Tag Archives: work

July 19, 1939

Wednesday Afternoon.
July 19, 1939.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Thank you for your letter and the air mail stamps. Often in writing you I have had the uncomfortable feeling that you think the reading of my letters takes up too much of your valuable time. It pleases me greatly to feel now that I was wrong. I shall be delighted to use the postage. The clever grasshopper post card puzzles Lewis Dunbar; he said he didn’t know they had such big grasshoppers. No doubt he has visions of capturing such a one on our return trip.

July 19, 1939

July 19, 1939

We are having a quiet, pleasant visit. We don’t see Reitha a great deal; she has a date almost every night, but not with the same one every time. She has been with Bolivar Black of Del Rio twice. The heat of our first week here almost finished her, she thought. We were entirely wrong in thinking that Thelma Lee had any regrets about her marriage. She is as happy as a bride, and Paul is as happy as she is. He makes $100.00 a month, and they live on it without the help of anyone.

If the survey begins on August 1st, will you be able to make your plans and requests for another year some time in September? I’m so anxious for you to let the Powers know that you are not going through another year like this one has been.

I don’t think I have ever thought of you as often as I have since we have been away this time, Honey. Some of my thoughts are very disturbing, based upon a sudden realization that I had just before we left Minneapolis.

You don’t know how much I love you.

Ina.

[Enclosed letters from Lewis and Walter White.]

Dear Daddy I love you
Lewis

July 18, 1939
220 W Mesquite
Uvalde, Tex

Dear Daddy,
We have had a good time here in Uvalde. We wish you were here. Mother wonders if you could come down here so we can all go to Mother Dove’s. We hope you will do it.

Yours Truly,
Walter D.

July 19, 1939
220 W. Mesquite
Uvalde, Tex.

Dear Daddy,

I have read your letter and I enjoyed it very much. We are using one of the stamps you sent us for this letter.

Your Son
Walter D.

July 18, 1939

707 Thorpe Bldg
Tuesday AM.

My dear Ina & Boys,

Came down about 30 minutes before 9 today & have time for a short letter. Have not heard from you during the past week. Enclosed for your convenience are a few air mail stamps.

July 18, 1939

July 18, 1939

Sunday noon I had dinner with Polly at her boarding place & then we went to a movie near Lake Street. Some kind of an airplane picture. We ate lunch at the Rainbow about a block from the movie & walked to her home. She talked about Wash. but I believe there was nothing especially new. She seems to be feeling much better, looks better and is in a better mental state.

A few times I’ve eaten at home. Most of the time I have been eating all meals down town.

The work is greatly reduced now, except at the office where vouchers & payrolls are heavy. Most of the labor came off duty Saturday. Airplanes still working. Large number of minor flights & one large one in Montana toward the west. It looks as though they are headed for the Rockies. They have done some damage but not as much as we expected. As a whole the flights do not compare with those of last year.

Polly just came by & sends her Hello to all of you.

Shotwell returned from Montana after having about 3 days with Dr. Parker in the flight areas. Next week we expect to hold a conference on the adult survey & get that started about Aug. 1.

More rain here yesterday & I note that Uvalde had a real good one (Leader News sent to Reitha).

Next time I’ll write to Walter White. Is he a good boy? Is Lewis a good boy?

With love
Walter.

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 19, 1938

Tuesday Night April 19, 1938

My dear Ina,

I am enclosing 1 salary check $225.16, 1 expense check $102.85 and 1 check from Mr. Chamberlain for $35.65 for deposit. I believe I endorsed with the full name this time. I am keeping one expense check for 41.65. Also had the salary check for April 1 in American Express checks. Am returning Mr. McAvoy’s letter re: collection Kehoe’s notes and it seems OK.

April 19, 1938

April 19, 1938

Dr. Wakeland and I went to Brookings, then Fargo & I returned here at 2 AM today. It is now 12 PM & the elevator man wants to go.

I love you Honey and don’t forget it.

Your
Walter.

March 18, 1938

707 Thorpe Bldg
Friday Night

My Dear Ina & Boys,

I am enclosing two salary checks also a check from Miss Anderson for $20 on a loan. Please deposit them. They are endorsed for deposit and the book is enclosed. I wish you would keep the pass book with you.

March 18, 1938

March 18, 1938

We bought 1650 tons of milled bran yesterday and we expect to get some shipments moving next week when the traffic man and the rate man join our office.

I am expecting Mr. Gaddis tomorrow morning and he will be with me for a few days at least. He and Roberts met some state men at Billings yesterday. Our men are beginning to report for duty. Mr. Miller started at College Sta. yesterday when the conference was held there.

Stillwater conference tomorrow and Brookings 3/21. Things are starting OK considering the new office and everything.

With love
Walter

This grasshopper control campaign grew out of the prairie states’ apocalyptic experiences with Rocky Mountain locusts (Melanoplus spretus) in the late 19th century. After M. spretus’s mysterious dissappearance, other species of grasshoppers partially filled its niche, forming large swarms across the region periodically. Walter’s new job is to prevent the next one of these swarms. To do that, the USDA is mixing bran with one of the few insecticides available at the time, probably an arsenic compound. They’ll spread this poisoned bait on the soil to kill the emerging grasshopper nymphs before the growing season. The 1,650 tons of bran Walter mentions here hints at the scale of this operation.

March 14, 1938

Postcard postmarked Minneapolis, MN.

Monday 3/14

Am sending card to Kehoe to send checks to you & you will send notes.

We are rushing to get men started & to prepare for purchases of last materials. It is now 11 PM.

Prepaid Income Tax blank & will mail it when it is notarized tomorrow morning.

With love
Walter.

March 14, 1938

March 14, 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 18, 1938 (Evening)

Stationery from the West Hotel, Minneapolis, MN.

Friday night 2/18.

My dear Ina,

Mr. Andrews (the fiscal man) and I arrived about 8 PM and I found your letter waiting. Was glad to know that you got back from Uvalde OK. There is so much danger in driving the highways, I worry about your driving when the traffic is heavy. I know that Mother Lewis wants you to drive during daylight hours and will let you leave Uvalde early. I think it is a good idea to do so.

February 18, 1938 (Evening)

February 18, 1938 (Evening)

My salary check for the 16th was sent here and I’ll buy some American Express money orders with it. I did not draw 50 at Wash. as stated in my letter. I told you about the $100 at Savannah, and I gave John Hull 15.50 of it to take care of his moving expense to our house. Enclosed herewith is Mr. Chamberlain’s check for $35.00. His note says he has not had the papering done as yet. It is being endorsed for deposit.

Andrews and I are going now to see the office space used last year. Tomorrow AM we take bids also get a register from Civil Service for some stenographs. Gaddis will be here Monday. I’ll leave here Monday night for Fargo.

With love
Walter.

February 15, 1938 (Ina)

Tuesday Afternoon.
Feb. 15, 1938.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Today we were very happy to have your letter written Friday.

Do you really want us to wait until school closes? I’m perfectly willing to go sooner if you think you will be at headquarters enough for us to see you once in a while. Will you be traveling a great deal between now and June, or will most of your time be spent at Minneapolis? You plan for us to move after the “big rush” is over. When will that be? In the meantime, do you expect to have any occasion to see us in San Antonio? The logical time for us to move seems to be after school closes the last day of May but I don’t want to desert you nor do I want to be in your way.

February 15, 1938 (Ina)

February 15, 1938 (Ina)

When does this new job cease to be a secret? Mrs. Welker excitedly called me up the other day to know if we were going to move. Mr. Wilkie had heard at the pink boll worm office that the screw worm office was closing and Mr. Townsend was to begin work there. I didn’t give her any idea where we would be or what you would be doing. I told her we probably would know when you returned from Washington.

Will you have something to do with the Mormon cricket work too?

Has your cold gotten well? I do hope so.

We went to Uvalde last week-end. The family pledged secrecy when I told them of your new work. They were proud of you for being assigned to such an important problem and were brave about our moving so far away. They expect to move into their new home about March 1. It is going to be pretty. Reitha was elected the most popular girl in the junior class and Thelma Lee (though married) was elected the most beautiful in the senior class. They won by a large majority. This is for the annual.

Today at noon Mr. Welker telephoned that he had a fine new boy. It came about 2 A.M. and everything is lovely. His name is Thomas Fowler. I’ll go to the hospital to see them soon. He will use Lewis Dunbar’s basket.

I’m invited to a tea to be given tomorrow afternoon in a home on West King’s Highway. Don’t you just love ‘em?

Yes, I signed the deed in the presence of Mrs. Schroeder and the notary (with seal) and mailed it to Mr. O’Donnell the same day I received it.

Sunday A.M. while we were at Uvalde Mama received a special delivery letter from Claudelle telling of her transfer. I hope she reached Washington before you left. I was sorry Mama & Papa had that news on top of news of our prospective move.

Madie says she would love to go with us. I warned her about the climate, distance from her home etc. but she didn’t mind. She corresponds occasionally with a friend who lives in those parts so she knows a little about the country. I think it would be a great comfort to have her with us. What do you think?

The children keep asking when you are coming home. Lewis Dunbar saves you a piece of chewing gum almost every day. I’d love to see you too.

I love you, Honey.

Always, your
Ina.

P.S. I’m glad you sent Mother Dove the check.