Letter from George Black to Fred Black in 1939

Big Oak Flat, Calif. Nov. 27, 1939 (almost 70 years ago)

Fred Black Arkansaw, Wis

Dear Fred and family,

Got a letter from Mart (their sister Martha) the other day and among other things she mentioned that on Nov 30 you would have a birthday (Fred was born Nov. 30, 1879) and that it is your sixtieth. So according to my own I know it is.
Well this will have to go as a birthday letter.
I was up at Pittsburg last week where Bernard and Ralph work and had turkey with them Thurs 23rd. Came home via Stockton Friday.
Ralph is master mechanic at the ___________? Cannery and Barney has charge of all the, what they call cutting machines, and 50 to 60 Philipinos.
He gets 85 cents per hour and Ralph gets 1.00 but Barney makes more money due to overtime. He has to be there all the time the machines are working, as he is the only man in the plant that can master them. His check for two weeks earns as high as $150.00. He or both of them get time and half for over time.
Jim is making airplanes at Lockheed aircraft.
They live in Glendale. The plant is near Burbank. They all expect to congregate at Madera for Xmas. That is where Elsie and Florence’s folks live and I had to promise Jimmie that I would be there too.
The boys also have a truck on road hauling cans from American Can Co., Monterey, to plant at Pittsburg. An international truck semi and trailer-22 wheels. The vehicle is 8 ft. wide 13’6” high and 60 ft long with cab. Cans are bulky so they can only get on fourteen ton. But they travel fast, high-speed tires on it. They have two drivers, one stays in San Jose, and one in Pittsburg. I am running the “used machinery and mine equipment” sales and doing a little mining.

Since getting my bum hip I haven’t been able to work for three years, but can still drive car and trade around, buy and sell. Sam and I are working on a sale of a ball mill now. They run into several thousand dollars. I may go down there to Kingman (Arizona) next week. If not Sam said he would be up to see us around Xmas. I am in the act of selling out here and so is he at Kingman, then we are going to pool the spoils and take on a place property up N. E. of Grass Valley, Calif. Cant get in until next July on account of high water and the snow. Gets 20 ft. deep in winter. Not much snow there now, but passes between here and there are closed until late in May. So much for that.

Had my hip x rayed three weeks ago. A loose piece of bone that keeps it sore and raises hell, is working away from the joint. So Dr. thinks by spring they can cut that out and not affect the joint. So I believe we will try it. Sit down and write a letter, tell me a lot about the country you live in and its people. We’ll have to get back there soon or I will lose track of everything. Wishing you a good birthday and many more.

And another thing-Say hello to every one and I would like a copy of the family record from the old bible. Seems Ruth had that. I know, Martha’s, Charley’s and my own birthday and am not so sure about yours. I never remember celebrating your birthday on Thanksgiving. I would like to know John’s birthday. Haven’t wrote him for a long time. Mart has a pretty tough time. Boys and I helped her on her fuel this winter.
Write, Geo

FYI: The Jimmie, Bernard (Barny) and Ralph are sons of George. Sam, Ruth, Martha, Charley and Fred are brothers and sisters of George.

(Ball mills are used extensively in the Mechanical alloying process in which they are not only used for grinding but for cold welding as well, with the purpose of producing alloys from powders.)