Day 9 -- Sunday, July 4

Please tell me whether you'd rather have me use air mail stamps. This is a funny way to start a letter but it was the first time that came into my mind. My last note came from the Swift Plant in Chicago. I trust you have received it. As you know, we had detoured to Tom's cousin in St. Joe. That night we had fun and so we didn't get to bed until 1. You see, they had an amusement park out of town and it really took out money -- only 55 cents of mine. I slept on their porch and had a wonderful night's sleep.

The next morning we set out early and reached Chicago at noon. We had a big brunch and then went to the stock yards and slaughterhouses. The smell was something awful. We got to the Swift Plant at 12:15 and the 1 1/4 hour tour started 15 minutes later. They supplied us with free post cards and stamps, so I wrote you or, better still, dropped you a line during my wait. I guess I'll now give you the gruesome details of the tour.

They took us down a long smelly corridor until we reached the pig's slaughtering house. I wish they hadn't started out with that but they did. First we saw the pigs herded into a pen about 10 X 25. A man, only one was working in the pen. About 15 pigs were huddled together in a corner. The man then tied a noose, tied it to the pig's legs and hooked the clamp that was on the rope to a pulley system. This pulled the pig right off the ground so that it was hanging about 1 foot above the ground. The next man on line had a knife in his hand. As each pig came by he slit it's jugular vein. All it's blood came pouring out. The pigs struggled a little after that but not much. It was terrible. He died quickly and they then put him through boiling water. Government inspectors were all over. The next thing we were able to see was an inspector taking out all the insides. Bobby (Hersh) laughed at the sight but it disgusted me. The meat then went down to an ice room. There the pig was split and chopped into the various cuts -- shoulder, ham and the loin. It was all a mass production process and all the men worked skillfully. Later on we saw bacon, salami, etc. after the smoking process. We also saw women in a clean part of the building packing the stuff.

From the pigs we went on to the cattle. We were on a little platform on the end of the room but we were able to view the whole process. We saw about 100 cattle on one side of the room. A colored man went up and down on top of the stalls and hit each steer or cow separately with a big mallet. One blow was usually enough. When the door to their partition opened they rolled to the main floor, still and silent although reflexes kept a few bones moving, but not dead. A man then took a large knife (all this after the cow had been strung up) and slit it's jugular vein. A man with a bucket caught the blood as it flowed out. Each cow filled about 1 bucket the size of a water pail. This blood and other unusable parts of the cow are all saved and then used as fertilizer. The head was then cut off and immediately the workers went to work on him with saws, axes, hatchets, etc. They worked quite efficiently. By the way, I just learned that they can completely disassemble 300-600 pigs an hour. The cows were killed at almost the same rate because of the many more workers. We were then taken back to the office and we immediately got out of town. I was sorry that we wouldn't see the Loop and more of Chicago but everyone was anxious to get away from the awful stench. It was stomach turning, but I'm glad I went.

We traveled a few hours and then camped in Starved Rock National Park in Illinois. We made supper (we still haven't made a hot meal) and played football and then went swimming. There were plenty of mosquitoes so we put up tents and as a result slept well.

By the way, if there's anything you want me to include in these letters, please speak up.

Yesterday we traveled through Illinois and crossed the Mississippi into Iowa. Where we crossed it was pretty narrow so I really couldn't form in my mind a good impression of it. We ate breakfast at 12 opposite a sand dune on a side road; lunch was at 5. After lunch I had the biggest milk shake I've ever had. For 20 cents they give you 3 scoops of ice cream and it makes the thickest and best milk shakes in these parts. We ate supper at 9 and camped on an island in a fork between two highways, south-west of Des Moines at Creston. It was noisy but, surprisingly, I slept exceptionally well. My wonderful sleep was interrupted at 5:30 and I ate a full breakfast of 2 eggs, cereal, toast, juice and milk. We fixed a flat on our trailer tire and got started. It's now 11 and we're headed for Peru, Nebraska.

And now I'll give you an idea of the many thoughts racing through my mind. Of all the many luxuries I have been accustomed to enjoying I miss most Susie's cooking (although I get plenty of good hearty food), decent toilet facilities, a comfortable bed (although I've been sleeping very well lately) and a catering family.

Uh, oh! I just remembered that I forgot to write to grandma on her birthday, July third. Please send or give her my love and I'll see whether I'm able to write to her soon.

Traveling in the mid-west is totally enjoyable. We've hit a lot of rain but the scenery is beautiful. All around us are orderly rows of wheat, hay, but mostly corn. I take it you know that Iowa is in the middle of the corn belt. Illinois was fairly flat but throughout the state we could see dirt piled high -- the remains of surface coal mining. Other interesting landmarks that bespecalled (covered) the rolling hills of Illiana (border between Illinois and Indiana) are the extraordinary sand dunes.

People out here are very friendly and congenial. I'm glad to get away from New York's cheap money-making, fast-moving bourgeois crowd.

It's very peaceful now. Three of the boys are sleeping. I've tried to but I'd rather sleep at night. Also I find it difficult to sleep in the car. If I get bored with the scenery (and now all you can see is corn) I write, relax, talk, or read one of the Erskine Caldwell's short stories. We got a small pocket book of them and I enjoy his writing.

I am completely healthy and relaxed. My brace has long since stopped bothering me. I can't wait until July 21, however, when I can take it off and use it only at night.

I'm glad I have both the duffel and the parachute pack along. I haven't used or even opened (oh yes, once for my poncho and once to store some of Bob's things) my duffel. The elastic band has worked out swell. I can put my hand on almost anything.

Tell me if you can't read my writing while we're driving but otherwise I can't guarantee the number of letters.

It is really amazing how much I've learned about farms, nature, etc. and how much I realize I don't know. Stallings is quite intelligent on those matters and he really knows his stuff.

If this letter is getting boring you don't have to read it but right now I just feel like writing.

We have been able to hear Mr. Stallings' radio but, at meals or after supper, my radio comes in handy. It is [sic] necessary but it's nice to have around once in awhile.

The car's holding up pretty well and we don't have to do much to it. We haven't yet ridden with the top down but we will when we get out west. I haven't yet driven the car but I expect very soon or at least in a week. It's a shame the way we lounge all over the car with our shoes off -- bad for our posture -- but it's comfortable.

Most of my money has gone into Coca Cola and milk shakes but I expect to buy a watermelon one of these days.

Our laundry hasn't been sent out yet, but I'm not worried since I have too many clothes. We travel like tramps, washing once in awhile (usually every morning unless we can't get to the facilities) swimming once in awhile (twice so far). I think we all love it.

I haven't used the camera [pen ink switches to pencil] (I've used up two fountain pen's worth of ink) yet very much but when we get to the parks I'll start shooting. I don't need the sun glasses and I'm glad I have no fishing equipment along. (Right now the driver and I are the only ones awake). If I ever do I'll be able to rent some stuff.

We all get along together. However we get a kick out of Mr. Stallings' eccentricities. He always buys $2 worth of gas and when the needle registers 0 we look for gas and get another $2 worth. We all got a kick last afternoon when Mr. Stallings picked up 2 filthy Pepsi cola bottles at our camping grounds and returned them to get the 4 cents deposit money. We never go above 55 m.p.h. Mostly at 45 so don't worry. We're nearing the Missouri river and I'm out of paper.

Remember me to everyone at home.