Lyons, Kans. Tuesday, August 30, 1927
Dear Bess:
Yesterday as I was driving along west of Olathe I picked up the nicest looking fellow thinking he belonged somewhere around west of town and that I could put him down at home. He told me he owned a cleaning shop in Borger, Texas, and that he had been making as high as eighty dollars a day running it, but that the governor of Texas had ruined his business by sending rangers in there and chasing all the girls and gamblers out of town. Claimed he was trying to sell his cleaning machinery. Told me his name, which I promptly forgot, and asked me mine. I handed him my card and he looked at the Judge on it and said, "Well I wish I'd been in your court in K.C. yesterday, I'd have had you send me to St. Joe. I began to wonder what I had aboard and he said he was a dope fiend and that he had been since the war, got the habit in the army, and that he was either going to quit or die in the attempt. When I went north to Topeka he got out and went south, said if he went to a big town some uplifter would try to sell him dope or hire him to rob a bank. I told him if he'd come into court Monday I'd send him to St. Joe for the cure. I think he was honestly trying to quit.
I saw the big Auburn 8 that those two fellows were killed in at Council Grove. It was some wreck. They were actually driving a hundred miles an hour when they hit. A little too fast. The whole works ought to be exhibited for the benefit of the wreckless drivers' club.
Thompson couldn't go after I got there and the Mayor of Council Grove came with me. His name is Young. He owns nine farms, fifteen or twenty business buildings in Council Grove, a winter home in Florida and spends his time building and running the finest tourist camp in the Country at Council Grove. Just worries his head off if some body at Dodge City or Lyon or some other place on the Old Trails routes a tourist around some way to miss his town. You'd think his life and bread and butter depended on how many groceries he sold in his camp and how many paid customers he had in his park. He's making about $500.00 a month off it. Told me he had to ship 4 carloads of corn out of his grainery to make room for the new crop on just one of the nine farms. He's a very nice pleasant fellow and has invited you and me and Miss Margie to come down and stay a couple of days at his camp free. He has a slide, merry-go-round, monkeys and a dozen other things to entertain touring kids. His park is an elaborate affair.
We found the roads fine. I drove from Topeka to Council Grove in two hours and then waited around for Mr. Young to get ready until 3 o'clock then drove to Herrington and stayed an hour with Thompson and got here at seven o'clock. It is 68 miles from Topeka to Council Grove and 125 to here so you see the roads weren't very bad.
I hope you and your daughter feel fine and that you are having as hot weather as we are. Haven't needed any vest or coat either today.
Kiss the baby and tell her to kiss you for me.
Love to both, Harry