Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

85. feet and wetter jacket, there was yet; it then seemed to me, many a pleasant haven in store; and [meads] and glades so eternally vernal, that the grass shot up by the spring, untrodden, unwilted, remains at midsummer” (Moby Dick)(“Merry Christmas")

May–27-1935 –

A.M.  To Harbor to talk to keeper of one of the Great Lake Transit Corporation boat] – I find him very affable and willing to talk after I told him what I wanted. He told me that generally, a grain boat to unload at the Monarch Elevator (which I am using in my picture) must back in, unload one end, go out, and come in again in reverse position to unload. This makes it necessary for me to have either the bow or the stern come directly in front of the tallest Evans elevator. He showed me the living quarters, dining rooms of the workers, the refrigerators, kitchen etc. it seemed to me that it would be pleasant to live there, for a time at least.

     Pursuing a thot (sic) that it might improve my picture to include another elevator on the extreme left, I went next to the Evans slip to make a study. The Yates Co. were loading a boat with coal, - the clouds of coal dust that swept across were disagreeable – coupled with the drowsy heat of the sun, it soon grew too stifling for me & I left.