Monthly Archives: February 2013

April 23, 1938

Stationery from the Chicago & North Western Line railroad.

Saturday Night

My dear Ina,

Have been at Minneapolis since Monday night late. At present Mr. Dorward, Mr. Spencer and I are en route to Salt Lake City. Mr. Spencer is the business manager of the Bureau and seems to have found things in pretty good shape at our office. He is on his way to the Mormon cricket office. Mr. Gaddis will be back in Mpls this week but I hope that I can be there by the time he comes. From Salt Lake we go to Logan Utah, Moscow Idaho, Pullman Washington, Corvallis Oregon, Reno Nevada (I have a committee there) and perhaps to Denver on my return. I need the time at Mpls but can’t be in two places at the same time.

April 23, 1938

April 23, 1938

I sent the checks by airmail & I think they were on the way at the same time as your letter. Sorry that your bank acct. was so depleted. I had lost track. Did you get the Kehoe check? Will try to see that you are not almost embarassed again.

I am expecting Walter White to look after you and Lewis Dunbar while I am away. When you move to Mpls will teach him about fishing for pike. They are a game fish.

With love to the three of you.
Walter

April 19, 1938

Tuesday Night April 19, 1938

My dear Ina,

I am enclosing 1 salary check $225.16, 1 expense check $102.85 and 1 check from Mr. Chamberlain for $35.65 for deposit. I believe I endorsed with the full name this time. I am keeping one expense check for 41.65. Also had the salary check for April 1 in American Express checks. Am returning Mr. McAvoy’s letter re: collection Kehoe’s notes and it seems OK.

April 19, 1938

April 19, 1938

Dr. Wakeland and I went to Brookings, then Fargo & I returned here at 2 AM today. It is now 12 PM & the elevator man wants to go.

I love you Honey and don’t forget it.

Your
Walter.

April 17, 1938

Stationery from the Hotel Graver, “Homelike appointments with good eats at our coffee shop,” Fargo, ND.

Sunday 4:00 PM

My dear Sweetheart,

Dr. Wakeland came to Mpls Friday morning and Saturday we drove to Brookings for a conference with the committee on cricket and G hop control. Last night we came as far as Watertown where we spent the night and today we drove here. He has a conference with Prof. Munro this evening and I expect to sit in it with him. Tomorrow Mr. Shotwell and Dorward will attend a meeting of our G hop men with me. Dorward arrived at Mpls Sat. AM after Wakeland and I left there. Plan to have him spend a few days in ND to get familiar with G hop control and later in the week I’ll accompany him to Salt Lake City for a visit to the different states out in the N. West. He will have about 8 men in 5 states. We should have been there before now but the other areas were more pressing. We have been shipping bait materials during the past two weeks and by the end of next week we will have delivered the first allotments in all except the N.W. There are now about 60 men working in the field and we expect about 100. Most of the others have been selected and recommended to Wash.

April 17, 1938

April 17, 1938

Since Thursday rains have fallen rather generally over the Dakotas and Minnesota and I believe in the more southern states. About 3 weeks of rainy weather would favor development of G hop diseases and would reduce our job considerably.

The sox, handkerchiefs, ties and the card from the boys were received on the morning of the 14th. I also received ties and sox from Mr. & Mrs. Lewis. I appreciate all of them very much and wish to thank you for selecting them. I am writing a note to Mother Lewis but would appreciate it if you would tell them so too.

This job has kept me in one grand rush ever since it started and I guess it will be that way until the season closes and perhaps for reports then. Nights and Sundays are the same as any other time. Regardless of where I travel, the phone calls and the telegrams reach me. I am sure that you can reach me at most any time through the Mpls office, even if I am not so far from San Antonio.

Wakeland says that he cannot understand Mr. Roberts, and that RA wrote him a memo asking for specific instructions one time. He thinks R.A. should assist him and take responsibility in the work. I told him that R.A. was peculiar at times and that I probably knew him as well as anyone. His judgement is good and when placed in a position where he has to make a decision, he usually does it well. I hope that they get along OK.

Most of the Committees are quiet now and I hope to be aggressive enough so that I am not put on the defensive in this program. I am trying to keep a few steps ahead of them. Many of them are wondering just how far they can go as a state program. They are inclined to take all of the credit just as they have during the past 4 years. My instructions to the supervisors place them under our own office for reports with copies to state leaders. The state leaders have some weak spots which they wish to keep covered and they do not like this. Later, I think they will say that it was all for the best & that they like it.

I received your letter about my visit to Aberdeen and wonder what the letter was like which you did not mail.

I hope that you do not misunderstand about the visit there. I had already written to Mrs. H and told of it when I was at home. I went to Aberdeen because it was Saturday. I wanted to see Mr. Allen of the Dakota Farmer and because I needed to get away from the office strain a while. I was surprised that Evalyn was there and they did not know that I was coming. They were surprised too. I think that you should not feel badly about it at all. The visit was friendly and I think I’ve told you all. At least there isn’t anything to keep from you. I made a friendly visit and that will do until you get here. If you wish to call on them with me, I’ll be glad to take you and the sons. Please forget it.

With lots of love to all of you

Your
Walter.

Separate page

Easter Sunday

Dear Walter White,

Daddy wishes to thank you for the nice big card from you and Lewis on his birthday. He does not feel older and it didn’t hurt a bit when he got to be 44 years old.

All of the snow melted sometime ago and pretty soon the grasshoppers will be hatching. We have about 7500 cars of poison bait and about 100 men to supervise the work in 24 states. It is a big job and Daddy’s telephone rings a great deal.

Will come home as soon as I can conveniently arrange to do so but cannot tell yet.

Love
Daddy.

April 13, 1938

Postmarked Minneapolis, MN.

Wed. Night.

Last week we met 6 state committees, 1 each day, and traveled from here to Little Rock to Madison Wisc. and Lansing Mich., met one committee here Monday. Have about 6 in pile of letters waiting and we are shipping bait materials. KDQ got back from a western trip. Expect Dorward here next Friday & after visiting Brookings and Fargo with he & Dr. Wakeland the Mormon Cricket man, will go with Dorward to the Northwest. This program has plenty of activity in 24 different states & we are trying to keep ahead of pressure.

Love,
Walter.

April 14, 1938

April 14, 1938

April 2, 1938

Postmarked Minneapolis, MN.

Plan to be away all of next week. Columbia Mo. Monday, Manhattan Kas. Tuesday; Little Rock Wednesday Urbana Ill. Friday; Madison Wisc. Sat. & return here Sat. night or Sunday. Plan see Claudelle few minutes also will meet Rainwater at Little Rock. Plenty of rush work with promise of such a season this year. Most of the force are on duty in the office but few more states to organize.

Love
W.E.D.

April 2, 1938

April 2, 1938

March 29, 1938 (Ina)

Tuesday Night
Mar. 29, 1938.

Dearest Sweetheart:

We were glad to have your card and letter and endorsed checks.

I made the deposit yesterday. As soon as I get our bank statement I’ll tell you what our balance is. I’m not sure I have everything on my check stubs. I mailed the Mass. Mutual check for the loan and a check to the Southland Mortgage Co.

March 29, 1938

March 29, 1938

Don’t you love the compliments Messrs. Lawton & Cunningham paid our business ability? Tomorrow I shall send 11 notes to Mr. McAvoy for collection. If he charges the fee that real estate agents charge for collecting rent our “profit” on the sale will be reduced even further. Let’s hope he will be satisfied with the bank account.

Please tell us, did Dorothy Peets marry Albert or the man in Gulfport? We are so anxious to know.

I’m enclosing a card Claudelle wrote Mama & Papa. We have had a letter since then in which she said she was going to ask for leave to come home before we move. I do hope she can. We didn’t go to Uvalde last week-end after all. We found that, although Mama & Papa had moved into the new house the carpenters were still building cabinets etc. We thought we might be in their way. We do intend to go this Friday though.

One evening last week Gilbert came and visited with us. He has been on another visit to Augusta since we last saw him. He is to begin night flying soon. Walter White enjoys his aeronautical conversation.

Your plan for moving sounds good to me except I think I should be here while they are doing most of the packing. You will know the kind of house we will need. I am convinced that it should be much smaller than the one we now are occupying. At Mrs. Schroeder’s one afternoon I met Mr. & Mrs. H.J. Clements of 334 W. 50th St., Minneapolis. They are the elderly couple I was telling you about when you were here. They have been spending their winters in S.A. for several years. They will return to Minn. in May. They have lived there for many years and have children and grand children there. I like them very much. They said they would be glad to be of any service possible to us. Their married son is occupying their home during their absence and the telephone number is Colfax 3622. They live in the Washburn (I believe it is) Park section and said they thought that would be the section we would like. They feel pretty sure that the kind of house we would want would rent for $65 or $70 per month. Is that one of the penalties for living in a cold climate? Of course having Madie with us is going to be expensive but I believe we would have to pay a native more and still we would not be sure of the trustworthiness of a stranger.

Our silver is paid for. I gave the final check the 9th of this month.

The children are feeling fine. The other day while Lewis Dunbar was playing with his toys I heard him say “O dolly, I thought I had this fixed.” I was puzzled at first at the “dolly” until I remembered that little Arthur Johns always pronounces his g’s like d’s.

It is almost ten o’clock and I have some history to study.

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

Always, your
Ina.

P.S. A Mr. Leary, from some storage Co. that has handled some things for you before, came here to see about moving us. Mr. Townsend had told him to get in touch with us he said. Of course he had not received a request to bid on it but he wanted to be sure to have a checnce. He wanted to know if Mr. Puchett was going to handle the bids. Is he?

Love,
Ina.

March 29, 1938

Tuesday Night 3/29.

My dear Sweetheart,

Enclosed herewith are two receipts and a note from Mr. Chamberlain. The difference of 65 cents will be added to the check for next month. He says that he will build the fence with the material purchased and the old fence. I think he will do a good job.

March 29, 1938

March 29, 1938

Things are rushing here in getting estimates of needs, appointments of men, mimeographing of instructions and the worst of all meeting the many callers. If I get through this season without getting “luny” I think I’ll be doing pretty well. Gaddis is in Gulfport now and will go to the West Coast the latter part of the week. He will be here next week. Quarterman is on a trip getting New Mex., Arizona, Cal. Nev. and Utah started on their programs. He will be away most of next week. The traffic men for shipments have not reported yet but we expect approval of their appointments at any time now. We bought some mill run bran about 10 days ago and have been waiting for the market to get right again. Additional purchases will be made when shipping starts and from the smaller mills located near the points needed.

Saturday I drove to Aberdeen and telephoned Mrs. Hulett when I arrived and after I had requested a hotel down town. Evalyn answered the phone and was most cordial. I went down there after I had dinner at the hotel.It was about 8 PM when I got to the hotel and about 8:45 when I got to the house. Both of them were nice to me but I sensed a hard feeling toward me by Mrs. H. She was pleasant but it seemed to be forced. We visited a while principally about people I had known there and then Evalyn and I walked across to Lowell & Mildred Winters home. We visited with them, saw their children and then the four of us drove about town while all pointed out the new buildings and improvements, and they do have some. We returned to the house (Mrs. H) about 11:30 and visited with Mrs. H a while. Both she and Evalyn seem to have learned to depend upon themselves during the past 14 years and both are more practical than when I saw them last. Questions from the Winters about when I would bring my family to Mpls seemed to be most interesting to Mrs. H. and Evalyn. The latter cried some but kept control so as not to attract attention of the others. I think Mrs. H felt just a bit mean then but kept from saying anything. I told them a few little things of interest about your being such a wonderful mother to the children and something about the boys and Madie. The Winters asked that I bring you and the boys to see them when you move to Mpls. I did not hear an invitation from Mrs. H.

Sunday morning I had the car serviced and at noon I took Mrs. H. and Evalyn to dinner down town. Mrs. H. was in a little better humor after dinner but I do not recall a single laugh like the ones of years ago. Amusing parts of the conversation sometimes brought a weak smile. I have an idea that Evalyn had her promise to be on good behavior.

Both Mrs. H. and Evalyn seem older and more practical. They had been in two train wrecks and I was told the details. Neither seemed to show any physical effects but they did collect from the RR for one of them, but Mrs. H. thought that it was not enough.

Evalyn asked questions about you and the boys and made the comment that those boys should have been hers. She seemed to be pleased that I had such a nice wife, wanted to know how large you were and a description. One part of the conversation was that she had built up her hopes that she and I would probably get married and that the bottom dropped out. The trip to Texas was an effort to get things fixed up but it was too late then. She said that Mrs. H. blamed herself for it. Her first marriage was a miserable failure and she said very little about it except that the baby was buried at Sodus NY and the relatives asked about me and why she and I did not make a match. While visiting in the afternoon Mrs. Anderson (the mother of Mrs. Winter) came by to say hello to me. Lowell and Mildred had told her that they saw me. She is quite a bit like Mother Lewis and asked that I bring you and the boys to see her.

Evalyn is married to a Mr. Glenny and lives at Mott N.D. They have been married about seven years and have no children. Mr. Glenny had been married before and had no children by the previous marriage. Mrs. H. and Evalyn take turns in visiting each other and each spends about 3 weeks with the other. All I learned was that she had a nice home, Mr. Glenny was much older than Evalyn and that he has a mercantile business at Mott. The past seven years have been crop failure years and he has a lot of money on the books. Evalyn said that his brother was in partnership but died about a year ago. Evalyn and Mr. Glenny spent some time in Texas one winter, the one before we moved to San Antonio. They stopped at the Gunter and thought the Milam Cafeteria about the best they found anywhere. She went to Alaska on one trip but returned on the same boat, inside passage, before she and Mr. Glenny were married.

The visit was not altogether pleasant but I am glad that I made it. I think they were surprised that I called on them but I believe they were pleased that I did not come to Aberdeen without calling. I believe that is about the story and I hope you didn’t mind.

With love to my wife & sons,

Your
Walter.

March 23, 1938

Wednesday Night.

My dear Sweetheart & Boys,

Enclosed herewith you will find the two salary checks endorsed Walter. I have not been called on this before now but always noticed the full name before endorsing them. I hope you will have no further trouble with them and can deposit them before you leave for Uvalde Friday PM.

March 23, 1938

March 23, 1938

The program and the office work are gradually taking form and we expect everything to be going before long. Will have to go to the West Coast after things are going here. I am assigning Mr. Butcher my asst. to the Great Plains states N. Dak. to Texas, and have managed to get Mr. George Decker from Iowa for the Miss. Valley states. I offered Dorward 2600 for the Western or Pacific Coast states on a year around basis and he has accepted. I am wiring Wash. to confirm before I put papers through. I think he has enough of the oil job and on a year around basis should make a good man.

Have not seen Helen Quarterman yet but Kenneth says she is OK. Before long they are going to have me eat dinner with them.

Butcher & Shotwell have been here the past two days. Work is being started as they train men in different states. The manual is yet in process of making but we are beginning work with what we have ready. Many of the men get their training before the appointments are made.

When you are ready to move the successful bidder could call for the key and pack everything while you visit at Uvalde. Let the furniture move and be placed in a house which I will select here and when you come you can move in. Think I can come by air and drive back with you, making stops en route to see our state supervisors or take leave and bring the family including Madie up here.

With love to all of the Boys & to my Wife.

Your
Walter.

PS

Would suggest sending the note to Mr. O’Donnell and 11 others to Mr. McAvoy, Cashier Broughton Street Branch, Citizens & S. Nat. Bank and request that he make collections for us and deposit in our joint checking account. There would be no checking change if we allowed them to accumulate and check out at one time. I believe this is best.

W.E.D.

Please send the monthly check to the Southland Mortgage Co. Gulf States Bldg., Dallas, for $29.15. Will see the parent company here about paying $500 on June 4th.

W.E.D.

March 18, 1938

707 Thorpe Bldg
Friday Night

My Dear Ina & Boys,

I am enclosing two salary checks also a check from Miss Anderson for $20 on a loan. Please deposit them. They are endorsed for deposit and the book is enclosed. I wish you would keep the pass book with you.

March 18, 1938

March 18, 1938

We bought 1650 tons of milled bran yesterday and we expect to get some shipments moving next week when the traffic man and the rate man join our office.

I am expecting Mr. Gaddis tomorrow morning and he will be with me for a few days at least. He and Roberts met some state men at Billings yesterday. Our men are beginning to report for duty. Mr. Miller started at College Sta. yesterday when the conference was held there.

Stillwater conference tomorrow and Brookings 3/21. Things are starting OK considering the new office and everything.

With love
Walter

This grasshopper control campaign grew out of the prairie states’ apocalyptic experiences with Rocky Mountain locusts (Melanoplus spretus) in the late 19th century. After M. spretus’s mysterious dissappearance, other species of grasshoppers partially filled its niche, forming large swarms across the region periodically. Walter’s new job is to prevent the next one of these swarms. To do that, the USDA is mixing bran with one of the few insecticides available at the time, probably an arsenic compound. They’ll spread this poisoned bait on the soil to kill the emerging grasshopper nymphs before the growing season. The 1,650 tons of bran Walter mentions here hints at the scale of this operation.