1931- Oct 15 letter from Winfred Hinderer to Clara Hinderer
From CowTales
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1931- Oct 15 letter from Winfred Hinderer to Clara Hinderer
Oct 15, 1931
Thanks a lot for your short letter dated Oct 8th. You need never pardon yourself for putting your ideas to me frankly. In fact, I welcome suggestions and advice from others. Two heads are better than one "nes pay"?
I talked over the advisability with the Dean and some professors of laying off school completely for a year and teach or take a half schedule and do what work I can on the side.
The Dean was quite insistent that staying away from law studies a year is almost fatal for study the following year. He has found that students who have done it found it hard to keep up with the work because there are many small details which if one does not remain in contact with, slip one’s mind and later one has to spend double the time reviewing past courses to make sure. It is bad enough as it is. That argument carried a little weight with me, but was by no means convincing.
The thing which really made me decide to take a half course was that the Dr. told me it would take am a long time before I’m fully restored and the danger if I carry a full course next year is that I might fall back again and that would be still more serious. Six courses is a terrible load to carry here at Harvard Law and many students drop out each year who don’t do any outside work.
The Dr. said it would be playing much safer if I took only three courses this year and not do too much outside work, and rest as much as possible. As it is now, I go to classes 6 hours per week. Then I have to study at least 4 hours per day and the rest of the day I work provided there is work to do.
The typing work is beginning to come in now. Yesterday I did one paper for a graduate student in History and today I shall do a law clug brief for a law student. The paper yesterday was a short on - only 2000 words for which I received $1.50. Friday I expect to earn $3.00. This is only a single argument brief and also is short. I think I can easily earn $30.00 per month. Thus will cover my books and clothing etc. My room and board as I figured it out will be about $385 and my tuition is $200.
Gertrude is paying my tuition which I think is very sweet of her. She still has a little over $500 debts from her school days and her Dr. bill which she would like to pay off in full this year.
Next year she will be debt free and said she will pay all my expenses - in fact we plan on living together next year. She has two more years of teaching experience now and no doubt can get into the Boston system or as least very near here.
We will drive out west next summer and you and Ralph are to ride with us. The details we’ll let go until the time comes.
So you see, I have to raise about $400 somewhere and if you really and truly are not using the money you spoke of and would like to lend it to me, I will be very grateful. If I should die before I can pay it back, you are protected. As my life insurance stands, you are the beneficiary for $1250 if I die a natural death and $2500 if I get killed.
What I want you to do in such a case is to take out what I owe you plus the current rate of interest at time loans were made and give the rest to the folks. I made a similar agreement with Gertrude for the summ which she advanced to me.
Also if you will loan the money to me I should like to have it right away. I still owe $12.75 on my ???, owe Prof Sheur $27.00 for room rent and I need a suit of clothes so badly that it hurts. I’m still wearing the suit I bought four years ago while I attended the U. Of W.. That was an excellent suit at the time or it would never have given me the wear it did. I paid $45 for it on sale with two pair pants.
It still has a lot of wear left in it, but I wore it every day for over a year now and it is quite shiny.
I bought one very cheap suit since I came here and it wore out in no time. However, cloths are simply dirt cheap here in the east. I can get a suit equally as good as the one I bought in Wash, also with two trousers for $25.00. I think I shall do that too because it pays in the long run to buy a good piece of clothing.
My suit vs the Universal Laboratories is still unsettled. My atty there told me to sit tight for a while. He found out that the Co. took it (the Re-dole which I retrieved) from the Express Co. for the express charges. That is a point in my favor.
Now he will try and get a settlement from them out of court. He is quite hopeful. Prof. McCurdy in Sales told me that I cannot help but win it if it goes to court. They have a former man as atty. and Prof. McCurdy wrote him a letter. Prof. McCurdy was my Prof in Sales last year and also was the Prof of both my atty. and the opposing counsel. What a coincidence!
Did I tell you that when I drove Gertrude to Stanford that we visited Aunt Julia. We had a very nice visit with them. Aunt Julia took me to the side and told me how well she liked Gertrude. It made me feel rather good.
She also showed me the letter mother wrote to her and I was severely surprised that it was a nice one. Aunt Julia must have answered it by now. I really believe that I patched things up between them again.
By the way, the Zellars are mighty pleased to hear from any of us. They think that they are sort of underdogs with the rest of the relatives. I think one of the best deeds I did since I came back here was to visit them. I shall do so every chance I get here after. She always asks me in detail about all of us. I know Aunt Julia would be tickled to hear from you and if you can find the time you ought to drop he a line. She was quite upset about the fact that I looked so pale and thin.
I’m enclosing a snapshot of Gertrude and a small picture of myself taken recently for the teachers agency. This one was too bum so I did not give it to them. They gave me an interview with on principal. He was greatly impressed with my credentials and said I have a good teaching personality and wanted me to sign a contract right away for $1650. I held off for while until I saw the Dr. and the Dean again and then decided not to do it.
In the long run I think I did the best thing. Teaching five hours per day and preparing for classes is perhaps even harder than what I’m doing now.
I can’t send any typing to you because the work is generally due the same day of the day after when it is brought to the office. I’ve got a scheme for you though. If I teach when I graduate, I want you to make mimeographed notes of all the courses. I’ll give you the material and you can sell them to the students for $5.00 a set. That will be your profit.
Now I must close - hope to hear from you soon.
Love and kisses, Bro Winfred
Note at top of letter: I sent in a sample of my writing to the analyst in Mil. Will let you know result. Notice - my address is 10 Lancaster St., not 20.
source:Clara Hinderer Baur collection.
Notes
I think this is where Winfred lived
This letter is to Clara Hinderer from her brother Winfred while he was attending Harvard. He again mentions Gertrude and future plans.
There is a lot of information begging to be discovered, but I couldn't locate very much. It did raise some questions which may get answered as I go through more material.
I haven't given any thought to the sisters who came to America with Klara Schneider Hinderer. Winfred makes some interesting comments which got me to wondering.
He writes that he was taking Gertrude home to Stanford (the only Stanford anywhere I can find is in CA, but doubt this is the one he meant). On his trip he stopped to visit Aunt Julia Schneider Zellar (or Julie depending on who's writing). Aunt Julia showed Winfred a letter Klara had written to her. Winfred's comment is "She also showed me the letter mother wrote to her and I was severely surprised that it was a nice one. Aunt Julia must have answered it by now. I really believe that I patched things up between them again." Was there some reason for tension between the two sisters?
Later he writes "By the way, the Zellars are mighty pleased to hear from any of us. They think that they are sort of underdogs with the rest of the relatives." I started looking into the Zellar family.
Julie and John Zellar were living in New York when he got his WW1 draft notice in 1917-1918. I don't know if he died in the war. I got a bit confused in my research. Later census records indicate Julie is a widow. Then I found records where she had kids whose last names were Pifer. Had she remarried? I also found a record for a John Zellar who had married an Elizabeth. Was there a divorce here? I can imagine a woman stating her census status as widow rather than divorce back then. Would this be something to make them feel they were "underdogs?"
Unanswered questions which may be answered at a later date. Like I said, I never gave any thought as to what happened to Klara's sisters... I haven't had enough information to get reliable search results either.
Winfred also mentions he is a plaintiff in a lawsuit. I couldn't find any information online about any of the companies involved.
Winfred was also rather sick during this time period. He almost dropped out of school. I don't know what was ailing him.
The letter is an interesting read. I find it interesting to read his writing style. You can see where his English education is influencing it.