I’m not going to transcribe this whole report, but it gives some idea of what was occupying Walter’s time and mind – and consuming a large chunk of Federal funding – at this point. Click the image for a slightly larger scan.
June 20, 1939
Railroad stationery from the Burlington Route, “The National Park Line.”
Saturday Night
En route to Denver.
Dear Sweetheart,
Dorward & Dr. Wakeland are with me and we meet with Colorado cooperatives tomorrow and Monday. I hope to leave Denver Monday night for Minneapolis and should get home Tuesday night. So far our conferences have been fairly satisfactory and we hope that things develop as they are being planned. You probably noticed that the House passed the bill for 2 1/4 million and that the Senate is going to insist on $5,400,000. Just how it will come out remains to be seen. We are planning for the full amount. You already know my personal views on it which I keep to myself. Dorward may go on to Amarillo. I am reducing my trip that much.
March 5, 1939
RA was with us for most of the week and seems to have his program worked out in considerable detail & with most every move approved. He sends his regards to the family. Said he saw Mother Lewis at Uvalde Xmas.
With love to all of you,
Walter.
Stationery from the Hotel Bozeman, in Bozeman, MT.
Tuesday PM.
Dear Sweetheart,
Dr. Wakeland left a few minutes ago by bus for Bozeman and Dorward and I are staying here until tomorrow. We meet Wakeland there tomorrow PM. R.A. has been here and he seems to be very active in getting his work organized. In fact they are about through and we are just beginning. I am not going to Amarillo on the 7th but will return to Mpls from Denver and I expect to leave there the night of the 6th.
February 28, 1939
So far I have not seen Fred B but Dorward says that he saw him. Parker is cordial and we have had some good discussions on ‘hoppers, but no mention of Fred. Both the cricket project and mine proposed to change state supervisors for Montana. I made mine stick and I am using Westlake who served with us as a district man last year. The cricket project is keeping their state supervisor but under protest. So far I have gotten everything I asked Dr. Mills for, including Brumkow[?] to be in charge of the migratory area in the eastern part of the state.
The meeting at Bismark with Dr. Eversael and the College folks was satisfactory. We had dinner with the legislators and this did not get either of us anything except to become acquainted.
I am getting fed up on conferences so it was a relief for Gaddis to tell Wakeland that I was needed in Mpls badly and should return there from Denver. Wakeland has a careful approach and the ability to talk in a low voice for a long time. If endurance in conferences means anything he will come out OK.
With love to all of you,
Walter.
Mpls.
Sunday morning.
My dear Ina,
Friday night I returned here and yesterday was an all day conference. Mr. Gaddis, Dr. Annand, & Packard (in charge, Cereal & Forage Insect Investigations) & Fred Butcher my assistant. Had it not been for this conference I would have gone to San Antonio for this week end. It looked as though I would make it from Amarillo for about 1 day & would return from S. Antonio to Mpls. by night plane Friday night. But there was no direct schedule north. The time required by plane was as long as that by plane [sic]. I left Amarillo Thursday at 5 PM & arrived here Friday night 9:45 PM.
May 8, 1938
The western trip was a good one and I believe I left the State people in each state in a friendly and cooperative mood. Dorward made a good impression and I believe he will work hard.
While I was away Mr. Gaddis ran the office here for a week. He was very helpful & I am glad that he was here. He secured approval from Wash. on 65% of the allotments & had a new girl on tabulations of bait material by counties on that basis. With the approach of the wet season over the g hop area and with initial shipments already made, we feel that we are in splendid shape. Last week was
More later.
With love
Walter
Yes, that’s how the letter ends. I guess Walter was called away suddenly.
Stationery from the Hotel Graver, “Homelike appointments with good eats at our coffee shop,” Fargo, ND.
Sunday 4:00 PM
My dear Sweetheart,
Dr. Wakeland came to Mpls Friday morning and Saturday we drove to Brookings for a conference with the committee on cricket and G hop control. Last night we came as far as Watertown where we spent the night and today we drove here. He has a conference with Prof. Munro this evening and I expect to sit in it with him. Tomorrow Mr. Shotwell and Dorward will attend a meeting of our G hop men with me. Dorward arrived at Mpls Sat. AM after Wakeland and I left there. Plan to have him spend a few days in ND to get familiar with G hop control and later in the week I’ll accompany him to Salt Lake City for a visit to the different states out in the N. West. He will have about 8 men in 5 states. We should have been there before now but the other areas were more pressing. We have been shipping bait materials during the past two weeks and by the end of next week we will have delivered the first allotments in all except the N.W. There are now about 60 men working in the field and we expect about 100. Most of the others have been selected and recommended to Wash.
April 17, 1938
Since Thursday rains have fallen rather generally over the Dakotas and Minnesota and I believe in the more southern states. About 3 weeks of rainy weather would favor development of G hop diseases and would reduce our job considerably.
The sox, handkerchiefs, ties and the card from the boys were received on the morning of the 14th. I also received ties and sox from Mr. & Mrs. Lewis. I appreciate all of them very much and wish to thank you for selecting them. I am writing a note to Mother Lewis but would appreciate it if you would tell them so too.
This job has kept me in one grand rush ever since it started and I guess it will be that way until the season closes and perhaps for reports then. Nights and Sundays are the same as any other time. Regardless of where I travel, the phone calls and the telegrams reach me. I am sure that you can reach me at most any time through the Mpls office, even if I am not so far from San Antonio.
Wakeland says that he cannot understand Mr. Roberts, and that RA wrote him a memo asking for specific instructions one time. He thinks R.A. should assist him and take responsibility in the work. I told him that R.A. was peculiar at times and that I probably knew him as well as anyone. His judgement is good and when placed in a position where he has to make a decision, he usually does it well. I hope that they get along OK.
Most of the Committees are quiet now and I hope to be aggressive enough so that I am not put on the defensive in this program. I am trying to keep a few steps ahead of them. Many of them are wondering just how far they can go as a state program. They are inclined to take all of the credit just as they have during the past 4 years. My instructions to the supervisors place them under our own office for reports with copies to state leaders. The state leaders have some weak spots which they wish to keep covered and they do not like this. Later, I think they will say that it was all for the best & that they like it.
I received your letter about my visit to Aberdeen and wonder what the letter was like which you did not mail.
I hope that you do not misunderstand about the visit there. I had already written to Mrs. H and told of it when I was at home. I went to Aberdeen because it was Saturday. I wanted to see Mr. Allen of the Dakota Farmer and because I needed to get away from the office strain a while. I was surprised that Evalyn was there and they did not know that I was coming. They were surprised too. I think that you should not feel badly about it at all. The visit was friendly and I think I’ve told you all. At least there isn’t anything to keep from you. I made a friendly visit and that will do until you get here. If you wish to call on them with me, I’ll be glad to take you and the sons. Please forget it.
With lots of love to all of you
Your
Walter.
Separate page
Easter Sunday
Dear Walter White,
Daddy wishes to thank you for the nice big card from you and Lewis on his birthday. He does not feel older and it didn’t hurt a bit when he got to be 44 years old.
All of the snow melted sometime ago and pretty soon the grasshoppers will be hatching. We have about 7500 cars of poison bait and about 100 men to supervise the work in 24 states. It is a big job and Daddy’s telephone rings a great deal.
Will come home as soon as I can conveniently arrange to do so but cannot tell yet.
Love
Daddy.
Postmarked Minneapolis, MN.
Wed. Night.
Last week we met 6 state committees, 1 each day, and traveled from here to Little Rock to Madison Wisc. and Lansing Mich., met one committee here Monday. Have about 6 in pile of letters waiting and we are shipping bait materials. KDQ got back from a western trip. Expect Dorward here next Friday & after visiting Brookings and Fargo with he & Dr. Wakeland the Mormon Cricket man, will go with Dorward to the Northwest. This program has plenty of activity in 24 different states & we are trying to keep ahead of pressure.
Love,
Walter.
April 14, 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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.