Two copies. 4p, onesided pages, no fold, printed in purple ink (or maybe the original color faded). First copy- "File Copy" written in top right corner with black pen. The 2nd and 3rd pages are slightly longer and they are thinner. The last 2 lines on the first page are hard to read. Dark brown spots in upper right corner of the pages; Green color blocks on the back side of the last page. Second copy- 4p, onesided pages, no fold; the 2nd and 3rd pages are thinner The last 2 lines on the first page are hard to read.
BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE CHRISTMAS VACATION 1945 File Copy
With sincere apologies to Elliott Merrick, chairman of publicity, out on sick leave at York House, and to Anni Albers, Irma, and B.J., absent publishers of the Bulletin, the Office Girl undertakes to write the Log of Christmas 1945 at BMC.
“Forty-nine bottles hanging on the wall,
Forty-nine bottle hanging on the wall;
Take on bottle from the bottles on the wall,
And there’s forty-eight bottles hanging on the wall.
And so it goes, ad infinitum.
Bob Walcott’s was singing that in the early days of vacation, when students and faculty were leaving one by one for home and far away places. Today, December 25, he sings, “Twenty-eight people left at BMC Twenty-eight people left at BMC, tomorrow, when Helen Rosenbluth leaves we will hear the “twenty-seven”, but there he holds the beat until Bill McLaughlin returns on January 1, and he can start back up to “seventy”.
Friday, December 14, 2 p.m. Thirty-five of the gang left by chartered bus for New York and points North. Weather was very doubtful. Our Black Mountains were already covered with White scow. Nel Rice almost missed the bus, but finally they were off amidst the others and tears of those left behind. There was plenty of talk, plenty of luggage, plenty of food, plenty of hilarity. One of the new, second-hand BMC, USN mailbags disappeared with the crowd (we wonder if Jimmie Tite was carrying his beer in it- naughty, naughty, Jimmy; it’s against the law to carry anything stronger than ammonia).
7 p.m. Rondy and Mrs. Rondy took Hazel, Dr. Dehn, and Elaine Schmitt (let’s see Elaine did you finally get there, or are you still wrapping packages to take home?) to the train at Asheville, where the St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Prairie View crowd were waiting for the daycoach (all except Willie, who had a lower in the pullman-Willie, did you keep your food in the lower and yourself back with the gang in the daycoach?) An impromptu student meeting was held in the coach and Dr. Dehn was elected a member of the student body. Hank Bergman, our new teaching moderator, presided. It was found that there was plenty of food abroad.
Saturday, December 15, 2 p.m. Molly Gregory closed the farm books with a shudder and passed them to Lore Kadden, grabbed what cash she could find, jammed her clothes into a sleeping bag, threw everything into the Albers car, and off they went, down, down the mountain—Molly, Anni and Josef, trailing the Mortons to Winston-Salem.
SPECIAL: Alice Stieglitz was supposed to fly to New York today, but since the plane didn’t fly, neither did Alice. (Bob had a bad time with the song on Saturday and Sunday as Alice made up her mind, first this way, then that.)
Poor, old Harry Weitzer! All heated up with temperature in the Infirmary, counting the beams in the ceiling, painting the walls first one color, then another, wishing for one of the Albers’ abstracts to distract him! But, waited upon by pretty girls and Eddie Woldin!
Sunday, December 16, 4 p.m. The Asheville airport phoned Mrs. Rondy that they had found a place on the through plane for Alice Stieglitz, so now Alice and Jacob need not worry further. Harry Waitzer went crazy in the Infirmary with no Albers’ abstracts and left on the night train for home, with a somewhat lower temperature. Anne Mayer, and Estelle Levi accompanied him (W.C. and Bill and “at home” on their second honeymoon) Dr and Mrs Hansgirg left today by *unreadable text* and happy when they drove off, in the big cadillac. Group supper before the South Lodge fireplace, special ditties by Walcott and Wallen.
-2-
Monday, December 17, 4 p.m. We think that Halsie Wright Marden and Roxane left—we saw Rondy patting Halsie in a taxi amidst last instructions about the Store, the telephone bills, etc., twine and wrapping paper for a last minute package- all this confusion because Halsie doesn’t like to say “goodbye” even when she is leaving BMC to join Bob, home from abroad, or at least expected home this Christmas. Billie Furman, Lore’s friend, came today; he is just back from Guam and the Pacific area and will spend the vacations here with us.
9 a.m.
Tuesday, December 18, Dr. And Mrs. Miller left us today from Richmond and Washington.
12 non IT IS SNOWING, but Eddie Lowinsky, John Wallen, Daisy Walcott, Bob Rondthaler, Mrs. Penley, and Mrs. Rondy take no heed; they are too busy with their Christmas shopping in Asheville. It is John’s first trip to the Big City; (he says now, his last); the trunk of the car is loaded with baby food, Christmas presents, beer (two crates), and a chicken and some cold cuts. They all start gaily home at 2 p.m.- they start, but that is all; the ice has formed a sheet under the snow- its impossible to make the hill to the tunnel; SO, the car is left in Asheville (also the cold cuts, the chicken, etc.-- Eddie remember them the next day!); Daisy and Bobbie thumb a ride in a big truck and so charm the driver that he brings them straight to the BMC gate! -- Eddie, John, and Mrs. Penley try the bus station, the train station, etc., etc.-- nothing moving—the storm is increasing—but a taxi brings them out; Mrs. Rondy says, “I won’t give up the ship- I refused to leave it anchored half way up the Asheville hill;” a funeral director came to her rescue and gets the car to a nearby garage (he says he also owns a cemetery!); she waits on the corner for a bus, none come, but suddenly there is DAVE CORKRAN, who stayed for the movies, came back on the 6 p.m.train, along with the Corkran and Merrick children, also in the snowstorm at the Asheville Day School.
7 p.m. SNOWBOUND and feeling fine! Warm and cozy in the dining hall; Bob Walcott and a few others petition a COMMUNITY MEETING, so BOARD (Rondthaler and Levi), faculty (Walcott, Wallen, Corkran, D.Schwarz, Lowinsky), students (Eddie –now Judd- Moldin, Lore, Helen, Gerda, Ralph) and theOffice Girl, al meet harmoniously together. (Thereis no Secretary to take down the minutes—Molly is in Boston.)
RESOLVED: that the following tasks must be shared up: hauling, firing, eating, cleaning, etc.etc. WANTED: volunteers. RESULTS:
Hauling: Levi, Judd, Gerda
Firing: Walcott (plus Bas, when he can get here), Judd, Howard Sherman(brother of Dick, visiting BMC during the holidays)
Fuel (coal shortage problem), draining of buildings, etc. Rondy with Bas
Milk cooling: Lore and Billie
Cleaning: (dining hall, after Christmas party): Walcott and Mat
Cooking: Malrey, George and Cornelia
Forwarding first class mail: Rachael Wallen (this was hard on Helen, Alice, and Gerda—it mean’t they couldn’t read John Reiss’ cards to John Corrington!)
Office work: Alice, Gerda, and Helen (yes, Mr. Albers- those “13” letters have long since gone), special assistant, M.C. Richards
Messengers: Dave Corkran (he has the car with the chains—Merricks are still quite ill—Food must go down to them twice daily sometimes; trips to Black Mountain for mail, epress, etc.)
Eating: every PORK CHOPS for supper!
Table-setting: Dorg 8 p.m.
Wednesday, December 19: Bobbie Rondthaler left us on the 11:40 train (two hours late) to visit friends in Clemons and relatives in Winston-Salem (--the Rondies are now on their 18th honeymoon—Howard is at the Norman Air Base in Oklahoma—in Yeoman’s School).
6 p.m. The dining hall is so clean that Judd has caught a cold.
-3-
Thursday, December 20: the coal problem is acute; the kitchen coal is OUT; there is none in Black Mountain, Rondy stands a meeting of coal dealers in Asheville; (we have a car on the way!) 221 families in Asheville were entirely out of coal; 20 in Black Mountain; (to whom it may concern: Rondy brought the car back- with the chicken, the cold cuts, the presents, and the beer!); the haulers are hauling wood, the Studies North Lodge all buildings are drained, center of activities is the dining hall. 11 a.m. Found: T.H. and Ross drinking beer and eating pretzels!)
Friday, December 21: Coasting is fine. Two flexible flyers are shared by the community; even Eddie Lowinsky gets off his dignity and is seen coming down around the curve the dining hall- a start to Mac Wood’s will take one all the way- Alice and Theodore and the Corkrans can start at their front door, make the Miller bridge (if Saw, the cat isn’t in the way), and hence get down to breakfast in a hurry; the skating is good- all Corkrans are skating in the moonlight.
Saturday, December 22: Ralph Bachran left today for Florida. The Merricks are better and it’s certainly good to see them getting out. Robin Corkran has had a bad time out, but he too is better. M.C. was sick for a few days, but with Bill as cook and nurse, she is now out again. We had T-BONE STEAK for supper.(Willie Joseph, doesn’t that make your mouth water) Ross Penley taxied to B.M. to do his Christmas shopping.
Sunday, December 23: (John Wallen, psychologist, insists that when a person isn’t absolutely sure of the facts, he or she should say, “In my opinion,” or “I think”- I have neither opinions or thoughts about the happenings of today- Sunday dinner brought us together, but otherwise we went our separate ways—getting Christmas trees, addressing last-minute cards, etc., etc., having supper in small groups at various homes.
Monday, December 24: 8 p.m. Wassailing at Corkrans (consult Richards and Levi for derivation of word wassail)-- the most delicious hot-wine punch made by M.C. and homemade rolls butter and cheese made by Marian; a big fire in the fireplace, holly, mistletoe, Dave reading O’Henry’s “The Ransom of Red Chief”; a duet by Billie and Lore, caroling, gifts for the youngsters (razor blades for Judd and Howard- matches for “matchless” Helen- a cigarette for Gerds); stocking hanging by the Corkran boys, then everyone off to “nestle all snug in our beds, with visions of sugar plums dancing overhead.”
Tuesday, December 25: Christmas Dinner at tables arranged around the fireplace, attractively decorated with pine boughs, candles, fruit; soft music; plenty to eat; cut off from the outside world by the ice-storm (no telephone connection); buffet supper together before the fire with Rachel and John Wallen, Judd, and Bob Walcott reading from Soki The Lamber Room, The Open Window, Tobermory, and from Saroyan Three Swingers and the Grocer from Yale a thaw at noon, but another freeze at night. Out-of-town guests for dinner were Gustave Brown, Petra, and Bussie.
Special announcement by Bill Levi: Blackie, the spaniel, is the proud mother of six pups- three black like herself, three golden, like papa Jake, the collie; mother and children are doing well. Jake is to pass around the cigars.
Wednesday, December 26: Helen Rosenbluth left today at 10 a.m. by bus for New York. Gerda and Rondy are at work on last minute needs for new students coming in on January 11. Alice is toiling the withholding tax report; George and Cornelia are back from vacation; Malrey take here in a day or two; Mat is off today. Fred Scwarz returns from New York today.
-4-
Tuesday, December 27: the haulers find it impossible to get to the woodpile because of the “holiday thaw”, suddenly upon us. Wood is very low; coal still lower. We heat only where absolutely necessary, and live in hopes that the car of coal will get here sooner or later- not too late- it would be a shame for returning students to find twenty-four frozen corpses! The Merricks are back with us- one and all- there is no sickness (unless it is sleeping sickness with Judd and Howard after playing chess all night.) Fred Schwarz arrived from New York this noon.
Friday, December 28: The Office Girl is signing off in favor of getting back to full time work. we now number 28 in the community. Square dancing tonight; couples only.
Students not returning in January are: Ray Johnson (destined for the U.S. Army)
Bob Hald (working in an Art Gallery in Cleveland)
Tom Raleigh, Irma Ehrman, Helen Rosenbluth (on leave)
Halsie Wright Marden (with her Bob in Boston)
Returning former students expected back are: Lorna Pearson, Patsy Lynch, Janet Goldsmith, Joan Coach, Lorna Blaine, and D. Carr (all these were not here for the fall quarter)
New enrollment are: Dick Lockwood and eight other MALE students (all new to the community except Francis Foster and Ike Nakata- Ike hopes to get here by February, he is marooned at San Francisco trying to get to Hawaii to see his parents). There is to be one new FEMALE, a G.I. WAVE from Connecticut.
Bill Levi and M.C. may take a few days off, leaving the pups in Gerda’s care. Gerda is our official animal trainer. Her menagerie consists of the pups, two Hansgirg cats and one kitten, one Straus cat with one kitten, three Albers pigeons.
Saturday, December 29: For five days we have been cut off- the telephone wires are down on the ground at Moore General. So don’t try to wire us, they hope to get them repaired by Monday at the latest. Wood bussing all day today by everyone but the Office Girl!
Bobbie Rondthaler slid in from Winston-Salem at 3 p.m.
FORECAST: Lore and Billie leave for Boston on Sunday; her brother is home from the Pacific. Bill McLaughlin comes on the first, and probably Dick Sherman; Lukey Swift and Janet Ramsey on the fifth; the big gang on the tenth and eleventh.
Minor details: the VOICE of Annette Stone says: “Bring back plenty of blankets- an old-fashioned quilt is good and warm too.” (Howard Sherman says winter underwear comes in handy at BMC).
The VOICE of the hauling crew says: “If you want your trunks, suitcases, and packages here on hand when you arrive, send them early, and be sure to send them PREPAID.”
THE VOICE OF BMC, crying for more space, says: “ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE BUILDING FUND?” (It now stands at $2150).
THIS IS BMC SIGNING OFF; ANY SIMILARITY ON REFERENCE TO PERSONS LIVING OR DEAD< IN THIS ATTEMPTED BULLITIN IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL.
