Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, April 15, 1940

A.M. to Buffalo, to Bank etc. Walking around the city. Over in Delaware, a bright sunny morning, a mildness in the air, a feeling of Spring again.

When I was going to lunch, I met Johnny Molan, (of the Birge Co. – He had worked in the “Sanctuary” (engraved) dept – He said he had not been there in some time. We stood and gabbed about the factory for a while. He mentioned something about Paddy Lyans, and I determined after lunch to drive out and see him. Which I did. I found him obviously older than when I had seen him at the Friday last, but still erect, and full of the same fire, conceit, and spicy phrases. His expressions tho [sic] normally bawdy, and sometimes blasphemous, and often without logic, one nevertheless so picturesque in themselves, and determined with such vehemence and violence, that I find myself chuckling at them, and even admiring them. They are so much a part of the man, indicative of his sturdy self—reliance, and hatred of hypocrisy.

But I had a terrible time getting away from him. He followed me to the door, and kept up a continual stream of talk. I finally had to be almost crude.

Before going to Paddy’s, I had made a few sketches of the Genesee St. Bldg. While I was working, a middle aged man, wrapped in a muffler, and stooped over, came & started talking. “His brother was an artist, too” – served in Germany, was a colonel in the last war, and no doubt in this one etc. “All of us have some special gift” he went on “now mine is telling people what their business is” – when he was out west several years ago, he “hitch-hiked” his way from place to place; - it amused him to tell his benefactors what business they were in. He never failed, he said, and probably there was some truth in his claims, for his explanations of how he figured out their trades, were logical and used in shrewd observation.

[Note on Side of Page: In the evening mail word from Rehn that the Mt. Buschen Machine Colh had bought my “Civic Improvement” for $1500]

When I got home, B & C & A & I take the old car out to a country road where B took some pictures of it. We all began to feel a little sorry to see it go. –

Danny brought the new car at 4:30, and we must all go for a little ride. The sensation of driving a new car is indescribable- and is the feeling a purely materialistic one, on some writers claim? I think not; for it is an accepted fact that the trying out of a new boat, is a spiritual one; and so is the possession of a beautiful car – the latter it is true calls for less creation on the part of the man in running it than a sail-boat, never-the-less the lift to the spirit is genuine, and entirely outside of pride of possession, or mere utility.

While we were out Bertha tried the windshield wipers, and they jammed for some reason. So I took the car to the garage to have it fixed, and it was somewhat of a shock to see our old car standing there; and while we were wanting a prospective buyer, came and started to put it “them to paces” – we (M,A,-A & I) did not like it.

At bedtime B & I for a walk. We “reminisced” about the old car, - how we felt when we first got it, and our first trips, and little mishaps; and I recalled the many sketching trips it had afforded me– our nostalgia I suppose was for the events passed on, as much as for the car itself. An episode in our life is closed forever.

Charles E. Burchfield, April 15, 1940