Haddock and Dill: May 11, 1956 The Garage Boys, The Cleanup Day, The Tractor Tire and The Bundle of Rags

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It looks like it may start raining any minute and we need it. But we hope it doesn't rain when the boys want to work on the garage. Time is getting short and they aren't even half done yet. The roof is going on now. Work is slow now because there are so many other things the boys have to do. One is on the baseball team and has to be gone when the team is playing out of town. Yesterday two boys had to go on a field trip. After looking everywhere in town for shingles B went back to Wards and bought theirs. They had the closest match and it's pretty good. We are pleased. It was a different size shingle but they are laying close like the ones on the house roof and they are going to look fine.

Today is cleanup day so we piled out a lot of junk to be picked up. We still have a lot of old broken brick that was piled in a corner of the yard but we're going to try putting out a few each week for the garbage man to take if he will. Our yard is looking pretty nice now that things are real green and the tulips are blooming. All of the bushes we moved seem to be living but one. It is still wilted and I wonder if it ever will come out.

A neighbor gave us a big tractor tire for the children a sand box. They are thrilled to have it. It has been so nice the last few days that the children have played too hard and we've let them stay up too late. Ann is about sick this morning.

I have a bundle of rags ready for the express man to pick up today. It will be a few days before Olson sends me the poundage on it and I haven't any idea how much it weighs. I'll try to send the poundage coupons to you soon.

The families of the second graders had a picnic this week and Ann's room has one next week. It is a lot of work but we did have a good time. B has been home one night this week. He made a speech one night and the rest were meetings at school. The new president was in the audience when he gave the speech and B got to talk to him a few minutes. He feels he'll make a good president.

Robert G. Bone, 9th President of ISNU

Ann and I took Pretzel to school one day. The kids all mauled him and loved him until he was simply exhausted when we got home. He was real good though and Ann was so proud of him.

I hope Mother's Day will be a lovely day for you both. We'd like to see you. The kids are begging to come but I don't know when it will be."

Lots of love,

Bonnie

NOTES: On May 8, 1956, Robert Bone was formally presented to the ISNU faculty as the new President of the University. This would mark the beginning of a life-long friendship between our two families.

The clipping below is from the Richland Mirror, May 3, 1956. The article, though badly worn and incomplete, was written by our Aunt Nora and introduces the early history of Richland.

IN THE NEWS: By the spring of 1956, the presidential campaign was gearing up. Lyndon Johnson was getting a lot of attention as a potential democratic candidate. We'll hear more about the campaign later.

Caption reads: Winner's smile creases the face of Mr. Johnson. At 47, Johnson has been in the Senate since 1949. As Texas' favorite son candidate, he will get 56 convention votes. He has not yet formally announced as an all-out candidate.