Hill Country Living
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It’s a Wagner Week and patriarch D.R. is staying with his daughter and her professor husband in Oklahoma while doling out more unsolicited money and business advice to his sons via mail. He seems to be telling George to go work on the railroad during his vacation instead of working at the fair. I’m sure George loved that suggestion. Probably about as much as straight shooter D.R. likes the prospect of having to attend a party of English Department professors.
University of Oklahoma
Dept. of English
April 15, 1904
Dear George,
I landed here yesterday and found your letter. I was in Temple a week and had a nice time. They are going to build inter-urban R.R. in Temple and Benton and Eugene’s friends and classmate and his father are going to construct it. They were down Easter and looked over the ground. Gene gave young Mr. Archers (the young man who will help his father to build it) a letter to Gertie and Aunt Dinkie – they liked him.
Now why don’t you write to Gene ask him to try and get a job on the work. That would be the very thing for you during the vacation and you ought – by this time – be competent to do such work. It will be better than at the fair. Mr. Abner is a large contractor of that kind of work and his son is Gene’s intimate friend, so I understand.
I have 21, lots in Temple that I want to sell and I think we can do it after they begin to build the road. Aunt Dinkie and Getrtie hope you will get the job. Mr. Lester lives there and he is going to apply for a job for his son Madison who is 17 yrs. old and likes electric work.
I find Kalista and Mr. Hood comfortably situated. They do not know that they will stay here another year. This is a nice town 318 miles north of Temple. Kallie looks well. I don’t think I would like to live here. I will stay here a week and then go home.
Did you get the check for $45 and how long did you work on the electric line? I think it fine for you to do a lot of shop work – all that is useful to you in your future operations. A man can’t be a good contractor unless he understands all the details better than his subordinates! There are many towns in the country that will soon have street car lines and a man that understands the business should make lot of money at it.
I will be home about 25th. This is Kallie’s 1st anniversary of her marriage and she is to have a reception tonight, mostly all professors. I will be glad to have it over.
I will go to Okla. City tomorrow – we all send love to you.
Affectionately,
Papa