Stationery from the Hotel Urmey, Miami, FL.
Tuesday PM.
My dear Ina & Boys,
This is the second day of the meetings here and my paper comes just before noon tomorrow. The title evidently sounds interesting because I had an AP man to look me up tonight. I am not sure that he will give a good write up because I work for a commercial firm. He did get a pretty complete story and I am to phone him at ten tonight to see if he has any other questions. There are no papers by Bureau men, but I note that FCB, Travis and Doernier are here. I expect some remark from FC for giving the paper here instead of the entomological meetings. Think I’ll tell him that there is a lot to the story and that I think we will pass it around to all the meetings where papers of this kind are in order.
November 5, 1946
I am stopping at a residence near one of my customers. I spent this forenoon with him, also a while yesterday. He typed my speech for me and he did a very good job. Had a draft typed at New Orleans. I think it is now in pretty good shape. I hope I can make them understand me tomorrow. There is no address system. Now something about where I have been and where I am going from here. I am not satisfied with my arrangements for tests and I think I’ll stop at Ford Lauderdale to see Mr. Morton. I saw him in New Orleans but it was not very satisfactory. I want to get some tests on animals for horse flies. I plan to go to Orlando briefly and see Dr. Miller who works independently there. I want to see a state entomologist at Lake Alfred which is near Orlando, but I may have to go to Gainesville to see him. Think I should go to Gainesville anyway, then to Savannah. Simmons & 3 of his men are here & they had some good papers.
At New Orleans I had a room at the Roosevelt. Dr. Zink left a note for me and he came with Mrs. Zink the next day. They used his brother’s apartment and he made my room his headquarters during the meetings. She is very nice and I am sure that you will like her. They want you and me to eat dinner with them before long & let Tommy play with their little girl. The day after the N.O. meetings they insisted on taking me to Roxie, but I told him that if he had that much time I’d rather take him to see the regional laboratory at New Orleans & then to Gulfport. So we saw Fred Smith & the regional lab, then Mr. Padgets equipment at Gulfport, and then the termite lab at Gulfport.
They put me on a bus at Gulfport on Thursday noon and I arrived at Roxie Thursday night about 6:30. Marshall got there about 15 minutes ahead of me. Ethel and the two younger boys were with him. Marshall & the boys hunted squirrels part of Friday & caught fish in La. on Saturday. Dunbar finished the church painting on Friday & on Sat. AM he went with Revah to Roxie. Ethel & Mama went with me to Hamburg & the Williams Cemetery on Friday PM. Sat. PM Revah and I walked over the back part of th eplace, also a small tract of land that adjoins the place, about 80 acres that you and I are interested in. Some of it is pasture and some in woods. The location is very good and I hope we get it OK.
At New Orleans I had my pictures in 2 papers. Dr. Zink sent them to N.Y. I gave one to Mother Dove so I do not have any extra copies. You know what I look like anyway (no wisecracks from Walter White and Lewis). One PM at N.O. Dr. Zink and I went to the USI plant and it is a beautiful one. They make alcohols and dry ice from molasses and I found it extremely interesting. The manager & his wife ate dinner with the Zinks and me at Antoine’s. We also had other guests for USI and D&O. A real French dinner of the best they had to offer.
This letter gives some account of my activities, and if you want to reach me during the next few days please try the Hotel Fort Gatlin at Orlando.
With love,
Walter.
