Tag Archives: travel

May 8, 1938

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

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.

May 1, 1938

Stationery from the Pony Express/Union Pacific Railroad.

Sunday Night May 1

My dear Ina & Boys,

Am en route to Denver from the Northwest and from there I expect to return to Mpls. I left Mr. Dorward at Elks Nevada this noon. We called on committees in 5 northwestern states and I believe Mr. Dorward is on a good start. The preliminary arrangements seem to be going ahead.

May 1, 1938

May 1, 1938

Hope things are going OK at Mpls. I’ve talked to Kenneth a time or two and things seem to be moving along very well. Saw RA & Mr. Townsend but did not get to visit a great deal with them. Mr. Spencer went with Dorward & me from Mpls. No doubt Mr. Gaddis will be out soon, then Rohner & later Mr. Strong. He is in Europe now and is expected back about the 1st of June.

This PM the train crossed the Great Salt Lake. It contains 23% salt & there are no fish in it. I saw one seagull & it was near the shore.

Last Tuesday night Dorward & I drove from Logan to Salt Lake City & took a plane to Helena Mont. then Spokane that night. We crossed the Divide four times on that flight. We saved about 2 days traveling by making that flight & Dorward seemed to enjoy it. It was his first trip by air. RA seems to enjoy plane travel too. I take trains unless there is some distinct advantage to be gained in saving time.

Tomorrow I meet Mr. Phil McCampbell the State Ent. of Colorado. Last year he had to call out the National Guard to fight grasshoppers.

With love to all of you,
Walter

P.S. I wired Reitha to come to Mpls with you.

April 23, 1938

Stationery from the Chicago & North Western Line railroad.

Saturday Night

My dear Ina,

Have been at Minneapolis since Monday night late. At present Mr. Dorward, Mr. Spencer and I are en route to Salt Lake City. Mr. Spencer is the business manager of the Bureau and seems to have found things in pretty good shape at our office. He is on his way to the Mormon cricket office. Mr. Gaddis will be back in Mpls this week but I hope that I can be there by the time he comes. From Salt Lake we go to Logan Utah, Moscow Idaho, Pullman Washington, Corvallis Oregon, Reno Nevada (I have a committee there) and perhaps to Denver on my return. I need the time at Mpls but can’t be in two places at the same time.

April 23, 1938

April 23, 1938

I sent the checks by airmail & I think they were on the way at the same time as your letter. Sorry that your bank acct. was so depleted. I had lost track. Did you get the Kehoe check? Will try to see that you are not almost embarassed again.

I am expecting Walter White to look after you and Lewis Dunbar while I am away. When you move to Mpls will teach him about fishing for pike. They are a game fish.

With love to the three of you.
Walter

April 13, 1938

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

April 14, 1938

April 2, 1938

Postmarked Minneapolis, MN.

Plan to be away all of next week. Columbia Mo. Monday, Manhattan Kas. Tuesday; Little Rock Wednesday Urbana Ill. Friday; Madison Wisc. Sat. & return here Sat. night or Sunday. Plan see Claudelle few minutes also will meet Rainwater at Little Rock. Plenty of rush work with promise of such a season this year. Most of the force are on duty in the office but few more states to organize.

Love
W.E.D.

April 2, 1938

April 2, 1938

March 7, 1938

Stationery from the Hotel Lindell, Lincoln, NE.

Monday Night.

My dear Sweetheart,

The conference at College Station was satisfactory and Mr. Fred Butcher, my assistant met me there. They asked for Spicer and A.A. Miller also Mr. Gable. Butcher and Dr. Shotwell, in charge of survey work for me, will hold a training conference there on the 17th, also 1 other man.

March 7, 1938

March 7, 1938

At Stillwater Mr. Rainwater wants a job again and the training conference will be held on March 19 by Butcher & Shotwell. Will get a Mr. Moore & another man, probably Mr. Maxwell who worked on screwworms.

At Manhattan will get a man who served last year also two others to be selected by Prof. Dean and Dr. Kelly.

Will get through here tomorrow, Tuesday, & proceed to Ames Iowa for another conference to be held on Wednesday. I should get into Minneapolis on Thursday. I feel that I am getting something accomplished and I will have plenty ahead of me on my return to Mpls. I’ve wired instructions for Quarterman and they will have plenty to do before my arrival there.

Butcher will make arrangements in New Mex., Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. Also hold training conferences for men selected for the work. Shotwell will join him on most of these.

I had a lonesome trip up. Butcher left me at Stillwater & the rest has been by myself. Everything is shaping up OK and I think we will be ready when ghoppers start. The winter has been ideal for them and the greatest outbreak yet is expected if they cannot be controlled when they hatch.

Will write again from Mpls (707 Thorpe Building). With lots and lots of love,

Your
Walter.

February 22, 1938

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

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.

February 18, 1938

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

February 18, 1938

August 26, 1937

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

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.

May 14, 1937

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

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.