The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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HYDE PARK, Monday—As I told you, I flew to Arthurdale yesterday morning. The National Editorial Association had been touring West Virginia and a number of people thought a picnic lunch in the auditorium of the Arthurdale school would be a pleasant end to the trip. I was told quite firmly that my presence was essential and Dr. Adams, the head of the Tri-State Aviation Corporation, offered to come for me in his plane and take me down and bring me back on the same day. My reason for doing this was that I did not wish to lose Saturday evening with Anna and John, who will be leaving this week for Seattle, and I wanted to be at Hyde Park to have some friends for dinner.

I had been asked some time ago to visit a pottery project at Blacksville, West Virginia, and so it was decided that, if I was willing to start early in the morning, I could go both to Blacksville and Arthurdale.

Dr. Adams and his pilot spent Saturday night with us. We breakfasted at 7:00 A.M. and were actually off the ground at 7:45 daylight time. Headwinds kept us back, however, and instead of reaching Morgantown at 9:30 standard time, we arrived at eleven. I had one friend with me who had never seen that part of the country, so, fortunately, though we had grey skies part of the time, the weather was fairly pleasant during the entire day with occasional blue skies and real sunshine.

In spite of our late arrival, we went to Blacksville and I was much interested in the ingenuity they have shown in starting the pottery project. Their machinery is made from parts of old cars and washing machines. In fact, all they could do for themselves, they have done. Mr. Tennant, under whose direction the work is being carried on, is certainly an inspiration. They made a lovely blue tea set for me, which I shall always enjoy using.

We travelled over the mountain roads rather more speedily than I enjoyed, but we reached Arthurdale ahead of the editors. Everything went off well there. Mr. Baruch, who joined me on my arrival, voiced what I have been feeling for some time. Namely, that there is a greater sense of solidarity and security among the homesteaders than ever before. I only hope that the work which has been done in Arthurdale, in spite of all the mistakes and drawbacks, will give the 200 families there real security and will, therefore, give more courage to those in other homesteads all over the nation.

Our return trip was eventful. We ran into bad weather, skirted some storms, flew under some black clouds, and finally landed at Lancaster, where we were told we could go no further. So four of us were sent in Col. J. Hale Stineman's car, to Philadelphia in a downpour of rain and what looked like small floods in various places.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1938, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

Geographic
  • Hyde Park (Dutchess County, N.Y., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, June 28, 1938

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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