November 3, 1913 - The Optimist

So far, this is the most difficult letter to transcribe. But it was very creative. So I hope you can follow this 5 part correspondence.

Here is the view that Helen got when she held the letter up to the light.

November 3, 1913
Dear Helen,

1

While in a wholesale grocery house today I saw a little book called "The Optimist". If you hold this up to the light and look via the back of this page you will see what I saw. Then I opened the cover and beheld this - without comment. To be accurate I changed the quote slightly.

2

While on the trolly I was reading the Journal. Gadzooks! And here is what I saw (arrow pointing to article).

3

Everybody here is talking about the bad team Yale has. Everybody has their hammer out, and are not afraid of the sound. For that reason this clipping in this mornings New York American was music to my soul. I remember you asked how a tone could be dark; how colors could be soft. Well, how about hearing with the soul? Has this survival value? On my life - No!

4

I don't know what that impression that remark about the smell of fallen leaves, burning brush etc. conveys to you; but in these parts in the residential localities you can see piles of dark brown, yellow red and green leaves smouldering away,perfuming the air with an incense tinted aroma indescribable.

5

I will be in New Haven tomorrow, and will endeavor to see what arrangements are being made for the Princeton game. The cashier of the Bank today asked me to favor him with two tickets.I replied, says I, "if Yale plays as rotten as it has, you can have mine". But I had not seen this then. Say, what kind of a pout-pouri is this anyway?
Joe

We can think of the departed summer without regret on these glorious autumnal days that smell of fallen leaves, burning brush and roasting chestnuts. Going to the football game next Saturday 15th?

Big Seat Demand for Football Games

Any doubt regarding- the popularity of intercollegiate football is removed by the deluge of applications pouring in upon those in charge of the ticket distribution for the big games of the season.

From present indications the seating capacity of the various fields upon which the Yale-Harvard, Army-Navy, Harvard-Princeton, Pennsylvania-Cornell and Princeton-Yale games will be played will be unequal to the demands already being filed by alumni, undergraduates and their, friends

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The Yale back field looked particularly good on the offense during the march down the field in the second quarter. The play off tackle and runs were almost irresistible.  Another bright spot in the Yale offense was the splendid kicking of Knowles.
Undoubtedly Yale's kicking will be a big factor in the game with Princeton and Harvard, for given a rush line that can withstand a strong attack arid a good consistent kicker, any team can hold off a much stronger opponent. Yale has plenty of first-class material and with proper handling can round out a team in two weeks that will surprise the football world.

Below is an ad for Campbells's Soup from 1913 that you can see in Joe's letter.

The next letter is on December 2.