Aug 21, 1939
Dearest children,
Are you remembering to feed the weeds to the pigs. I think you had better put the horse plants back on the porch. If the big buddies are eating the tomatoes you better drive them in.
Sat. we went to the fair. I covered about 4 of it. Automobile, radio, road, perfume, electricity, chemistry. It rained all day. We were soaked to the skin. I haven't seen the sun yet. It is very hot. I am always awake before the perspiration. The lighting exhibits were wonderful. But our fathers electric magazine & book are the buildings mentioned. These pictures are not appreciated. We will go another day I hope.
Our buildings of the state buildings. We went to the Manhattan ward S.S. It is a beautiful Gothic building with stained glass windows. The church is a hotel built on top of the church. Who should walk in but Uncle Nephi & Leam & boys. The boys are really fine looking. I was introduced to a lady & I said your face is so familiar.
“Who are you?” & she said “Forsberg.”
I said “Isn’t Eva?” & she said yes. Well we were very dear friends years ago in the Salt Lake Stake. So we had a lovely visit. She lives near the fair.
In the afternoon we went for a boat ride to Staten Island. We saw the Statue of Liberty. It just thrilled me. There were great ocean liners, tug boats, a 3 mast schooner, barge with a freight train on it, pleasure boats.
Saw Bell Buoy which resemble a little tower reaching out of the water. A light house way out in the water. The boat glides up to the pier & is raised to the level of the pier & is fastened so she passengers walk from boat.
We went to Wall Street. It is like a deep narrow canyon. You can’t see the top of some of the buildings. It was evening & the streets were deserted. It gave one a queer feeling, a highly dignified man hurrying up to you & no one would ever know that had become of you.
At the end of the street is the old Trinity Church you have read about in school. It was built in 1696, burned by the English in 1776, rebuilt by Wren a famous architect in 1839 & this is as it stands now. A rather small building with a towering steeple.
The church yard adjoins the church. Alexander Hamilton, Robert Fulton, Dr. Samuel Johnson first President of King’s College & Bradford the printer of N.Y. first newspaper are all buried here.
Near the water front is a lonely grave enclosed in an iron fence. It was discovered when the city was improving that part & the tomb stone was there. Lies the body of an amiable child who m. do not disturb it. It is a spot of reverence for the sacred.
An iron fence. On the spot where Washington gave his oath of office is a large building with Grecian pillars. It now is the U.S. Treasury of the U.S. A grand statue of Washington is in front of the door.
We visited a Jewish museum. They have the Torah scroll which is the 5 books of Moses or the law books of the Hebrews. It is written on parchment which is the skins of a clean animal (sheep, goat or calf). Saw elaborate velvet & gilt coverings for the ark of the covenant & many Hebrew books.
They vessels used for the feast of the Passover. I am going to visit it again & take notes.
If you can imagine 5th St. running from Scipio to Holden with buildings in each side of the street ranging from 5 stories to 65 & the Empire State building 101 stories & never see a tree or a robin or blue bird then you have a picture of the part of N.Y. that is located on Manhattan Island.
True there are some parks with trees, grass, benches. Many people sit & visiting are in the parks. Great flocks of pigeons who are being fed by the people. The pigeon is the link between nature & human beings here.
Mary lives 2 blocks from the Hudson River. I have never seen so many beautiful children. They have beautiful bodies & happy laughing faces.
In fact N.Y. is a city of slow moving easy going happy lives.
We washed this morning. This afternoon we go to Radio City & tonight to see “Little Foxes” a drama in the National Theatre.
Am anxious to hear from you.
Mother
