June 3, 1936

Wednesday – En Route
Train to Savannah.

My dear Sweetheart & Big Sons

Daddy flew over your house Monday night and your lights were out. I hope you slept well. I could not see any tricycles or wagons on the lawn, so I guess they were in the garage where they should be at night.

June 3, 1936

June 3, 1936

Had several letters to write for the signature of the Chief including a recent one from the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association. The last was a result of my sending Dr. Bishopp a copy of my last report on the trip to Texas. It looks as though Dr. Bishopp tried to put me on the spot on several recommendations for control, but in a conference with Mr. Strong I fared pretty well. Strong told Dr. B. what it looked like so he asked Dr. B. to write his recommendations and submit them to me for my comments. Strong is giving me good support. He stopped the flight tests too. The bill passed both houses and should be signed in a few days. We are trying to move to S.A. this week. The conference at Gainesville was very good.

With love to all of you.

Your,
Walter.

June 4, 1936

Thursday PM

My dear Ina,

Am trying to get on my way to San Antonio tomorrow, and I expect to be on the job there Monday.

June 4, 1936

June 4, 1936

The conference at Washington was very good. Dr. B. tried some funny business & is still trying but it didn’t work so well. More about this later on. He asked me in a letter to write my recommendations on about 7 questions. Strong asked him to write his answers and submit them to me.

Lots of love,

Your
Walter.

June 5, 1936

Stationery from the Gay-Teague Hotel, Montgomery, Ala.

Friday Night 11:00 PM

My dear Sweetheart,

Have been trying for several days to get the office moved to San Antonio, and today it looks like we are succeeding. Mr. Mitchell left about 4 o’clock with a truck load of furniture and supplies and I got away about 5:30 PM. Mr. Townsend leaves tomorrow morning in his famous car and Miss Anderson leaves by train tomorrow PM. Miss Ausley leaves Orlando Sunday and Miss Peets is to arrive at San Antonio Wednesday. I telegraphed Claudelle that all would be at 1010 Travis Building between Monday and Wednesday. R.A. and Mr. Dormand are busy on the applicants at College Station.

The air trip to Washington was almost like riding in a bus. There were no thrills connected with it.*

June 5, 1936

June 5, 1936

Mr. Strong is certainly supporting me even on protests and complaints from Dr. Bishopp. My conferences at Washington were very satisfactory. Had another complaint letter up there from Dr. Bishopp through the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers which required an answer. This was prepared for Mr. Strong’s signature. Bish had written a letter to me asking me to answer 7 questions on our recommendations for control. During the conference Strong told him that I did not have time to do that, and that the answers should come from the research unit. He told Bish to write out the answers and submit them to me. Bish is trying to get some letters in the files which can be used against me and Strong told him in my presence that he was guilty of just that.

Expect to be at Baton Rouge tomorrow night and I want a talk with Anderson the state entomologist then. Will try to be in San Antonio on Monday and will stop at the YMCA until I can find quarters for my family. This will depend on when my family can move from Savannah. Bids on the furniture moving are yet in Wash. but they seem to be in order. Bill was passed by both houses and is awaiting signature of the President.

With love,

Your
Walter.

* Longtime readers will recall that Walter’s previous experience of aviation involved Sopwith fighter-bombers over France in 1918, so his expectations for the thrills of flight might have been a bit high.

June 6, 1936

Postmarked Mobile, AL.

Just another card from the old man telling you that he is checking out of Mobile at 2:30 PM. He had a good lunch at Morrison’s. The next stop will be Baton Rouge for the night. Love to the 3 of you,
Walter.

June 6, 1936

June 6, 1936

June 9, 1936

Postmarked San Antonio, TX.

Tues. Night

Arrived yesterday PM. RA Prince and Claudelle were at the new quarters. Today the other stenos and Mr. Townsend arrived. Furniture is being placed & some business is being transacted. Within a day or two things should become settled. The new offices are fine & we have no regrets on the space. With love to the three of you.

Walter.

June 9, 1936

June 9, 1936

June 12, 1936

YMCA Friday 10 PM. 6/12

My dear Sweetheart,

Guess you think your husband is neglecting writing his family. The new office and so many things seem to require some of my time. We are getting in better shape now and most of the office people are finding their duties. The office set up is first rate. Gradually we seem to be getting the sheep and goat raisers to see that our program is right. At their meeting in Kerrville yesterday they received Prof. Mackey very cordially and promised to work with us.

June 12, 1936

June 12, 1936

R.A. reacts in true form to many things. He did not favor demonstrations when the work program was written but now sees that it is the only way to get the program over in Texas. His individualistic damn cussedness has taken root in Frank, who seems to be a supporter of his. Think I can handle the situation but it will probably mean that I’ve got to dictate in no uncertain terms and see that they carry out orders. I made the mistake of assigning Frank with R.A. He should have been under a different man this year. It may be necessary to separate them yet. Frank is on the civil service list and was reached by the Public Health Service for a job at $2600 in California. He would identify fleas and mites from rats. I encouraged him to accept it, because it would get him a civil service status. I think screw worm work would profit if he accepted. Tomorrow I am going to offer more encouragement to that job. He and R.A. are going to headquarter across the hall from my office. They do not have a steno yet, and the problem is about the same that it was last year, except that they want to use my best steno. I think your old man is going to be pretty hard boiled and dictate what is what.

Tomorrow we are going to drive to Uvalde. Mr. Townsend and Yeomans want to go in Townsend’s new Packard and carry Claudelle and Miss Peets. We will return Sunday afternoon. It will probably be a week from Monday before we start the training conference at College Station.

With love to all three of you,

Your
Walter.

June 16, 1936

YMCA, San Antonio TX
June 16, 1936.

My dear Sweetheart,

Pardon the pencil but my fountain pen is on the 4th floor in another coat pocket and this “Y” does not have an elevator.

June 16, 1936

June 16, 1936

Your letter was a life saver this morning. I saw a card you had written to Mother Lewis on the 8th, but had not heard from you since I came here. The letter was just fine and I am glad that Walter White is a gold pin citizen. Wish you could sell your office so you could move to San Antonio and be with your husband. Before long I think you will sell and it won’t take long when you get some prospects. I am sure that the house will help sell itself.

Claudelle and I drove to Uvalde Saturday afternoon and returned Sunday PM. Saturday night we went to Thelma’s and spent a while. Mother and Daddy Lewis went with us. We saw Reitha and her boy friend. Thelma Lee was at home after turning down about three dates. She seems to have a good friend who returned from college recently and she saves her dates for him. She is pretty and very attractive. Reitha is growing and is somewhat of a young lady herself.

Next Monday Tuesday & probably Wednesday we will hold the training school at College Station for the new supervisors. RA and Frank are going up there tomorrow. It is possible that Doward may be at Beaumont on a short call notice as Mrs. Doward is expecting a youngster about the 18th. We may have to run the school without Doward.

The office work seems to be pretty well organized, and we have a hand picked personnel. I am real proud of the set up.

Enclosed you will find a signature card for the San Antonio National Bank. Please sign on the second line and return the card to me. I made a deposit today in our joint account and they need your signature before you can write any checks against the account. When your card is signed Mrs. W.E. Dove, I’ll sign and return it to the bank. My address is 1010 Travis Bldg., Personal, and I’d be pleased to hear from you as often as you care to write. I know that you are busy and I won’t expect letters often.

Should you want to write to me at College Station the address is care Mr. Kelvin Doward. He has a box but I do not remember the number. I’ll get it OK.

With love to all three of you and looking forward to seeing you.

Your
Walter

June 21, 1936

1010 Travis Bldg.
Sunday A.M. June 20, 1936*

My dear Sweetheart,

I am at the office this AM and shortly after noon Mr. Townsend and I will drive to Bryan. The training conference starts tomorrow morning and lasts three days. From the conference I plan to go to Albuquerque New Mexico to talk to the veterinary association of the state. Had planned to pass this up, but Babcock wanted me to write his speech and mail it to him. R.A. and I had declined on meetings out there until the Texas work was under way, but I don’t think we can afford to take the chance of letting Babcock run wild. I’ll probably get back to S.A. about next Saturday night or Sunday. There is a chance that Roberts can go from College Station to the veterinary meeting and if so, I’ll let him make the trip. Mr. Yeomans will probably leave here about next Friday for Atlanta and will join Bruce in the rounds.

June 21, 1936

June 21, 1936

Things seem to be shaping up very well, considering the man made obstacles in our way. Most of the appointments are made for Texas but none for District men for New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. We have about five places in Texas to be selected for, and will have to get additional names before this can be done. The cattle men seem to be with us in better shape than the sheep and goat men, but I think we are going to be able to make a go with even them. All of them resent the idea of being educated to S.W. control, but they seem willing to try our recommendations.

Claudelle completed a nice exhibit yesterday for College Station. Tomorrow night she is going to Dallas to see the exhibit up there. She will call on Mr. Schoefelmeyer of the Dallas News (Agricultural editor).

The office seems to function in harmony and with practically no interruption on account of the move to S.A.

Invited Mr. Strong to the conference but Rohner wires that he is not in Washington & unable to attend. We are expecting him to drop in on the meeting at College Station unannounced. We think he is in Louisiana or will be there in a day or two.

Have not looked at houses any since Mr. Townsend and I looked at one evening, but will do so when the conference is over. They are not as plentiful as one would expect. Mother Lewis is anxious for you to come out there for a while but I told her that you would have to find a house and get the furniture unloaded before you visited.

I enjoyed Walter White’s letter and I am glad that he is trying to be a good boy. I hope he succeeds. It is pretty hot out here but I think he can stand the heat. The Mexicans don’t care how hot it gets.

With love,

Your
Walter.

P.S. Will try to get there in time to claim the bonus before 30 days is up. Ask if they can forward or if I can write & have them forwarded.

* The 20th was a Saturday, so I’m assuming Walter got the day right and date wrong.

June 27, 1936

Saturday Night 6/27 – ’36

My dear Sweetheart,

Was mighty glad to get your letter at College Station during the conference and the other came this morning. Claudelle had saved one you sent to Uvalde so I feel that I am getting news more often than I am sending news to you.

June 27, 1936

June 27, 1936

The conference was first rate and we have a good bunch of men for Texas. They returned home Wednesday night and Mr. Townsend & I came back to San Antonio. R.A. came back yesterday and I met him at Austin & held a conference with the Commissioner of Agriculture. He is giving some splendid cooperation. Frank made a talk to the state veterinarians’ meeting at Albuquerque today and his resignation became effective today. He reports to the Public Health Service at San Francisco on July 1. Mr. Yeomans left yesterday for Illinois with two scouts and the third will join him at Pittsfield Sunday night. Screw worms (Americana) were reported to Dr. Bishopp and he sent Schroder to the scene. We are now getting our forces out there. Things happen so frequently and at so many different places at one time, that happenings a few hours old soon seem like history. R.A. selected a steno today and within a week we think he will have some help. Also we are trying to get Kenneth appointed as his assistant. We want to get word from Washington before we ask him to start. Rainwater is recommended for a Civil Service job at Savannah and may soon report down there. If so, and he stays at Savannah he will want a furnished place. They would take good care of our place if we rented it furnished to them.

This may be the best thing for a while, so that you can come to Texas. The screw worm control work may continue often this year, but no one can tell. The grief and opposition is more than any of us anticipated. So many things pop up. The research men are quiet now and appear OK but they would like to pin me down for something. On the surface we are getting along. The extension folks in different states are anxious for our program and this causes some worry that we did not have last year. I have not finished going through my mail for this week, that is what I should answer, so you can see that I am behind. Tomorrow I plan to get over & sort all of it so that it can be answered Monday. The wires have kept me going most of this week. So much of it is by wire. Strong is out of Washington and may show up at any place in the field at any time. He is expected in La. about now. Claudelle’s exhibit at A&M is splendid and now she is getting one ready for New Mexico for Wednesday. She visited the fair at Dallas on Tuesday & Wednesday & worked up some publicity for the one up there. It seems to be a good one.

Yeomans is apt to be in the North for about 3 weeks & I do not see how I can come East before he returns. It looks like your husband will not see you real soon, but of course it would not take long to come if I can. We have a short time to make a record in the SW and every minute counts right now.

When I get my nose through this stack of things, I’ll write more & perhaps the next one will sound more like myself.

I love you and you and you, all 3 of you and I wish I could see you.

Your
Walter.

July 16, 1936

Thursday PM

My dear Ina,

The R.R. Company telephoned that our household goods are expected to arrive San Antonio tomorrow night. I think we have 48 hours before demurrage starts. We could have the storage company to haul to storage and hold until we wanted it moved into a house. I think we would have to pay for hauling from the storage when it was moved into a house.

July 16, 1936

July 16, 1936

As yet I have not located a house which would be suitable. I just phoned regarding one that you saw on Fulton Street when Mother Lewis was with us and it is rented. The other one I do not know about. They did not answer the phone. Will try again tomorrow.

I figure that we have until Tuesday noon to unload the furniture. This means we should find a place Monday. Will see you Saturday night.

With love
Walter.