I have just returned from Europe and have read the letters and papers which you have sent our firm in my absence.

I am not without a degree of doubt whether you would like to have us in consultation, if you quite fully understood our views.

Briefly, all that has been done in the making of resident parts of towns in most of our country, west of Missouri and south of Oregon, appears to us to have been based on motives, ideals and principles applicable to conditions of climate which are as widely different from those needing to be dealt with as the conditions of Norway are from those of Syria. Looking from a commercial point of view, we are not prepared to say what variation from popular ideals in this respect would be judicious, but our disposition would be to take up your problem with a view to the application to it of so much original study that I am afraid that even you might think us impracticable.

In important particulars your problem is not essentially different from that with which we were engaged at Palo Alto, and to which we gave much study. We were obliged to resign our office in that case to avoid being placed in a false position, and in the only other far-western undertaking upon which we have been consulted, the results have been unsatisfactory to us because [569]of departures in various particulars from what we have regarded as cardinal principles.

This having been said, I will reply to your last letter,— that of the 3rd instant.

You say that when you have completed a preliminary study, you will either bring it to Brookline or will desire one of us to come out to meet you on the site.

For the present, the first proposition is much the better one. I have been two months in hospital while in England, and on leaving, my physician (an eminent specialist) gave me written advice, one item of which is that I should not travel by rail at night. In fact, I have not once done so during the last two years that I have not been laid up by it and obliged to call in medical aid to relieve me from serious inconvenience and suffering.

Mr. Codman might possibly go out in the course of the Winter, but there are liable to be requirements arising from the Columbian Exposition which would prevent him. My son could not leave charge of the office for the necessary time.

I know the region in question only from what I have seen in passing through it by rail. Mr. Codman has, I believe, spent a few days at Riverside.

As to your scheme, it seems to me soundly devised in its ground work, and likely to be successful. I should like very much to be connected with it, as well as to be associated with you.

Faithfully Yours

Harry’s physician reports this morning that he is doing well & that if he lies still today, it may not be necessary to lance. He may allow him to drive to the office tomorrow.

Harry told me that you had written him that you proposed to come here on the Inauguration Day. I shd say that this was the worst time that you could select. It is to be abominably managed and is a stupendous mistake; making a great foolish fuss, taxing all the brains of the staff and setting everything back. In itself I don’t think that it will be interesting and it will destroy all other matter of interest.

So it seems to me now—Perhaps it will finally settle to something better—At present it is disgusting.

Everybody is so driven that I get little chance for discussion as to matters in which I am specially concerned. Can, therefore, form no plan as to [571]length of stay or other movements. But I suppose I am to go to Kansas City— I shall make no plans to be here on the 21st but it may happen that I shall be. I think that we have no official place. If we have we shall surely be lost in the crowd. They have reduced the program more than half but it is still three times too large. Neither I nor Harry are having any concern in it, except to prevent as much as we can our work from being disastrously blocked or injured by it.

I write my impressions but it puts everybody in such a flurry to get the place ready, that perhaps I am more ignorant than you are.