Financial hardships
September 16, 1931
I have been to the rules meeting for the football officials at San Antonio, and at the present time I have three games contracted for the future for me to officiate at $15.00 each. Later, when the more important games arrive on the schedule, I suppose I will work more often that way.
Sept. 22, 1931
I had duly received your previous cable remittance of $400 on 8/27/31. Out of that I paid the telegraph company, back wages we owed, groceries and feed. There remained $150 from which to pay tuition and books for the children in college, needed clothes for them, and books for high school children.
October 15, 1931
Regarding our farming operations, I just had a telephone call from Mr. Farwell who says he is in receipt of a cable from you but is not clear to him. He makes out that for 100 acres you want to plant this winter, you want protection even though you may not buy the land back. He suggests that I go into town to sign a lease to be protected from having it taken away. …
Our cabbage plants are coming up, but with the extremely hot weather for even October and September, insect damage might be bad. That would make it necessary to plant but more seed but doubt if I can purchase it for lack of funds. Unable to but gasoline for the tractors holds up work in preparing the fields. Rio Grande Valley is in a bad way financially, and as a general thing all the farmers are suffering, and many are desperate. It seems Otsuki-san is one of the sufferers. I hope he pulls through.
October 29, 1931
In order to protect the crops to be raised on four hundred and twenty eight acres we picked for best farming land, they (Farwell) said that I did not understand the original proposition. It was their idea to follow the regular Texas Form of share farming, which is for the land-owner (Lutcher Moore Lumber Co.) to get ¼ of the crop raised on the 428 acres, and as to the crop to be raised, the word, “estimate”, was used.
January 17, 1932
I have been notified by the Orange bank that you have kindly sent as I requested by cable the $500.
Of this amount, I will pay $170.00 at once to Nagai-san, who furnished that amount when the Store a Terry was attached for its contents. He had received about $300 at the death of his brother-in-law, and from that he advanced enough to satisfy the judgment.
About $50.00 will be needed for truck and car licenses. About $80 more will be needed for pay roll. I am sending to town for $60 worth of groceries tomorrow.
February 2, 1932
I cabled you the following a short time ago; Jan. 29th:
NEED ABOUT $300 TENTH FEBRUARY
It worries me to have to cable you for many because I know that you are quite busy, and I often think that it would help you so much if you were free from bothering to raise these parcels of money to send here. Whenever the previous money arrived, it was a big relief to mother and me because it usually arrived when we are absolutely in need of funds. The $300 should last a month or more unless something unexpected arises.
Farming commodities together with the depression is still very bad in price. Mr. Otsuki managed to pull through by having cabbage to sell during December. We are all glad to hear him get out of his desperate situation. Cabbage prices looks promising, though it will not reach extremely high.
Breaux and wife came back after looking around for about a month to find jobs. The wages and steady work is less than formerly given him here. Toki-chan and mother are doing without Aida with the exception of washing and on Saturday. When too wet to work, Breaux goes out hunting for rabbits and marsh hens to keep them supplied with meat.
This season, for the first time in about four years, I went hunting often and always have good luck to bring many snipes (“shigi”), quails (“u-zura”), doves, rabbits, and marsh hens. We have finally gotten tired of eating so many rabbits. Anyhow, when not busy, it is a good way to get recreation by going hunting.
Our dog Red seems to be sick half of the time; therefore, I got Mr. Chandler to give me two pointer puppies last Sunday. They are very attractive little fellows, both males, and about seven weeks old. They will be very good bird hunting dogs in a year or two.
I have tried to sell both of my violins but it seems that no one is buying violins that are of any value; only cheap instruments are being sold. However, I am still trying to sell at leas one of them.
The hens and the milk cow here have been a salvation for the weak and sickly. Milk and eggs are essential to certain types of trouble. We get about 9 eggs daily, which is about 50% production from the hens. A short time ago the hens were laying better.
The rains have stopped but may start again anytime. We are worried that cabbage cannot be cultivated for being too wet to do so. It makes a big difference in the growth, and consequently, in the production.
February 18, 1932
I have duly received your telegraphic remittance of $125.00, which arrived at Orange on the 10th. It certainly was needed badly, so it was a big relief to learn that it had arrived. In about a week or two we will begin slowly to sell mustard greens and cabbage, which will mean some income, and I shall try to make out on what little money I have, unless something comes up that requires me to cable for more money. I have tried to defer payments on many things because I dislike to be cabling for funds at the present time.