Detroit Athletic Club
28/3/35
Dear Wife,
I don't know why I write to you any more, for it is now 36 days since I left you, and I have not had one single letter from you. As far as I know, letters take about 8 to 12 days to get here from England, so you can figure it out yourself. One letter from Robin got to me some weeks ago, and that is all.
I have worked through New York, Washington DC, Huntington W Va, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Pa, Youngstown Ohio, & Chicago, and came here (Detroit) last night. I was very much impressed with Chicago - a beautiful city, with broad boulevards & lovely parks, and the lake as a foreground. I suppose the great lakes can be as stormy as the Atlantic, but Michigan was on its best behaviour for me, blue & placid.
The local Norma Hoffman manager entertained me at his apartment one evening, to meet his blushing bride, & the next night we all went to the ice hockey championship, Montreal v. Chicago. After a very long fight, the British Empire won. What a game to watch, like flights of sea gulls the way they wheel & turn, never stopping. But a terrible lot of injuries, & lots of players in reserve, to replace the casualties. The salary of the players is $15000 a year!
I am in a very nice place here, by the courtesy of the Norma Hoffman Co as usual. Made an hon. member of the club for 2 weeks, where swimming bath, gymnasium, rackets courts, squash courts etc. But my arm is still as bad as ever, so I can't play. The hospital at Pittsburgh X rayed it, & said it was the bump [on] my office door knob had injured the bone & set up a haemorrhage (if that's how you spell it) & I can't be in any place long enough to get anything done to it.
Tomorrow Henry Ford is sending in his Royal Car to pick me up here, & I am to have a personal tour of the works. He had been warned by his English works that I was coming, sweet of him. Saturday I go on to Cleveland, Ohio, the guest of the Cleveland Athletic Club (what it is to be an ace player at the Riggotts Squash Club!) and stay there two days. Then back to Pittsburgh, and then New York.
I have fixed my passage back provisionally by Majestic, 13th April, and if that holds, shall be in Southampton the 19th. No better boat was available at that date, and this has the advantage that I know the Captain & Purser, so shall be sure of the best places. I shall be glad when it is the 13th April – I am sick of this endless trek & endless bad nights & long days. Hardly ever do less than a 16 hour day, often more. And now to put on my poultice of Epsom Salts on my gammy arm, & so to bed.
If you don't write soon, you may as well not do it at all.
Husband.