{Letterhead} The Canadian Bank of Commerce

Fernie, B.C., Dec. 10, 1918
Dear Brother:
Sincere thanks for Your letter. I told Comr[ades] about Your illness; they complain for various reasons. The cases of those You wrote about are closed, each got $7500. I keep getting acquainted with our people daily, both at the bank and outside of it.
As far as the job goes, I will tell You the truth: I am doing really well. There is a young man and a girl here who started working at the bank a year prior to me, but I am above them at the bank. You see, they gave me the job of a bookkeeper and tomorrow I will take over that position. The pay is low but I have an opportunity to “grow” because the boss puts me in the front, and he also said that I have a very good chance to move up to a manager within a year or two. They use me very well, and if things go like this I will have some profit from it. When I arrived at Lethbridge I bought myself a calculus book and studied it in order to pass an exam. When I was sure I would be able to pass

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the exam then I started writing to the bank regarding a job. So, it’s been like that for 6 weeks, and I did not sleep, for I studied the advanced calculations. It is hard to get a job at a bank; I had to go to a doctor for an exam and answer various questions. As I said, it’s been going like that for 6 weeks, and only the day before yesterday I was called to the bank in Lethbridge. Obviously, they were putting this whole thing through their bank in Leth[bridge] so that there would not be a single mistake. You know that I did not know calculations well – especially those used here – but I was studying like crazy! Now I am taking a course on high commercial and banking operations. So, you can see how much I’ve achieved. I know that people envy me but let them envy – I worked hard for that and I listened to educated people. I cannot tell You everything on paper. Someday I will tell everything in person.
I am very happy that you all are healthy but I feel sorry for You. As far as Christmas is concerned, I sincerely thank You for Your kind heart but I cannot leave here, for I am not brazen to ask for vacation so soon; and then I have to be alert and not let anyone else

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take my place over. Yet some day I will visit You, and later on I may come to your bank in Coleman. Is that the Bank of Commerce in Coleman? If yes, then I can easily transfer over there. But in the meantime, let everything be like it is. Write to me when You’ll be coming here, for I would like You to bring me something from Grapyna. Don’t forget about it, please. Some people here are surprised, and some even think that I was sent here to spy, but I sharply deny that.
You will not have to go to Rochester if You listen to me and do the way I wrote You to do from Lethbridge. I believe in that, since I have tested it on myself.
Oh, I got acquainted in Lethbridge with Mr. Dicken, who hails from Fernie and whose sister is a teacher at the gymnasium here, in Fernie. His relatives are all here and he will come here for the Christmas holidays. So, he’s invited me for the holidays to his relatives; I will probably go.

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        Meanwhile, I have nothing else to write about, therefore I apologize for this short letter. Accept my sincere wishes, and stay all in the best of health.

Your sincere Brother,
Dmyter