Tag Archives: real estate

October 14, 1925 (Walter)

Hotel Vereen, Miami, Fla.
Wednesday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Excuse this stationery but the hotel is so new that they have not yet obtained their stationery. It is a pretty nice place and incidentally has some pretty fancy prices. Everything is about three prices (sic) here  and I only hope that the Fulford lot is in accordance with everything else. I drove by the addition tonight but it was getting dark and I could not tell much about it from the Dixie Highway. I did note that the entrance had a pretty attractive front and that there were a couple of business places at the entrance. The ground work seems to be in progress for the 500 room hotel. Since I was down here last fall new additions have opened all along the Dixie between W. Palm Beach and Miami, a distance of 72 miles. I stopped at one filling station where there was no development and asked what he was holding his acreage for. Said he had sold 15 acres lying between the railroad & Dixie for $60,000 and that he believed he could have gotten more had he sold it to a speculator. This 15 is to be developed and he figures that he could afford to sell for less, due to the fact that the development would increase the value of the other acreage across the Dixie. He bought it 11 years ago and at a point about half way between W.P. Beach and Miami. It is located about 4 miles of Fort Lauderdale which was the only developed town. It is difficult to conceive of the enormous developments taking place and of the amounts of money changing hands. I am not buying anything this time except a room for the night, meals, gas & oil. I’ll be here one night only and will drive back and do some work near W.P. Beach for a few days. Prices are about the same up there. Within another year I believe Jax will be the same way and here’s hoping that our high and dry acreage up there will net us something. I’ll write you about Fulford tomorrow night.

October 14, 1925 (Walter)

October 14, 1925 (Walter)

Mrs. McDonald came to W.P. Beach with me and is with her husband there. I am driving her car.

With worlds of love, Dear, I am,

Your
Walter.

October 8, 1925

The Beach.
Thursday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Yours of Sat Nite and the real estate letter of Sunday might have just been received. I appreciated the fact that you wrote just what you did, and in a way our opinions are very similar. It was not my intention to buy more real estate until I have sold some that I now have, and I agree with you. It may seem that I am letting my enthusiasm overcome my good judgement, but I have considered and investigated before talking and in no case have I acted on the spur of the moment.

October 8, 1925

October 8, 1925

The Florida boom has been affecting Jacksonville only about one year, but it is the largest and most substantial city in the state and there is every reason to believe that it will be permanent growth. New industries are coming. Its location as the distributing point for the state and as an export city give it a distinct advantage. When I consider that its population was the same as Dallas in 1913, I can visualize a normal growth which would equal that of Dallas in the same length of time. But it is developing more rapidly, and without going into a lengthy discussion of it, I will let you judge for yourself when you come down. In the meantime you can rest assured that my next activity in real estate will be to sell.

If we make a reasonable profit on what we now have it will go a long ways toward the home we are going to have. That is what I am thinking about, Dear, and I know that is what you have on your mind too. It is my intention to get it clear and then keep it clear so that anything else will not affect our home.

It is getting late and I am a bit tired. Have been very busy today. Am even working while writing this letter. I “fixed” some tissue this afternoon and it has to be handled at frequent intervals until it is brought to a percentage of alcohol sufficient to preserve it.

With a real sweet goodnight and with a heart filled with love for you, I am,

Your,
Walter.

October 7, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach, Wed Nite,

My Dear Sweetheart,

I went to town this morning for a little while. My landlady, Mrs. McDonald, started to work up there today and as she is going to rent me her car to make the trip down the state, I drove to Jax and brought the car back. She is very accomodating, considering the fact that she never lets anyone have her auto.

October 7, 1925 (Walter)

October 7, 1925 (Walter)

It will give me a better chance to do some work down the state and will probably be about as reasonable as if I took the train. I would have to rent a car if I did go by train, and the short trips count up. I have not yet made up my routing, nor have I started to get together what I will need. My work always gives me plenty to do and it is going to be mighty difficult to break away from it long enough to make the trip.

I have no news for you, Dear, except that I love you the same whole hearted way and that I wish for you real often.

With a hug and a sweet goodnight,

Your,
Walter.

In a separate envelope posted the same day, Walter sent this full-page newspaper ad.

Jacksonville Heights Ad, 1925

Jacksonville Heights Ad, 1925

October 4, 1925 (Ina)

Sunday A.M.
12:05 o’clock.

My dearest Sweetheart:

Although it is five minutes past Saturday night (I did intend to write you “last nite”), I will say Hello-o.”

In the first place, I’m terribly tickled. Claudelle caught a ride and has been here for the past few hours. She is in bed now, so I think we will be in Dreamland soon. I’ll write some more later, but I had better get some sleep now.

I love you worlds, Sweetheart. Bless your heart!

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Always, your
Ina.

October 4, 1925 (Ina)

October 4, 1925 (Ina)

Sunday Nite
Oct. 4, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

She has come and gone. Dr. Donaldson, (she’s a “Miss”) a friend of ours in San Antonio, was coming out in her car yesterday evening, so she asked Claudelle and Lucille to come with her. Of course they were more than glad to do it, and we were glad too. They returned this afternoon about 4:30 and we all felt so good that we had seen them. This doctor, a young lady a little older than I, lives next door to C. & L. and has been mighty nice to them since they have been there. We surely do appreciate it too. You would think from the way the girls acted when they came home that they had been away three years instead of three weeks. They are both like babies when it comes to staying away from home. However, after their visit today, and after relieving their “system” of all the things they wanted to tell us, I think they have gone back satisfied. Claudelle likes all her work and all her teachers, so I think she will get along fine. Outside of her studies, she has two hours work in the office every day every week, and all day Saturday and Sunday every other week. We were afraid at first that it was too much but she says not. She likes it all. She sends her sisterly love to you.

Your “Dr. White” letter came yesterday, and I am glad you wrote me what you did. It often helps lots fo express one’s feelings, and, too, I am especially glad that you feel free to express them to me. You know that I am as deeply interested as anyone can possibly be, and am anxious for you to tell me. I am glad that you are handling Dr. White as you are, and it is certainly nothing but right that the credit be placed where it rightfully belongs. I’m glad you are standing up for your rights because that is the surest and often the only way to get them. Each person naturally understands his own case better than anyone else does, and is more capable and naturally more interested in securing due credit. No doubt Dr. White feels that it should all be coming his way thru habit and on general principles. I sincerely hope you can prove to him that he is wrong – that someone else in the world has ideas that are worth while besides himself. Best luck in the world to you! I’m with you.

Your real estate letter came this morning on my way to Sunday school, and I was very much interested in it. I have thought about it a lot today, and, since you wanted my opinion, here it is: really and truly, Sweetheart, it seems to me to be rather a big investment in addition to that which you already have. Don’t you think so? Of course you intended selling the lot at Fulford before purchasing this, but, even at that, this would be a larger investment, especially when you consider the rather heavy expense of improving it to the extent that you mentioned. Of course, Dear, the boom that is on down there now may last forever, and then again it may not, and they often do not, you know. I know it would be mighty fine to own quite a bit of real estate and then be able to sell it when prices are soaring, but it doesn’t always happen that way. I have known of a number of cases where it didn’t and it was pretty bad. You see, you are down there where everyone is boosting – boosting just as hard as they can, and where the real estate agencies are at their busiest. They employ people who are able to talk to a person, and, no matter how conservative he is and how good his judgement is, he is finally convinced that the best thing in the world for him to do is to invest. And it is mighty quick easy money when it hits and it often does, but there is also a good chance to lose. I believe in investing some and taking a chance on some, because if we want to be “dead sure” about everything we undertake, we certainly don’t accomplish anything. But, Dear, it is so easy to plunge too deeply when you are constantly surounded by boosters. I know that you are not of the disposition to be easily influenced, but I have known others who were very conservative to have regrets, after it was too late, that they had yielded one time too many. You don’t know how glad I am that you are interested in real estate because I am too. I am sure you are going to make something out of some of it. That is about the best way I know to accumulate something. When we have some particular place to put our money when we make it, and some particular object in view, we are sure to accumulate a great deal more than if we had nothing substantial in which to invest. However, even in our family for the past few years, we have experienced the great uncertainty and anxiety of having everything tied up in property which we were unable to “cash in” for quite a while. It is a pretty miserable feeling when it lasts long. Of course, at the time, Papa was unable to work, and practically everything he has made since we have been in Texas has been on real estate. He is conservative too, but has come very near investing too much several times. Of course, Dear, you are making a good salary now, and are able to keep up the payments, but (and I am not out looking for calamity) suppose something should happen that you were not able to keep up all the payments, and, at the same time, the boom would get “off,” then the mental anxiety and anguish would come and the loss would be great. I believe I would rather stand a chance of having less than to stand the chance of losing all. I realize that you are living where everything is very much alive, and I am living where everything is considered very much dead, but, between the two extremes, I believe we will be able to strike a happy medium on opinions. Sweetheart, sometimes don’t you think it would be wise to sell some of the property that you now have at a good profit and apply that on the balance that is unpaid on the others? In that way, you would not stand a chance to make quite as much if prices continued to increase, but still you would at least be safe on what you had, and also stand a chance to make a great deal without much effort. This principle of “Safety First” may not apply to things down there now. Of course I don’t know just how things are but you asked for my opinion and I didn’t want to pretend to believe one way when I really believed the contrary. Sweetheart, please don’t misunderstand this letter by feeling that I am speaking with too much authority, and trying to manage your business. I am not, and don’t mean it that way at all. I expect you to use your judgement in the matter, but I gave my opinion as per your request. Mine may be wrong – it often is – but I have given it to you just the same.

Dear, I love you with a heart “full up” with the deepest and truest love that a person can have. We are going to get along fine together and be so happy. I am going to be frank with you and you are with me, so we are not going to have misunderstandings. I would be so very very happy if you were here right now so I could try to tell you how much I really and truly do love you.

Always, your
Ina.

October 4, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach, Sun A.M.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I did not write to you yesterday but I mailed you a copy of an advertisement concerning the Jax acreage. I wrote Mr. Bishopp a detailed letter concerning the work and when I had finished it, I did not write to my sweetie. There were almost eight letter size pages of his letter. Today I am going to write him a personal letter. The other was more of a report of work in progress.

October 4, 1925 (Walter)

October 4, 1925 (Walter)

Perhaps it was not necessary to write him so fully but I have always done so when I was stationed to myself, and he seems to like it. He will then know what is on my mind and what I have ahead of me for winter work. I wrote to him one time during Dr. White’s stay here and that was about the time he left for Washington, so there was quite a bit to tell him. I wanted him to know of the new lead I am working and at the same time I told him that it did not seem necessary to share credit with Dr. White on anything except what we worked together when he was here. I know that Mr. B. is with me there, for he was inclined to believe that the other paper should have been prepared in sections, each one dealing with his own work. However, he did not dictate how it should be prepared. He never does, and that is one reason why I like to work in his division. He suggests, but never dictates.

The weather is certainly delightful here now and the surf is fine. It is so much better than during the active season when so many were down here. But of course the reason so many were here then was because it was so much better here than in their homes during the hot weather. Now it is cooler and more pleasant in both places. I understand that it is pretty hot down the state as it is more tropical. No doubt I’ll start down there the latter part of this week. I am getting my work in shape so that I can leave for a while. I am anxious to see how Fulford looks and to see what the prospects are.

Considering everything, it looks as though we would find it more desirable to live in this part of the state the year round than in the southern part. The northern people want an extremely warm winter when they leave the north and that is what they find down the state. The beaches here are developing now and are “the finest in the world.” Within a few years I believe there will be a great change here. At this time it is impossible to get water front property as the prices are so high. Ocean front sells for $800 per front foot & even higher.

I like this little place better, the longer I live here, and it can be used to good advantage as a laboratory as well as a cottage. If we decided that we wanted to buy it, we could move it to the rear of the lot and let it face the other street. This is a corner lot 75 ft front & 150 ft deep. Then we could build on the front to suit ourselves. If we simply wanted the place as an investment, I believe it would be good. We can tell more about it this winter, and after you are down here.

I love you Sweetheart and then I love you more and more and more. With a real big hug and a kiss, I am always

Your
Walter.

October 1, 1925 (Ina)

Thursday Night.
Oct. 1, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Your interesting letter of Sunday night came this afternoon, and, as usual, brightened up my countenance considerably. It (the letter) was a little longer than usual and I liked that because the pleasure of reading it lasted longer.

October 1, 1925 (Ina)

October 1, 1925 (Ina)

I note what you said about living the year round on the beach. Your view sounds very reasonable to me as I have always thought of the beach as being a temporary resort rather than a permanent home. I am sure it is fine for a while, and, as I can’t speak from experience, it may be all right the year round, but you are in a position to judge whether you would like it for a permanent location. I have never been on the beach longer than two weeks at a time and I enjoyed every minute of it then because it was an ideal place for a vacation. However, I did notice that the salt air made everything look and feel rather “mussy.” Things don’t look fresh and clean very long. Perhaps that is partly because I am accustomed to such a high, dry atmosphere though. At any rate, I think it would be fine for a while, and it would be a mighty fine place to start a honeymoon in the winter. Don’t you think so? No doubt we would prefer a higher and drier location when we were ready to choose a location for a permanent home.

We arrived in town this afternoon just in time to avoid witnessing what seemed to be a very serious accident. A girl friend of ours (newly married) ran into a newsboy who was on a bicycle, and they thought for a while that he was seriously injured but found later that he was just stunned and bruised some. The poor girl saw him lying there unconscious and thought he was killed. She became so hysterical etc. that they had to put her to bed, and her sister in-law said she thought surely for a while that she was going to die. I know it would be a terrible shock to anyone, and especially to one of such a nervous temperament as she is. Such accidents as hers and such a mild one as I had when I ran into the young man’s Ford, all go to prove that we can’t be too careful even though we have had quite a bit of experience in driving. I feel like it would ‘most kill me if I were to really hurt someone seriously like that.

With a heart brimfull and overflowing with love for you, I still am and always will be,

Your own loving
Ina.

October 1, 1925 (Walter)

Jax Beach, Thurs A.M.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I worked until late last night and was so sleepy that I waited until this morning to write. Had two real good letters from you yesterday and I enjoyed them. I guess one of them came a day early.

October 1, 1925 (Walter)

October 1, 1925 (Walter)

The weather is certainly fine down here now and I know that you would like it. The wind has gone down leaving a fine little breeze. I do most of my work on the porch here and it is mighty fine. The cottage faces north, but I can see the ocean from the porch. It is two blocks away. The mosquitoes have entirely disappeared so it is good in that respect. I guess it will be this way most all winter and spring though I am told that a few times each winter one can use an overcoat or wrap. The lady who owns this place will soon leave for the winter to be with her husband and then I’ll have the whole place to myself. As he is making good money down the state it is likely that she will now stay down there most of the time. She wants to sell here so that she can stay with him. As it is, she comes up for the summer season and rents for a good price and then works for good wages at the same time. I think she wants about three thousand for the place with everything in the cottage. The cottage itself is not much for looks but is “comfortable,” as you said when you saw the photo. The lot is a good one 75 ft. front and 150 feet deep, is on a corner facing north. Some time it will be worth a good price. The garage is a single one and with a dirt floor. There are no flowers, no trees, the fence is not very good & in all there is a lot to be done but I believe it could be made a good looking place. I believe it would be a good investment. The street west will be a highway to St. Augustine but I don’t know how soon.

It occurred to me that this cottage could be moved to the rear & turned to face the new highway. It could be used for a laboratory. Then we could build to suit ourselves on the front part. This is just an idea. I don’t know how it would strike you. If it were me, I would want to close in the porch and use it as a living room until we did build. I am telling you so you can think it over. I could not buy it right now for I am already buying about as much as is possible. Perhaps the lot at Fulford can be turned at a good profit and then that money could be used as a substantial payment on this. It would not leave a big balance and it could be handled about as easy as I am carrying the Fulford lot at this time.

The acreage near Jax takes $50 per month, but it looks as though I’ll be able to sell one tract for enough to pay for both of them. Then we could hold the other for a good price.

Am telling you this, Dear, so that you can think it over. The lady here doesn’t even know that I am thinking about it. I’d like to take you into a nicer home to start with, but if we can stop some of this real estate money that runs pretty freely at this time, I believe the effort will pay.

I love you Dear and I want you to know that I am constantly thinking of your comfort and happiness.

Your,
Walter.

September 23, 1925 (Walter)

Same Place
Wednesday Night 9/23-’25

My Dear Little Girl,

Two letters tonight, Dear, Sat nite and Sun nite. Good ones, too. You certainly are sweet in writing me so regularly and you can bet that I enjoy them. Makes me feel that I have been mean toward you in not having written on Sat or Sunday, and that you went to church four times Sun while I went fishing.

September 23, 1925 (Walter)

September 23, 1925 (Walter)

I am glad to have an expression from you on our investments and had you been here I would have talked it over with you. I want to do this, Dear, when we are maried for you have some mighty good ideas and we can use them. The tracts are just open cut over pine land with a few palmettos growing, but they are high and dry and I believe that by spring they will sell for $300 per acre. If so, that would be a good time to turn them.

The surf was fine tonight but I was alone and I did not stay in very long. Had you been with me we probably would have played in the water much longer. Then, when we came out we would have enjoyed dinner. There are not very many people down at the beach now except the residents, but the water is warm and just right.

I was interested to know that Claudelle was taking shorthand. That is fine and good judgement on her part, for she will have plenty of time to find her other half.

I have no news for you except that I have been busy with a microscope all day. Am finishing some of the tests we started when Dr. White was here. I am in no hurry to go down the state as I have more than I can do right here and I want to know whether we are going to be in Florida this winter before I start down there.

Dear, if I could only be with you tonight may be I could give you somewhat of an idea of how much I really love you. I’ll be so happy with you that I won’t know enough to try and make you comfortable.

With a sweet goodnight and a real big hug,

Your,
Walter.

September 22, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach 9/22
Tuesday Nite.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Two real good letters from you today and an enclosure of Claudelle’s. I enjoyed hers too. I wonder how she happened to say “Mother” during the past few weeks. Is it because I say Mother Lewis and she wants to tease? I am sure that Mother Lewis does not care or she would have objected before now.

September 22, 1925 (Walter)

September 22, 1925 (Walter)

I went to Jax for a little while today. There is so much to be worked that it will keep me pretty busy. However, I am going to stay with it until I hear from Mr. B as to how long I am to be in Fla. I’d like to know before I go down the state. Had a letter from him yesterday and he did not mention the Dallas work. Evidently he had not heard from Dr. Hunter. He seemed to be pleased with Dr. Riley’s (University of Minnesota) letter of congratulations on the findings of last season, for he said “It is pleasing to note that he agrees with me and many others in considering the work you have done in Florida of a very distinct value.” Bish does not pin on any bouquets. Dr. Hunter’s comment was that it was “a good constructive piece of work.” Dr. Cort of Johns Hopkins said that it was the greatest contribution in human helminthology that had been made for a long time. He told Dr. White this. But all of this has not yet increased my check any, though Dr. White told me that he knew that Bish had made the recommendation. Sometimes they are slow in going through and are apt to be dated back when they are received. You and I can use the increase very nicely and here’s hoping that it is effective pretty soon. I have not asked for a raise, but if I don’t hear something I may remind Bish of it. He has always been very fine to me and I am sure that he will do what he can. Anyway, we are not going to starve or go hungry.

There are some good prospects of our acreage increasing in value. The remaining tracts, which are only a few, are selling at $100 per acre now. The same company are buying beyond our tracts and they are going to ask $200 for them when the “snow birds” come down. At that rate, ours should see $300 by Spring. This would make a nice little profit, considering the small amount invested. We can use the money, and when any dollars are rolling our way I hope we can stop them.

I love you, Dear, more than I can tell you. With a sweet goodnight,

Your
Walter.

September 21, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach. Monday 9/21

My Dear Sweetheart,

I came back this afternoon and of course I went to the Post Office the very first thing. There were two real good letters from you. Was getting hungry for them too, despite the fact that I am pretty sleepy now.

September 21, 1925 (Walter)

September 21, 1925 (Walter)

It was about 11 o’clock Sat. Night when we arrived at Orange Springs, about 100 miles from Jax. Then we found a Negro to row the boat, and early the next morning we started. Did not go upstream as we had planned as there was nothing to pull us up there. So we drifted down about 12 miles by water and then had a man to drive down for us. It was about a four mile drive & it had to be made with a one-horse wagon. It was slow enough in getting back. I really caught 3 this time, about 3 to 5 lbs. bass. Dr. K.S. caught about 12 bass, 1 cat fish weighing about 8 or 9 lbs., 1 pickerell & several brim (a variety of perch). We had a good time but we were about worn out when we returned to his home about 1:30 this AM. Mrs. KS had gone to the beach with some folks and on account of car trouble had not returned. There were a number of the neighbor children at his home asleep on the floor of the living room. They had been left with Elizabeth and all had gone asleep. The parents returned about 2 or 2:15 A.M.

This morning (a few hours later) after having had breakfast with Dr. KS at home, I used his car for a little work near Jax. Incidentally, I drove by the recent purchases and looked at the 10 acre tracts again. They look mighty good. A new grade has been made on a road leading from the paved road to a point below these tracts, leaving about 1 1/4 miles of unimproved road leading to them. They can be driven over with a car – some pine bushes and palmetto, but no real big trees.

Had two letters from Dr. White today. One enclosed clippings giving an account of Dr. Ransom’s death. You probably remember that I mentioned Dr. Ransom when I was in Uvalde. We had planned to invite him down here when the time was ripe, but had not reached the point of asking him. He was one of the very best research men in the Dept.

I am going to mail this tonight so that it will go on the early train to Jax. It has been two days since I have written to you and I am anxious to get this one going. If it had been possible I would have written you while on the trip, but Dear, it was practically impossible.

I love you and I only wish that you knew how much. With a sweet goodnight.

Your
Walter.