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THE INN
-AT-
GEORGIA WARM SPRINGS
WARM SPRINGS, GA.

May 1, 1927.

Dear Father;

The clippings which you have sent in your letters, particularly that of April 25, have been much appreciated. While there is no general newspaper room here, Dr. Hubbard does often turn over the New York Times after he finishes with it, and I sometimes see the Edgerton's Times or World, and occasionally Atlanta papers. But certain things get past me in this haphazard fashion.

I received Mother's letter, and the Columbia roster of examinations, yesterday. I am to appear on Friday, May 20, at 9 A.M. I have written Professor Rogers, stating that I would appreciate his advising me how much of my source and note material I should have present, and that, baring advice from him, I will simply take the examination on the text. When the proofs which will be sent me arrive, will you please send me one (if arrive by 11th), and keep the other at home.

After finding out the date of my appearance at Columbia, I have decided tentatively to stay here until Saturday, May 14, then to spend the week-end with the Sherwoods in Atlanta. Mrs. Sherwood in her letter specified some week-end; and I would then take a train from Atlanta, probably Monday morning, for New York. In a letter which I received to-day from Mr. Matteson, as also in a card from Mrs., they asked me to stop for a longer stay in Washington on my way back. I have not yet decided to do this, however, but my present plans are to go on to New York, stay the two or three nights at Columbia, and reach home on Friday. Mr. Good said something about driving up to Atlanta with me on the 14th, but I do not know whether this will materialize. Mrs. Sherwood said at any rate that they could meet me with their car at the station if I came by train. I had simply suggested that they might motor down here some day, but she felt they could not leave the Davises at all now.

Please hold my checks which come about the 13th. I fear they would not arrive until I leave. I would be glad, however, to have you send in your next letter my bank book to the New York Corn Exchange Bank. I think it is in the lefthand desk drawer, or in the safe. Also, if entirely convenient to you, I would be glad, if you could, put $46. in my checking account sometime soon. I may need it before I could deposit the checks upon my return.

Mr. Matteson's letter contained a paragraph telling of the death of Mrs. France, and referring to an article and picture from Washington newspaper which he said he would enclose, but which did not accompany his letter. He said that he noted in the paper a few days ago that by her will she left property valued at anywhere from one to one and a half million dollars to the Senator.

There are lots of flowers here, and our tables are constantly decorated. Some people from Greenville -- the county judge, whose daughter has a rose garden, -- has brought the most delicate and beautiful pink roses on several different occasions. To-day Mrs. Green, the housekeeper of whom I told you, was invited to visit Dr. Kitchin, the local physician -- when he is not on a Florida fishing trip -- and brought back one Magnolia blossom. Tonight it had closed up, but you can imagine the size of this great white blossom when I say that, closed as it was, it was almost as big as a cocoanut.

This afternoon we took a truly beautiful drive, to The Knob, about ten miles to the south. The road led up along the ridges of pine mountains -- in fact, these are called with the capital letters, The Pine Mountains --, through some of the largest peach orchards in the country, which seemed to be located on the top of the world. The Knob is the abrupt end and highest point of the ridge. In fact, I did not realize that there were such mountains back of Warm Springs, as they cannot be seen from here. The views were wide and beautiful all along the route, and there were many wild flowers in the woods. The elevation was almost as great as that of Mohonk. While I wouldn't want to take this trip in the old Ford again, I am glad to have been there once, and to have had a wide look around

Every day since my arrival we have gone into the pool with sunshine. Yesterday, however, was nearest to a cloudy day. There was rain at night and in the early morning, and, while the sun was out for my sun-bath before going into the water, it went under again, and I dressed shortly after taking the exercises. I enclose two reprints of snapshots taken by Mrs. Edgerton of the pool. They show the table under the water (appearing black), the rings, the convenient steps leading into the water, and Dr. Hubbard and Miss Veeder giving exercises to Jean, and to Gordon Foster respectively. Mrs. Foster stands, facing the other direction, looking on, near the exercise table. The first picture shows Tooth these exercise groups, but the second does not show Dr. Hubbard. He is to be identified by the slouch hat. Everyone is not in these pictures. Some may be under the water altogether, others not in yet, or out of the range of the camera. The portion of the pool under the roof -- appearing shadow -- is nearly as large as that exposed to the sun, and could, I should think, be cut off in time of real cold weather to form an indoor pool.

Was delighted to get Mother's letter of April 28. Tell her that a little package should reach her from Manchester, Ga., sometime this week. I am sending a card to Edith Jackson, address she gave, also one to Helen Seidel. I hope Cousin Susan will not make her visit until after I get back, so that I can give her a lift now and then with the car. Perhaps, too, some of the prospective pupils will still want to be tutored after the 20th.

This afternoon several of us went into the hotel. Things are much in the rough, but are coming around. There is a very interesting old stage-coach on the side verenda. The furniture of the hotel, too, is all being done over.

Two of the cottages beyond the hotel were called into use over the week-end for 27 young people, constituting a band from Eufaula, Alabama. They came in two trucks, under the supervision of the community service worker of a mill there. We enjoyed various concerts, on Friday and Saturday evenings, and a fine group of selections, many of them sacred hymns, some old-timers, such as "Bringing in the Sheaves," this forenoon. The Friday evening concert was in the pavilion down at the pool. That on Saturday night was in the dance pavilion the other side of the hotel, and this morning's concert was on the green beyond the hotel. Their repertoire was large, and they did well, especially considering that some of the younger boys and girls were so small that they sat with their feet on the rungs of the chairs as they played their instruments.

The band is organized by one of the mills owned by ex-Governor Comer, of Alabama. The instruments are provided by the mill, and a young man teaches the players individually and ensemble. I was told that there were $5,000. worth of instruments for this group alone, and that they had a drum corps, with 40 snare drums. There are 11 Comer mills, each having a similar band. The community worker, reminding me of Miss Moore at the Dutchess, told me that only three of the young people who came here worked in the Comer mill, however, some went to school, while others (7) worked in another mill, a knitting mill. So it is a community affair, not just a factory service. The Comer mills make calico cloth, and I was told by a gentleman who came along that they had been quite busy during the last couple of months.

Eufaula is a city of six or seven thousand. In the social service work, at first an effort was made to instruct mill operatives in their particular work. Now, however, the direction given to their activities is rather along artistic lines. They will still give vocational or technical training if the demand of the individual is for that. But the community worker felt that the individual, if he had ability, would learn from his practical experience, and the aim of the community life is now to broaden their interests, enrich life, and incidentally to stop the restless shifting of labor from one town and one mill to another, such as is common among the poor whites. They are now taught art, painting, basketry, etc. The community worker made it plain, however, that the president of the company did not want to stress the profit through steadier labor supply, but sought to uplift the poorer people of the south, and to raise their standards of life. The mill takes care of its people who are sick, she said, and in fact resents anyone else doing for their employees when in need.

This summer the community worker is to have a cottage on the gulf at her disposal, where she will be able to place employees for free vacations. Between their mill and another Comer mill, too, they are to purchase a farm, where employees can go for short outings, and have their fresh milk, butter, eggs, etc. furnished, free of cost from the farm. This new departure, she feels, will be an expensive one, but the farm is to be made a model one, and she feels it will be very beneficial in teaching the people farm thrift and methods. Many of them, she says, are now so shiftless that they do not even raise enough for themselves, but live out of cans.

One little fellow who sat with me for a time while the concert was in progress said he had been in the band five years, though he was only 12. Each year they had at least one outing such as this. His first year, however, he was too small to be taken, and was given $5. to stay at home. At first, of course, he was in the Junior Band, which, we were told, is a feeder for the other. Those who came here wore their white band uniforms to-day. They were delighted with the spot here, and the swimming.

Perhaps Ruth will get in again before I reach home, and make more use of the car. If she wants to take it out to the school, and the roads are good now, it is alright for her to do so. I presume that by now you have had to put water into the battery.

Three young friends of Mr. Roosevelt who were here yesterday and last night said that you have had winter weather during part of April. I hope it is true May now.

Hoping that you are both well and happy, I am

With much love,
Paul