In about a week from this date, my son Frederick, commonly known as “Erick” or “Rick,” will report at your office and wait your convenience to see him.

I will mention what, under your kind encouragement, I am looking forward to for him, subject to your revisal.

I suppose that, within two or three days after he arrives, you will find time to give him such instructions, advice and send-off that, without further trouble to you, he will be able by such personal study as is practicable, to find out on what general lines the business of the Exposition divides and subdivides, and how, in respect to your office especially, it is moving along in each sub-division; how you keep the run of it, and how you feel all the reins and with judicious looseness have them well in hand; how conceptions are wrought into projects, projects into plans and plans into details and all into constructions. He would have a chance to see the drawings up stairs in all stages. He would in these ways obtain some preliminary comprehensive insight of the administration, design and superintendence of the work.

My notion is that, having such run of the office as might thus be allowed him, he could, without being intrusive or interfering with anybody’s work, by little more than looking on, pick up all that I can hope for, in a few days, or possibly in a week or two weeks.

After this office period, I have it tentatively in view that he should for some time reside, as nearly as practicable, on the field, boarding, for example, at any house near by that Mr. Geraldine, Mr. Alvord or Mr. Ulrich may be using. That he should follow, each in turn, one of these gentlemen and simply look on and listen as he goes about his business; chiefly by looking on and listening acquiring, not a full understanding but a certain valuable degree of understanding of the several classes and problems of construction and the methods and manner in which they are being worked out.

I suppose that he may, for example, once or twice a week spend the [345]best part of a day with Mr. Geraldine as he goes his rounds, or as he pursues his business at the office, and that he can, in doing so, avoid getting in the way, or in any manner annoying Mr. Geraldine, and that he may absorb knowledge of, and wisdom in, the management of such business as Mr. Geraldine has, and at the same time watch and understand all the successive steps in the progress of construction.

In the same way, he can another day follow Mr. Alvord, and other days Mr. Ulrich, keeping up with the horticulture; more of his time being spent with Mr. Ulrich, perhaps, than with any one else.

This is as far as my anticipations run. Naturally, the programme will be developed by circumstances. So far as my present forecast goes, everything depends on his own discretion in making a judicious use of his privileges, while avoiding to bother people.

I recognize that many young men would be pretty sure either to waste such an opportunity, or to make themselves a nuisance in their use of it, and for this latter reason, you may not approve of my suggestion. Of course, you will veto it, if you do not. It will be worth while for Rick to look about as any stranger may and pick up what he can, without special privileges. But as it is partly a question of personal character, I will say that I think him fairly trustworthy in this respect. I mean that he is not over-shy, nor over-forward or presuming. He is a sophomore, without being markedly sophomorical; he has a good, almost a high, standing as a student, and for an undersized man stands fairly in athletics and is in a generally healthy condition of body and mind. He is moderately well based for one of his age, not specially trained, in respect to Technology and Taste. By this I mean chiefly that he has a certain interest and is intelligently modest and inquiring, in these respects.

Sincerely Yours,