Saturday, April 24, 1920

Fair cool day after alternate cloudy & bright. Arose 7:10 A.M. To college 9-11 A.M. Lost debate on socialist question. Played etc. Delivered eggs. Wrote essay. Down town on errands. Out with H.H. & Merlin Finch in evening. Walked around. Bowled at Morse. Talked on corner. To bed 12 bells.

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I wonder what the "socialist question" was? And which side Stanford argued?

It strikes me that most of my day-to-day activities would not be worthy of recording, but here are Stanford's, dutifully set down for posterity. I wonder how Merlin would have felt to know his friendship with Stanford had been recorded in such simple but telling detail?

Sunday, April 18, 1920

Fair warm day. Cloudy by spells. Arose 9:30 A.M. Took bath, shaved etc. To church & S.S. Home in P.M. Read, played piano, helped Ruth write letter to "Ma Ham" etc. Out after Dot Gallup with D.S.R. To Epworth League. Out to Hardins with D.S.R. in dodge. [L]unch etc. Walked home. To bed 12 P.M.

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Stanford drew another enigmatic picture at the beginning of this entry. Any guesses?

He took Dorothea for a ride but ended up walking home? Interesting . . .  I'm not sure who "Ma Ham" is, but she must be the mother of Frances Ham, with whom Stanford, and presumably Ruth, are friends. Was this a thank you letter?

Friday, April 23, 1920

Cloudy dark cool damp Spring day. Arose 7 A.M. To college 7:45 to 9 A.M. Studied, talked, read, played etc. No Bible class at 11 A.M. To college 1:30 to 3 P.M. Down town on errands. Uncle Charlie here to supper. Studied. Out with D.S. Reynolds. To Palace Theatre. Out 7:30; in 8:06; out 10:10. Walked to Ballston Ave Car. Studied. To bed 1 A.M.

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Thursday, April 22, 1920

Cool overcast spring day. Arose 7 A.M. To college 7:45 to 12 M. To college library to work on debate. Took nap, supper. Studied. To Phi Nu Theta fraternity meeting. To Public Library to work on debate. Home. Talked with Ruth etc. To bed 11 P.M.

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Here's a Wikipedia article about Phi Nu Theta: Eclectic Fraternity.

Wednesday, April 21, 1920

Overcast cool damp day. RAIN. Arose 7:15 A.M. To college 7:45 to 9 A.M. Shot pool. No English. Wrote in diary. Helped father, studied etc. To college 11-12 M. To Troy with Nellie to take unruly kid to Orphan Asylum. Studied. Wrote letters etc. Talked. To P.O. To bed 11:15 P.M.

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If the "unruly kid" was a boy, then he likely went to the Troy Catholic Boys Orphanage, established in 1850. There was a separate school for the girls and infants founded around the same time and run by the Sisters of Charity. The Troy Orphan Asylum is still in operation and still serving the needs of children, though it is now called Vanderheyden Hall.

I wonder if one of the ways of dealing with unruly children at the time was to put them in an orphan asylum, whether true orphans or not.

Tuesday, April 20, 1920

Most beautiful warm Spring day. Arose 7 A.M. To college 7:45 to 12 M. From 8-9 A.M. rode around with Bentley and shot pool. Studied in P.M. Family & Uncle Charlie out to see Reynolds' new home and John and Anna Myers. Sorted eggs. Kappa Sigma Pi meeting, 9 out. Gang bowled at Morse big & duck. R.E.N. , M.J. F., H.H. and I talked on street. To bed 12:30 P.M.

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What Bentley is he referring to, I wonder? Is it a car or a man? And I wonder who the Reynolds' are that he went to see? Perhaps Dorothea's parents?

Monday, April 19,1920

Beautiful mild clear Spring day. Arose 7:15 A.M. To College 8-9 A.M. Home. Studied, talked, played etc. To chapel 12 to 12:30 M. To Chem lab. 1:30 to 3:30 P.M. Took nap. Supper. Home in evening. Studied, talked etc. Thankful for all blessings.

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