A/N Wages in 1937 were nothing like today. The average yearly earnings were between $1500 and $2000; so 25 cents an hour was a lot of money.
Employment
As Christmas approached it took on new meaning for this extended family. No one was really interested in presents; they wanted employment. The adults knew they could not rely on Georg forever. They soon started to look for opportunities.
Sidney was actually the very first to get employment, but Friedrich was the first of the children; he approached the owner of the pharmacy one afternoon. They had talked before.
"Hi Friedrich, looking for something?"
"No Mr. Barr, do you need any help? Maybe a few hours a week?"
"Yes, Friedrich, the young man who had been working for me is returning to his home. I'll let you start with stocking the shelves with new items. I will pay you 25 cents an hour. You can work eight until noon for now."
"Thank you, Mr. Barr. I'll be here right on time tomorrow morning." He ran to the elevator; he couldn't get there fast enough.
"Mother, I have a job working for Mr. Barr in the pharmacy. I begin tomorrow at eight."
"I can tell you are excited. I'm sure you will do well, and Friedrich your English is really good."
"Thanks, Mother, How are you feeling?"
"Just tired, these babies move a lot, they don't seem to sleep at night." She laughed as she saw him make a funny face.
Georg found Frau Katia in the lobby early one morning when he came in from his walk.
"Mr. Sperry needed a baker. He heard from someone that I loved to bake. The kitchen does most of its baking in the early morning. I talked him into making some Austrian cookies and Apfelstrudel."
"So you will be making Maria's favorite cookies. I'm sure she and the two babies would love some."
"I'll bring her some of the first batch."
"Maria, these are for you."
"Where did you get them?"
"I'm baking for the hotel, in time I'll make all your favorites."
"Thank you, Katia they're wonderful."
Stefan and Phillip were anxious to do something, anything; they were not used to being idle. This particular morning they were in the lobby talking to Sidney as he was getting ready to begin his shift on the front desk. Mr. Sperry walked up. "Gentlemen, I know we have met before, please tell me you names again." They did.
"Stefan, now I will remember, you have the curly hair and Phillip you have no hair." The three of them laughed. "What did you do for Georg?"
Stefan explained, "I was the gardener and Phillip was the grounds keeper. We worked outside almost all year round."
"We have both noticed some of your indoor plants look like they could use a little attention." Phillip offered.
"Yes, the man that attended to them left a month ago and I haven't found anyone to take his place. No one knows anything about plants."
"Mr. Sperry, let us do it."
"I can't pay very much."
"That's okay; we just want to be busy."
"Come up to the roof with me and I'll show you where everything is; and oh by the way please call me Charles."
On the roof was a big shed with large windows, inside were tools, bags of soil and also boxes of ribbon and wreaths. "Charles what's all this?"
"I usually have the planters decorated for Christmas, but I haven't had time to do it this year."
"Don't you worry, Charles, Phillip and I will have everything looking like Christmas in a day or two."
"I can only pay you each for four hours a day, I know that isn't much, we'll see how many guests come for the holidays, maybe I will be able to pay you more."
"That's fine." The two men went right to work.
As they were finding everything in the shed they needed to take with them, it occurred to Stefan that the shed would make an excellent greenhouse. He decided he needed to talk with Karl and get some construction advice.
In the meantime, Stefan and Phillip had the outside planters and all the ones in the lobby decorated for Christmas. They even had enough time to fix the ones by the elevators on each floor. Charles remarked to them. "Men these plants have never looked to good, thank you."
Louisa often went to the lobby and sat on one of the benches sketching. Anything that interested her; today it was a statue of a small child holding a puppy.
Mr. Sperry noticed her and spoke to Sidney. "Louisa draws quite well."
"Yes, you should see some of her work. She did a drawing of Maria in her wedding gown. You should ask to see it."
"Do you think Georg would let her draw for me?"
"Ask him."
The next time he saw him, he spoke. "Georg, I saw your daughter Louisa sketching today. Do you think she would work for me?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"Last year we had a man do caulk portraits in the lobby."
"I'll ask her at dinner."
"Louisa, "
"Yes, Papa."
"Mr. Sperry saw you sketching today, he wondered if you did caulk portraits."
"I did a few in my last art class. I would need materials, Papa."
"We will talk to him in the morning."
In a day, Louisa had her supplies. Her easel was set up near the front desk. The desk clerk would collect the money. They would cost twenty-five cents; Louisa would keep twenty cents; the other five would go to more supplies.
Brigitta frequented the bookstore in the Plaza. She became friends with the young woman who managed the store, Charlotte, who was only slightly older than herself.
"Charlotte, after I graduated from secondary school I was writing reviews for a Children's Literary Journal in Salzburg. One day Felix Salter came by and found me at the bookstore. He had read my reviews; he thought they were really good."
"I can't believe you met him. I just love his Bambi stories."
"Brigitta you know there is a The New York Times Book Review Magazine that includes a section for reviews of children's and young adult books. I'm sure you could write reviews for them. I know the editor. Would you like to meet him?"
"Oh yes, Charlotte."
"He usually comes by on Thursdays to see all the new arrivals; I'll talk to him then."
Thursday was just two days away. Brigitta gathered all the samples of her writing she had brought with her and packaged them neatly to show him.
The editor, Keith Sampson read Brigitta's writings. He was really excited. "Brigitta these are very good. How long have you been writing?"
"I really started when I first wrote book reports when I was nine. The teachers always told my parents how good they were. When I turned thirteen I wrote for the Youth Literary Magazine in Salzburg."
"I understand you also had the opportunity to meet Felix Salter of Bambi fame."
"Yes, it was a great honor; he surprised me when he told me how much he enjoyed my reviews."
"Would you like to work for me?"
"Yes, but I would like to talk my parents first."
"I'd like to meet them. I'll be back this way on Monday; we could have lunch at the Plaza Café."
"I'm sure that would be fine. I do need to tell you my mother is expecting twins, she's getting pretty big." She laughed.
"Here's my card Brigitta, have your father call if anything changes."
"Thank you, Mr. Sampson."
Brigitta found her parents sitting together talking when she returned to their suite. They spoke first, "Brigitta you seem happy, your meeting went well?"
"Yes, he wants us to have lunch with him on Monday; he wants me to write reviews for the paper's Book Review Magazine; it has a separate children and young adult section. I told him you were expecting twins. He gave me his card Papa in case anything happens and we can't make it."
"Brigitta, you didn't really tell him, did you?"
"Yes, Mother, don't worry, he's married with three small children. He understood."
"I guess he did need a warning, after all I am getting very big." Maria rubbed her belly and all three of them had a good laugh.
Georg and Maria met Mr. Sampson and found him to be most friendly. Brigitta began that day to read a new book; it was the publisher's copy that was always delivered to the store several weeks before the book was released. The review was always included in an advertisement about the book's release. Brigitta would be paid fifty cents for each one.
Charlotte also had her come to the book store when the book was released and talk with the customers. She was paid twenty-five cents an hour and five cents for each book sold.
Kurt had spotted the model ship exhibit when they first walked into the Plaza, what he didn't know was that kits were available for purchase. The large toy store downtown had made the display; they would take orders from guests at the hotel and deliver them before they checked out.
The young man working at the display was Henry Schwarz, the grandson of the main store's owner. He spoke to Kurt one day. "I've seen you looking at the models before. Do you own any?"
"I did but I gave them to the boys at the orphanage. I was only able to bring one with me when we left Austria."
The young men talked daily. Henry mentioned to his grandfather that he had met a young man who liked to put models together. Alfred Schwarz made a special trip to the Plaza to meet Kurt. "Henry, where does this young man live?"
"Right here in the Plaza, Grandfather."
Alfred went over to the registration desk to inquire. "I'm looking for a young man named Kurt, who lives here in the Plaza. Would you know where I could find him?"
Sidney smiled. "Yes sir I do. May I ask your name?"
"I'm Alfred Schwarz, owner of the toy store that sponsors the model ship display."
"You must be Henry's grandfather; Kurt has mentioned you during dinner."
"You know him well?"
"Yes, he's the son a close friends of mine. Do you want to talk to them?"
"Yes, please"
Sidney picked up the phone. "Mabel, connect me to suite 1210, please."
"Maria, I didn't expect you to answer. Everything alright?"
"Yes, I'm just resting, the phone is right here on the table.
"I have someone to see Kurt. Is he there?"
"Maria, who called?" Georg asked as he came into the bedroom.
"Sidney, he has someone who wants to talk to Kurt."
"Let me have the phone."
"Sidney, who wants to see Kurt?"
"Mr. Schwarz, owner of the model display, Henry's grandfather."
"We'll be right down."
"Kurt, Henry's grandfather is here to see you."
"Really, Papa"
"Yes"
On the elevator, Georg asked. "What do you think he wants?"
"I really don't know."
Sidney was carrying on a conversation with Alfred. He saw Kurt and Georg. "Alfred I want you to meet my good friend Georg von Trapp and his son Kurt."
Alfred extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you." Then Georg's name registered. "That's Captain von Trapp, the highly decorated submarine commander from World War One.
Georg just smiled in acknowledgement. "This is my son Kurt."
"Yes, Kurt, I understand you like to build models."
"Yes, sir, I do."
"I have a proposal for you Is there some place we can talk?"
They took a few steps to a private sitting area. "Would you like to build models for my toy store?"
Kurt's eyes got big, but before he could speak, Alfred continued. "You would come downtown to the main store. You would sit and put them together so customers could watch you. I would pay you twenty-five cents an hour plus five cents for every model kit that is sold."
Kurt looked to his Papa. "I'm sure Kurt would like to also talk to his mother before he gives you an answer."
"That's fine, here's my card, just call with your decision."
"Thank you sir, I will decide soon."
Sidney was off duty. They all rode the elevator together. "Looks like Kurt has a job, Sidney."
"Working at the toy store, Kurt?"
Kurt just smiled back at him.
Later, "Mother, Henry's grandfather wants me to work for him."
"Doing what Kurt?"
"Putting models together at his toy store downtown."
His mother's smile told him she approved.
Kurt could easily walk the few blocks to the store; it proved to be very profitable both for Kurt and the store.
Stefan and Phillip ate most of their meals with Sidney and Max when he was home, but tonight Stephanie had invited them to have dinner in their suite.
"Karl, I've wanted to talk to you."
"About what Stefan?"
Making a greenhouse, Stefan went on to explain about the shed on the roof.
"Let's look at it together in the morning."
"You're right Stefan; this would be easy to do. Did you notice those windows piled up on the side? We could tear out some of the roof and placed them right in between the joists."
After consulting with Charles who gave his okay, the men went to work. In just two weeks they had a functioning greenhouse. Katia had told the cooks about it and asked which herbs they wanted to grow first.
Soon mint, rosemary, bay leaf tree, savory, and oregano were growing in large quantities. The cooks were amazed that they had so much; they searched their cookbooks for recipes that took advantage of them. Both hotel guests and patrons at the restaurants marveled at the new flavors in their food.
Stefan and Phillip didn't stop there, strawberry plants were started in the greenhouse to be transferred to pots when spring arrived. The men also wanted to make a rooftop garden.
Again they enlisted Karl to help them design and plan it. Charles gave his approval. There were always men and boys looking for work; even though the pay wasn't much, they had enough help to complete the garden in two weeks time. The government encouraged "Victory Gardens" as they were called; seeds were in ample supply.
