In Muscatine on Wednesday, March 28, 1951, Dale wrote, “Pay day. $146.25. Took Helen for a shot & also got groceries. Found a short in light wiring, didn’t get it fixed. Rain today & warm. Smiths here at night for TV.” That take-home pay would be $1,362 in 2016 dollars. Dale got paid every two weeks, so his annual income after withholding and other deductions would be the equivalent of about $35,400 today.