May 25, 1930 (PM)

Sunday Night

My dear Sweetheart,

I am at the PO now. Received some wonderful news and I managed to get this stationery to tell you about it. Bish sent a blank along which is to accompany his recommendation for me for the grade of Senior Entomologist at $4600 per annum. Can you feature such a jump. I expected a pretty good one but I did not anticipate this much. I am jumping the whole grade of Entomologist $3800 to $4500. This is an increase of $75 per month – Whoopee! I’ve pinched myself to see if I am awake. I’ve tried to figure if there are any loop holes. I guess not for he undoubtedly knows that he can get it through as he would not try in writing without this assurance. Bish is all right.

May 25, 1930

May 25, 1930 (PM)

With love and lots of it,

Walter.

Please be careful about mentioning it. You know how such news reacts on others in the service & even those out of the service. Tell the immediate family if you like but ask them to not mention it outside. I don’t believe I’d tell the figures to any except Daddy & Mother Lewis & Claudelle. Don’t tell Walter White even.

$4,600 in 1930 equals a little over $63,000 in 2012. Walter White is their first son, who was less than a year old at this point.

June 11, 1930

11 A.M.
June 11 – En route to Jax.

My dear Sweetheart,

Spent last night in New Orleans with Jimmie. He was feeling as fine as ever. I slept at his room and was with him until my train left this morning. Will meet B at Jax – 8:25 tomorrow morning. If I can get a Ford roadster delivered before July 1st I may drive to Biloxi and meet Jimmie there. In that event our survey will start from there. Have not learned anything of Jimmie’s Civil Service exams. He was the only Freshman at his fraternity house to pass all subjects this year. His roommate has to take bio-chemistry during the summer. A number of the students have to spend the summer in passing courses failed during the year. Tulane does not have a summer session and they go elsewhere for the work.

June 11, 1930

June 11, 1930

The trip was not hot. Some dust but as a whole OK. Everything is very dry.

Hope Walter White continues on good behavior and that you and Claudelle are getting along OK with just one Walter.

With love,

Your
Walter.

I love you lots. Walter White too.

June 12, 1930

Stationery from the Hotel Mayflower, Jacksonville, Florida – “Radio in every room.”

June 12, 1930
8 PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

Arrived this morning at 7:30. I met a train for B but he did not show up. At Mr. Filby’s office I learned that B will arrive tomorrow morning and that he and I are going down the state. Mr. Filby and a number of the state and city Health folks are attending a meeting at Tallahassee today. I met Dr. Barker at the City Health Dept. He recognized me and spent about one-half of the day with me. We called upon everyone in that building and then one of the Commissioners, Dr. Baker had me eat lunch with him. He was very courteous and showed me every consideration. He planned an appointment for B and I for 11 o’clock tomorrow. The appointment is with Mr. Engle, one who has a half million invested in St. Georges Island, an island just across the St. John’s from Mayport. Think they are going to ask us to make studies down there. It is 20 miles from Jax.

June 12, 1930

June 12, 1930

This PM I called on Dr. Kirby-Smith at St. Vincent’s hospital. He had a nightmare a few nights ago and jumped from a window of the second floor of his home. Luckily, he landed on grass instead of concrete. His head missed the concrete just a little ways. He has some bad bruises on the face, hands and limbs. He hopes to return home tonight and to be in his office Sat or Mon. I did not see the children but his mother-in-law came while I was there. Kirby says the taxes on the new home amount to $100 per month.

The radio is giving me the WJAX program. I guess I’ll listen to the Sharkey fight.

Kirby says that he does not see as many cases of C.E. now. He thinks that knowledge of the causation and the publication of the news by the state Board of Health is responsible for the reduction in the number of cases. Kirby says they have published several short articles and that White and Dove have been mentioned several times.

With love,

Your
Walter.

June 14, 1930

June 14, 1930 – Miami, Fla.

Dear Sweetheart,

We arrived here this morning. We expect to be here today and tomorrow. One of the State Health Board inspectors will take us “up state.” It will probably be about one week before we reach Savannah and Charleston. Jimmie’s appointment was recommended and it should be through by the time we get to Charleston. We plan to have him work at Savannah. His appointment is temporary until we hear from his exams. Dr. King made the trip to NW US on the mosquito survey. We expect to see Mr. McNiel at Orlando, one of Dr. King’s men, on our way up state. I am to return to Dallas about the 1st. Expense to be included in this year’s money. We are not going on West Coast of Fla. at this time.

June 14, 1930

June 14, 1930

With love,

Always,
Walter.

June 17, 1930

Stationery from the Hotel Dixon, Fort Pierce, Florida

June 17, 1930

Dear Sweetheart,

Greetings from all of us! The mosquitoes are not so numerous since the anti-mosquito work was undertaken. We called on Mr. Fee tonight, but will have more time with him tomorrow. The sand flies seem to be holding their own but are not annoying when there is a breeze. We go to Cocoa for tomorrow night, then Mr. McNiel will meet us and take us to his sub-station at Orlando. From there we take a train to Jax. Will visit St. Mary’s north of Jax, then Savannah, then Charleston. We may call at Myrtle Beach which is between Charleston and Wilmington. This general survey is getting pretty tiresome. We are getting some general information but it is not giving much in the way of leads. They have different notions about the breeding places. I’ll be glad when we get to Savannah and Charleston and can make some arrangements about beginning the work. I was surprised that Bish stayed with me so much for a general survey.

June 17, 1930

June 17, 1930

I certainly hope that you are getting along OK and that Walter White is on good behavior. It seems a mighty long time since I saw you. I love you, Dear, Walter White too, and I am anxious to see you.

Always,
Walter.

Mr. Reed of the Fla. State Board of Health is driving his Ford Coupe for the 3 of us. Quite crowded but we make stops frequently. Will be looking for a letter “General Delivery” Charleston. Should you find it necessary to wire me, send care City Health Officer Savannah or Charleston.

June 18, 1930

Stationery from the San Juan Hotel, Orlando, Florida.

June 18, 1930.

My dear Sweetheart,

We made stops at Stuart, Vero Beach, and Cocoa, after spending most of the forenoon at Ft. Pierce. You would be surprised, but there are less than 10% as many mosquitoes at Ft. Pierce at the present time. They have about 50 miles of ditches which permit the minnows to find the wiggletails. Many of the ditches are made by blasting the mangrove trees with dynamite.*

June 18, 1930

June 18, 1930

We found more sand flies and mosquitoes at Vero Beach than at any other place along the East Coast of Florida. The conditions were quite similar to those of Marco Island. Mr. Reed came to Cocoa with us and then we took a bus to Orlando. We arrived here at 8:30 tonight. We had dinner and now it is about 10:30.

Orlando is a nice town. It is not in the sand fly section. Bish wants to spend a day with McNiel here. Tomorrow night we leave for Jax. The next day we go to St. Mary’s, then Savannah, then Charleston. We hope to find Jimmie up there about that time. Too, we expect to find that his appointment went through. As near as I can figure, it is not going to give me much time in Charleston before it will be time to return to Dallas. Will try to get Bish to cut out the Wilmington & Myrtle Beach trip or make it by himself.

I hope you are getting along OK and that Walter White sleeps well.

With love,

Your,
Walter.

* Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

June 19, 1930

June 19th.

My dear Sweetheart,

We spent the day here and found it interesting. This morning we went to Zellwood (about 25 miles) and saw Mr. McNiel. He is a Harned[?] student and his wife is from Tallulah. She is rather pretty (but not as pretty as my wife). They were married a few months ago. Mr. McNiel’s work is interesting. He is studying a mosquito which is peculiar to this locality. There are no sand flies here.

June 19, 1930

June 19, 1930

This PM we called at the headquarters of the Med. fruit fly campaign. Saw Mr. Yothers and his group, then we met others on the eradication campaign. Mr. Kimball, one of Harned’s students is here, in charge of our area.

We are leaving tonight for Jax. Will be there tomorrow morning, then to St. Mary’s, then Savannah. I am getting anxious to see the “promised land.” I am getting enough of Florida. Conditions are not so good down here. Every once in a while another bank fails. Everyone has lost money in property and in bank failures. It makes one feel that he wants to put his money in his shoe.

I certainly hope that Walter White has been sleeping well and that you have been getting along all right. It seems ages since I saw you. We have covered a lot of territory and have seen lots of people and it seems that we should close the trip. I guess I’ll get my return tickets on the last day of June. This seems to be about the time. Hope to see “Jimmy” at Charleston.

With lots of love, Dear, I am

Your
Walter.

June 21, 1930

Stationery from the Hotel Savannah, “Rates posted and radio in every room.”

Sat. June 21, 1930.

My dear Sweetheart,

We have been on the go all day. This morning we had a sanitary inspector (malaria control) to take us to points on the Island. At noon we met the Georgia Healthcare group of health officers, and had lunch with them. We accompanied them on their tour this PM. This place has most of the mosquito breeding places under control. They have about 300 miles of ditches which permit drainage & minnow access to mosquito breeding places. They are anxious about sand flies. Last Feb they gave quite a bit of annoyance to winter tourists. On April 6 they caused 50 guests to leave. The season was shortened by 3 weeks. Since the hotel is open for only about 4 months during the year, this is quite an item.

June 21, 1930

June 21, 1930

We are going to look around more tomorrow morning and then go to Charleston tomorrow afternoon or night. Savannah has lots of history and several monuments. It has a population of 87000, with 45% negroes. I like the spirit of cooperation but I am not yet sure about living here. It is not a progressive and growing place. I imagine that Charleston is about the same way.

Yesterday PM Bish and I went by the acreage at Jax. He thinks that the investment is a good one. There is some building along the high way, an overhead pass has been made for the group of railroad tracks in Jax, and soon the Lake City highway will be made twice as wide. There are some homes between our acreage and Jax. The old man with the filling station says that no real estate is being sold now but that he thinks the prospects are good for the future.

B just had a letter from Mrs. B. All three of the children were honor students. Bitsie goes to Baltimore every-day with a questionnaire for the Jewish families. I think she has to get 12 each day. During the late summer she is to be a dietician for a girls camp.

I love you, Honey, and I’ll be mighty glad when I get your letters at Charleston.

Always,

Your
Walter.

June 22, 1930

Sunday June 22nd

My dear Sweetheart,

We did not get away for Charleston today. This morning we went down to the Tybee beach and then to a resort hotel on Wilmington Island. The plan is to have Jimmie work from this hotel. We will know more about it tomorrow. We expect to leave here tomorrow at 1:20 PM. Should arrive Charleston at 4:20. We will be there until Wednesday afternoon. Guess I’ll have to go to Wilmington, and possibly to Florence S.C. then return here. I’ll call at General Delivery when I return here. I should get back about next Friday PM. Will probably get return tickets on the last day of the month and it would be about the 3d of July before I get back to Dallas. When I return here it may be necessary to draw a check. Would like to know if the expense check has arrived and has been deposited. I would draw not more than $25. Guess salary check would get in in time to catch it OK.

June 22, 1930

June 22, 1930

I hope that everything is going well with you and Walter White and Claudelle.

Savannah looks good for a laboratory site. Charleston may be just as good.

I love you, Honey, and I will be glad to see you.

Your,
Walter.

June 25, 1930

Stationery from The Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina.

June 25 – 10AM.

My dear Sweetheart,

Your letters were fine. Today we go to Wilmington & then tomorrow I return here for Jimmie. We will go to Savannah and when I get him started I expect to return to Dallas.

June 25, 1930

June 25, 1930

I don’t know whether I’ll have time to get an answer to this note.

Jimmie was at the Y.M.C.A. when we arrived. He has been looking over things with us.

With love,

Your
Walter.