Long Stretch at the Lab – Houma, LA

Postcard:
Postmark: Pensacola, Florida, October 23, 1949
Sunday AM
Darling –
Off to N.O. today. Spent the night here.
Missed the wedding & reception. Hope Louise got my telegram.
It’s actually hot here. Regards to Tubbs –
All my love, Louis

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Hotel Pettigrew, Main and Grinage Sts., Houma, LA, October 24, 1949

Sunday night
Darling –
We arrived here about 6 o’clock this afternoon after a very uneventful trip. Enjoyed the drive very much, especially from Pensacola to New Orleans. We’ll have to take a vacation at Biloxi, Mississippi. It’s a most interesting beach with grand hotels, drive-ins, nightclubs and the like.
Houma is much larger than I expected. Seems to be about the size of Camden (in the dark) and even has two theaters. We’ve already discovered the food is not good so we’ll probably go up to New Orleans which is an hour and a half (60 miles) from here.
The hotel, although small, is the largest building in town and the rooms quite nice. The three of us (myself, Jack and the fellow from New York) are all in a large room because there is, of all things, a fireman’s convention going on here in Houma.
It is very warm here. Should have brought the seersucker (sp?) suit.
To bed – alone, dammit –
All my love,
Louis

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. October 25, 1949

Monday night
Darling –
Just a note–
We had to go to New Orleans this afternoon to get some lab equipment so had dinner at Antoine’s and went to see the very disappointing Cat Girl. Sad show and 90 cent beer but without question one of the very best meals I’ve ever eaten outside 12 Bedons Alley.
Incidentally, should I get a letter from the Marathon Chemical Company, open it, read it, and Air Mail it to me.
We should start work in earnest tomorrow in the lab at the mill which is 16 miles down in swamp country. Already Jack is getting terrifically on my nerves. Hope I can hold my temper and tongue, both of which, as you know, are hard for me to do.
Hope the Pink House is OK. I know you’re doing a fine job – hope the business is good.
All my love,
Louis

Postmark: Houma, LA., October 25, 1949

from the New Orleans Times Picayune

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. October 26, 1949

Tuesday night
Darling –
The tests aren’t going so well and Jack is pretty irritated and we’ve been at each others throats all day. I’ve told him off a couple of times about ordering me around like a laborer and he doesn’t like that at all, either. Tell Cappy he’d better send down a box for Jack for I’m afraid I’m going to send him (Jack) home in one. Honestly, he’s about the most obnoxious character to work for!!!! We topped the evening off by having an argument about the people in Charleston — the ones you and I know – and I was actually defending them like mad. Jack, of course, is bitter because he hasn’t been, as he puts it, “accepted” – sounds like me with three drinks, doesn’t it? But, I’ve told him off for a few days, I think.
I hope we’re going to the LSU game in Baton Rouge on Saturday night. I’d love to drop Jack and look up Ed Baldwin, but I know there’s no chance.
Incidentally, if you’ll read the last correspondence I had with Leon you’ll see that I want to insure the Philip Moore show from Charlotte and return. I asked Leon for a value to put ont he show. If he writes and tells you – go to Mr. Ingle and tell how we are going to transport the show, etc. and insure the show from the time from when we get it until it is returned to Leon.
We start tomorrow on a plan to work from 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM so will be busy from here on-
Regards t Tubbs – All my love to you –
Louis

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. October 27, 1949

Wednesday night
Darling –
Well, still hard at work and, fortunately, getting along with Jack a bit better.
We’ve hit our stride now and working like mad to get some good results. The work is beginning to look fairly good, too. Only, to prove the things we think lignin is doing is going to be a drawn out process. Not tedious at all but time consuming. We worked from 8 til 6 today with just as few minutes lunch and have been checking calculations, graphs, and charts tonight for three hours. Jack and the other fellow are still at it and I thought this seemed like the only chance I’d get to write for I fear we’ll be working late – its 11:30 now. But I’m anxious to get home and so the hours make no difference here.
Incidentally, call Paul Motor Co. (Mr. Dawson) and ask what they want install a new muffler. Then call Youn’s Garage on Lee Street (the dead end) and ask them. Get the car fixed at the cheapest place. Hope there’s nothing else wrong with it – Also hope you’ve gotten it washed. can’t have you riding in a dirty, broken down car.
It’s 12:30 now and I’m up at 6:30 so I’ll close.
All my love,
Louis
P. S. I love you.

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. October 27, 1949

Thursday night
Darling –
I could sure use a letter from you – Hope I hear from you tomorrow anyway.
Right now it looks as if we are going to New Orleans Saturday morning to get some equipment we need and will stay in New Orleans Orleans until Saturday noon. We’re planning on going to see the Tulane-Miss. State game which won’t be much of a game but we’ll get to see the Sugar Bowl anyway.
How did the opening go today?
How did the opening go today? I’d like to see all the crafts and can’t wait to get back to see them – and you –
My regards to Miss Alice – Kit – and Tubbs.
My love to you,
Louis

Postcard:
Postmark: Houma, LA, October 29, 1949
Sat. Am
Daring –
Off to New Orleans today & the football game. How about some news?
Louis

Postcard inscription: La Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre is one of the most successful and best known (Little Theatres) in the country. It is located at 619 St. Peter St., where this colorful courtyard can be seen.
Postmark: New Orleans, LA, October 30, 1949
Darling –
Sort of looks like the Dock Street, doesn’t it?
Found my Dixieland Jazz last night but missed you very much.
Love,
Louis

October 30, 1949 12:03 PM
I LOVE YOU=LOUIS=

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. November 1, 1949

Monday night
Darling –
Things have been much cheerier in Houma since I talked with you and your four letters greeted me this evening when I came in from the mill.
I’m terribly envious of your friends – ours – getting to go to receptions, dinner parties, and the like with you. The Huger’s reception sounds like something I would have enjoyed very much. I can’t quite imagine anyone leaving two bottles of champagne on any table un-drunk – I probably would have been – but I assure you the champagne would not have been left untouched.
The crafts show sounds grand. I can’t wait to see it. From what you said of insuring the Philip Moose show I guess Leon okayed the three week show so the craft show can run until we get the Moose show. I’m most anxious to see the craft show.
Things chemically – lignin, that is – aren’t looking too well and we’re working 12-14 hours a day trying to get a lot of different experiments run. Jack is as anxious to leave as me, fortunately, but the other fellow is a bachelor about 35 and doesn’t seem to be in a hurry about anything. We worked tonight until eight (from 7:30) and plan to work tomorrow even later. Have to get up at 6:15 to get to the mill at 7:30, too. We still hope to leave Saturday morning which will put us in Charleston Sunday afternoon late but I don’t know whether we’ll be able to do it or not. Some big shot from New York who arranged this trip for us is flying down Wednesday and we’ll have to talk all Friday with he and the Vice-President of this Sugar company so I won’t really know until then when we can leave. The unfortunate part is that the mill runs 7 days a week only three months a year (when they harvest the sugar cane) so everyone concerned (except me) is anxious to get a lot of work done on this trip. But I’ll let you know. Keep your fingers crossed.
And so to bed – alone dammit – and it’s cold down here now. Had to buy a windbreaker because we forgot to pack anything for me to work in and the lab is cold.
See you soon. Regards to all —
All my love, sweetpea-
Louis

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. November 2, 1949

Tuesday night
Darling –
Please excuse the pencil – Jack, the boss, is using my pen. We left his at the lab this evening.
Your letter of Saturday night was most welcome. I am very anxious to see the crafts show. It sounds grand.
Our tests have been going very badly and at this moment I’m afraid we might be here until next week sometime. I hope not, of course, but we’ve been having some trouble with some time consuming tests that may take until next week to finish. If we do have to stay, I’ll let you know by telephone. We’ve had to learn the hard way a lot of things we thought these people would already know. But, we had to learn for them.
But, Jack is, as I said, as anxious to leave as I so you can count on our being home as soon as Jack can get there. We’re getting along much better. I had one or so too many cocktails in New Orleans before dinner Saturday night and I told hm off, but good, so we’ve been pals since then. Only bad thing is that I know he holds grudges. Oh, well.–
Hope Sonny is better -how’s Gert?
To bed – miss you – it’s some warmer but terrible with PJ’s.
I love you,
Louis

Hotel Pettigrew, Postmark: Houma, LA. November 3, 1949

Thursday morning
Darling –
No news from Houma –
I hope you remembered to reserve tickets for the movie Sunday night at the Footlighter’s. I have the tickets with me. Let’s be optimistic and get them – maybe I’ll be home.
As a matter of fact, Jack has about decided that we’ll leave Saturday sometime which means we’ll be home Sunday sometime – probably after noon. I’ll wire you just in case this doesn’t reach you.
Rushing to work – didn’t get home last night until 10:30 from the Mill–
All my love,
Louis