Monthly Archives: August 2012

November 4, 1931

Wednesday A.M.
Nov. 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your letters of Friday and Saturday came yesterday. They were both very interesting.

I agree with Mr. and Mrs. Hall in regard to the amount of work accomplished on the sand fly problem. It seems that you have gone forward with great speed. The fact that it is such a difficult problem and practically no previous work has been done on it makes it all the more remarkable.

November 4, 1931

November 4, 1931

Your interpretation of Walter White’s letter was very good. How did you know? You are an understanding father.

The information about Mr. Abbott is interesting. Poor fellow, I feel sorry for him. I know he isn’t normal. We should not blame him so much. He is probably just naturally that way and can’t help himself.

I’m so glad you purchased the suit. It sounds pretty and serviceable. It will save your expensive gray suit for best wear. You needed one to wear to the lab. That clothing store will be a blessing to the town if the merchandise is as good as it seems. It was mighty sweet of you to think of purchasing one for Papa’s Xmas gift. I told Mama about it and she said they would not let you do such a thing. Papa said the same when she told him. They appreciate it very much, and so do I, but they do not want you to spend that much on his gift. He still has his blue serge suit that he wore in our wedding and it looks like new.

Honey, Papa, Thelma and I together purchased a dress for Mama’s birthday. Her birthday is on the 5th of this month but we have already bought the gift. She appreciates it so much. The dress and hat are sort of a powder blue, and they are very becoming to her. She looks prettier in them than I have seen her in a long time. It was thoughtful of you to mention it. Your name goes in on the dress and hat. Mother Dove has a birthday some day this month but I have forgotten the exact date. Heretofore, we have been celebrating her birthday in October but when she was in Charleston she told me it was November instead. You know better than I what she would prefer as a gift. Will you please send something nice to her?

Wednesday night.

We have had Ina Marie all day so I did not have an opportunity to finish your letter. Bob’s baby sister, Marguerite, suddenly became dangerously ill at their ranch home last night and they rushed her to Uvalde. She is a tiny thing – not much larger than Thelma Lee – and is very young. She has been married about a year or more. A few months ago she had a miscarriage. She seemed to have recovered until terrific pains struck her last night. They carried her to Thelma & Bob’s, and Dr. Merritt, who has a little hospital here, examined her some then and thoroughly at 9:30 this A.M. He said she was pregnant in the tubes, that there was a laceration there and that she was bleeding to death inside. He advised immediate operation and said she would not live to reach San Antonio if they attempted to carry her there for the operation. By the time her family arrived and the family doctor from Sabinal it was late this evening. They carried her to the Merritt hospital here. There were five doctors present, but I don’t know just how good they are. Thelma phoned after the operation was over and said Marguerite had not yet come out from under the ether but the doctors still had hopes for her. It seemed that after they opened her up (that is a poor way of expressing it but you know what I mean) they found she was not pregnant and that one of her ovaries had to come out. I do not know the particulars but perhaps Mama & Papa will know when they return from Thelma’s. They carried Ina Marie home tonight and I am expecting them any time now. I do hope she recovers. It would be terrible if she didn’t.

I love you, Sweetheart, very very much. I’d love so much to be with you this very minute. You don’t know how much I miss you – you really don’t.

Always, your
Ina.

November 3, 1931

Monday Night.
Nov. 3, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your letter of Thursday night came this A.M.

I know you are a busy man. Dr. Bishopp should feel very proud of the Charleston lab – especially my husband. It is lovely that he is to give the address to the Ent. Soc. of America.

November 3, 1931

November 3, 1931

You said you thought Walter White and I should arrive in New Orleans on the 20th. I’d love to see your exhibit if it is still up at the meeting when we arrive. Since we will arrive at 7:30 A.M. you may prefer that we make it the 21st so that we can leave immediately for Charleston. Either way will be alright with us. The main thing is to see you soon.

I’m so glad that Gilbert is manifesting so much interest in his night school work and is progressing so rapidly. I know it is a relief to you to feel that you can soon turn that sort of thing over to him. You have a lab force to be proud of.

Our son may be a musician. I don’t know for sure yet. He has learned to open the piano, climb upon the bench and my! how he does play. Tonight he played from memory for a while, then he stopped suddenly. There was no sheet music in sight, but he pointed to the front of the piano and said “onna book.” After I placed the music before him he bent over the keys and played, looking very intently at the music all the while. It was amusing to us, but he took it very seriously.

But our son will not be a barber. That is, unless he does it for revenge. His hair had gotten so long that Mama tried every week or so to trim it a little. The moment Walter White saw the scissors or heard the hair being cut he was up in arms. She improved his looks some but just a little at a time. We were explaining our difficulties to Bertie, so she volunteered to carry him to a beauty shop to have it cut. He thinks anything she says or does is quite right and we thought he would not be reminded of former ordeals if she carried him. Also, he might be less frightened if a lady cut his hair. She carried him this P.M. at 2:30. She said it nearly broke her heart when he would plead in a tearful voice “Down, Bertie down.” She took him on her lap and she, as well as everyone else, tried to divert his mind. He was pretty badly frightened I’m sure, but he must not have been as much so as usual because she said he had quiet moments during the ordeal. I did not go, but I might as well have gone because I felt almost as if he were undergoing an operation without my being there. It looks as if you or I or both of us will have to take lessons in barberism and care for his hair until he is old enough to decide whether or not he wishes to join the “Sons of David” or whatever creed it is that forbids cutting hair.

The article regarding tax on airplane gas indicates that South Carolina is a little heavy on her taxes. If the airplane gas tax is abolished I’m afraid highway #17 will suffer.

We love you lots & lots, Honey.

Good-night, and I hope you sleep good.

Always, your
Ina.

October 31, 1931

Saturday A.M.
Oct. 31, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Walter White and I are sitting by the fire writing to you. He wrote on my letter some too. He enjoys having us take him on our laps and tell him how he is going to get on the “chu chu twain” and go see Daddy. He sits real still and smiles.

October 31, 1931

October 31, 1931

Your letter of Monday night enclosing one from Mrs. Bucklin came yesterday. I’m relieved that she is in a home where she will be cared for. I understand the Eastern Star home is a good one. I have thought of her so often and wondered what she was doing. She is pathetic. She has so much spirit and a love for the comforts and beauties of life. I am going to write her soon. It is queer that we failed to receive her last letter.

Honey, I’m sorry I alarmed you about Papa’s condition. You see, his back has been weak ever since he was a young man and every time he does any heavy lifting he suffers greatly with backache. He has had that trouble so much that when we ask him how he feels, we just naturally expect him to say “alright except my back hurts so bad.” It seems that “blues” or worry makes his back ache terribly. So, even though no one in either of the cars suffered even the slightest physical injury, his back became sympathetic when he found that he would have a repair bill. It amounted to about $26.00* and would have been more if Papa had not happened in the garage in time. The owner of the car had carried it to the garage to be overhauled. Of course it all would have been charged to Papa. He (Papa) told the garage men to use their judgement about the repairs that would be necessary as a result of the accident. He of course was willing to stand that expense, but no other.

It will be lovely if your sandfly treatments give a 95% kill. It should seem marvelous to people who have been annoyed by the pests so long. I’m anxious to know just what your plans are for extensive treatments. Congratulations! I’m so proud of the progress you have made on that problem as well as on others. You will have interesting material for the Christmas paper.

The cool weather we have been having yesterday and today makes me appreciate your saying that the heaters at home and the lab are in working order. Do you think the house we are now in will be a great deal more easily heated than the Elmwood one?

The pecan crop in the yard was light this year but Papa has about 200 lbs. from his trees. Some of them are real large ones too. There is only one tree among them that is an ungrafted native pecan.

It is good to know that it will be only a few weeks before we can be seeing you.

We surely do love you, Honey.

Always, your
Ina.

* $392.53 in today’s money.

October 29, 1931

Thursday Night.
Oct. 29, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

It is almost eleven o’clock and I have been sewing buttons on Walter White’s shirts for hours. Mama and I have almost finished seven winter pants suits for him. You see, he had no long sleeve suits and none can be bought ready made in Uvalde. These, with his red overcoat that I made, should almost complete his winter wardrobe. Boys’ clothes, we have decided, are much more difficult to make than girls’. I bought over fifty buttons at one time.

October 29, 1931

October 29, 1931

Tonight feels a little wintery. We had a fire in one of the fireplaces early this morning. I am glad our circulating heater is in working order now. We may need it a few times this winter. Do you think you will need a gas heater at the lab this winter? We have one for sale, you know.

There was no letter today but I’m looking forward to one tomorrow. You are very busy with manuscripts, exhibits etc. I’m sure.

We hope you are getting along comfortably at home. Tell Rebecca I’m trusting her to take good care of you. The housekeeping is probably very easy now since Walter White and I are not there to scatter things.

Kind regards to the lab force and the Robinsons and the Shaws and Wilsons in case you should see them.

I love you, Honey, and I hope you sleep good.

Always, your devoted
Ina.

October 27, 1931

Tuesday Night
Oct. 27, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Giles Rawles (Johnie’s brother) spent this evening with us. His wife and baby remained in Columbia, Mississippi while Giles and his wife’s brother are making a tour of Texas, “prospecting.” When he saw Walter White he immediately said he was just like you. Didn’t you meet him once when we were here or has he just seen your picture? I believe he and his wife were visiting here at that time. Yes, I know they were because we all went into Mexico together and took some pictures. She was the one with the babyish voice, you remember.

October 27, 1931

October 27, 1931

You would be amused to hear your son call Papa “Nickey” and “Humpkin” (Mama’s pet name for Papa). He has been in the yard almost all today. This afternoon Mr. Dougharty has been thrashing the pecans and W.W. has been helping him pick them up. Sometimes he decides to take them out of the bucket by the handful and scatter them. He fills his pockets and a little glass with them. He likes the taste of them but we do not give him many. He puts one under his little bare foot and says “onna cwack it,” or squeezes one in each fist and says the same thing.

It is lovely that you have so much enthusiastic cooperation in preparing the exhibits etc. for the meetings. I’m glad that you, Mr. Hall and Mr. Hull are going to present “The Sandfly Problem” in December. It should be of great interest to those attending the meetings because of its importance and the lack of previous work done on the problem. I’m glad you are planning to be present at the meetings although we are going to miss you. If Mr. Hall goes also perhaps Pauline and little David would stay with Walter White and me. We would enjoy having them and none of us would get so lonesome. Perhaps we could find a cot or something for David to sleep on.

I was so amused at your comments on Charleston that I read that part of your letter aloud to Mama. She said tell you that the more you disliked Charleston the better pleased she was. This speculation about Dallas is something to my wife’s ears and that about Jacksonville isn’t exactly bad. It would seem too good to be true if we could return to Dallas to live. If that cannot be, Jacksonville would be nice – certainly a great deal nicer than Charleston. Anyhow, those things are pleasant to think about. I can’t believe we are settled in Charleston for life, but I am beginning to feel that it would not be bad at all to live there for a while longer. It is a good experience. It makes us appreciate other places. By the way, yesterday a neighbor of ours remarked to Papa that they were trying to kill all the rats at Carrizo Springs because they were spreading typhus. Papa did not inquire into it but when he told Mama she was all keyed up over it, thinking that you might go down there to do some work. He will make further inquiries and I will let you know. Are you interested in getting material from there if possible, or do you think it would be worth the trip? I do not know a Carrizo Springs physician’s name to whom you could write for information. It would be lovely if you could come.

Yes, Honey, I love you too even though you live at Charleston. I’d love you if you lived at Kuippa [?].

Good-night and I hope you sleep good.

Always, your
Ina.

October 4, 1931

Sunday Night.

Oct. 4, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Mama and I went to church tonight while Papa kept Walter White. Walter White was almost asleep when we left him. Mr. Palmer brought us home. We had not been with him over a minute before he began asking about Claudelle.

October 4, 1931

October 4, 1931

I really did carry W.W. to Sunday School this morning. Mrs. Pilgreen has the cradle roll class and has three assistants. W.W. decided he didn’t want me to leave him with the crowd of strange little boys and girls so I stayed in the room with him. He was satisfied and immediately started playing with the little trains, automobiles, blocks, boxes etc. etc. that were provided. I gave him a dime to drop in the collection box but he would not do it until Mrs. Pilgreen showed him how. Then he dropped his in the slot, and, when a timid little boy would not drop his in, Walter White took it and did it for him. It was lots of fun to watch them. It really is a Sunday kindergarten where the teachers watch and study the pupils while they play together. They try to teach them to be unselfish etc. For those that are large enough and care to take part there are songs and nature studies. It is really fine and the children enjoy it. After a Sunday or two they are willing for their parents to leave them for their own classes. The Mothers’ class is just across the hall from the children’s. After it was all over Walter White was the last one to leave. He had just opened a closet door and found the closet full of playthings. He wanted to stay. He can say “choo-choo train,” “autobile” and anything else he wants to say. Ina Marie spent today with us. W.W. feels more kindly toward her now. Occasionally he suddenly leans toward her and says “kiss.” Of course she is always ready and it is real sweet. Sometimes he changes his mind before she reaches him so he pushes her away. He is not as unselfish with his toys as he used to be. He is going to have to learn how to play with other children. He holds his own almost too well now.

By the way, Honey, I forgot last night to ask you to thank Dr. Shelmire for his invitation to us to visit them.

I imagine you and Mr. Hall started on your trip to Florida today. The checks have had time to reach Charleston. I hope you will have a pleasant trip. Also, that you will continue to write often. I can hardly wait to receive your report on the Tampa situation.

We love you ever so much.

Always, your

Ina.

October 2, 1931

Friday Night.
Oct. 2, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your letter of Monday night started the day off right for me. On the days that I do not get one from you things don’t seem to go so good.

October 2, 1931

October 2, 1931

I was interested to note the tone of Jimmie’s letter – rather blue and somewhat apologetic didn’t you think? You are not going to reply to it, are you?

Your “sprout” is sleeping soundly. He has a good time all day and sleeps well at night. One of his new stunts today was, when we asked him what he was, to pucker up his lips like he ust to do when he said “owna go, owna go” and say “hobo.” He picks up things so quickly that it is almost alarming. Mama carried him for a walk this afternoon. She said she felt almost like she was with a man when she was with him. After being with Ina Marie he does seem big and grown-up. He is so sweet and good natured. He speaks of you often now, but for a week or two when we first came he would not mention you. We would ask him “where is Daddy” etc. and he would immediately change the subject to the moon, stars, lights or something else without answering. It gave me a queer feeling to see him deliberately avoid speaking of you when I knew that he used to talk of you almost constantly. Even when he heard a car drive in he would not say is usual “is that Daddy – it’s Daddy.” I can’t imagine why he did it. He stopped mentioning you as soon as you left us on the train. I would not tell you before because I thought it might hurt your feelings. For the last few days he has been calling “Daddy” & “Walter” real often and loves to talk about you. Isn’t it queer? I knew he had not forgotten you. He either did not like it because you did not come with us or he was resigned to it and did not care to discuss it. Again I say, babies, or rather, little boys, have more sense than we give them credit for. I wonder if he realizes that it will not be so very long before we see you again so he can afford to speak of you. He hears us talking about it. Of course I don’t expect as much of him as Mr. Parman did of his 6 week old baby.

We love you lots & lots, Honey.

Always, your devoted family,
Walter White & Ina.

October 1, 1931

Thursday Night.

Oct. 1, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your letter of Sunday night came today. I was very glad to have it. There was no letter from you yesterday.

It will be lovely if Mr. Hall’s light traps prove successful as a means of control of sandflies. I am sure you enjoyed your visit with Mr. & Mrs. Hall & David. I have been intending ever since we came to write them and others at the lab but I don’t seem to be able to think to purchase cards when I am down town.

October 1, 1931

October 1, 1931

Today when we would ask Walter White “whose boy are you?” he would answer “Daddy’s boy.” Mama taught him that. He is learning so fast. Each day I think he is as interesting as he can be, but the next day he is more so. For one thing, he doesn’t care much for little girls – especially affectionate little girls (how long will it last?) We made a mistake by asking Ina Marie to love him. She tried to and fondly called him “Baby.” He resented it and, in order to prevent its occurring again, he pushed her down every time she approached him. She is such a sweet affectionate little thing and is so crazy about him that it is a shame the way he treats her. He wouldn’t be very kind to a baby sister I’m afraid. When he looks at a magazine he calls the pictures “baby,” “man” or “boy” but seldom says “girl.” He likes the big girls, though. Every morning at 7:30 when he hears Susie coming down the back stairs he gets down from the table, rushes to the back door, opens it and has started down the steps by the time she reaches him. Then she places him between herself and her husband in the car and he goes with her to take her husband down town to work. It takes only about ten minutes, but W.W. expects it every day. Susie says she wishes he were hers. Bertie and Mr. & Mrs. Cain pay a great deal of attention to him too. If they are going down town and back quickly they sometimes carry him. He makes friends readily.

Last night I went to prayer meeting. Rev. Taylor had announced his subject as “The Menace of the Movies” and, since my husband was such a movie fan, I thought I should go. The talk was interesting and sensible.

We had a letter from Claudelle today. She is making $5.00 per month escorting a senior student who is blind to her classes from one building to another. She is trying to get other employment but says it is strange how people don’t want her to work for them. Honey, if her Bureau check comes to Charleston will you forward it to Uvalde please? In her letter today she was wondering if it had come.

It will be fine for Mr. Hall, Mr. Hull and Gilbert if they can do some school work this winter.

Last night was quite cool which reminded me that I failed to tell you where the quilts were. I do hope you thought to look in the closet in the hall because that is exactly where they are.

Please remember Walter White and me to the lab force and the Robinsons. I’ll write them all soon.

We love you, Honey, and I miss you too. I hope you sleep good.

Always, your
Ina.

September 29, 1931

Tuesday Night.
Sept. 29, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your good letter of Friday night was greatly enjoyed. We were amused at your account of the wedding. I read that part of the letter to the family and they laughed. It was nice that you and the Halls could attend. I’m glad you let them have the furniture. I do not know how much it is worth. Don’t you think it would be advisable to find out from Mr. Firetag what we paid for the bed and mattress & table, then use your own judgement about the worth of them now? They have not had hard usage, but of course they are second hand.

September 29, 1931

September 29, 1931

I am sure our room looks much better since W.W.’s bed has been moved. Thank you. He should be more comfortable in his own room too. He is getting large enough to want a little privacy now.

Last night Mama, Walter White and I went out to see Mrs. Jackson & family (Lois, Edith etc.) We stayed until nine and he seemed to enjoy every minute of it except when the parrot screamed at him. Mrs. Jackson showed us her pictures and souvenirs from her Gold Star Mothers’ trip to France. They were interesting. I recognized some of the places as names you had mentioned.

Thelma had the last of her teeth extracted today. It was very painful this time as the anesthetic failed to affect the gums around two of the teeth. Mama spent the afternoon at Thelma’s and said she was suffering agonies for hours after she returned home. We are hoping she can rest tonight.

The depression is on. That is practically all people here talk about. I am wondering if it has just now reached this part of the country. Banks in different towns in this part of the state are failing. Yesterday one of the largest banks in San Antonio closed. I’m beginning to feel that money isn’t safe anywhere. Honey, the Citizens & Southern is a chain bank. Do you suppose there is any danger of its suddenly going broke? We are saving money for Owenwood in November and it would mean a lot to us if we were to lose our account in the bank. I would even hesitate to deposit a salary check. Of course I realize that a spirit of that kind is what causes banks to fail. At any rate, we are not going to invest a thousand or more dollars in a car any time soon, are we? It seems that automobiles have been reduced less than most things so far, so there must be a drop in them coming soon. We surely do not want to be paying on too many things right now, do we? So many people are having to let things go back as they are unable to complete the payments.

No doubt you and Mr. Hall will be starting on your Florida trip soon. I hope it will be a very pleasant and successful one. I can hardly wait to hear about the possibilities at Tampa.

Please remember me to the lab force, and to other friends.

I love you lots & lots, Honey – I’d love so much to be with you tonight.

The family sends love.

Always, your
Ina.

P.S. Today Claudelle wrote us to send her shorthand book. She wants to practice as there is a stenographer’s civil service exam to be given in October. That is lovely, isn’t it?

September 26, 1931

Saturday Night.
Sept. 26, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your card of Wednesday A.M. and letter of Tuesday night came this morning. I appreciate your writing the card for fear you could not locate the letter. I judge you found it though.

September 26, 1931

September 26, 1931

After reading your letter I told Walter White that Daddy said “I love you too, Buddy.” He surprised me by answering immediately “O.K., Baby.” Sounds like flapper talk, doesn’t it? Bertie taught him that. Honey, he is the sweetest baby in the world. Of course it is because he is ours that I think so but I love him more every day. I didn’t know I could love him any more than I did, but I do. Honestly, I love him so much that it hurts. It brings tears to my eyes. I don’t know how to explain it. I suppose it is partly because he looks so much like you and I miss you.

Mama spent this afternoon at Thelma’s. At one o’clock Thelma went to Dr. Massie’s office to have seven more teeth extracted. She got along nicely this time. There are six more teeth, then she will be ready to let her gums “set” for a few months before getting her plates – is that what you call false teeth? Poor girl! I have not had Dr. Massie look at my teeth yet but I intend to do so soon.

Mrs. Monagin spent a while with Walter White, Papa and me this afternoon. She said Mervin was suffering with yellow jaundice and was told by his physician that it would be about two months before he could recover completely. He has been without a job for a long time.

Thank you for the compliment from A.K. It is nice to be told once in a while that one is not fading as fast as it sometimes seems.

I love you immensely, Honey, and I hope you sleep good.

The family sends love.

Always, your

Ina.