Category Archives: Uncategorized

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.

March 16, 1938

707 Thorpe Bldg
March 16, 1938.

My Dear Ina and Walter White,

I appreciate your letters very much and also I am glad you sent a letter from Mother Dove. My trip back here from SA was a most interesting one as it was a visit after another on grasshoppers in the different states. Kenneth was here and the office was open but not in good shape. The furniture is not placed yet but 6 to 7 of us work here trying to get the preliminary work under way. Mrs. Hastings arrived yesterday 3 PM and as there were no taxis here (they are on a strike) I met the train with the govt. car and carried Mrs. H. & Miss Anderson & the baggage to their new home. Mrs. H worked today. (I drew one check for the Internal Revenue Office for $26.04 & one to Mother D for $50 today)

March 16, 1938

March 16, 1938

I have the last salary check and will get another in a day or two and will send both of them for deposit at San Antonio.

Enclosed you will find statement from the Mass. Mutual Life Ins. Co. of a balance of $341.71 after crediting 78.29 of dividends. I think it would be a good idea to send this & the policy registered and ask that the endorsement be changed to read Paid.

With love
Walter

Excuse stationery please.

March 14, 1938

Postcard postmarked Minneapolis, MN.

Monday 3/14

Am sending card to Kehoe to send checks to you & you will send notes.

We are rushing to get men started & to prepare for purchases of last materials. It is now 11 PM.

Prepaid Income Tax blank & will mail it when it is notarized tomorrow morning.

With love
Walter.

March 14, 1938

March 14, 1938

March 7, 1938

Stationery from the Hotel Lindell, Lincoln, NE.

Monday Night.

My dear Sweetheart,

The conference at College Station was satisfactory and Mr. Fred Butcher, my assistant met me there. They asked for Spicer and A.A. Miller also Mr. Gable. Butcher and Dr. Shotwell, in charge of survey work for me, will hold a training conference there on the 17th, also 1 other man.

March 7, 1938

March 7, 1938

At Stillwater Mr. Rainwater wants a job again and the training conference will be held on March 19 by Butcher & Shotwell. Will get a Mr. Moore & another man, probably Mr. Maxwell who worked on screwworms.

At Manhattan will get a man who served last year also two others to be selected by Prof. Dean and Dr. Kelly.

Will get through here tomorrow, Tuesday, & proceed to Ames Iowa for another conference to be held on Wednesday. I should get into Minneapolis on Thursday. I feel that I am getting something accomplished and I will have plenty ahead of me on my return to Mpls. I’ve wired instructions for Quarterman and they will have plenty to do before my arrival there.

Butcher will make arrangements in New Mex., Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. Also hold training conferences for men selected for the work. Shotwell will join him on most of these.

I had a lonesome trip up. Butcher left me at Stillwater & the rest has been by myself. Everything is shaping up OK and I think we will be ready when ghoppers start. The winter has been ideal for them and the greatest outbreak yet is expected if they cannot be controlled when they hatch.

Will write again from Mpls (707 Thorpe Building). With lots and lots of love,

Your
Walter.

March 6, 1938 (Ina)

Sunday Afternoon.
March 6, 1938.

Dearest Sweetheart:

I’m wondering where you are and what you are doing this afternoon. We hope you reached College Station on time and hope your entire trip has been a pleasant one. We enjoyed your visit so very much.

Walter White and Tommie are skating and Lewis Dunbar is beside me on the couch talking a blue streak.

We had a light norther last night which made it cool enough for me to wear my fur coat to church this A.M.

March 6, 1938 (Ina)

March 6, 1938 (Ina)

Yesterday I went to Pincus’ 1/2 price sale again. I just couldn’t resist buying several things for the children – for Walter White a good looking brown suit (coat, vest & 2 prs. long trousers), 1 dark brown pigskin jacket, 1 slip over sweater, 5 long sleeved shirts and 1 pr. outing pajamas (all they had left), everything in 14 yr. size so he can wear them next winter. I realize the unlined leather jacket will be too light for midwinter but it will be good for Fall and Spring. For Lewis Dunbar I bought 2 all wool two piece suits, 1 slip-over sweater and one coat sweater. These are in size 6 and should fit him by Fall. He wears size 5 now. All this is good merchandise and I couldn’t resist it at 1/2 price. The things are stored in your big trunk in the toy room in plenty of dichloricide. You see I had to fill in some of the space left vacant when you took all your clothes away.

The important papers left by you have been placed in our safety deposit box, checks sent to the New England Mutual and the fire insurance agency in Dallas and a request sent to the Massachusetts Mutual for the amount of balance on our loan after dividends have been deducted. The latter probably will be mailed to your office address in Minneapolis as I thought it advisable to notify them of the change of address from 1010 Travis Bldg. Should I mail $29.15 to Investors Syndicate soon? Don’t you think Mr. Kehoe would like it better if you were the one to ask him to make his payments directly to us here? I can mail him the receipted notes as soon as the checks are received. The first one will be due the 17th of this month.

Yesterday afternoon Walter White, Lewis Dunbar, Russell and I spent 2 or 3 hours at Brackenridge Park. Madie was off, you know. This afternoon we plan to take a picnic supper to some place in the country. Yes, we shall return before dark.

Walter White wrote the letter without any help from me. I didn’t even know what he was writing until it was finished.

Polly has lost 6 lbs. since the rush started. She will need a rest when she reaches Minneapolis but no doubt she will find just as much work there as she is having here. She was not complaining at all. She just casually mentioned the loss of weight in connection with the rush. Perhaps the invigorating climate will be refreshing.

Wednesday we are to have our 6 weeks exam in history. I can’t get used to exams. They make me so weak and nervous that I can hardly write, much less think.

Please remember me to Doris. I’m sure she will be glad when Polly arrives.

We hope all goes well with you.

Lots of love,
Ina.

February 22, 1938

My dear Sweetheart,

We are busy trying to locate new quarters, select some help and make preliminary arrangements. Mr. Gaddis, Mr. Andrews and Miss Anderson are here, and tomorrow we expect to have another stenographer. Gaddis and I are going to Fargo ND the latter part of the week and will try to get the SD people to meet us there for a conference. Next week we go to Bozeman and I have an idea that we will be there most of the week. We may be able to get away soon enough to meet RA & Townsend by the first of the following week. We cannot set the dates yet but will wire tomorrow so he can meet us. He wants all of the time he can get at SA, and we want to give him as much as possible.

February 22, 1938

February 22, 1938

It was about zero the night Andrews and I arrived, but it has been much warmer since then. Miss Anderson arrived Monday PM & Gaddis Sunday night. The streets are pretty sloppy. Today was a holiday but we have been having conferences and interviewing prospective employees. Tomorrow at 3 PM Dr. W.A. Riley will call. A number of students have been recommended from Minn., & he is no doubt interested in their chances of employment. We are hiring a good man for Minn. who worked in North Dakota on ghoppers since 1934. A good man. We are getting two stenos who served on previous ghop campaigns. They are now working with the U.S. Engineers and two others from Civil Service seem to be well qualified. Mr. Andrews is an auditor and is not going to be as helpful as Townsend. He will do the purchasing or rather the paper work connected with purchasing. We are buying 8 desks and it looks like we are going to have about 11 people in the office here. Butcher & I will be in the field some and I expect he will be out most of the time. I want Kenneth so I can get out some.

Claudelle decided to stay in Little Rock so Mr. Gaddis tells me. She will get her increase to grade 3 there which is probably good judgement on her part. It is much more expensive at Wash. & when she goes there she should have a much better salary. I imagine the art materials and furniture at San Antonio will be sent to her at Little Rock.

We had five new typewriters delivered today. We expect furniture soon also some 24 pick up trucks and 6 big trucks. About 7500 carloads of grasshopper bait will be shipped to areas where infestations are expected and the state leader (paid by the state) will act in charge in each state. It looks like we will have about 110 men in the field. All from the Mpls office. Roberts will have about half as many on Mormon crickets and will use a lot of labor. RA will be in charge. I know that he isn’t going to be wild about his assistant, I agreed to let him have Mr. Schmitt who will get $2600. This should help some.

I think this is going to be a very satisfactory arrangement under Gaddis. I need just such a contact with the chief’s office in Wash. He seems very fair in every way and a helpful chief.

With love and looking forward to seeing you in about two weeks, I am,

Your
Walter.

Address c/o Dr. J.R. Parker, BOE & PQ, Bozeman, Montana. Will send telegram from there or will wire Tourate.*

* A Tourate Telegram was a special discount-rate message people could send to report their location.

February 18, 1938 (Evening)

Stationery from the West Hotel, Minneapolis, MN.

Friday night 2/18.

My dear Ina,

Mr. Andrews (the fiscal man) and I arrived about 8 PM and I found your letter waiting. Was glad to know that you got back from Uvalde OK. There is so much danger in driving the highways, I worry about your driving when the traffic is heavy. I know that Mother Lewis wants you to drive during daylight hours and will let you leave Uvalde early. I think it is a good idea to do so.

February 18, 1938 (Evening)

February 18, 1938 (Evening)

My salary check for the 16th was sent here and I’ll buy some American Express money orders with it. I did not draw 50 at Wash. as stated in my letter. I told you about the $100 at Savannah, and I gave John Hull 15.50 of it to take care of his moving expense to our house. Enclosed herewith is Mr. Chamberlain’s check for $35.00. His note says he has not had the papering done as yet. It is being endorsed for deposit.

Andrews and I are going now to see the office space used last year. Tomorrow AM we take bids also get a register from Civil Service for some stenographs. Gaddis will be here Monday. I’ll leave here Monday night for Fargo.

With love
Walter.