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"He gets letters from all over—hundreds of letters!" cut in The-Man-Who-Discovered-Stakhanov. "All women want to know if he has really doubled his wages. All men want to know how he has improved technique. Hundreds of letters!"
Said Stakhanov, "I give all my letters to Petrov. I can't read handwriting. They teach me and they teach me but I don't understand." "He has a special teacher to instruct him in the Russian language and simple arithmetic," explained Discoverer Petrov, adding with a laugh. "If he uses the 'Stakhanov Method,' he will be in algebra by the middle of 1936!"
"Stakhanov, have you opened a savings account with your doubled salary? Are you buying Soviet Bonds?"
"I spend my money," said the Hero of Labor. "Pass the champagne for our last drink."
Invited Correspondent Milly Bennett of the New York Times, as she turned to go: "Come and see me in America!"
"It is easier to go to see Stalin in Moscow," replied Alexei Stakhanov. "Your workers would beat me up for breaking their norms."