17th April 1947

Fred: Yours recd yesterday Certificate recd OK.

 

a stone mason uses mortar and a trowel and stone to build a stone wall if he uses brick it would be a brick wall.

 

Was glad to hear you have a chance to learn plastering.

 

About you coming here It is my intention to make you the legal owner of a house I have here that is rented for $50.00 per mo. After taxes this will mean a net income of $40.00 per month. I shall do this on your arrival so that if I died suddenly you would have this any way for sure. It would be a mistake to not learn yhe plastering in coming here.

 

Therefore do the following: Contact your plasterer and start to learn as soon as possible Handle the trowel as much as possible for its a question of training the hand and eye. After a very very few days you should be quite handy at it. Whether it takes you a few days or longer keep on till he says you can do fairly good work It will pay you even if it takes 2 or 3 weeks or longer. ALSO HAVE A NOTE BOOK and each day wtite into it all of the things he may tell you and so not trust alltogether to memory for here plasterers will ask you all kinds of questions as well as for instance: How much are union dues? How much to join? Not having worked as a plasterer you will not have the back-ground but the information in the note book can be reread at any time and the answer will serve as a back-ground

 

Now after you can do fairly good work ------- speed and improvement will come with practise here and I think I can place you with a plasterer here-- He got a loan from me a month ago. But I'll introduce you as a plasterer from England, who wants to familarize himself with Cansdian methods. He tells me there is a shortage of plasterers. (If I kept that house in my name for $150.00 of the yearly income would go for income tax; Better to put it in your name and you get the $150.

 

NOW LEARN IT REASONABLY WELL and be sure to take notes which will serve as a back ground. if you should require additional funds write me. After learning take 1st boat ( but better to miss a boat if you are not quite proficient enough ) this is all there is to say. Don't waste any time.

 

Leonard.

 

(chimneys and fire places are made of brick here )
( You won't have to join a union here )