Jackie Takahashi
Magrath, AB on July 24, 1942
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: Magrath Alberta,
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: July 24, 1942
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: 8:00 PM
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: Dear Joan,
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: I thought I’d better write this letter before I forget again. I'm just fooling around now.
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: We finished thinning on Tuesday, July 1 around 4 P.M. We went up to Yosh’s place to help them thin their beets for a couple of days. On Monday 13th I've started hoeing, that is, taking out the grass around the [???} beets that were left. On Wed. I think it rained so we couldn’t work for a couple of days. We just about finished Wed. that is day before yesterday but when we were all on our last row a big black cloud came over our head. It started thunder and lightning and started to drip. We started on our way home as fast as we could. (We had about 1/2 mile to go). Just as we started it started to pour. It kept up getting worse and worse. Soon it began to hail too. We were all in our shirts soaking wet before we even reached half way home. The wind was blowing from the west and oh boy I really felt the hail as it bounced off my bare arms. I couldn't see about 500 ft in front or around me. When we got home we all were dripping wet. The rain even went through my boots. That sure was a rain and it taught me to run when ever I see big black clouds coming. We just finished having another storm a half an hour ago worse than the other but it was shorter. I thought the cloud would miss us but the wind changed and the cloud came towards us. I’d say it was the blackest clouds I'd ever seen yet. It was as black as coal. When I saw the clouds
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: our way I wasn't dumb enough to stay out this time but I just got in the house in time. The rain was more like snow for its blown all over by the wind. It’s the first time I'd ever seen rain like that. A couple of miles out from our place they had hail bigger than marbles the other day. Lucky we didn’t. These storms come all of a sudden that you aren't even prepared for rain. Today till about 1 it really was hot.
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: They celebrated the birthday of Magrath (I don't what birthday [sic]) to-day at the town park. It isn't what I'd call a park it’s just a play ground with a grand stand. I didn't go although I was playing. They all [sic] kinds of sports and broncho [sic] riding, milking wild steers, that is, they let out a herd of steers out and cowboys lasso them and others on foot carry a milk bottle and try to get some milk the first to get milk gets the prize. They had a parade too. I don't know how that was but I guess it couldn’t be so bad.
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: I went to the Raymond Stampede on July 1st. There wasn't much to see but they charged me 50 cents. All they had was milking the wild steer, lassoing and typing up calf (the first one to tie a calf wins) decorating a steer by leaping off a horse onto a steer and put a ribbon on its horn. They had wild broncho [sic] riding, steer riding, 3 cowboys saddling a wild broncho [sic] and riding to the opposite end of the ground. They also had horse races. It sure was hot that day and I had to sit in the sun. A seat in the Grand Stand was 2 bits and I was full anyway. I rode both ways on my bike and did I sweat. That was about 30 miles all together.
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: From the beginning of July we have had hot weather but we have rain about 4 times this month all ready. July seems to be
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: the month of hot weather and storms.
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: We finished thinning on Tuesday, July 1 around 4 P.M. We went up to Yosh’s place to help them thin their beets for a couple of days. On Monday 13th I've started hoeing, that is, taking out the grass around the [???} beets that were left. On Wed. I think it rained so we couldn’t work for a couple of days. We just about finished Wed. that is day before yesterday but when we were all on our last row a big black cloud came over our head. It started thunder and lightening and started to drip. We started on our way home as fast as we could. (We had about 1/2 mile to go). Just as we started it started to pour. It kept up getting worse and worse. Soon it began to hail too. We were all in our shirts soaking wet before we even reached half way home. The wind was blowing from the west and oh boy I really felt the hail as it bounced off my bare arms. I couldn’t see about 500 ft in front or around me. When we got home we all were dripping wet. The rain even went through my boots. That sure was a rain and it taught me to run when ever I see big black clouds coming. We just finished having another storm a half an hour ago worse than the other but it was shorter. I thought the cloud would miss us but the wind changed and the cloud came towards us. I’d say it was the blackest clouds I’d ever seen yet. It was as black as coal. When I saw the clouds
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: No the [???] family aren’t very close to us for their [sic] about 13 miles from here. The whole family was up at Yosh’s place today but didn’t come here at all.
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: Yes, I received a copy of the June Q.E.Vue and it wasn’t bad for I found out how the school was and how the time ended. I really enjoyed reading the paper.
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: It’s the first time I ever wrote such a long letter so I better quit now before I keep writing all night.
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: Sincerely Jack.
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: P.S. I didn’t seal the envelope last night so I thought I’d tell you how Magrath town took the storm last night. My brothers went to town and told me about it. In town they really had a storm for big hail poured down. The windows on the north end of most of the building and house were all broken to bits, the grain around town that is east and north of town were all knocked down, beets that got hit were all knocked over and they say it
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: Looks as if they (the leaves) were all chopped up. We were lucky only a little of our beets were hit although not so badly damaged. To-day we can still see hail piled up a little out of town from here. The wind even blew over big trees and took a roof of [sic] a house or barn near town. We were one of the lucky ones but maybe we may get one next time. I hope not anyway. Well so-long!
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