15th Oct 1924
Hotel Campbell, Rochester
[postmarked Chicago Oct ?18 6.30pm. incl. 2 snaps, one 3 adults next to car, other 3 standing adults.]
My dear Mother,
We do not know when the mails go out to Aussie since arriving here so we are forced to take pot luck and write at intervals. Since my last letter I have receive yours telling of the Artists Ball. It must have been some show. I was very pleased to hear that you were all well and that your cold had completely gone. I have a bit of a one at present be nothing to worry about, still I am doping it so as to be quite O.K. then I leave for Chicago tomorrow night. Bill is showing a big improvement and will be nearly right again I think when we leave this place where everyone spends their time talking of their ailments. We expect to be in New York in about 10 days time after having seen Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and Nigara and from there we go on to England so from now on our address will be c/o Bank NSW 29 Threadneedle St, London EC but you will have a wire from the Treloar's saying we have left America.
Well for news I am a bit stuck as nothing much happens in this town of cripples so this letter needs must be short I think.
We have made good friends with the hotel (arrow to letter-head) keeper and his wife here and they have given us a great time during the last week. On Sunday last they were taking their daughter (18) back to college about 75 miles from here and asked us to come along with them in their care, a big 6 Nash closed in coach. It was the best corking bus I have yet had the pleasure to ride in. We left Rochester about midday and went to their summer home on Lake Zumbro for lunch and what a lunch it was. Cold chicken, duck, dressings, salads, cakes, scones, etc and then we continued our drive up towards Minneapolis and St Paul. We reached the college at 4 o'clock and attended an organ recital in the college chapel at 5 o'clock and then started back for home about 5.45pm and arrived about 8.10. It was great trip we both thoroughly enjoyed as the leaves are now falling from the trees and the colours in the woods beggar description. On Monday we were taken back to the summer cottage to clean up the remnants of the feast of the previous day and we went fishing but as soon as we got the launch going a fishing rod fell overboard and we spent the rest of the day in a fruitless dragging operation for it. Yesterday however, we went out with some long poles and your xx truly was the lucky man xx find it in a very few minutes so we then went for a lake ride in the launch and returned to fish off shore without success however.
Well I think that is all the news but the next time I will be able to give you something more definite and interesting as we will have seen Chicago etc and so will have something to write about
I am so pleased you like Mollie Gillies She is not a bad kid at all and easily the best of the family in the girl dept I mean.
We have met a very nice girl (married) in hospital here. She is the Icon of Cork and we have great times with her. She is only 25 and treats life as a big joke and her sayings and slang are worth recording. She has been married five years and when I asked why she married so young she said well everyone else does it so I said yes to a girl of 25 here is an old maid.
Well I guess that is all so will close hoping all well.
Love to all
Gordon.
[note this letter contained two snaps, one of the Nash with party of 3 and other party of 7 or 8 nearby. Text of snaps obverse: (1) This is the party. On the end of the line is the proprietor of the hotel and I am between his wife and daughter. (2) This is the bus we drive around Rochester in and the other two are - the old man is Johnny McBride "Angel of the Wheelchairs" at Rochester and a chap we picked up at the clinic. - This letter posted from Chicago as I waited for the snaps to send with the letter. We are having a great time here and Bill is the best he has yet been. Love to all.]
Post card photograph of Woolworth Building, NYC written: "Express to 36th floor all floors to 54th change lifts to express to 58th and lookout"
Photograph of HGG in long coat endorsed in handwriting: "$200 Buffalo Coat Do you think I am looking well __"
