who to have as minister for the invocation. There are four or five in the graduating class who have fathers as ministers, so it would be wise for me to know if you could be available. The program must be printed a month beforehand, so I don't know if you could be certain before then.[2]
When I go to work at 5:30a.m., the sky is beginning to get light in the east, and the birds are singing. This summer it will undoubtedly be a very beautiful and delightful walk.
In Trigonometry now, we are learning to prove that sin (A+B) = sin A - cos B + cos A sin B, and cos (A+B) = cos A cos B - sin A sin B. In the back of the book, Spherical Trigonometry is discussed, but we are not able to go into that.
I attended a lecture at the Physics Building over at the U last night. The lecture was "Things that Spin." The professor explained that if any in the audience wished to find out more about the subject, then he could show them in an hour and a half that they should register at the U. I believe that I'll take him upon that in the fall. [3[
Sincerely yours,
Stewart
[1] It really is unbelievable that Dr. Smith didn't realize Stewart's leg had a fracture.
[2] I wonder if dad had given some inkling that he might be getting a furlough in June? Otherwise, I don't see how Stewart could expect him to be available to give the Invocation at Commencement. What actually happened is that dad got orders after D-Day to go to France and had time in later June for just a 24-hour visit home on his way to Washington.
[3] I'm realizing that there were educational opportunities available for a high school student in Minneapolis that did not exist for me in Anamosa when we moved there after the war.
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