Chicago 2/18 -’38
We left Wash 5PM yesterday and expect to get to Mpls tomorrow 8 AM. A few hours here and I am getting some gloves & light weight wool sox. Cold weather ahead. Will be Mpls through Monday, Fargo ND on Tues., then stops Montana & south to St. Lake City to meet RA and Townsend. Expect to be San Antonio in about 10 days. Cannot tell just when.
Claudelle had not arrived Wash when I left but is expected there.
WED.
February 18, 1938
My dear Sweetheart,
I am enclosing the annuity contract with a receipt of the Mass. Mutual that monthly payments to July 20 are charged to the loan. The difference between $1500 & $1790.01 equals the $50 monthly payments less interest. Payments made between now and July 20 apply on the principal. I am enclosing a yellow envelope which gives the agent’s address at Savannah (H H Wilson). I think we should send $100 per month and mark the checks Reduction of Loan on A2620.
February 16, 1938
The papering is being done at the Dallas house this month and the check from Mr. Chamberlain will be a small one. The check for the 1st payment on the Savannah house was to have been made to you by Mr. George McDonnel so you could deposit it. By this time you have received it, no doubt. I am enclosing the cancellation by Mrs. Nellie Adams which should be kept with our deed in the safety box. Could you replace them in the box also put the Kehoe notes in there for protection.
Enclosed are two old receipts from the Mass Mutual which I had in my bag. Also deposit slips for Lewis Dunbar & Walter White for Nov. 3, 1936. They show the total amounts of the accounts at that time. Please place them in their pass books.
I presume Mr. Townsend sent my check to Minneapolis, West Hotel as I gave this as the address. I have enough money to get to Mpls but for safety I’ll cash a check here on the San Antonio Bank for $50 tomorrow. Am planning to leave tomorrow night for Mpls with Mr. Gaddis. Mr. Andrews will leave about tomorrow too. The authority for 500 thousand to run until July 1 was given today and I started on grasshopper payroll today. Mr. Townsend also started on that payroll today. He and RA will be ready to leave the latter part of this week & will meet Gaddis and me at Salt Lake City. I’ll return by Arizona, N. Mex., get a Studebaker at San Antonio & return to Mpls by College Sta., Texas, Oklahoma A&M & other state colleges en route to Mpls.
Please send a monthly check of $29.15 to Southland Mortgage Col, Gulf States Bldg., Dallas & mark it 3010 Kirmine St. &c.
Will make out expense accounts & income tax at Mpls.
This work is going to be one big rush with shipments of hundreds of cars of poisoned bait into 24 Western states. There are to be about 110 field men & about 10 in the office at Mpls. The season is short for g-hoppers and we are going to be rushed. Think it best to wait until after the rush is over before moving to Mpls. By that time I can tell more about the permanency of that program for me.
Strong will go to the Houston meetings on the 24th & will drive one of the Studebakers from San Antonio.
Claudelle is to be here soon & hope she gets here before I leave tomorrow.
I tried to find the slides showing C.E. larvae in the skin but I am not sure that they are in the dozen boxes of slides I found. Spent about 2 hours looking tonight & will ask Dr. B to send all of them to Dr. K.S.
The Cushings are leaving here Sat. for Texas East meetings at Houston & will see you at San Antonio. I spent 2 nights with them here. Pauline is over her operation & I ate dinner with them Sunday. Dave cooked chicken & dumplings and did a good job of it. I had dinner with the Bishopps one evening.
With lots of love and looking forward to reaching San Antonio.
Your
Walter.
Don’t worry about Evalyn. I have no idea I’ll stop at any places in the Dakotas except Brookings S.D. & Fargo N.D. at the college. I’ll bet she is short & fat like her ma.
W.E.D.
Tuesday Afternoon.
Feb. 15, 1938.
Dearest Sweetheart:
Today we were very happy to have your letter written Friday.
Do you really want us to wait until school closes? I’m perfectly willing to go sooner if you think you will be at headquarters enough for us to see you once in a while. Will you be traveling a great deal between now and June, or will most of your time be spent at Minneapolis? You plan for us to move after the “big rush” is over. When will that be? In the meantime, do you expect to have any occasion to see us in San Antonio? The logical time for us to move seems to be after school closes the last day of May but I don’t want to desert you nor do I want to be in your way.
February 15, 1938 (Ina)
When does this new job cease to be a secret? Mrs. Welker excitedly called me up the other day to know if we were going to move. Mr. Wilkie had heard at the pink boll worm office that the screw worm office was closing and Mr. Townsend was to begin work there. I didn’t give her any idea where we would be or what you would be doing. I told her we probably would know when you returned from Washington.
Will you have something to do with the Mormon cricket work too?
Has your cold gotten well? I do hope so.
We went to Uvalde last week-end. The family pledged secrecy when I told them of your new work. They were proud of you for being assigned to such an important problem and were brave about our moving so far away. They expect to move into their new home about March 1. It is going to be pretty. Reitha was elected the most popular girl in the junior class and Thelma Lee (though married) was elected the most beautiful in the senior class. They won by a large majority. This is for the annual.
Today at noon Mr. Welker telephoned that he had a fine new boy. It came about 2 A.M. and everything is lovely. His name is Thomas Fowler. I’ll go to the hospital to see them soon. He will use Lewis Dunbar’s basket.
I’m invited to a tea to be given tomorrow afternoon in a home on West King’s Highway. Don’t you just love ‘em?
Yes, I signed the deed in the presence of Mrs. Schroeder and the notary (with seal) and mailed it to Mr. O’Donnell the same day I received it.
Sunday A.M. while we were at Uvalde Mama received a special delivery letter from Claudelle telling of her transfer. I hope she reached Washington before you left. I was sorry Mama & Papa had that news on top of news of our prospective move.
Madie says she would love to go with us. I warned her about the climate, distance from her home etc. but she didn’t mind. She corresponds occasionally with a friend who lives in those parts so she knows a little about the country. I think it would be a great comfort to have her with us. What do you think?
The children keep asking when you are coming home. Lewis Dunbar saves you a piece of chewing gum almost every day. I’d love to see you too.
I love you, Honey.
Always, your
Ina.
P.S. I’m glad you sent Mother Dove the check.
Stationery from the Bellevue Hotel, 15 E St. NW Washington, DC.
Friday Night.
My dear Sweetheart,
I am beginning to get oriented in the status of the g hop program but I have a lot to learn about it. Mr. Gaddis was not able to get away so soon and I welcome this chance to get some of my own SW work rounded out and to learn more about my new job. It is about the biggest control job when one considers the area of about 20 states extending from Arizona & Texas to the Canada line, and the very short season filled with long days.
February 11, 1938
I think you should finish the school year and plan to move to Mpls after the big rush is over. If the program does not go over perhaps we can stay in Texas and research screw-worms.
I talked to Claudelle last night. She is coming up here about the 16th to work here.
RA had a time deciding to accept the Mormon Cricket job as assistant leader but I phoned him tonight and he says OK. Bishopp offered him a place in charge of the Menand station but at a lower salary.
Have just had a wire from Quarterman & he accepts a place as 3d in command of the G-hopper ship. He will report when I call for him. At first he declined but I wired him again. Also he phoned me last night.
I spent two nights with Cushings & then came here. Prof. Harned invited me to his home but I told him I had so much paper to work & study that I had to decline. This gave me a chance to come here, otherwise he could criticize me for going to Cushings. He would recommend a man for every vacancy if I visited with him on that line. We have some good college graduates to choose from, ones with previous experience on G-hopper control.
Pauline was operated on for appendicitis but I have not seen the Halls. She is getting along OK & today is about the 5th day. May see them Sunday if I am here though I expect to have a lot of study & plans.
Had dinner with the Bishopps the 2nd night I was here and they were very cordial. Bitsie’s husband does the same kind of advertising work as she. They work for the same advertising company & he makes colored pictures of her pies & cakes etc. He seems to be OK.
Am enclosing a receipt for premiums on the annuity for 6 mos. This was added to our loan of $1500. The policy was forwarded to me here & I’ll send it to you when I have a long envelope. Did you return the deed to Savannah? You will receive 180 notes & the debt deed. They should be kept in the safety box at the bank.
With love
Your Walter
Stationery from the law offices of Lawton and Cunningham, Savannah, GA. I believe Walter and Ina held onto their house in Savannah and rented a place in San Antonio when they moved. Now they’re selling the house in Savannah, as Walter’s new job in grasshopper control won’t be based in either of those cities.
Savannah February 7, 1938
My dear Ina,
Enclosed find Deed already signed and notarized by me. You should go to a notary and with one other witness & execute it in the place indicated for your signature. Be sure to get seal. There is a lady notary on N. Flores about 2 blocks from your house where you and I went. Then mail the deed to Mr. George O’Donnell of above address. The 180 notes @ 37.17 and Debt Deed have been examined and are in good shape according to Mr. O’Donnell & as far as I am able to tell. The insurance check had already been received when I called at the bank this A.M. Having lunch with John Sarah & R.A. tonight. Leaving 8 PM – arriving Wash. at 11:30 AM tomorrow. Check, notes, & Debt Deed will be mailed to you from here, together with statement of adjusted differences on taxes, ins. etc.
With love
Walter.
February 6, 1938
Stationery from the White House Hotel, Gainesville, FL.
Jan. 29 – Friday*
Dear Sweetheart,
It was a joy to get your letter yesterday and I am sure that my letter reached you. I know that you have not been as comfortable in that house as you should have been, and I hope you are getting the best use of Madie with the fires and attending children. I think you should call on her to do all those jobs. You have had a lot of cold weather. It is cold here now but for the greater part of January it has been like summer.
January 29, 1938
Strong insists that he won’t have Bruce at the head of one of his offices & steps have been taken to get Mr. Roberts down here. On account of the strong friendship between Bruce and the University people here, they are going to resent this & are apt to make efforts to keep Bruce. Yeomans will protest if Roberts comes down & Bruce goes out. He likes Bruce & the Fla. job. There are a number of small things, lax methods etc. against Bruce & probably more against McGehee. Strong & Spencer were here two days. Strong is in the state now & will probably leave Dodson down here for further checks. I am sure that they will go over the actual field operations in some detail & that later some of them will check the San Antonio office too.
Bruce is sick in bed with malaria & I’ve discussed the plan for him to return to research with Bishopp. He does not like the idea & says that he will resign. The university here have been trying to get money & to take Bruce from us in the next appropriation as a leader.
I do not know how long I’ll be here but at least for a week or more. May be advisable for me to keep Roberts out but I’ve already followed the suggestion of Strong to get Roberts down here. Yeomans is going to give trouble & he is going to resist on another appropriation. Strong does not want another one on SW.
With lots & lots of love to all of you.
Your
Walter.
* Probably right date, wrong day.
This is apparently a list of people who previously worked on grasshopper control projects for the USDA, but were laid off. The marginalia suggest Walter was looking to recruit some of them back (he’s about to be transferred to grasshopper control). If you wonder why the government had employed so many people for this, or why so many of them got dismissed and then hired back with funding fluctuations, check out Jeffrey Lockwood’s outstanding history of this astonishing pest.
January 1938
Walter’s travel schedule has calmed down a bit, so the letters are further apart. During this trip, Ina is apparently staying at her parents’ house in Uvalde, TX.
Thursday PM.
My dear Ina,
I spent Sunday night at Rock Springs, Monday AM at the Ranch Exp Sta., Monday PM with Mr. Babcock at Sonora, drove to Menard Monday night and was there Tuesday and Wednesday until noon. Arrived home yesterday PM and just in time to catch some needed correspondence with Washington.
August 26, 1937
The trip was an enjoyable one and a hot drive. All of the stops and visits were much worth while. All were friendly and cordial. Dr. Melvin had me to lunch and dinner and during the evening the Kniplings* came over with their two girl babies. One about 6 mos. old and one about 1-1/2 years old. The Menard lab bunch are hard workers and the work is well planned. They seem to be going somewhere and I think they are going with screw worm control. The treatments look mighty good and they are anxious to contribute something to help us.
Mr. Brundrett turned in his equipment and is packing for Valdosta. Dr. Brennan is leaving Saturday AM (Daylight) to report Wash. on Sept. 1. We are continuing to shrink.
Mr. Gaddis phoned from Houston this AM regarding some cars. Says he is mighty well pleased with the different people from our division. I mentioned Miss Chindenen but he does not hold that against us.
Tell Walter White and Lewis Dunbar to be good boys and I am going to find out about it when I get there, which may be Saturday PM.
I wanted to surprise you by mowing the lawn but there is no lawnmower on the back porch or under the porch or in the garage. Maybe it is in Madris’ house. I hope it was not stolen.
With love,
Walter.
* Remember the name Knipling. He will become very significant in the screw-worm control story.
Stationery from the Gulf Coast Limited train.
Friday the 14th.
My dear Ina,
Will reach Gainesville this noon and will be with Roberts until about Saturday PM. A bill was introduced in Fla. legislature for $100,000 for the next two years for control of S.W. There are also some matters to discuss with Roberts.
May 14, 1937
The SW item passed the Senate Committee for only $75000 and Strong says that is all we can count on but that we will get that much. Conferences in Wash. were quite satisfactory. Am getting 6 new cars on this year’s fund with trade in of all 1935 cars. Will have two new 4 door sedans at San Antonio, 1 new 4 door sedan and 1 2 door at Gainesville. Also will get 2 pick up trucks & 2 new sedan deliveries. Bishopp conference resulted in abbreviated section on carcass burning with statement that it was a sanitary procedure but should not be depended upon to control the screw worm. I think I won a decisive battle on this. It was not carried to Strong for a decision. Strong was friendly and most pleasant but made me win my case on the automobiles. Spent one night with Prof. & Mrs. Harned. Did not see Halls or Mrs. Cushing. Mr. Cushing is in Texas now. With love to all of you & especially to my wife.
Walter.
“Easter Greeting by Western Union.” This was almost certainly a “canned” message the telegraph company would send at a discount rate.
WATERTOWN SDAK
WALTER WHITE DOVE AND FAMILY =
533 W MAGNOLIA ST SAN ANTONIO TEX =
I SEND YOU GOOD CHEER, NEW HOPE AND BEST WISHES FOR GREAT HAPPINESS THIS EASTER =
WALTER.
March 28, 1937