Monthly Archives: December 2011

October 7, 1925 (Ina)

Wednesday Nite.
Oct. 7, 1925.

My dear Sweetheart:

Yes, I feel much better this evening – I had a letter this afternoon and that was enough to make anyone feel good.

Mr. Burney, the District Clerk ‘phoned this evening and asked me to work for him tomorrow. Court is still in session, so he must be expecting a rush. However, if things are no more lively tomorrow than they were the last day I worked for him, I will have short hours and quite a bit of idle time in between.

October 7, 1925 (Ina)

October 7, 1925 (Ina)

Yes, Dear, I wish I could be with you to go in the surf. I knew it must be fine and refreshing. A plunge into anything cool is very welcome here on such a summer day as today has been. We have been expecting a norther for several days, but it must have been lost in transit. The old timers prophecy a cold winter this year, and it may be when it finally arrives. I am sure the climate is fine on the Beach, and I am looking forward with great pleasure to spending the winter down there – that is, if Mr. Bishopp sees it that way. If we can’t spend it there, we can spend it somewhere else. The part that concerns and pleases me most is that we are going to spend it together.

Sweetheart, it is nearly ten o’clock, so I had better go to sleep. Goodnight and sweetest dreams.

From the one who loves you, loves you and my! how she does love you!!

Your
Ina.

October 6, 1925 (Walter)

Tuesday A.M. Oct 6th.

My Dear Sweetheart,

This morning I received two letters from you and also last night another one came. It made me feel that I had been mean for I did not write to you yesterday. Went to Jax early in the morning and was up there all day. It was getting late when I came back. This A.M. I had a note from Dr. KS that the County Med Society met tonight and that he was on the program. I am going up this afternoon and attend the meeting with him. Will then spend the night at his home with them and will return tomorrow A.M. Dear, I have a lot of work to do and when the letters are short or when I miss a day I hope you will know that I love you just the same. Since I started this I phoned Dr. K.S. that I have no new dope to give out at this time and that I’d like to skip this meeting. He will show the slides used at New Orleans last fall and also at Atlantic City this Spring. His talk will be what was given at those meetings. I am sure that he will mention my work in a creditable manner, as he always gives me a lot of credit and some that I do not deserve.

October 6, 1925 (Walter)

October 6, 1925 (Walter)

I am trying to get away for the southern part of the state this week. It takes a lot to get my work in shape as I cannot leave it with anyone. My landlady here is going to work in Jax and I may be able to rent her auto for the trip. It would be fine if I could, and I am in hopes that I can get it. Can accomplish more if I drive, and I want to study conditions outside as much as possible. Your letters addressed here will be forwarded to me. When you write Sunday, it might be well to address them to Caxambas, Fla, General Delivery, and to mark the envelope Hold. I’ll be at Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Fulford, Miami too, but I won’t spend so much time at those places and will not have any mail sent to them.

It was sweet of Thelma Lee to write to me. I’ll write to her before long. I am pretty busy and I wish you would tell her.

You are just as sweet as you can be Dear and I love you with all my heart.

Your
Walter.

October 6, 1925 (Ina)

Tuesday Night.
Oct. 6, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Yes, we have no letters today. I looked in the post office box, but there was not a single solitary one to be found. It had been quite a while since I had missed a day and I had almost forgotten the feeling, but I recognized it at once this afternoon. I can hardly wait until tomorrow when I feel sure I will receive one, and perhaps two, and then I’ll be happy.

October 6, 1925 (Ina)

October 6, 1925 (Ina)

This has been a busy day for me. It seems that I have done a little bit of everything and a great deal of some things. Besides my regular routine, I have almost made a satin dress for Mama, have gone down town, and have made two calls. It has been a regular summer day – the kind that makes you feel like you have been working harder than you really have!

I wonder how you have been spending the day, Dear. You have been busy too, I know. I have been thinking of you lots during the day and am wishing for you right now. I hope your work still looks encouraging, and that you will succeed in accomplishing that on which you have worked so hard since Dr. White left.

I love you, Sweetheart, worlds and worlds, and will be so happy tomorrow when I get a letter.

Always, your own
Ina.

October 5, 1925

Monday Nite.
Oct. 5, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Just three months ago this afternoon I saw you last. In many ways, it seems much longer than that, but it certainly has not been long enough for me to forget you a particle, nor has it been long enough for me to lose any of my love for you. It would take more than mere time to make me do that. I am going to love you always. Instead of its diminishing, it has grown bigger and stronger as the days have passed, and, if it is possible for it to be stronger than it now is, it is going to continue to grow after we are married.

October 5, 1925

October 5, 1925

Sweetheart, I am glad you wrote Mr. Bishopp. Perhaps it will remind him that he should give you a definite idea as to where you may spend the winter. I hope he will let you know before long so that you can make definite plans. You see, it will be necessary for me to know when you can come in time for me to order the invitations and get them ready and mailed at least two weeks before the wedding day. I don’t know for sure whether they do the work here or not and, in case they do not, they will have to order them for me which will of course take time. Surely he will write you soon.

You asked for my opinion on driving the car to Fla. I agree with you in that it would depend on the length of time we would be there as to whether or not we should take it. I had thought, and I believe you mentioned this when you were here, that it might be nice to drive it part of the way and ship it the rest of the way if we found the trip by auto tiresome. This is, of course, if we knew where we were going to stay in Fla. long enough to justify us in taking it. Just use your judgement about it, Dear, and it will suit me. You know more about the distance etc. than I do.

Mama and I had a most exciting time this afternoon when we were coming home from down town. Just as we turned the next to the last curve before we reached the house, Mama discovered a big rattlesnake in the road. We stopped, found a fence post and Mama instructed me to kill it (the snake). Just at that time, it coiled and rattled ready to spring, so she and I both decided that the fence post I was holding was unusually short, and the snake unusually long, and neither one looked safe. So, while Mama guarded the rattler with the post in hand at an extremely safe distance, I rushed to the house int he Willys-Knight after Papa who was nowhwere to be found. I did find the pistol and the little twenty-two, and thus well armed, I drove back to where Mama was standing, ready to run any moment. On arrival I found that the pistol was not loaded, and the twenty-two was on safety and neither of us could get it off. That snake was the most patient one I ever saw. It had remained in that same coiled, rattling position all that time, seeming to dare us to shoot. I suppose the poor thing knew not to worry when a woman was behind the gun. After a long conversation we decided that I should drive back and either bring Papa or the shotgun. I did so, and brought Papa. He slipped the gun off safety, gave it to me, and I shot the snake, the first time right in the head and killed it dead. So the poor thing didn’t have to die of impatience after all.

I love you, Sweetheart, and I get all thrilled when we plan anything about our wedding or honeymoon, because then I realize, as much as I can, that it really isn’t just a dream after all, but that I am really and truly going to be with you always. I do love you so very much.

Your devoted,
Ina.

P.S. The clipping from the newspaper came and I was glad to see that the property was increasing in value. We surely do hope it keeps it up, don’t we?

October 4, 1925 (Ina)

Sunday A.M.
12:05 o’clock.

My dearest Sweetheart:

Although it is five minutes past Saturday night (I did intend to write you “last nite”), I will say Hello-o.”

In the first place, I’m terribly tickled. Claudelle caught a ride and has been here for the past few hours. She is in bed now, so I think we will be in Dreamland soon. I’ll write some more later, but I had better get some sleep now.

I love you worlds, Sweetheart. Bless your heart!

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Always, your
Ina.

October 4, 1925 (Ina)

October 4, 1925 (Ina)

Sunday Nite
Oct. 4, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

She has come and gone. Dr. Donaldson, (she’s a “Miss”) a friend of ours in San Antonio, was coming out in her car yesterday evening, so she asked Claudelle and Lucille to come with her. Of course they were more than glad to do it, and we were glad too. They returned this afternoon about 4:30 and we all felt so good that we had seen them. This doctor, a young lady a little older than I, lives next door to C. & L. and has been mighty nice to them since they have been there. We surely do appreciate it too. You would think from the way the girls acted when they came home that they had been away three years instead of three weeks. They are both like babies when it comes to staying away from home. However, after their visit today, and after relieving their “system” of all the things they wanted to tell us, I think they have gone back satisfied. Claudelle likes all her work and all her teachers, so I think she will get along fine. Outside of her studies, she has two hours work in the office every day every week, and all day Saturday and Sunday every other week. We were afraid at first that it was too much but she says not. She likes it all. She sends her sisterly love to you.

Your “Dr. White” letter came yesterday, and I am glad you wrote me what you did. It often helps lots fo express one’s feelings, and, too, I am especially glad that you feel free to express them to me. You know that I am as deeply interested as anyone can possibly be, and am anxious for you to tell me. I am glad that you are handling Dr. White as you are, and it is certainly nothing but right that the credit be placed where it rightfully belongs. I’m glad you are standing up for your rights because that is the surest and often the only way to get them. Each person naturally understands his own case better than anyone else does, and is more capable and naturally more interested in securing due credit. No doubt Dr. White feels that it should all be coming his way thru habit and on general principles. I sincerely hope you can prove to him that he is wrong – that someone else in the world has ideas that are worth while besides himself. Best luck in the world to you! I’m with you.

Your real estate letter came this morning on my way to Sunday school, and I was very much interested in it. I have thought about it a lot today, and, since you wanted my opinion, here it is: really and truly, Sweetheart, it seems to me to be rather a big investment in addition to that which you already have. Don’t you think so? Of course you intended selling the lot at Fulford before purchasing this, but, even at that, this would be a larger investment, especially when you consider the rather heavy expense of improving it to the extent that you mentioned. Of course, Dear, the boom that is on down there now may last forever, and then again it may not, and they often do not, you know. I know it would be mighty fine to own quite a bit of real estate and then be able to sell it when prices are soaring, but it doesn’t always happen that way. I have known of a number of cases where it didn’t and it was pretty bad. You see, you are down there where everyone is boosting – boosting just as hard as they can, and where the real estate agencies are at their busiest. They employ people who are able to talk to a person, and, no matter how conservative he is and how good his judgement is, he is finally convinced that the best thing in the world for him to do is to invest. And it is mighty quick easy money when it hits and it often does, but there is also a good chance to lose. I believe in investing some and taking a chance on some, because if we want to be “dead sure” about everything we undertake, we certainly don’t accomplish anything. But, Dear, it is so easy to plunge too deeply when you are constantly surounded by boosters. I know that you are not of the disposition to be easily influenced, but I have known others who were very conservative to have regrets, after it was too late, that they had yielded one time too many. You don’t know how glad I am that you are interested in real estate because I am too. I am sure you are going to make something out of some of it. That is about the best way I know to accumulate something. When we have some particular place to put our money when we make it, and some particular object in view, we are sure to accumulate a great deal more than if we had nothing substantial in which to invest. However, even in our family for the past few years, we have experienced the great uncertainty and anxiety of having everything tied up in property which we were unable to “cash in” for quite a while. It is a pretty miserable feeling when it lasts long. Of course, at the time, Papa was unable to work, and practically everything he has made since we have been in Texas has been on real estate. He is conservative too, but has come very near investing too much several times. Of course, Dear, you are making a good salary now, and are able to keep up the payments, but (and I am not out looking for calamity) suppose something should happen that you were not able to keep up all the payments, and, at the same time, the boom would get “off,” then the mental anxiety and anguish would come and the loss would be great. I believe I would rather stand a chance of having less than to stand the chance of losing all. I realize that you are living where everything is very much alive, and I am living where everything is considered very much dead, but, between the two extremes, I believe we will be able to strike a happy medium on opinions. Sweetheart, sometimes don’t you think it would be wise to sell some of the property that you now have at a good profit and apply that on the balance that is unpaid on the others? In that way, you would not stand a chance to make quite as much if prices continued to increase, but still you would at least be safe on what you had, and also stand a chance to make a great deal without much effort. This principle of “Safety First” may not apply to things down there now. Of course I don’t know just how things are but you asked for my opinion and I didn’t want to pretend to believe one way when I really believed the contrary. Sweetheart, please don’t misunderstand this letter by feeling that I am speaking with too much authority, and trying to manage your business. I am not, and don’t mean it that way at all. I expect you to use your judgement in the matter, but I gave my opinion as per your request. Mine may be wrong – it often is – but I have given it to you just the same.

Dear, I love you with a heart “full up” with the deepest and truest love that a person can have. We are going to get along fine together and be so happy. I am going to be frank with you and you are with me, so we are not going to have misunderstandings. I would be so very very happy if you were here right now so I could try to tell you how much I really and truly do love you.

Always, your
Ina.

October 4, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach, Sun A.M.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I did not write to you yesterday but I mailed you a copy of an advertisement concerning the Jax acreage. I wrote Mr. Bishopp a detailed letter concerning the work and when I had finished it, I did not write to my sweetie. There were almost eight letter size pages of his letter. Today I am going to write him a personal letter. The other was more of a report of work in progress.

October 4, 1925 (Walter)

October 4, 1925 (Walter)

Perhaps it was not necessary to write him so fully but I have always done so when I was stationed to myself, and he seems to like it. He will then know what is on my mind and what I have ahead of me for winter work. I wrote to him one time during Dr. White’s stay here and that was about the time he left for Washington, so there was quite a bit to tell him. I wanted him to know of the new lead I am working and at the same time I told him that it did not seem necessary to share credit with Dr. White on anything except what we worked together when he was here. I know that Mr. B. is with me there, for he was inclined to believe that the other paper should have been prepared in sections, each one dealing with his own work. However, he did not dictate how it should be prepared. He never does, and that is one reason why I like to work in his division. He suggests, but never dictates.

The weather is certainly delightful here now and the surf is fine. It is so much better than during the active season when so many were down here. But of course the reason so many were here then was because it was so much better here than in their homes during the hot weather. Now it is cooler and more pleasant in both places. I understand that it is pretty hot down the state as it is more tropical. No doubt I’ll start down there the latter part of this week. I am getting my work in shape so that I can leave for a while. I am anxious to see how Fulford looks and to see what the prospects are.

Considering everything, it looks as though we would find it more desirable to live in this part of the state the year round than in the southern part. The northern people want an extremely warm winter when they leave the north and that is what they find down the state. The beaches here are developing now and are “the finest in the world.” Within a few years I believe there will be a great change here. At this time it is impossible to get water front property as the prices are so high. Ocean front sells for $800 per front foot & even higher.

I like this little place better, the longer I live here, and it can be used to good advantage as a laboratory as well as a cottage. If we decided that we wanted to buy it, we could move it to the rear of the lot and let it face the other street. This is a corner lot 75 ft front & 150 ft deep. Then we could build on the front to suit ourselves. If we simply wanted the place as an investment, I believe it would be good. We can tell more about it this winter, and after you are down here.

I love you Sweetheart and then I love you more and more and more. With a real big hug and a kiss, I am always

Your
Walter.

October 2, 1925 (Ina)

Friday Nite.
Oct. 2, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

We have had another shower this evening and everything looks so fresh and pretty in the moonlight. No doubt you judge from my letters that we are having floods and would not be surprised to see alligators about the place. It really isn’t as wet as it sounds. We have been having some fine showers lately and everyone is so deeply grateful for them that the weather is the principal topic of conversation here. It is marvelous what a wonderful lot of difference a little moisture can make in the appearance of everything and the feelings of everybody. Some are predicting a rainy winter, and everyone is planting oats. They say that they can hardly keep enough seed oats in stock to supply the sudden demand. The cattle men also are feeling fine I think.

October 2, 1925 (Ina)

October 2, 1925 (Ina)

Sweetheart, I was very much interested in what you said of the contents of Mr. Laake’s letter. It was nice of him to consider your plans so much, and I am sure you would do the same by him if he were planning a honeymoon. I am just “crazy” to know where we are going and when. It’s funny, but I dream something about it nearly every night. It isn’t so strange either, I suppose, when I realize that I think of it more than anything else. According to my dreams, you and I marry every few nights.

I love you, Sweetheart, and you mean all in all to me. I’ll be “tickled to death” when I can be with you always.

Your devoted
Ina.

October 1, 1925 (Ina)

Thursday Night.
Oct. 1, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Your interesting letter of Sunday night came this afternoon, and, as usual, brightened up my countenance considerably. It (the letter) was a little longer than usual and I liked that because the pleasure of reading it lasted longer.

October 1, 1925 (Ina)

October 1, 1925 (Ina)

I note what you said about living the year round on the beach. Your view sounds very reasonable to me as I have always thought of the beach as being a temporary resort rather than a permanent home. I am sure it is fine for a while, and, as I can’t speak from experience, it may be all right the year round, but you are in a position to judge whether you would like it for a permanent location. I have never been on the beach longer than two weeks at a time and I enjoyed every minute of it then because it was an ideal place for a vacation. However, I did notice that the salt air made everything look and feel rather “mussy.” Things don’t look fresh and clean very long. Perhaps that is partly because I am accustomed to such a high, dry atmosphere though. At any rate, I think it would be fine for a while, and it would be a mighty fine place to start a honeymoon in the winter. Don’t you think so? No doubt we would prefer a higher and drier location when we were ready to choose a location for a permanent home.

We arrived in town this afternoon just in time to avoid witnessing what seemed to be a very serious accident. A girl friend of ours (newly married) ran into a newsboy who was on a bicycle, and they thought for a while that he was seriously injured but found later that he was just stunned and bruised some. The poor girl saw him lying there unconscious and thought he was killed. She became so hysterical etc. that they had to put her to bed, and her sister in-law said she thought surely for a while that she was going to die. I know it would be a terrible shock to anyone, and especially to one of such a nervous temperament as she is. Such accidents as hers and such a mild one as I had when I ran into the young man’s Ford, all go to prove that we can’t be too careful even though we have had quite a bit of experience in driving. I feel like it would ‘most kill me if I were to really hurt someone seriously like that.

With a heart brimfull and overflowing with love for you, I still am and always will be,

Your own loving
Ina.

October 1, 1925 (Walter)

Jax Beach, Thurs A.M.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I worked until late last night and was so sleepy that I waited until this morning to write. Had two real good letters from you yesterday and I enjoyed them. I guess one of them came a day early.

October 1, 1925 (Walter)

October 1, 1925 (Walter)

The weather is certainly fine down here now and I know that you would like it. The wind has gone down leaving a fine little breeze. I do most of my work on the porch here and it is mighty fine. The cottage faces north, but I can see the ocean from the porch. It is two blocks away. The mosquitoes have entirely disappeared so it is good in that respect. I guess it will be this way most all winter and spring though I am told that a few times each winter one can use an overcoat or wrap. The lady who owns this place will soon leave for the winter to be with her husband and then I’ll have the whole place to myself. As he is making good money down the state it is likely that she will now stay down there most of the time. She wants to sell here so that she can stay with him. As it is, she comes up for the summer season and rents for a good price and then works for good wages at the same time. I think she wants about three thousand for the place with everything in the cottage. The cottage itself is not much for looks but is “comfortable,” as you said when you saw the photo. The lot is a good one 75 ft. front and 150 feet deep, is on a corner facing north. Some time it will be worth a good price. The garage is a single one and with a dirt floor. There are no flowers, no trees, the fence is not very good & in all there is a lot to be done but I believe it could be made a good looking place. I believe it would be a good investment. The street west will be a highway to St. Augustine but I don’t know how soon.

It occurred to me that this cottage could be moved to the rear & turned to face the new highway. It could be used for a laboratory. Then we could build to suit ourselves on the front part. This is just an idea. I don’t know how it would strike you. If it were me, I would want to close in the porch and use it as a living room until we did build. I am telling you so you can think it over. I could not buy it right now for I am already buying about as much as is possible. Perhaps the lot at Fulford can be turned at a good profit and then that money could be used as a substantial payment on this. It would not leave a big balance and it could be handled about as easy as I am carrying the Fulford lot at this time.

The acreage near Jax takes $50 per month, but it looks as though I’ll be able to sell one tract for enough to pay for both of them. Then we could hold the other for a good price.

Am telling you this, Dear, so that you can think it over. The lady here doesn’t even know that I am thinking about it. I’d like to take you into a nicer home to start with, but if we can stop some of this real estate money that runs pretty freely at this time, I believe the effort will pay.

I love you Dear and I want you to know that I am constantly thinking of your comfort and happiness.

Your,
Walter.

September 30, 1925 (Ina)

Wednesday Night
Sept. 30, 1925.

My dear Sweetheart:

This has been one of those unusual days when nothing noteworthy has happened. Just the same I wouldn’t feel that any day was complete without a conversation with you, even though it may be in the form of a short note.

September 30, 1925 (Ina)

September 30, 1925 (Ina)

No doubt you will judge from the enclosed paper that I am trying to give you a correspondence course in kindergarten work, but really you have made a wrong guess. Almost every day since you left Thelma Lee has “written” you some sort of a letter and has given a number of them to me to mail. So far, I have run a bluff and not done it. However, I believe my conscience would hurt me if I didn’t send you this “masterpiece.” Part of it is copied from her Primer, part from a tube of toothpaste, and the remainder as per her mother’s instructions. So the news that you can’t find in my letter, will be revealed in hers. I haven’t yet delivered your message of advice in regard to the cats’ names to the children, but I expect to soon as I know it will solve their problem. If they haven’t any unnamed ones, I am sure they will be ready to change the ones they have as they often do. Also, they may want to bestow one or two of the names on their new pet goat.

I love you, Sweetheart, and I would give ‘most anything if you could be here right now. We are having a nice slow rain and it is so nice and cozy inside – just an ideal night for a long chat with the only one in the world you really and truly love as a sweetheart.

Goodnight and sweetest dreams, from

Your own
Ina.