Tag Archives: moving

June 11, 1942

Thursday PM.

My Dear Ina,

Your letter was received last night. I think the checks have been delivered by now as additional funds were sent to Atlanta when I wired from Orlando. Please deposit it if this is possible, otherwise you may hold it until I return. Mr. Jones will move into our house and I think we should phone Mr. J. A. Allison realtor, to that effect. We will move into their home on Taussig Ave. It is by far the best place I’ve found. In fact I have found practically nothing in Va. and had looked at some for sale, knowing that it was unwise to purchase. Mr. Jones will leave gas stove, refrigerator & I agreed to leave ours at Orlando for them to use also oil circulator. They will leave groceries, sugar etc. & we can do the same thing on an exchange basis. They will leave on next Thursday & will expect to arrive Orlando about Saturday night. I asked them to take some linens & silver and use our beds. We are to use theirs until the move is made. We do not know the successful bidder yet and we do not know which one will load first. Told them we would leave the key with McKelvey across the street.

June 11, 1942

June 11, 1942

B.M. is expected tomorrow (Fri). Emery is here yet and this has been helpful. I see him for a while every day.

I would not advise a chiropodist for W.W. They are like chiropractors. Believe we should get a physician to remove the two nails without destroying the matrix. Will come as soon as I can & we will manage for W.W. when I get there if you want to wait that long. Would like to come this week end but cannot say just yet.

With love
Walter.

On the reverse:

June 9, 1942

Dear Dr. Dove:

Since I wrote you yesterday I have learned that you are now chief of the Division. At the time I wrote that letter I was completely mystified as to your new station, and was guessing that you might be taking Dr. Hawkins’ place.

I’ll feel better to write this letter and make this clear, since my letter could, in view of your new position, easily be interpreted in a way not intended. So just consider that as a personal letter written by me without knowledge or suspicion that you were chief. I believe you know my general attitude well enough anyway to understand this.

The surprise, as you well know, was the most pleasant one I have received since being in the Bureau, and I wish you all the good fortune there is.

Sincerely
[illegible initials – SMS?]

March 15, 1942

Sunday PM.

My dear Ina & Boys,

The income tax blank was made out this PM & I’ll file it tomorrow. I am drawing a check in the amount of $192.51 and I am sending a check for $65.58 to the Panama City bank for deposit. This figures a balance of about $55 to cover any checks that you may have given after I left Panama City. Also the Chamberlain check should come on the 15th and I would suggest that you cash it. If you should find that something unexpected took up the available cash please telephone me at the office here number 3106 and I’ll telegraph or send you more.

March 15, 1942

March 15, 1942

We are late in getting the bids to Wash. & we hope to have one from the Van Horn Co. of Panama City. It would be convenient if they could get the low bid. Will try to come Friday night or Saturday if possible. In a pinch we could get Mr. Weir to come in our car with you, but it puts too much responsibility on you to get the household things loaded & care for 3 boys. I think I’ll come in a car (pick up truck) so that Mr. Weir can return to Orlando in it with a lab desk, washing machine, & any cages or wire fence we may want from Panama City.

I had dinner with the Bushlands today.

Will be glad when the whole family can get moved here & all of the work is started here. Travis will be here next Friday. Glass, Smith & Schecter are here now.

With love
Walter.

Later

We received the bid from Van Horn and it is the same amount as the other low bid from Jacksonville. We are recommending Van Horn and I am sure that they will get it, but we have to have approval from Washington. The bids are going to Wash. by air mail tonight.

My salary check came too, so I’ll deposit two salary checks here tomorrow.

February 4, 1941

1024 N. Oregon St.,
El Paso, Texas,
Feb. 4, 1941.

Dear Ina & Walter:

It is hard to say which was the more surprise, your letter or the announcement of the arrival of your third son. To say the least both came as a surprise.

February 4, 1941

February 4, 1941

On account of a severe attack of cold and a lot of work — only to be followed up by wife having a similar attack, this is the first time I have had to acknowledge receipt of your letter and the news. Certainly, congratulations are in order.

Several years ago, Walter, long before you met Miss Ina, you remarked that if you ever married and had children you want them all to be boys — so what?

On some two different occasions we have discussed the subject of transfers — you and I. Mention was made that some employees remain “put” at some one station for ever while others are continually being transferred from pillar to post. I know several, personally who have been stationed upward to 25 years at one post while others have averaged being transferred each 24 months. Within our Bureau it seems that you head the list. Trotter has averaged a transfer each 24 months. I have averaged a transfer each 30 months. Say; are we living right, or not? Are we so darn good or so darn rotten that they just keep on moving us to see if they can land us in a hole in which we will fit — or are others so good they hate to lose their valuable service by transfer — or so rotten they fear to transfer them for fear they will get lost in the shuffle?

The above paragraph is written for a specific purpose. Last year we were told in a casual way that possibly 1941 would see another transfer for us. We happened to not be in on the last wholesale transfer list last year when one-third of our force was transferred. If we are to be transferred this year same will probably come before June 30th. Furthermore, if a transfer is in the offing, goodness only knows in what direction it will be. A tentative application for leave for vacation has been made for the month of April and if same becomes a reality we had slightly planned going to New Orleans and in that event would certainly like to take you up on your cordial invitation to visit in Florida. Surely you would like to cast a line into the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Panama City. According to the map Panama City is not far from the Gulf.

If we were to learn we were to be transferred in that general direction before June 30th, we would probably delay our vacation date. So that is that.

Under separate cover we are sending you by insured parcel post a little gift for that new boy of yours. Hope you three like it. To you and your family every good wish and contratulations from,

Your friends,
The Pettits

July 9, 1940

Tuesday Night 7/9-1940

My dear Ina,

After closing time today Mr. Thompson and I visited the Central Warehouse for electric appliances. I purchased a GE electric range, a Thor washer, a Thor Ironer (short roll), a floor lamp and a bridge lamp at a very good cash price. The articles are standard and I feel quite confident about the quality of the merchandise. I hope you will like them. They are to be shipped by freight to Panama City and will probably not arrive until we reach there. The bridge lamp or bed side lamp has a new feature of a small light in the base or a night light. I won’t try to describe the different pieces. I have not located the sectional cases as yet but will see if I can get an attractive buy.

July 9, 1940

July 9, 1940

Shipping containers through today with almost a par day, but Dr. Drake says we have reached the peak in shipping. Dr. Dickison was here yesterday PM until last night. I may go to Mpls about Saturday. I am not sure yet, as Mr. Rainwater is in the field.

With love,
Walter.

June 30, 1940

Sunday A.M.
June 30, 1940.

Dearest Sweetheart:

I’m hoping you will telephone today, but am writing this letter in case you don’t.

I agree with you that the Barrow house, 105 Cove Blvd., looks like the best bet. It looks like it is not crowded, it has no stairs, it is close to the lab and the grammar school, it rents for only $45.00, and it requires only a 6 mos. lease. The two-story house must be lovely, but $65.00 is too much to pay for a house in a small town like Panama City; furthermore, we had unpleasant experience with a long lease in Mpls. We can endure almost any unforseen unpleasant condition for 6 mos., and that will give us time to look around. Moreover, Mr. Gaddis told me something confidentially to tell you. When he saw Dr. Strong last, Dr. S. repeated that, although he could appreciate the value of your continued services in Mr. G’s division, he thought it was more necessary that you put the S.E. on a productive basis. AND he said “I’m going to need a new division chief in that work (whether it was Dr. Bishopp’s work or some other research work wasn’t quite clear to me, but I think it was Dr. B’s) and it may not be so very long off.” Moreover, Mr. G. asked him specifically if you were going to have to submit to Dr. B’s ideas in the S.E. Dr. Strong replied with an emphatic “No,” and said he was going to see to it that you did not. So, my dear young man, cheer up; your Panama City assignment may prove to be a very pleasant stepping stone to greater things. In that case, it might not be wise for us to sign a year’s lease, although we might be there longer than that.

June 30, 1940

June 30, 1940

We are enjoying Mama’s visit. I wished for you yesterday when Mama, Claudelle, Mr. G. and the boys and I took a picnic supper to Haines Point.

Don’t be too disappointed when I tell you that we received a letter from Thelma yesterday in which she said that Reitha and Boliver had married the preceding Saturday night in San Antonio in a double wedding with her roommate. Reitha had telephoned Thelma & Bob that afternoon for their consent. Reitha will finish her business course at Draughn’s in S.A. in August, and Boliver will finish his course in accounting in Uvalde in November, I believe. They both expect to work. It’s bad, but we shall have to make the best of it like we did Thelma Lee’s and Paul’s marriage. Theirs has turned out to be an unusually happy one. Thelma wrote that Thelma Lee had just won the $80.00 at the show on bank night.

Walter White has acquired a BB gun and a puppy since you were here. He acquired the latter before we learned definitely that we were going to move. Just what we shall do about it I don’t know. Lewis Dunbar is more fond of it than W.W.

We all are looking forward to seeing you on the fourth.

It is going to seem good to get our little family together again in the car and get on the road.

Honey, it is important that the house in Panama City be put in first class condition before we move in, don’t you think?

Lots & lots of love,
Ina.

It was very kind of Dr. Simmons to go to so much trouble about a house for us.

June 27, 1940

This page is the only thing in the envelope, but the enclosure appears to have been a set of real estate listings for Panama City, FL.

My dear Ina,

If you can decide from the enclosed let me know which one & I’ll let Dr. Simmons know & the matter could wait until I come to Wash.

Walter.

June 27, 1940

June 27, 1940

June 21, 1940

830 S. Mich. Ave., Chicago
June 21, 1940.

My dear Sweetheart,

I expected a letter this AM because I thought you might want me to come to Wash. and drive for you to Chicago. Since I did not hear I assume that you want to stay there until we move to Florida. B.M. said that I might come in on the 4th, but this will be governed by the activity of the program at that time. If shipping is heavy I think I should stay here. At present it is a small program & it looks as though Kans. Neb. Iowa & Missouri represent the extent of it. Mr. Rainwater is in the field now but if things are rather quiet he could come in & let me get away on the 4th. If you want to come to Chicago I’ll come for you & we will go from here to Miss. & then Florida.

June 21, 1940

June 21, 1940

For the past few days I have been buying a few books. I have about 62 at a cost of about $20. I hope you & the boys will like them. They are on varied subjects – some fiction.

Hope you are feeling OK. I love you.

Walter.

June 18, 1940

Stationery from the 830 South Michigan Hotel, Chicago, IL.

June 18, 1940.

My dear Sweetheart,

Your letter of Sun. night came this AM and I think you have had the answer from Mr. G. before now. I mentioned the visit of Mrs. G. when I finished talking to you and it seemed to disturb him a great deal. He had already told me of the divorce, and although I had not previously heard one word about it, and knew of no reason why they would separate, I was not surprised when he told me. There was nothing I could say when he told me, except that it would not be mentioned outside of Claudelle and yourself. If you are yet of the opinion that you would like to come to Chicago for the short time I’ll be here, let me know so that I can locate a place here and also so I can come for you & drive the car on Sunday. If the moving can wait until July 15, I think it would be better. Mr. G. said I might plan on coming to Wash. on the 4th. We expect the last week of June & the 1st week of July to be the heavy shipping period. We have shipped 106 cars so far, with 100 while Mr. G. was here.

June 18, 1940

June 18, 1940

I love you lots & lots & I am now looking forward to joining you before many more weeks. Have just written to Mr. Simmons about a house at Panama City. Orlando is a large place but I am trying to move the station from there.

Your
Walter

June 15, 1940

Friday night [Wrong day again, I think.]

Dear Sweetheart,

Am enclosing the pictures with negatives. The little girl’s mother may wish to borrow the negatives of LD & the little girl, or you may care to give her prints showing the little girl.

June 16, 1940

June 16, 1940

Thompson & I arrived today & we have requisitions for 51 cars of creosote oil, which will be ordered shipped when Mr. Gaddis arrives tomorrow.

I wish I knew what the Chief has in mind as to the leeway I’ll have on research. If plenty of latitude I know I can get the kind of research that is needed, but if this is not given I doubt if we will stay with it long. I don’t intend to camouflage Bishopp’s weaknesses as we have always done.

I feel that I have accomplished something this season & will get something done here. I don’t believe the Denver set up can handle a hot program, even after the help they have had this season. Yet the ‘hopper program seems definitely on the down grade, and it looks as though it will be a question of dropping men now employed on it. At least 75% could be dropped by the end of this season.

Will wait until I see you before planning to ship furniture from Mpls. Could take bids before July 1, but this appears as though we are anxious to move & I do not wish to show anxiety until I know more.

With love,
Walter.

May 8, 1940

My dear Ina,

I mailed the checks to the Skellet Co. for storage, the New England Mutual & one to Mother Dove.

Love
Walter.

Will bring checks & deposit them at Wash.

May 8, 1940

May 8, 1940

Separate note:

May 8, 1940.

Dear Lewis Dunbar,

What kind of a boat are you building? It sounds like an Irish submarine (a brick bat). Will it float? Will see you Sunday.

Daddy.

And another…

Wednesday Night 5/8-’40

Dear Walter White,

I had some very good news on your school work and we want you to know that both Mother and I are very proud of your fine record. At the rate you are going in school you should be ready for college at an early age, and should get trained for your life work while you are young.

The grasshopper program is small in comparison to the past two years, and it seems perfectly natural to be working on it now. I plan to leave here Friday PM and should reach Washington on the B&O Sunday morning about nine o’clock, if I remember the schedule correctly. I’ll be there in time to eat Sunday dinner with you.

Yours,
Daddy.