20 Oct 1929
Mother to John Griffin
Newspaper Article enclosed - COLLEGE SAYS FAREWELL TO ISLAND SQUAD - - The last night of the McKinley football squad's stay in Ogden was celebrated Saturday by a banquet in their honor in the Hotel Bigelow and a dance in the Weber gymnasium hall. (an account of the program follows...) Miss Love then sang two numbers, follwed by a duet from Mr. and Mrs. Castle Murphy. Ben Griffin, student body president of Weber college spoke and Harry Mau responded for the McKinley boys...
How I have celebrated your birthday! What a day for an old lady like me. Excitement has reigned supreme ever since the team from Honolulu arrived Thursday. This is just before the big game. A splendid hour an a half has just been staged over the radio and I have never enjoyed Hawaiian mucic in my life but how that little lady Winona Love can sing those songs! It's just entertainingly beautiful. But really now I'm getting away from my story. This morning Ben said "Mother are you not going over to the assembly this morning. Ivy is here." So at ten o'clock we rushed over and Oh John!, that was certainly a wonderful assembly. So may things came up that I had never thought of before. I never have seen people with so much poise, culture and refinement as they have, and yesterday I could not help thinking over and over 'Peace would surely come if this spirit could pervade the universe - there would be no more contention, strive, envy or wars if we human hearts the world over could be planted the love, the friendliness, the unselfish attitude toward all of God's creatures which has been manifest since the twenty-seven Islanders arrived.
The reception Thursday was wonderful, three thousand Ogdenites out to greet them. Five girls which was your brother's privilege to select stepped forward to pin flowers on all members while the Ogden High band played airs of the U.S. and the National Song of Hawaii. Those who were close to the visitors all say nearly every one shed tears just because they couldn't help it. Then came the parade through town led by the whole Cadet Corps of the High School - Brother Ben occupying an important place in the automobile cortege beside a very cultured, likable chap named Harry Man of the student body of McKinley.
Yesterday at assembly it was Ben's duty to give the address of welcome and introduce Mr. Mau to the student body. They have a custom in the Island you know of placing what we would call a wreath around everyone's neck with whom they wish to be friendly. The call it a lei and it represents 'unending friendship'. When Ben's speech was over President Tracy said "You know folks, the student body president has a great responsibility these days - let's have a cheer for Ben". So Ben got the first cheer of the morning and a hearty one it was.
Then it was Mr. Mau's turn to speak. In beautifully chosen sentiments and perfect English diction he spoke of the friendship he brought from McKinley and how they were enjoying the hospitality the people here extended.... Then he placed on Bens neck a beautiful silk lei from the student body of McKinley to Weber College. Music, splendid speeches, cheers, brotherly love, kindliness all were embodied in a two and a half hour program. A tiny titter went up from a few students when the football captain of McKinley placed upon the football captain of Weber the funniest little orange and black silk cape...
Well after the morning session and a session at the kitchen sink as usual, we went to a Mother's afternoon Tea at the Central Junior High School which was very entertaining. Elsie Mae brought home the highest marks yesterday morning - three As and the rest B+ . Don with Mrs Whitley repeated your record to begin with. C+ I believe was his mark. I placed the cooker full of food before leaving, so we came home and ate the food, went to a costume party in the ward hall, then went over to Central Jr High to get Elsie Mae where she had gone to dance - whew! I was tired when midnight came. I felt as if I had spent your birthday in a most unusual way.
I thought of you many times during the day, also of that long ago day when you lay on my arm for the first time, with your wonderfully big nose and lovely brown eyes, and I cried because I was afraid that someday you might have to go to war when you grew up. I hugged you just a wee bit tighter at the thought. I shall never forget it, and many mothers have confessed to me the same fear comes over them when their lovely boy babies are put into their arms. Then the next thought to come was "How pure and clean he is now and the prayer followed that as a mother I should not fail to keep you so always. Well son that was twenty-one years ago and your "kid" days are left behind. Your sense of justice and right has kept from you many temptations, I know, and I am not afraid to let you go anywhere excepting to war which I sincerely hope may never come.
Now about your letter which came last Tuesday. We did not quite understand what you meant by three birth certificates which were necessary to establish your identity. Ben talked with Madame Aubrey and she says by all means to go to Paris because Paris with its art galleries, educational facilties not found elsewhere, is all to your credit educationally if you take advantage of them. Then your diploma gives you prestige over the other institutions, so it's to Paris you go my boy. Your credits are easily obtainable from Weber and your High School Diploma is easily accessable. Ben will get the credits from Weber just as soon as things settle down a bit after all the stress and strain of this game.
Ben has a banquet and dance to manage for tonight. A peculiar thing happened last evening. They had a big free entertainment at the Tabernacle at which 12,000 people tried to get a peek in, they say. After it was over a big husky man dashed up to Ben and pointing out a perfect blonde of a girl in the audience, said he would like Ben to make a date with her for him for the dance tonight. Ben did not know her at all - they think the students ought to know everyone in town. Ben is in a quandry as he does not know how to procure the young lady in question.
(Sunday, October 27) The game is over and what a one! Score 12-26 in favor of McKinley. If you could have seen those boys! The cool air and high altitude just seemed to fill them full of pep instead of upset them climatically. Six thousand people saw the game and the purple boys put up a fight but they are not so strong as they were two years ago and the the Micks far outclassed them. It ended in a friendly manner but several purple boys were laid out. Clapier's leg was so severely injured that he was not out last night. The McKinley boys played without their helmets most of the time and staged the most splendid barefoot kicking - giving exhibitions of drop kicks and all kinds, sending the ball to the end of the field with a single try at it... Aunt Lilly and her husband were here. They seemed to get a great deal of enjoyment from it.
We all sat and listened last Thesday to the radio account of Edisons's fiftieth Jubilee celebrating the invention of the incandescent light. Henry Ford has reconstituted the scenes of Edison's shops - in fact everything with which he was surrounded, and made a park of it, dedicating to Edison upon this occasion. I want you to visit it when returning home. It is called Greenfield Village (or Park). In his old laboratory with the equipment fifty years ago he enacted again the making of his first lamp which was successful. All electric lights were out everywhere, everyone using either candles or kerosine. All people listening in were asked to do so. Then when he touched the filament or rather connected up the electricity which flashed the light, all lights were turned on... Edison spoke and for all the frailty of his body and voice we heard him as plainly as if he were sitting among us. The President of the United States spoke in so usually pleasant and instructive way and then we heard Einstein's voice in Germany. We could not understand him of course because he spoke German, but I heard him say his last five words which were spoken in English - "Greetings to my American friends." It all seemed quite wonderful to us.
We hare happy that your conferences are largely successful. Brother Norton gave dad another dollar to send you. This is the second one and I am wondering if you have received the other one. Do write Brother Norton and thank him. The children have first looked outside and report the ground covered with snow - the first of the season. I hope it will not last as long this year as it did last year...
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