Monthly Archives: December 2012

June 12, 1936

YMCA Friday 10 PM. 6/12

My dear Sweetheart,

Guess you think your husband is neglecting writing his family. The new office and so many things seem to require some of my time. We are getting in better shape now and most of the office people are finding their duties. The office set up is first rate. Gradually we seem to be getting the sheep and goat raisers to see that our program is right. At their meeting in Kerrville yesterday they received Prof. Mackey very cordially and promised to work with us.

June 12, 1936

June 12, 1936

R.A. reacts in true form to many things. He did not favor demonstrations when the work program was written but now sees that it is the only way to get the program over in Texas. His individualistic damn cussedness has taken root in Frank, who seems to be a supporter of his. Think I can handle the situation but it will probably mean that I’ve got to dictate in no uncertain terms and see that they carry out orders. I made the mistake of assigning Frank with R.A. He should have been under a different man this year. It may be necessary to separate them yet. Frank is on the civil service list and was reached by the Public Health Service for a job at $2600 in California. He would identify fleas and mites from rats. I encouraged him to accept it, because it would get him a civil service status. I think screw worm work would profit if he accepted. Tomorrow I am going to offer more encouragement to that job. He and R.A. are going to headquarter across the hall from my office. They do not have a steno yet, and the problem is about the same that it was last year, except that they want to use my best steno. I think your old man is going to be pretty hard boiled and dictate what is what.

Tomorrow we are going to drive to Uvalde. Mr. Townsend and Yeomans want to go in Townsend’s new Packard and carry Claudelle and Miss Peets. We will return Sunday afternoon. It will probably be a week from Monday before we start the training conference at College Station.

With love to all three of you,

Your
Walter.

June 9, 1936

Postmarked San Antonio, TX.

Tues. Night

Arrived yesterday PM. RA Prince and Claudelle were at the new quarters. Today the other stenos and Mr. Townsend arrived. Furniture is being placed & some business is being transacted. Within a day or two things should become settled. The new offices are fine & we have no regrets on the space. With love to the three of you.

Walter.

June 9, 1936

June 9, 1936

June 6, 1936

Postmarked Mobile, AL.

Just another card from the old man telling you that he is checking out of Mobile at 2:30 PM. He had a good lunch at Morrison’s. The next stop will be Baton Rouge for the night. Love to the 3 of you,
Walter.

June 6, 1936

June 6, 1936

June 5, 1936

Stationery from the Gay-Teague Hotel, Montgomery, Ala.

Friday Night 11:00 PM

My dear Sweetheart,

Have been trying for several days to get the office moved to San Antonio, and today it looks like we are succeeding. Mr. Mitchell left about 4 o’clock with a truck load of furniture and supplies and I got away about 5:30 PM. Mr. Townsend leaves tomorrow morning in his famous car and Miss Anderson leaves by train tomorrow PM. Miss Ausley leaves Orlando Sunday and Miss Peets is to arrive at San Antonio Wednesday. I telegraphed Claudelle that all would be at 1010 Travis Building between Monday and Wednesday. R.A. and Mr. Dormand are busy on the applicants at College Station.

The air trip to Washington was almost like riding in a bus. There were no thrills connected with it.*

June 5, 1936

June 5, 1936

Mr. Strong is certainly supporting me even on protests and complaints from Dr. Bishopp. My conferences at Washington were very satisfactory. Had another complaint letter up there from Dr. Bishopp through the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers which required an answer. This was prepared for Mr. Strong’s signature. Bish had written a letter to me asking me to answer 7 questions on our recommendations for control. During the conference Strong told him that I did not have time to do that, and that the answers should come from the research unit. He told Bish to write out the answers and submit them to me. Bish is trying to get some letters in the files which can be used against me and Strong told him in my presence that he was guilty of just that.

Expect to be at Baton Rouge tomorrow night and I want a talk with Anderson the state entomologist then. Will try to be in San Antonio on Monday and will stop at the YMCA until I can find quarters for my family. This will depend on when my family can move from Savannah. Bids on the furniture moving are yet in Wash. but they seem to be in order. Bill was passed by both houses and is awaiting signature of the President.

With love,

Your
Walter.

* Longtime readers will recall that Walter’s previous experience of aviation involved Sopwith fighter-bombers over France in 1918, so his expectations for the thrills of flight might have been a bit high.

June 4, 1936

Thursday PM

My dear Ina,

Am trying to get on my way to San Antonio tomorrow, and I expect to be on the job there Monday.

June 4, 1936

June 4, 1936

The conference at Washington was very good. Dr. B. tried some funny business & is still trying but it didn’t work so well. More about this later on. He asked me in a letter to write my recommendations on about 7 questions. Strong asked him to write his answers and submit them to me.

Lots of love,

Your
Walter.

June 3, 1936

Wednesday – En Route
Train to Savannah.

My dear Sweetheart & Big Sons

Daddy flew over your house Monday night and your lights were out. I hope you slept well. I could not see any tricycles or wagons on the lawn, so I guess they were in the garage where they should be at night.

June 3, 1936

June 3, 1936

Had several letters to write for the signature of the Chief including a recent one from the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association. The last was a result of my sending Dr. Bishopp a copy of my last report on the trip to Texas. It looks as though Dr. Bishopp tried to put me on the spot on several recommendations for control, but in a conference with Mr. Strong I fared pretty well. Strong told Dr. B. what it looked like so he asked Dr. B. to write his recommendations and submit them to me for my comments. Strong is giving me good support. He stopped the flight tests too. The bill passed both houses and should be signed in a few days. We are trying to move to S.A. this week. The conference at Gainesville was very good.

With love to all of you.

Your,
Walter.

May 29, 1936

Friday A.M.
May 29, 1936.

Good Morning!

We have a new maid this morning and she seems to be good. She says she can cook. Once more the world seems rosy – although it really is raining today. It looked as if we might be here for some time yet and I thought it worth while to get someone. Think I’ll pack all silver except that which we use every day and put it under lock & key – just in case. However, she is recommended as being honest. Anyhow, if you will come home I think I can be with you more than I was last time.

May 29, 1936

May 29, 1936

Kenneth came home this A.M. I haven’t talked with him yet. Elton’s job is gone for good. He is getting mighty tired staying around home with nothing to do. He has no money to buy gasoline or whiskey.

We all are well. Hope you are. Shall we be seeing you soon?

Always with love.

Your
Ina.

May 19, 1936

Tuesday PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

I am sending a list of furniture as given for the bids. The bids are being sent to Mr. Hall with the request that he send them to transfer companies. They are to be returned to Atlanta for opening. An award will be made to the successful bidder when bids are received at Washington. It seems not too early to start these.

May 19, 1936

May 19, 1936

We are getting office space in the Travis building #1010. It should be ready for occupancy on Saturday of this week. I am going out there, but I do not know how soon, to get things started and will come back to accompany you to Tex. If it is at all possible I’ll come home again before going out there. Things are happening so fast that I cannot tell.

Roberts had a satisfactory conference with Mr. Strong at Sacramento yesterday. We are getting started out there. R.A. will return by Phoenix Arizona (tomorrow) and Tucson Thursday. The bill is supposed to be signed about June 1 as Congress is expected to adjourn about that time.

Bruce is returning from a trip over the S.E. except S.C. He will go up there later. We have the Florida set up to work out in detail but I think we know it pretty well.

Claudelle received the large pictures of some negroes who had screw worm in the nose and she is trying to make them pretty.

With all my love,

Your
Walter

May 17, 1936 (Walter)

Sunday PM. 5/17.

My dear Sweetheart,

Regret very much that I could not come to Savannah this Sunday, so many things are crowding that I simply must get some of them decided upon while I can have a little quiet to do them. Mr. Townsend and I have been spending every day and evening on them and we can see some daylight but there are a lot of clouds yet. Mr. Rainwater left yesterday for Oklahoma (Dr. Bishopp had sent Laake up there on a report that 25 cases had been brought in from Mexico).

May 17, 1936 (Walter)

May 17, 1936 (Walter)

We did not get space in the Milam building, but are forced to the Travis building. It is not so good. R.A. will have to take bids for himself and he may get in some other building. For the time being he will quarter with us. Latest news is that the bill will be signed about June 1st. We hope to get the Texas men appointed by then. I’ll go out there ahead of Townsend & Mitchell. They will bring truck load of furniture from Atlanta. Some has been shipped from Savannah and is there now.

If I can possibly arrange it I’ll come home the latter part of this week. I need to go to Valdosta on business & perhaps I can get Dr. White to ride to Savannah with me.

With lots of love to the three of you.

Your
Walter.

P.S. I expect Walter White to be a real good boy and to take my place when I am not at home. The enclosed check is more significant than the last one.

W.E.D.

May 17, 1936 (Ina)

Monday A.M.
May 17, 1936.

Dearest Sweetheart:

We were very much disappointed that you did not come this week-end. Since we did not hear anything to the contrary we were expecting you. I even turned the cover down on Dr. White’s bed Saturday night.

May 17, 1936

May 17, 1936

After itemizing our furniture I telephoned the Fireproof Storage Co. to be sure I had done it correctly. They are the ones who moved Mr. Hall and they already have John’s bid for moving his furniture from Fort Pierce. Mr. Bradley of that company said that the only reason there was any difficulty in getting Mr. Hall’s bids approved was that he was trying to ship both the things that the government was willing to move (laboratory material) and the things that they were not willing to move (household furniture). He said it was better not to list the furniture. All that is necessary is to state that it is furniture for a __ room house. He has the blanks at his office and suggested that you go there to see him next time you are in Savannah. He knows you as he had several conversations with you in regard to Mr. Hall’s furniture. His van would pick up our furniture here and the same van would unload it at our house in San Antonio. He said he thought his company was the only one in Savannah that could do that. The Fireproof Storage Co. represents the Aero Mayflower Transit Co. which moves furniture all over the United States, Mexico and Canada. He said they had had a great deal of experience in moving gov. employees’ furniture, especially from Fort Screven.

We hope to see you this week-end, Honey.

Lots of love,
Ina.