Thursday Night 9/10.
My Dear Little Girl,
At last I am down here alone, as Dr. White left tonight, and there is one dear little girl whom I wish for above everything else. I’d be mightily happy if you were here right now.
September 10, 1925 (Walter)
Dr. White’s train did not leave until 6PM which was after my train returned to the beach. He enjoyed it here and said that he would like to stay right here and keep on this problem. He really hated to leave. This was not due to my hospitality in particular, but the problem is so interesting and the climate and conditions for the work were so good that I believe that this accounts for his enjoyment. He invited me to use his lab in Washington at any time and assured me that there would always be room up there if I wanted to do some work there. Before leaving, we went back to the real estate office and he invested in three more tracts of land, making five in all. He is thoroughly sold, and will go back to Washington as a Florida booster. This gives him 50 acres and I really believe that within a year, one tract can be sold for enough to pay for the other four. $75 per acre is not much for acreage high and dry, so near a fast growing city. In Dallas, Mr. Munger of the Continental Gin Co. paid $163,000 for his 163 acres of land which at that time was miles from any development in the city. This was about 1912. The land was not adapted for any use as it was rough and cut into by small ravines. He developed this, with building restrictions for nice two story homes only, and in this one development he made a small fortune. The same thing has been accomplished in most every city showing growth, and I really believe that our acreage and also Dr. White’s will be suitable for use in such an addition here. It would not be unreasonable to suspect that this property may be wanted for a similar development and which would bring $1000 per acre or more. The Miami people here paid much more than this for some of their tracts. At $75 per acre, with the knowledge that this could not be bought after the 20th of this month for less than $100 per acre, it is a mighty safe and conservative investment. Here’s where Mr. & Mrs. Dove will cash in something, and Dear it will come in mighty handy for us.
I had a personal letter from Mr. Bishopp tonight. He will write another letter tomorrow. He did not mention the possibility of all winter work down here, but it is quite likely that he will favor it. He did not mention Mr. Brundrette, and it is his vacancy which makes me believe that we will have additional funds which would permit me to do field work here all winter. The economy program of the President makes it difficult to secure additional appropriations, and our request was turned down with others. This was not the Florida work request, but one which was requested from Texas. It so happens that the same problem affects this state seriously and I am going to make a few good contacts with the idea of having it added to the bill in Congress. We believe that it can be added and we hope that the requests will be strong enough to get it in over the Budget Committee. If we get that increase, there will be enough to do quite a bit of work in Florida, without an appropriation I had intended to work for. In other words, I am going to combine my efforts with those already given from Texas to show that their problem is not local but is important and affects the whole South. The problem has to be an urgent one in order to get more money. Don’t let this worry you, Dear, for whether we get it or not I’ll be on the pay roll from the regular appropriation just the same as I am now.
Had a note from my landlady tonight. I hadn’t seen her for a few days and suspected that she had gone. She is in West Palm Beach and will be here Sunday, but will not spend the winter here. She wants to rent me the cottage for the winter and says that the price will be as reasonable as any at the beach. I have very little doubt but what you would like it here until Spring (June). It looks better on the inside than it does from the street, and is modern except for gas to cook with. The bath is a shower like all of them down here, as everyone uses the surf and then rinses when they return. I can’t engage this or any other place until I know for sure where we will be.
This is getting to be a long chat and I must go to sleep, Dear. I love you and “you bet” I’d like to tell you in the most “impressive” way. You are just as sweet as you can be.
Your
Walter.