Tag Archives: Dallas

July 26, 1924

James B. Young
Tax Collector Uvalde County
Uvalde, Texas

July 26, 1924.

Mr. Walter E. Dove,
Somewhere, I don’t know where.

Dear Walter:

Won’t you please tell me why you refuse to answer my last two letters? I have racked my brain to think of something I might have said or done to offend you, but, to save me, I can’t. I most earnestly beg your pardon if I have, and I sincerely promise never to do so again. I don’t know where you are as I have not heard from you since you left Dallas, but, in order to be sure, I am making this letter in triplicate, sending one to Dallas, one to Jacksonville, and another to Roxie.

July 25, 1924

July 25, 1924

I have already mailed you one letter to Roxie, and, a few days later, one to Jacksonville, (not duplicated, however) but, as far as I know, you have not received either.

I hope I will find out the why and wherefore of it all soon.

Ina Lewis
Deputy Tax Collector, Uvalde County.

July 16, 1924

Dallas Texas
Wednesday PM

My dear Ina,

Excuse this stationery but I am out and within an hour I expect to leave the city for Mississippi. Will be at Jacksonville Fla. on the 21st. Will stop at home for a longer period when I return. The enclosed photos look pretty rough but a week ago the lawn was tall Johnson grass. Bought some shrubs today and he will take care of them and guarantee them to live. Will wait until December to set out some fruit trees, roses, etc.

Excuse this short note but I must hurry. Can’t let my train leave me this time.

Sincerely,
Walter

Address
Professional Building
Jacksonville, Fla.
C/o Dr. Kirby-Smith

July 16, 1924

July 16, 1924

July 7, 1924

Dallas – Mon. Nite

My Dear Ina,

Haven’t heard whether I can address you this way or not, but I am taking the chance and am leaving off the “Miss.” Mrs. Roark gave me two sets of the Kodak pictures one for yourself, and I am taking the liberty to write an extra note in sending them.

I am mighty glad to have some of you though I wish they would show your face more distinctly. These are all that I have of you and I prize them just the same. I haven’t made my trade as yet, but I am about sold on the idea of a brick veneer cottage in Owenwood addition. I guess I should take my chances with a lot or two but so far I haven’t found any that I want to take that much chance with. These new cottages are just completed, brick veneer, living room, dining room, 2 bed rooms, bath, large pantry, kitchen, back porch screened, and front porch small but with bricked sides, cement walks, paving, garage with cement drive. House completed with all fixtures electrical and plumbing with Hoffman instantaneous water heater, also piped for gas. Has every modern convenience except telephone and they will be there this Winter. Located 1 block from end of car line with paving all the way. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that they have hardwood floors, plenty of windows some narrow ones on either side of the large ones, built in book cases, brick mantel and fireplace, big closet in each bed room, built in linen closet and medicine cabinet in bath room. Kitchen sink built with drain boards on either side. The brick are dark color and the shingle roof is green. They are back from the walk about 40 feet (this is a guess) but they are back further than the average, which allows room for a pretty fair size lawn and shrubs. Have two trees between pavement and sidewalks. The whole lot is quite level but slopes enough to drain well. Grass about knee high just now.

July 7, 1924

July 7, 1924

You might think it rather peculiar that I would go into this description which is quite a vague one, but I thought you might be interested. That’s about all I’ve thought of since I returned and I naturally have to tell you something. There are about nine of these cottages together and five of these have been sold and families are living there. The whole addition are brick veneer cottages but vary in design. Most of them are occupied. This addition is quite high, higher than the business section and it is about four blocks of where the new million dollar Ford plant is under construction. As I see it this section will have to develop and property values will have to increase. Mr. Laake says it is a real buy and I believe he wishes that his home was out there. This Ford plant will have 1750 men employed which means about 1000 homes. This residence section is the most desirable for them and it can’t help but develop. As a home it will be very desirable and as an investment it will be good. Don’t know which I’ll use it for in case I close the deal, but it will be great either way. I probably won’t know for sure about the deal for a couple of days, as I expect to look over some more tomorrow and possibly the next day.

I may leave for Mississippi the latter part of the week as Mr. B and I are supposed to be at Jacksonville Fla. on the 20th, and he is anxious to get there earlier so as to return and fill an engagement at Texas A&M on the 30th. I’ll write you again before I leave and I am in hopes that I’ll have a letter from you tomorrow morning. It seems a long time since I had one, but I must not expect so much.

I hope you will pardon me for the crudeness of this letter as it is not intended as a real estate advertisement. I just couldn’t help but tell you.

Please remember me to your Mother and Sister.

Always,
Walter

July 1, 1924

Dallas, Texas
Tuesday PM

Dear Miss Lewis,

After spending the greater portion of the day in San Antonio, I was surprised to find that Dr. & Mrs. Roark had also been there all day. They left Uvalde Sunday AM and on arriving at S.A. the Doctor had an attack of stomach trouble which kept him in bed for two days. He seems to attribute it to the Mexican dinner, but please don’t mention it to Mrs. Parman as it would make her feel badly. It was not the dinner that caused it, but the condition of his stomach, as the rest of us enjoyed the dinner immensely and had no ill effects. Mrs. Roark tells how much she enjoyed the dinner and that it did not affect her in the least.

July 1, 1924

July 1, 1924

Mr. Bishopp was not in the city when I arrived, and we expect him to return from Omaha tomorrow. He was called there as a witness in Federal Court in a prosecution case. I am sure that my getting left in Uvalde will not be mentioned by himself, but I wouldn’t regret it if I had a severe reprimand. That, however, is not his nature. Mr. Laake says that he rather expected that I would miss the train.

I note from correspondence from Dr. Smith of Jacksonville Fla. that Mr. B and I are expected about July 20th. He has had about 20 cases recently and is sure that other physicians have had a good number. He enclosed a photo of a boy’s legs and feet which were in a severe condition. I believe I told you that this is some tropical form which has appeared in Florida the last two summers and we do not yet know what the cause is. Several Englishmen and Frenchmen have published works from the tropical sections and I am searching the literature on the subject. My French isn’t any too good, but I can handle it better than before the war.

Just now I am looking at property here with the view of trading in the Elgin to advantage. Whether I’ll get unimproved property or a residence, I do not know, but I am particular that I get something in East Dallas where the city is developing most rapidly.

I am to have dinner with Dr. & Mrs. Roark this evening and then we will probably go for a drive. I wish you were here to go with us as we would then have two couples.

Miss Ina I did not learn the day of your birth anniversary. Won’t you please tell me? I know that it is July and I meant to find out when I was there, but didn’t. I’d like to know.

I also hope that you will favor me with a letter real soon for I am anxious to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Walter.

Kindest regards to your Mother and Sister.

June 30, 1924

“Written from The Menger, San Antonio”

Dear Miss Ina,

Had I taken Mr. Parman’s advice last evening I would not have left Uvalde until 5PM today. This would have made it possible for me to reach Dallas just as soon, and I probably could have seen you again this noon. I had a “hunch” that I was leaving too soon, but remembered that during the Army days in 1917 I went from here to Dallas in the afternoon. It gave me quite a while to spend here and I rather enjoyed it, but I would much rather have seen you again. But maybe it is best as it happened, for some of your friends might have had an occasion to talk about it. Not that they are different from other people, but in a town of less than 15000 population, everyone knows the affairs of everybody else.

June 30, 1924

June 30, 1924

I realize that we got pretty well acquainted in a short time, but I want you to know that I realized that the time would be short. There was no intention on my part to force myself upon you and monopolize so much of your time, but if we hadn’t gotten acquainted then it would have taken a very long time in letters, and in writing there is always a chance of being misunderstood.

I believe we understand one another pretty good, and you don’t know how glad I am. Ever since you were at Regan Wells, your smile and your eyes have “haunted” me and I had to know you better. I’d like to call you “Angel Eyes” but had better wait to see if I may. Your frankness in telling me about the ring is something that I admire, and I can assure you that I think even more of you. I know that you are not fickle minded, and that you want to be sure of yourself.

As a rule I am quite shy of the girls, and with the exception of the case I told you about, I don’t believe there is anything to tell. Certainly I would tell you if there was more to tell. In the eyes of the public there is a double standard for men and women. So many expect the girl to be as pure as a lily and at the same time know that the men sow their wild oats. I have always entertained the idea of an equal standard and have tried to live as clean a life as I would expect of a girl. You won’t know whether to believe this or not, but nevertheless it is true. I hope that you will have confidence enough to believe me, but can hardly expect you to on such a short acquaintance. The most trying place was in France, and I hope you will believe me when I tell you that I did not have a single date with a girl over there.

I have no girl friends in Dallas and it is seldom that I go any place with one. The girls I knew years ago have all been married for a long time and I haven’t met any new ones, except yourself. As long as you will write and don’t give me a “cold shoulder” I don’t care to go with anyone else. I don’t expect to find anyone with whom I have as much in common, and with whom I could be as congenial. Pardon me for writing it so soon but I want you to know.

I’ll write you from Dallas tomorrow night and I’ll be glad to hear from you anytime you care to write.

Kindest regards to your Mother, Sis and everybody and very best to yourself,

I am,
Sincerely
Walter

Box 208 – Dallas.

March 21, 1919

On returning from the Great War, Walter resumed his previous job with the US Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Entomology. His salary was $1,800 per year, which is equal to $22,913 in today’s dollars. As before, his work consisted of investigating various insect problems in the Southwest and developing solutions for them. He continued to correspond with some of his old Army buddies, but otherwise focused entirely on his work.

March 21, 1919

March 21, 1919

Meanwhile, Ina finished an Associate’s degree at a local college, paying her way with a Spanish language scholarship. She then took a job in the tax collector’s office in Uvalde, TX, a small town west of San Antonio. She was a popular young lady, and by the age of twenty-five she had rejected twelve marriage proposals.