Letter from Joseph Ellin to Mom and Dad; August 29, 1964

              Aug. 29, Thurs, [1964, Hattiesburg, Mississippi] [typescript] 


 

Dear Mom and Dad,


            The only thing wrong with this typewriter is that the h doesn’t come up when it’s struck.  Only a few weeks ago we took five typewriters to be repaired.  Where they have gone, or rather, what’s been done to them, I can’t imagine.


            By now you probably know whether all our efforts in behalf of the Freedom Party have been in vain (as I am pretty sure they will be).  Last night, due to one of the typical foul-ups that occur with great frequency around here, some of the delegates to the Convention needed rides to Jackson.  Nancy and I were conscripted at 7:30.  (It’s about 2 ½ hours to Jackson).  In a way we were happy to go, since Nancy had left her good raincoat in a restaurant there last Sunday, en route back from Greenville.  So we zipped up to Jackson, deposited the delegates at the bus (we’ve chartered four buses for delegates, staff and others.  They arrive tomorrow morning, hopefully).  We even found Nancy’s raincoat, which the restaurant was holding on to, very nicely.  (This is probably the only good Negro-owned restaurant in the state.)  On the way back, about 1:00 AM, we had a flat:  naturally, after 21,000 miles, I would get a flat in the middle of the night in Mississippi.  But nothing happened.  Unfortunately, the tire (it was more of a blow out than a flat) was torn up pretty much beyond repair, so I’ll have to buy another.  Could you please send us a $50 money order (post office).  This will enable us to get home, too.


            Your efforts in our behalf are wonderful.  I am glad you were impressed by the Parents Comm meeting.  SNCC is able to come up with prodigies of organization occasionally;  unfortunately they also come up with prodigies of un- or anti-organization even more often.  I have lost your most recent letter with the story of the meeting in it, but I remember your saying that Mr. Moses is a talker.  Not Bob.  So I can’t reply to anything you said.


            This weekend five COFO workers were arrested for trying to integrate the library with their Freedom School kids.  The kids weren’t arrested; the workers (three whites and one Negro) were charged with vagrancy.  The city closed the library, and it probably will remain closed until everyone goes home and school starts.  Freedom Schools end this week.  Next week Nancy is going to be busy with the libraries.  (I thought we should put an ad in the paper inviting everyone to come visit the only libraries now open to the public.)  We’ve had a TV set installed in the office to watch the convention on, and that’s probably what I’ll be doing mostly.


                                                                        Joe


[typewritten annotation:]


copy of a letter from Joseph Ellin, in Hattiesburg, Miss.