LETTER HOME
Below is reproduced from the Adak Sun of April and May 1956 issues, and March
1958, It was written by a person who wishes to remain annoymous. ' * '• •
HEAR AUNT EFFIE,
Ever since we been here its been one durnedthing after each other. Felt aw
ful bad about never having writ you anything about Adak, It really ain’t one
bit like your town, Friskyburg. It’s hard to describe because there ain’t exact
ly nothin like it really. I guess them GI's who was up here during the war talk
ed it down something fierce and not one of them ever came back to settle. Out
side the military and few civilians, there ain't nobody left here. They say the
natives just up and started aggravatin toward California,
Our house is really very cozy. They are duplexes, I don’t think you seen
them in Friszyburg, but what it means is that two houses get Siamexed together.
The parlor has a sofy long enough for Pa to stretch out on-several chairs with
seats, and cause they couldn’t get no straw for under the rugs, they just put
another old brown rug under them, I kinda like the idea better than straw. They
don’t have feather beds but they got those things we seen in the Sears Roebuck
catalogue—they're called inter-springs. We was wonderin about them one time
you know—and we just thought they couldn't be no good. Now I know they are made
special for places like this where there ain't no feathers.
Another thing real nice about these here places is that the plumbing is all
inside so we don't have to go out-back. That's why we really have no use for
them seat warmers you crocheted for us but they are so durned purty that the kids
wear them for collars. It seems that Mr. Crane came up with an idea for auful
small rooms—where they stack the seats one on top of the other. The bottom one
is a white porcelain thing--but it's too big and it's terrible cold. Then the
one on top of that looks a little like that frame on Mama’s' wedding picture. That
seems to be the one we like best cause it fits us~all real good. Then on top of
that is. still another one which don’t have no hole in it at all--se we sort of
figured it is for folks who just like to set there and read.
You know, Aunt Effie, we really shouldn'tuv brung up that there ton Oi coal
with us, cause they got electric stoves that are just as good as any coal stove
you ever seen* And they have electric, ice boxes so we never use the icebox pan
we brung—'cept to soak our feet. Not too fur from us is a big building where I
make steam--and while that steam is good and hot they just push, it right down
into all these houses, they have a man settin up there in that building and when
•.the steam's a headin this way he just ups and clatters like mad on them.pipes,
so if you don’t want no more heat it gives you a chanct to turn off the radiators.
There's the Navy Commissary super-market where we do all our tradin, I ain't
looked for no place else to shop because Pa says we should trade with tne hand
that feeds us—and maybe he's right* They do have the lowest prices on Adak, and
you can't beat that. Then in the same building with the super-market there is
sorta a fire-sale store called an "exchange", altho I never see nobodyexchanging
anything. You'd be surprised what you can buy in this here store though. That
•Walgreen Store in Pasture Creek just ain't nothin compared to our Exchange. <
You asked about the weather up'here. Well,'there's a lot of it all over the
place. The wind is such a bugger that it'snows and rains side-saddle and the
folks are so cheerful-like and just so busy a doin all the time that^ you get to
forgettin about it. One day the sun came a blastin out so fierce that several
of the old timers up here got down on their knees a prayin cause they thought it
was Judgement Day.
We send our good regards to Uncle Hollie and all the kindfolk, and will you
please tell Mr. Middlestur not to look no further for that blubber soup receipe
cause we can't get no seals anyway.
Love,
Ophelia