September 13, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach, Sun PM 9/13.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I hope that you are not ill. Did not get a letter yesterday nor the day before, but I presume they will come in a bunch. Perhaps they detoured for Jax. I did not go up there yesterday but went out with the Hill boys across the street. We went north on the beach, then to Mayport where they caught a bucket of fiddler crabs for fish bait.

September 13, 1925 (Walter)

September 13, 1925 (Walter)

I am enclosing a letter from Mr. Blanchard Manager of the light Co. in Aberdeen. After the war I had the merchandise department of the company and he was my boss. A copy of the New Orleans report was mailed to him, as I knew he would be interested.

I am yet busy getting things in shape since Dr. White left me. Have had a number of letters to write today. Will go to Jax tomorrow & also to a place called Hilliard if I can conveniently make the run up there. Will come back the same day.

Am sending part of the Jax Sunday paper as there are some real estate ads which may interest you. The one “Jacksonville Heights Improvement Co” is one of our investments. There is also an article on state lands on another page.

I had a complimentary letter from Prof. Riley of the University of Minnesota, regarding the C.E. report at New Orleans. He is about the best medical entomologist in the U.S. I wanted Mr. Bishopp to read it so I sent it to him, hoping that he will send it to Dr. Hunter and Dr. Howard. He will tell them of it anyway and that will have the desired effect.

Sweetheart, I hope that I get a letter from you tonight for I need one.

With all my love, I am,

Your
Walter.

September 14, 1925 (Ina)

Monday Nite
Sept. 14, 1925.

Dearest Walter:

In the rush to get Claudelle to the train this morning I failed to take your last night’s letter, so will post the two tomorrow.

Your joyful letter celebrating Dr. White’s departure came this morning and it was an unusually good one. Also, the other letter which I am returning for your files. It was interesting too, and I know that you are glad that is closed after working on it so long. I wonder if Dr. White is satisfied.

September 14, 1925 (Ina)

September 14, 1925 (Ina)

Sweetheart, the “write-up” in your letter about “our” real estate was very interesting to me and I feel that you have exercised some mighty good judgement in making the purchases that you have made. Yes, indeed, that will come in mighty nice, won’t it? I am very enthusiastic about it.

I am anxious to know what Mr. Bishopp will have to say about our being in Florida this winter and I know you are anxious too. Also, I hope your plans for succeeding in getting the appropriation materialize, and will be effective. You have my best wishes for success.

That “long chat” of yours was fine, Dear, and I hope you’ll feel that way again. I have read and re-read it several times.

I love you, Sweetheart, the best in the world.

Lots and lots of love from

Your devoted
Ina.

September 14, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach. Monday Nite.
9/14, 1925

My Dear Sweetheart,

Three letters today and each of them was a message of joy. I had begun to worry, fearing that you were ill. Two of them came this morning before I went to Jax and the other came on the same train that I returned on tonight. Gee! but they were great and I wish I could hug you real hard for them. I am returning Mr. Womack’s letter as you will probably want it. No doubt you have quite a collection of letters of such a nature by this time, for I know that there were a number previous to the two you have sent me. I can’t blame them for wanting such a dear little girl as yourself, and I often wonder how it happened that you had not fallen off the limb before I told you something. I certainly consider myself lucky, Dear, and I am going to do my best so that you will never regret your choice.

September 14, 1925 (Walter)

September 14, 1925 (Walter)

My sister writes that she certainly did not make a mistake in her hubby. He seems to be mighty good to her, and now even my mother thinks that he is alright. Mother would have felt the same way regardless of the man. I guess it is natural. I certainly appreciate the attitude of Mother Lewis and Daddy Lewis. They have certainly shown a good spirit toward us, and I hope that as the years go by they will never have an occasion to wish that your choice had been different.

I certainly do love you, Dear, and I am in hopes that I’ll get word from Mr. B to the effect that I can work here all winter. That would make it mighty fine for the honeymoon here.

After I had written you that our engagement was four months old I remembered that it was on the 10th. I intended to mention it in my next letter. It was the 5th when I left Dallas.

With a sweet goodnight, I am,

Yours always,
Walter

September 15, 1925 (Ina)

Tuesday Night.
Sept. 15, 1925.

My dear Sweetheart:

With the crickets and coyotes furnishing a rather weird, lonesome accompaniment, I should be able to write you a very touching letter tonight. However, I am not going to try to bring forth the tears. I would give ‘most anything to be with you now though. I love you, Dear.

September 15, 1925 (Ina)

September 15, 1925 (Ina)

I believe I failed to tell you in my last letter of the pleasant visit we had yesterday afternoon from Mr. and Mrs. Parman and Mrs. Roark. We enjoyed it so much. Mrs. Roark has just returned from Kerrville where she went with the intention of spending two days with friends there, but she spent three weeks instead. You should hear her describe the “perfectly lovely“! things she saw and time she had. She is still full of enthusiasm over everything, but I have never seen her act as “grown-up” as she did yesterday. No doubt ’twas my “dignity”? that calmed her so. Really, though, I think it is when she is out among the flowers, rocks etc. that she lets her imagination run away. As for me, I like her very much. She is just as sincere and conscientious as she can be, and never says an unkind word about anyone. Of course she has her faults, and so have we all, but she is sweet. She has been with Mrs. Parman for several days but expected to go to Regan Wells today to get things ready to go to Dallas to meet Dr. Roark. I think he expects to work there for a while. By the way, Mrs. Roark added to my hope chest by giving me a pretty hand embroidered linen guest towel. It was mighty sweet of her to do it, and I surely did appreciate it. I’ll show it to you and let you dry your face on it after we are married. Now, don’t you think I’m good to you?

Mr. Parman has just returned from a business trip to Houston, and thinks that he may leave next week for Dallas to work for a while. He is awaiting further instructions.

I know you will be glad when Mr. Bishopp writes you definitely as to where “we” will be this winter. You would like very much to know before making your trip down the state I am sure. No doubt he will write you again as soon as he will have had time to have heard from Dr. Hunter.

Sweetheart, we were sorry when you wrote that you doubted if either your mother or sister could come for the wedding. Mama and I have often talked about it and hoped that your Mother, Father, brother, or sister and her husband could come. We would be glad to have any of them as guests in our home, and had intended writing them after the date was set and inviting them to our home. I think it would be so nice if your sister could be here to play the wedding march, don’t you? We didn’t know whether she played the pipe organ or not, but, for some reason, ours has not been installed yet, and probably will not be by that time. Remember, your people are just as welcome as they can be here and we would be very glad to have them. Yes, I know that I am going to love them all, and I am looking forward with lots of pleasure to knowing them. It’s sweet of them to want you to bring me to see them, and I would enjoy it so much too. I sincerely hope that I will not be a disappointment to them.

Thanks for the invitation of A. Harris & Co. to open a charge account. There must be something about your name or the look on your face that gives the impression of your being a married man. I hadn’t noticed that you had such a “married” look. You certainly don’t look “henpecked” and I sincerely hope you will never have reason to even feel that way, much less to look it.

My! how I do wish I could see you and Claudelle tonight.

Always, your
Ina.

September 15, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach, Tues. Nite 9/15.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Your little letter was “Johnny on the spot” tonight and I enjoyed it too, Dear. You always write and say the right thing at the right time. I was in Jax again this morning and you will wonder if I have gone crazy when I tell you that I bought another 10 acre tract of land. It is located in the same quarter of a section with the other one, and they represent the two lower corners of that section quarter. This particular quarter was marked out on the map, but it was due to an error in the office in which another tract had been sold twice. I have been wanting another tract ever since I got the first, and when I came home last night I couldn’t go to sleep until I had made up my mind that I would go up and get it this morning. An Omaha man had just visited the section where Dr. White and I & you are interested, paid twice the amount in cash for one tract then purchased four other tracts about a mile from there which had a much lower elevation. I really believe that our tracts are the best of any they are offering, and I have no doubt but that one of them can be sold this winter for a sum which will pay for both of them. High dry land, clear of brush, good drinking water, no mosquitoes, 1 1/2 miles from a paved highway and located on the Atlantic Coast Line is what I call a good buy at $75 per acre. Why, Dear, $1000 per acre is not an enormous price for such land. I believe that it will be worth $300 per acre this winter. I am anxious to have you see them, and I believe that you will agree with me that one of them would be a dandy little place to build a home. Either one of them for that matter, but we will probably make one of them pay for both. We will have plenty of time to look them over after you come down here, and we will see what the “Missus” says.

September 15, 1925 (Walter)

September 15, 1925 (Walter)

Your coffee report was amusing Dear, but don’t think for a second that you should drink coffee just because I do. Perhaps I can learn to drink Cocoa with you. Maybe we can have both, or perhaps coffee at breakfast & something else at other meals. The incident is one which shows your nature and I certainly do love you for it. If I can be as unselfish toward you, we certainly ought to get along. We are going to get along, for I love you so very much that there is hardly a thing I would not do for you. I do not know of anything.

I am beginning another lead on the solution of this C.E. problem, in fact, two others. Have been keeping these up my sleeve. Dr. White was not telling everything that he knew, and sometimes I think that he kept his technique as much as possible. So I have not been telling him everything that I knew. I am going to try one of them pretty well before going down the state, for I am anxious to follow it up. I probably won’t go for anotehr week. Next Saturday, however, Dr K.S. & I are going on a fishing trip. He planned it when I had lunch with him today. He is certainly a Prince of a fellow.

This is getting to be a long one, so I’d better tell my “sweetie” goodnight. I love you, Dear and I want you always.

Your
Walter.

September 16, 1925 (Ina)

Wednesday Nite.

Sept. 16, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

No, I didn’t get a letter today but I can look forward to getting one or two tomorrow. Mama and I went in town this evening after the post office had closed, but we had ‘phoned and asked Bob to get the mail for us and carry it to his house, and there was no letter from Walter.

September 16, 1925 (Ina)

September 16, 1925 (Ina)

While Mama visited at Thelma’s I went to church “all by my lonesome.” The sermon was good, and I really believe the evangelist is going to do quite a bit of good in the community. He is a very forceful speaker and is very convincing. Uvalde needs something, and perhaps that is it. When I returned from church I found Mr. and Mrs. Parman at Thelma’s. They are leaving Saturday for Dallas where they will stay a few days and then go to Tennessee to visit their people. Mr. Parman expects to spend 10 days there and, while Mrs. Parman is finishing her visit, he will return to Dallas to work for a while. I have an idea though that when “D.C.” starts West, Mrs. Parman will start right back with him. You know how lost she feels if he goes away for a few minutes without her.

I wish you knew tonight how much I loved you, Sweetheart. I can’t think of anything except the world that’s large enough to measure it in, and I think it would take several of those, so I’ll just simply say “I love you.”

Yours forever,
Ina.

September 16, 1925 (Walter)

9/16-25
The Beach, Wed. Nite.

My own Dear Sweetheart,

Your letter was received tonight just as I had wished. They always give me so much real pleasure, and I never read one but what I wish that you were near enough so that I could hug you for it. They are always just as sweet as they can be.

Last night I received a letter from Raymond Laird, who was a chauffeur in Flight C 800th Aero Squadron with me. The boys are having a reunion at Omaha next month during the Legion Convention. Most of my men came from Iowa & Nebraska and all enlisted within a period of two or three days. It would be fine to be with them then, but of course it is beyond any possibility. They were as fine a bunch of men as Sam had in his Army at any place. Most of them have good positions now, and are making good. They were just like one big family of 53 men in camp, and I did not have to be hardboiled. We got along fine. No doubt you will meet some of them during our married life as they are all good friends of mine.

September 16, 1925 (Walter)

September 16, 1925 (Walter)

It was amusing and I can’t help but sympathize with you, Dear, in that you took your last hike to the top of the hill with Claudelle. You are going to se her every once in a while, and will hear from her often just the same. We are going to have her with us and you will enjoy her company just the same. I think a lot of Claudelle and I want you to feel that we want her with us. I’ll try and be a brother to her, and a hubby to you. I can see no reason why you could not love her just as much and enjoy her company the same way. Perhaps you won’t hike to the top of the same hill, but you can go to other places. I’ll take both of you with me and you two can play while you are waiting on me.

Had a letter from Dr. White today and it was a real nice one. He found it pretty hot in Washington, and to quote him “Me for the land of sun and flowers where the weather and water are fine and the women fat.” He is now a real Florida booster, and he thinks that Jax and the beach are about right. I know that we will get along fine now, as it is quite different from being with him all the time. I really feel that he will boost for me in Wash when the opportunity presents itself, for we are on good terms.

The surf was fine tonight, and I always enjoy dinner more when I have had a dip. Also get sleepy earlier. Wish you could have been with me for I was all alone.

I love you, Dear, and I certainly appreciate that fact that you love me. Only one thing could make me happier and that is to have you with me. I’ll be the happiest man in the world then.

Believe me, I sure do love you,

Your
Walter

September 17, 1925

Thursday Nite.
Sept. 17, 1925.

My dear Sweetheart:

Whilst the lamp is sputtering in the breeze I want to tell you that I did get a letter today and I was thoroughly ready for it too, as I always am, but especially because I failed to get one yesterday.

I am returning Mr. Blanchard’s letter as you may want to keep it. It is a mighty nice one, and I believe I am as proud of those complimentary letters as you are. Of course I know you are making a success anyway, but there is nothing like encouraging words from people, is there? It just puts new life into you and makes you realize more than ever the importance of your task or problem and its accomplishment. Bless your heart, I’m proud of you.

September 17, 1925

September 17, 1925

When you received this fat envelope, did you think I was sending you my whole life’s diary? False alarm! ‘Tis just Claudelle’s of what has happened since she left here Monday morning. I don’t know what she would think of me if she knew I was sending it to you, but it is the first letter we have received from her there and it gives a detailed description of everything she saw and thought I think. As you will gather from her letter, she and Lucille are expecting to work part of the time. We don’t know yet just how many hours a week they will be on duty (office work), but not many I think. You can judge for yourself just how much of the letter to take seriously. Perhaps the following will better enable you to understand the “book”:

Cast of Characters:

Mother – Just Mama. She took a sudden notion before leaving to change it.

Turner D – Sort of a “sissy” young man whom Claudelle and the other girls have refused numbers of dates.

Mrs. Shirer (Aunt Lee) – Lucille’s Aunt.

Lois, Juanita, Lucille Lewis – the other girls from Uvalde.

Dr. Stanford – Pres. of Westmoreland College who was our instructor in two courses at Kerrville and of whom C. and I formed a rather unfavorable opinion. You remember my telling you of his carrying me home etc. from church services one night?

Three O’Clock – A poor little ugly black kitten we have that C. plays with when we sit on the front porch in the evenings.

Also, I will add by way of explanation that the reference to the probability of my liking the “beautiful painting” is because of my well-known admiration for anything pink or peach colored. When I can I choose ‘most all of my dresses of that color.

Dear, the Jacksonville paper of which you wrote didn’t come today, but I’m sure it will tomorrow. Thank you for sending it because I’m very much interested. I am looking forward to the time when I can be with you and see the property first hand.

Could you stand the shock if I told you it was – raining!? It really is – too bad! Papa has just gone out on the front porch and said there were stars everywhere. It did rain some though.

Sweetheart, I love you lots and lots and lots and then a whole lot more.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Yours always,
Ina.

September 18, 1925 (Ina)

Friday Night.
Sept. 18, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

We have been having fine showers just about all day today and you know how much like a boat in the middle of a big lake this house looks. However, we were tickled to death with both the boat and the lake except that I couldn’t help but wish and wish hard for either an airplane or a boat to carry me to the post office to get your letter. Mama said she had a mental picture of me if it were to rain for a week so that we couldn’t get in town. I suppose, in a case like that, something would just simply have to be done. However, the stars are shining now, so I think we can make it tomorrow. We really didn’t have a flood, you understand, but you know this road when it does rain.

September 18, 1925 (Ina)

September 18, 1925 (Ina)

You may have to wait until you have a holiday to read this and the other letter I am mailing at the same time.

Exactly twelve years ago this morning at five o’clock we “set sail” from Bogue Chitto to make our home in the “Wild West.” Worlds of things have happened since that morning, and little did I suspect at that time that in a dozen years I would be engaged to marry a man whose home was not many miles from ours in Mississippi. I wonder what would have happened if we hadn’t moved to Texas? I firmly believe I would have met you though, because I believe there is a Higher Power that arranges those things. It is interesting to think of how it all came about though, isn’t it?

I love you, Sweetheart, and that even more than I knew twelve years ago that I could love anyone. I’m so happy, and can hardly wait until tomorrow to get your letter.

Lots and lots of love,
From
Ina.

September 18, 1925 (Walter)

The Beach, 9/18-25
Friday Morning.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I did not write last night but am doing so the first thing this morning. Have just had breakfast and now I am on the porch of the cottage. Today, I want to get everything in shape so that I can leave it over Sat & Sun. Will go to Jax on the early train tomorrow AM & will finish some work up there so that Dr. K.S. and I can leave at noon on our fishing trip. I always have a good time with him.

September 18, 1925 (Walter)

September 18, 1925 (Walter)

We are going to the same point near Orange Springs, but will go up the river this time & have a Negro to run the boat as we drift back. The last two times we were down there we drifted down the river & then had a gasoline boat pull us back. I do not know whether anyone else will go with us or not, I hope not, for two men casting from one boat is about as many as can fish conveniently. At that the Negro will probably dodge the Dowdgiacs* some.

The material I am working with since Dr. White left looks very encouraging. I don’t intend to tell him about this until I get somewhere with it. He has plenty of the other to keep him busy and if he knew of this it might get him away from the other. The other should be worked up anyway and he can go to it.

Will write you again tonight, Dear, and will post it in Jax tomorrow A.M.

I love you, and love you and love you,

Your,
Walter.

*Probably a phonetic spelling of “Dowagiac.” The Heddon lure company was originally headquartered in Dowagiac, MI, and their earliest products were branded “Dowagiacs.”