16 Nov 1931
John Griffin to Father / Washington D.C.
This is a letter that I hated very much to write and one that I hoped that I would never have to write, Last Saturday night wholly unexpected to me I was notified that the salary budget for the year was exhausted and that I would have to be layed off. It came as a big surprise, as I had just asked about it the day before and was informed that I would probably be transferred to another department. There were about ten others that got it too and so I know that there was nothing wrong. . They said that they were very satisfied with my work but business was dropping off so much that they couldn't keep me on. What wrecked things was that fellow coming back from Denver. I surely felt low Saturday night and all day yesterday. Now I don't know what I am going to do. I think though that I'll go bother the politicians some more. Don't worry about me, I have saved my money and have enough to stick it out until tie first of the year, and I should find something by then. The thing I worry about is that I wont be able to send any to Ben. Maybe luck will come my way and I'll have a job again in a couple of days.
If I remember right Dad is somewhat of a Democrat. Now here is the thing that is going to happen. The Democrats are going to organize the house and probably the Senate too. That will mean a lot of jobs for Democrats. Now if you know any influential Democrats that would write letter to King in my behalf, I think that maybe I could do something there. I am going over and see him this morning, and then I'll know better what to think and what to do. If I could land one of those patronage jobs, it would fix me for school and everything for at least two years. All it takes to get them is a lot of pull. So hunt up some very influential Democrat leaders and even if you don't know them go to them and tell them that you are a Democrat and that you would like them to help you after you had helped them for so long. I will wait to finish this until I come back from over to see King and then I'll be able to give you better instructions.
It was too bad that I did so poorly in my spelling and arithmetic in that exam, because 88 in the filing is a good rating. As it is I am eligible and that is all you can say. There is very little chance of making anything of it.
I have made the round. this morning and have not met with much success. Senator King is out of town and won't be oak until the- last of the week. Find out if you can get letters from some prominent Democrat leaders, and then I'll write and let you know just what I want. I have them working in Smoot's office on the Justice job, though I fear there is really no use as they have used all their funds for this year and have to wait until Congress makes them a new appropriation for next year. Colton can't do anything because he has no power to speak of back here. So, this afternoon I am going to hit the employment agencies and see what I can find there. It is surely discouraging. It just goes to show that you can never tell what is going to happen. It seems that fate plays an awfully big part in our lives. Maybe this all will be for my west good but right now I cant see why I had to lose that job out there. The government is letting people off every where and that looks hopeless. I just don't know where to turn. All I can do is just hope and wait. It is all hard to understand.
I am signing the bank blanks and am sending them back. I thought the fact that I would have this turned over to you, would eliminate the necessity of having a notary sign it. I will sign it but I don't want to pay a notary for signing it back here. I realize that my spelling is terrible and starting next letter I will make a special effort not to have any misspelled works in it . The German grammar I referred to is in my room. It is one I bought while on a mission. The other books are also in my room there.
I am glad business is good as it is at home. Reports back here say that since the price a of wheat has gone up that business is much better there in the west. Sometimes I feel that I would have been farther ahead had I stayed home and gone to school at the A. C. or some other school there where it is not so expensive. It is a hard problem to know what to do, right now I fell that I have probably made a mistake. Time will tell.
I hope that everything is going along all right at home and that Mother is getting well as fast as is possible. She should not feel discouraged as I think she is doing very well for the trouble she has had. The main thing I think is to keep faith in face of adversities and I think we are all doing that pretty well. I must sign off and go down to see the employment agencies.
John
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