Tag Archives: Texas

June 27, 1936

Saturday Night 6/27 – ’36

My dear Sweetheart,

Was mighty glad to get your letter at College Station during the conference and the other came this morning. Claudelle had saved one you sent to Uvalde so I feel that I am getting news more often than I am sending news to you.

June 27, 1936

The conference was first rate and we have a good bunch of men for Texas. They returned home Wednesday night and Mr. Townsend & I came back to San Antonio. R.A. came back yesterday and I met him at Austin & held a conference with the Commissioner of Agriculture. He is giving some splendid cooperation. Frank made a talk to the state veterinarians’ meeting at Albuquerque today and his resignation became effective today. He reports to the Public Health Service at San Francisco on July 1. Mr. Yeomans left yesterday for Illinois with two scouts and the third will join him at Pittsfield Sunday night. Screw worms (Americana) were reported to Dr. Bishopp and he sent Schroder to the scene. We are now getting our forces out there. Things happen so frequently and at so many different places at one time, that happenings a few hours old soon seem like history. R.A. selected a steno today and within a week we think he will have some help. Also we are trying to get Kenneth appointed as his assistant. We want to get word from Washington before we ask him to start. Rainwater is recommended for a Civil Service job at Savannah and may soon report down there. If so, and he stays at Savannah he will want a furnished place. They would take good care of our place if we rented it furnished to them.

This may be the best thing for a while, so that you can come to Texas. The screw worm control work may continue often this year, but no one can tell. The grief and opposition is more than any of us anticipated. So many things pop up. The research men are quiet now and appear OK but they would like to pin me down for something. On the surface we are getting along. The extension folks in different states are anxious for our program and this causes some worry that we did not have last year. I have not finished going through my mail for this week, that is what I should answer, so you can see that I am behind. Tomorrow I plan to get over & sort all of it so that it can be answered Monday. The wires have kept me going most of this week. So much of it is by wire. Strong is out of Washington and may show up at any place in the field at any time. He is expected in La. about now. Claudelle’s exhibit at A&M is splendid and now she is getting one ready for New Mexico for Wednesday. She visited the fair at Dallas on Tuesday & Wednesday & worked up some publicity for the one up there. It seems to be a good one.

Yeomans is apt to be in the North for about 3 weeks & I do not see how I can come East before he returns. It looks like your husband will not see you real soon, but of course it would not take long to come if I can. We have a short time to make a record in the SW and every minute counts right now.

When I get my nose through this stack of things, I’ll write more & perhaps the next one will sound more like myself.

I love you and you and you, all 3 of you and I wish I could see you.

Your
Walter.

June 21, 1936

1010 Travis Bldg.
Sunday A.M. June 20, 1936*

My dear Sweetheart,

I am at the office this AM and shortly after noon Mr. Townsend and I will drive to Bryan. The training conference starts tomorrow morning and lasts three days. From the conference I plan to go to Albuquerque New Mexico to talk to the veterinary association of the state. Had planned to pass this up, but Babcock wanted me to write his speech and mail it to him. R.A. and I had declined on meetings out there until the Texas work was under way, but I don’t think we can afford to take the chance of letting Babcock run wild. I’ll probably get back to S.A. about next Saturday night or Sunday. There is a chance that Roberts can go from College Station to the veterinary meeting and if so, I’ll let him make the trip. Mr. Yeomans will probably leave here about next Friday for Atlanta and will join Bruce in the rounds.

June 21, 1936

Things seem to be shaping up very well, considering the man made obstacles in our way. Most of the appointments are made for Texas but none for District men for New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. We have about five places in Texas to be selected for, and will have to get additional names before this can be done. The cattle men seem to be with us in better shape than the sheep and goat men, but I think we are going to be able to make a go with even them. All of them resent the idea of being educated to S.W. control, but they seem willing to try our recommendations.

Claudelle completed a nice exhibit yesterday for College Station. Tomorrow night she is going to Dallas to see the exhibit up there. She will call on Mr. Schoefelmeyer of the Dallas News (Agricultural editor).

The office seems to function in harmony and with practically no interruption on account of the move to S.A.

Invited Mr. Strong to the conference but Rohner wires that he is not in Washington & unable to attend. We are expecting him to drop in on the meeting at College Station unannounced. We think he is in Louisiana or will be there in a day or two.

Have not looked at houses any since Mr. Townsend and I looked at one evening, but will do so when the conference is over. They are not as plentiful as one would expect. Mother Lewis is anxious for you to come out there for a while but I told her that you would have to find a house and get the furniture unloaded before you visited.

I enjoyed Walter White’s letter and I am glad that he is trying to be a good boy. I hope he succeeds. It is pretty hot out here but I think he can stand the heat. The Mexicans don’t care how hot it gets.

With love,

Your
Walter.

P.S. Will try to get there in time to claim the bonus before 30 days is up. Ask if they can forward or if I can write & have them forwarded.

* The 20th was a Saturday, so I’m assuming Walter got the day right and date wrong.

June 16, 1936

YMCA, San Antonio TX
June 16, 1936.

My dear Sweetheart,

Pardon the pencil but my fountain pen is on the 4th floor in another coat pocket and this “Y” does not have an elevator.

June 16, 1936

Your letter was a life saver this morning. I saw a card you had written to Mother Lewis on the 8th, but had not heard from you since I came here. The letter was just fine and I am glad that Walter White is a gold pin citizen. Wish you could sell your office so you could move to San Antonio and be with your husband. Before long I think you will sell and it won’t take long when you get some prospects. I am sure that the house will help sell itself.

Claudelle and I drove to Uvalde Saturday afternoon and returned Sunday PM. Saturday night we went to Thelma’s and spent a while. Mother and Daddy Lewis went with us. We saw Reitha and her boy friend. Thelma Lee was at home after turning down about three dates. She seems to have a good friend who returned from college recently and she saves her dates for him. She is pretty and very attractive. Reitha is growing and is somewhat of a young lady herself.

Next Monday Tuesday & probably Wednesday we will hold the training school at College Station for the new supervisors. RA and Frank are going up there tomorrow. It is possible that Doward may be at Beaumont on a short call notice as Mrs. Doward is expecting a youngster about the 18th. We may have to run the school without Doward.

The office work seems to be pretty well organized, and we have a hand picked personnel. I am real proud of the set up.

Enclosed you will find a signature card for the San Antonio National Bank. Please sign on the second line and return the card to me. I made a deposit today in our joint account and they need your signature before you can write any checks against the account. When your card is signed Mrs. W.E. Dove, I’ll sign and return it to the bank. My address is 1010 Travis Bldg., Personal, and I’d be pleased to hear from you as often as you care to write. I know that you are busy and I won’t expect letters often.

Should you want to write to me at College Station the address is care Mr. Kelvin Doward. He has a box but I do not remember the number. I’ll get it OK.

With love to all three of you and looking forward to seeing you.

Your
Walter

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

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 (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

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.

May 7, 1936

Railroad stationery from the Sunset Limited, San Francisco – Los Angeles – New Orleans.

En Route San Antonio to Beaumont. Thursday.

My dear Ina,

The meeting with the Committee turned out quite satisfactory and I feel confident that we will not have more resolutions from them. We worked on individuals ahead of time and Tuesday an open meeting seemed to get things in line. We are stressing the demonstrations and screened hospital pens and the other portion of the program centers about this approach.*

May 7, 1936

Found the Lewis family feeling OK and Claudelle seems thrilled over the new job.

Am spending today at Beaumont and by the time this letter reaches you, I should be in Atlanta again. Brundrett is so slow and inactive it is necessary to move him to California. That is my job today at Beaumont. Will use Doward as state Superintendent.

Office space on 12th floor of Milam building will probably be obtained. Bids went out yesterday and are to be opened Saturday.

R.A., Frank, Brundrett, Duck & Underwood will go to California this week end. Yeoman at San Antonio will work with Doward selecting district men.

With love,
Walter.

* Apparently there was some kind of local resistance to the USDA’s screw-worm control program.

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

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.

September 20, 1931 (Ina)

Sunday Night.

Sept. 20, 1931

Dearest Sweetheart:

Papa and I have returned from church. Mama kept Walter White for us. I was going to carry him tonight to see how he would behave but he missed his afternoon nap and I knew he would be sleepy early. I went to Sunday school and church this morning. I enjoyed Mr. Getzendaurer’s class immensely. His lectures are always very interesting. I enjoy them more than a sermon. He is really a splendid man.

September 20, 1931 (Ina)

This afternoon Ruthven Jordan (of the Uvalde Leader-News), his wife and little daughter carried Walter White and me for a three hour ride. Walter White made friends with him immediately and they had a good time together. Ruthven said he was the best natured child he ever saw. Dozens of people have said that. Mama said tell you that you have a mighty fine son. They have become so fond of him that it will be hard when we take him away. He sits in the swing and talks to Papa lots. The “moont” and “stars” being the most interesting topic of conversation. Excuse me – I started this paragraph on our afternoon ride but as usual I soon begin admiring Walter White. Anyhow, we drove to the “shut-in” and found that a summer camp of cedar log cabins had been built there. It would be a wonderful place to spend the hottest part of the summer. You remember the place on the Frio river near Cou Cou, do you not?

I am wondering if you have arrived in Charleston yet. I am anxious to hear about your trip.

I hope you are feeling fine. I just love you so – I miss you too.

Here’s hoping there will be at least a card from my husband tomorrow.

Lots of love from all of us.

Always, your devoted
Ina.

P.S. Observe the number of “Is” in this letter, will you? It was unintentional.

March 31, 1931

This is a letter to Ina from Anna Laake, wife of one of Walter’s colleagues in Texas. From the address on the envelope, we learn that Walter and Ina were living at 10 Elmwood Ave., Charleston, SC.

Dallas, Texas
3-31-’31

Dear Mrs. Dove and family:

I have thought of you dear people so often and wondered how you were and what you are doing and after seeing Dr. Dove’s name in the paper to-nite I could not resist writing and enclosing the item.

March 31, 1931

Ina I received your letter and also Claudelle’s card which I enjoyed. I know you two are happy to be together again. And so you have found the old town more interesting with Claudelle’s help. I know you must be busy with your house full and I am certain that Walter White is receiving his full share of attention from “all.”

The weather has been just beautiful until the last week and we have had two bad freezes that have ruined many flowers and fruit.

Ernest visited me, arriving Friday evening March 20 – and left Tuesday March 24. He was just out of the hospital, having had a pretty bad case of flu. He came by auto and made it in two days – fortunately the weather was good during the trip and while he was here. He went back by train. I received a letter yesterday saying he was O.K.

You remember Mrs. Parish of Menard? Well the baby arrived O.K. about a month ago. They are so pleased with “him.” Ernest had Mr. Parish to come here while he was in Dallas. Ernest was so busy I saw very little of him while he was here. I can hardly realize he was here.

With very best regards to every one and a big hug for Walter White. I am

Sincerely,

Anna.

May 25, 1930 (Noon)

Sunday Noon.

My dear Sweetheart,

We returned about five o’clock yesterday PM. Mrs. Laake had invited me to eat dinner with them. Mr. & Mrs. Chandler were there also. It was another chicken dinner and it was just fine. I didn’t enjoy the cards one bit. Spent the night with the Laakes and had breakfast over there this A.M. Had some rats and parasites that needed attention so I came back to the lab. Shelmire and his son (JB) came about 11 o’clock and stayed for a while. One of the rats bit his finger.

May 25, 1930 (Noon)

I am going to stop at a restaurant for dinner and then go home. This AM I forwarded a letter from Mrs. Crowley of Nome. Had one from Miller. He is going to Kuskokwim this summer on a range survey.

It was a joy to find your letter when I returned. Will send the Dextrose-Maltose tomorrow. I think a smaller can is OK since there is very little saving in buying the large size.

Hope the company did not give you more to do. You have your hands full with Walter White. I certainly miss you two. I am mighty anxious to see you.

With love

Your
Walter.