Lucie, Nat & Jean are on a train trip to the west which included visiting Nat's brother, James Freeman Ballantyne (1873-1957) who with his wife Maud (1872-1958) and son James, Jr. (1905-1951) moved to Idaho in the 1910s and then to Portland Oregon in the 1920s.
Monday 6:30 A.M.
Aug. 7, [1939]
Dear folks at Home [could include Lucie's brother Bert or son Bob, both in New Cumberland and/or Virginia who was married and living in Pittsburgh]You see I am up to do the family washing but only part of my family. We had a lovely day yesterday here at Mt. Rainier, gazing upon snow flowers and people by the thousand and also saw a glacier. I don't know whether your father has written of the delightful evening we had with Mrs. Fred Atkinson. We all liked her so much and she seemed so glad to meet us -- says she reads the Independent all the time. Fred is in Monterey, Cal. and will be gone five weeks. We were there for dinner and took the ten bus back to Tacoma where we remained all night and then took the bus Sunday morning for Mt. Rainier. They had signs every where not to feed the bears and to hang your food in the trees not to leave it in the cars for they could smell it.
Paradise Inn is a very attractive hotel in the mts. It reminded me very much of the Old Cheat Hotel at Mt. Chateau [Cheat Lake is in Monongalia County WV] only larger. We had a good Sunday dinner & supper here and watched the tourists and picnickers children feeding the chipmunks - old ladies dressed in slacks about half way up their legs must have been borrowed lots of fine looking people in beautiful cars, people carrying baskets with their babies warming milk bottles so you see we had a busy day. [Written in the margin:] 12,000 people at Mt. Rainier yesterday (Sunday).
Maude, Jim & Jr. brought us to the train and Maude gave Jean and I a beautiful talisman rose with a card: "For you a rose in Portland grows." But the best part was a letter written by Bert to Jim Ballantyne -- news from home. But they were so pleased were simply beaming. It was very thoughtful of you and they appreciated it and it made us so much happier to get a line from home.
We are hoping for mail in Seattle to-day. We arrive there at 12:30 Monday for lunch.
We are wondering how the centennial is coming on. Thought many times of the union services yesterday and regret we cannot be there. This is a big Day. Gov Holt (WV governor 1937-1941) is to be there. Hope we receive our Independent. Trust every body keeps well and Best that you will be able to stand the strain. I hope all the members of our family will do their part toward making it a success.
Nat and Jean are great pals and enjoy being together and talking over the trip. It has really been wonderful every day different.
Much love to all. Will not mail until we reach Seattle until we see if we receive any mail.
12:30 P.M. Just arrived and no word from home. all are disappointed as we had been in the Mountains for the past two or three days.
Leave tonight for Yellowstone. Will be in the Park about 4 days. On then to Denver arriving on Friday eve or Saturday. Will advise from there our itinerary.
LBB
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