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

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LARAMIE, Wyo., Thursday—The trip from New York to Billings, Montana was pleasant and the sun was shining. Wherever we stopped everyone remarked with pleasure on the lovely weather. It seems the weather has been cloudy for some time across most of the United States. Here, however, they told me they had had weeks of good weather. The city of Billings is growing rapidly, due, of course, to the oil which has been discovered in northern Montana, the western Dakotas, and in southern Canada. We were at the Northern Hotel and had a most comfortable night.

I wonder what constitutes for most people a really comfortable hotel? In the course of the year I am in and out of so many, that I have made myself a list of the things that I think really add to one's comfort in these temporary lodgings. This hotel has them all: a scrap basket by the desk, by the dressing table, and in the bathroom; washcloths in the bathroom; and towels of a fairly decent size; a comfortable bed, neither too hard nor too soft; windows that can be opened without too much difficulty; and last and very important, is a light over the bed and an extra blanket, in case it gets cold in the night. I often wonder if, in my own house, I provide these comforts for my guests. There is only one thing that no hotel can really provide and that is a good-sized cake of very nice soap. So, just as in Europe, I always travel with my own soap, and I usually carry my own washcloths since they are rarely provided in hotel bathrooms.

The committee in Billings began their meetings with a breakfast on Tuesday morning, which was attended by those already interested in the United Nations. The committee found, as is usual, that it is the women's groups and the church groups that are already awake to the need of strengthening the U.N.

After the breakfast meeting, I spoke at the Eastern Montana College of Education, which is the state teachers college. The meeting was presided over by Dr. Pennepacker, Dean of Rocky Mountain College. I spoke on the "United Nations, our best hope for peace." This meeting was largely given over to the students of the two colleges and there was a question and answer period. That meeting was followed by lunch in the Wesley Hall of the First Methodist Church where Mr. Ray Harshfield presided. There I talked about the "U.N. and you." The people present were largely citizens of the community since it was open to the public as a whole.

There was a meeting of the Realty Board at our hotel so I imagine nobody interested in real estate came to the meetings on the U.N. But one cannot escape some conflicts with other groups meeting at the same time.

I am very hopeful that we will have a chapter here. The temporary chairman is Dr. Herbert W. Hines, of Rocky Mountain College, who will report on the members gained to our state chairman, Dr. Clark, in Missoula.

I am also hoping that we may have added some new units to our collegiate councils. We left for Helena shortly after the luncheon.

E.R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1954, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, October 1, 1954

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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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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