April 28, 1914 Gus’s job interview

Note: The Ed in the letter is believed to be Gus’s older brother.

Gus Williams – Writing home to Rushville, Indiana, from Tacoma, Washington

My Dear Mother,
Your letter reached me Sat. just as I was leaving for Marysville. You may be sure that I was glad indeed to get it.
I had applied for a position in Marysville and went up there in response to the Supt. [superintendent] who asked that I make a personal application.

Ed introduced me to the three members of the board, Sat. afternoon. He is slightly acquainted with two of them and very well acquainted with the third. Mr. Marker, the Supt, was out of town so I did not get to see him until yesterday (Sunday) morning. I took dinner with him and we had a fine long talk. He appears to be a very fine man – big, jolly, boyish – but sound, the position is one where I would have to teach science and act as an athletic director. He said that my references very satisfactory especially the work that I had had much work in science and finally when I left said, “I think that you may enjoy being in Marysville next year.” He is to let me know definitely in a few days however.

I had only a few hours at Eds as I left there early Sun. morning. All seems to be well. Mary is growing rapidly and I walked in with her and Martha to Marysville Sunday where they attended Sunday school at the Methodist church.

Their place is very pretty now with the luxurious grass covering the earth and the beautiful green of Washington evergreens.
Ed like myself is great admirer of Wilson and his constructive legislation but we must all concede that his foreign policy if indeed he has one is a lamentable failure. He has placed the U.S. in the position of a cringing, fearful individual afraid to stand for the rights of her citizens. We must stop “backing down” to Japan, England or any other old nations who attempts to dictate to us. The canal was build for America primarily for Europe secondarily and we are now making ourselves the laughing stock of the world by repealing the tolls bill. If T.R. were president the English people wouldn’t even try to get by with that stuff.

I supposed you saw that true to expectations Fawcett was once more made mayor of Tacoma last Tues. I voted for him for I thought him the best man of the two.
Tomorrow we have a little election of our own where the annual student association election is held. If sure put out of it this time.

I end as that I am most awfully sleepy so will cut this short. Write to me when you can. I never felt better than I do work hard and have very little time to read.

Love to all, Gus.

*note on bottom in different handwriting – “Send this back with -your letter”
From the Gus Williams collection in the Whitworth Archives