[*transcript note: difficult handwriting, species names may not be accurate]

FRANK H. SHOEMAKER
2960 Dewey Avenue
Omaha, Nebraska
                                                                                                  
3/5/06

Dear Wolcott
I have the following for you from collection of Dr walther Horn:

             Cicindela melanchbohea F. - Mozambique 
                     "                "                   var congoana Klq  German East Africa 
                     "         differens W.Horn                                    "             "            "
                     "         bumcallis Wdm var. cutiumdia Klq.  "                          "
                     "        decemguttata F. var. urvillei Dej.        New Guinea
                     "        decemguttata F.                                      Isl Banda
            
Thrater labralus F.   Archipelago      Bismarck Archepelago
                      Tricondyla aptera Of.                                        "                     "  

Now how soon will you come up to spend Sunday?

Respectfully
FHShoemaker

Omaha, March 18, 1906.

Dear Trostler:

It snows cries the school-boy, and driving o'er the fields seems
nowhere to alight says Emerson; then issues forth the storm with sudden
burst and hurls the whole precipitated air down in a torrent says Thomson,
and while we are gazing in swifter haste stream down the snows, till the
air is white, as, myriads by myriads madly chased, they fling themselves
from their shadowy height says Bryant; so all night long the storm roared
on says Whittier; O Winter, wilt thou never never never go says Dave Gray,
and while Dave displays an unpoetic degree of temper I can't blame him
very much.  I suppose he had to shovel his way to the root-house to get a
cabbage for dinner.  His sentiment rings truer than that of Emerson;
imagine a man with eighty yards of walks to shovel, standing for such guff
as "seems nowhere to alight."  Of all licenses - saloon, marriage, poetic, and
dog - poetic license surely has the most latitude, and is the most abused.
    It has been some days since I have written you a letter, and I suppose 
an apology is due.  Therefore behold me, sir, on my bended knee.
Critically considered, "on my bended knee," is an odd proposition.  It is
all right, of course, for the best literature is full of it, but for my
own part I find some difficulty in imagining a man on his bended knee
without the other knee displaying at least a sympathetic kink; that is, if
he is sincere in taking that attitude.  So why not "bended knees?"  But
that is not good literature; when all two of his knees are considered he
is simply on his knees, the bended being taken for granted, and quite
reasonably, I think.  "Bended knee," however, for the reasons stated, does
not seem quite right: it is a sort of physiological anachronism.  One
would expect some relief to the situation by simplifying the language,
and saying "bent knees" or "bent knee" but that plainly suggests the ad-
visability of calling in an osteopath, or a surgeon in advanced cases.
For that reason you may like it better, but I hasten to inform you, Old
Sawbones, it will never be good literature.  "On my knees" is too abject or
devotional, neither of which is intended; the offense, bad as it is, does
not call for abjectness, and I don't know how to be devotional.  Alto-
gether, it is a confusing matter.  "Bended knee" is plainly objectionable,
for the reasons set forth, though it seems to be good literature; "bent
knee" or "bent knees" savors of the hospital and the doctor-bill, from
both of which, good Lord, deliver us, other things being equal; "on my
knees" is intolerably debasing; "on my bended knees" one senses as being
tautological without exactly being able to put his finger on it - on the
tautology, not on the bend.  And that isn't all; "on my knees (i.e., I, or
me, and not somebody else,- save the mark! - on my knees -- not the mark on
my knees, for there isn't any, you understand, but - that is to say. --

[1906, Mar.18]

Did you ever read Mark Twain's "A Mediaeval Romance"?  He started out
well enough, with plenty of incident and interest, and carries your atten-
tion to the climax of his story, where he admits in a post-addendum suffix
that the situation is too much for him, and that the characters may either
stay in the muddle or get out the best they can; for his part, he washes
his hands of the whole business.  Wise old boy, Mark.

All of which has no bearing on the fact that Dr. Walther Horn, of
Berlin, recently sent me a collection of 100 specimens of tiger beetles
from German East Africa, Mozambique, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea,
and the Island of Banda, half of which places, if you are as ignorant
as I suspect, you will have to look up on the map.  As for the number I
had to locate similarly, it is none of your darned business, and I am
surprised that you should say such a thing, and not only surprised, but
hurt.  There were eight species, six of which I shall be able to give you,
as they are all the way from quadruplicated to twentyfiveplicated.  I had
sent Horn a lot of Omaha tigers, chiefly Cicindela celeripes, which he
says prove to be chiefly Cicindela cursitans!  They run together on the
lot next on the west, cursitans being the more numerous.

Wolcott gets worse and worse; he sent me a note a few days ago tell-
ing of collecting a lot of early spring tigers - about six species - and
signs it "Yours Cicindeliriously."  It is very discouraging to have him
so trivial, after all my efforts to impress upon him the necessity and
the duty we all have to preserve the purity of the language and to pre-
serve a sweet dignity as we pass through this vale of tears: In spite of
all my advice, I have noted on several occasions when I have been with him
that he so far forgets himself as to laugh.  Lord Chesterfield says that
"laughter is easily restrained by a very little reflection - - people
do not attend enough to its absurdity - - not to mention the disagreeable
noise that it makes, and the shocking distortions of the face that it
occasions - - how low and unbecoming a thing laughter is."  But all this
glides off him like rain-drops from the scapulars of Aix sponsa; even my
presence does not restrain him.

We have some interesting dates for tigers in this country.  I took
limbalis [added in pencil] C. limbalis [circled] in January, and Elizabeth found specimens in February; and in
latter February, on the Salt Basin, or in a clay-pit near it, Wolcott
found hundreds of C. splendida, amoena, limbalis, purpurea, a few vulgaris,
and three or four Audabonii.

Your brother sent me a note the other day to say that a friend of his
had a collection of beetles which he wished to give away to make room for
other things.  We had a talk over the phone and I shall get the specimens in
a few days - a small collection, which however may contain some interesting
things.  When I got his note what do you suppose I first thought of?  Give
it up?  Tater bugs.  Funny that Trostler and tater bugs should the one
always suggest the other.  Can you account for it?

[1906, Mar 18]

I suppose you know about the plans of our august association for the
coming year.  Instead of annual proceedings which we do not publish, it is
proposed to issue a quarterly publication, varying in size according to
the amount of money in the treasury at the time for printing.  How does
that impress you as a policy of fourthawt?  First issue, say thirty pages;
second, ten; third, fly-leaf; fourth, postal card.  And what do you think
of the name - "The Kite"?  May the wolf me bite if this the limit is not.
I see me quitting the job of Treasurer as soon as my term expires, for the
financial policy outlined is too wearing on my nerves.  I don't mind tell-
ing you in a confidential way that I am utterly disgusted with the whole
business; I do not mind the work, but it is certainly discouraging to try
to collect dues from such an apathetic lot as our membership has proven to   
be.  Fully half of our members have had three and four notices of unpaid
dues and have made no response whatever, although in one of the letters ^ to each delinquished [penciled in right margin] I ^ fwd [penciled in right margin]
enclosed stamped return envelope.  I find the most startling ignorance on
the part of some of the members as to their status; several claim to be
"honorary" members and therefore exempt from dues; others claim to have
paid a year or two ago, and doubtless did, for the records are shot all to
pieces.  An interesting feature of the business is that of about twenty-five
members and associates at Lincoln, seventeen or eighteen are delinquent from
one to three years, and they pay no attention to notices.  The admirable
"local spirit" and the consequent sustained interest they have there does
not seem to affect the treasury favorably.  I had supposed that Lincoln
was head and shoulders above us at Omaha in the matter of promptness; it
would seem natural; but on the contrary, Omaha members are in far better
standing, as a class, than those at Lincoln.  I think the fault lies in
the indiscriminate way members were herded in by various solicitors; it
looked all right at the time they gave their names in, but the "sober
second thought" seems to have disposed many of them to hold onto their
money.  Naturally, most of the members look to the Proceedings as their
"value received," and with no Proceedings for a couple of years it is
perhaps not surprising that the interest is flagging.  I may be wrong, but
I consider "The Kite" as a miserable expedient, and I do not expect it to
succeed.

There; you have the "dope."  I have no grudge against you, to prompt
this violent outbreak, but I think you are really interested in the situation, 
and I wish to tell you what I think of it.  Certain features mentioned
above I have of course not mentioned to Wolcott, and they are given you in
confidence and for your information only.  I have written hastily and may not
have expressed myself quite properly on some points, but I think you will
get the main ideas.

As for your "Cut-off Lake" paper, I think Wolcott has it, and I
gathered from something he said last spring that it was not in the form
desired; that it was interesting and invaluable as a scientific list, but
that what was required was something of a more "popular" nature, which would
be good reading instead of valuable reference.  The same criticism was made
regarding my paper on "Childs' Point".  Please note carefully, however, that

[1906, Mar 18]

these comments were made at the time when it was proposed to have the papers
issued by Prof. Barbour, in connection with his geological report, at which
time, under the conditions, it may have been necessary to formulate our
papers to agree with Prof. Barbour's ideas, as it was supposed that there
might be some opposition from the board to the publication of matters so
foreign to geological affairs. I frankly told Wolcott when we talked the
matter over last spring that the subjects of geology and ornithology were
so far apart that I did not feel equal to the task of running the required
strata through my observations, and that I simply did not know what to do
to meet the demands. I told him that it would be better, according to my
idea, to have no publication than to disguise them in the way proposed;
and I must admit that it was not with feelings of sorrow that I learned of
the failure of the plan.

What I propose to do is this: I shall write to Wolcott - today, I
think - and ask him what the plans are; whether, in view of the failure of
the plan to have our papers published in Barbour's report, any modification
of the papers as they now stand, is desired ; and if so, what he would suggest
in the way of remodeling. I shall make this relate equally to your paper,
for they are "running-mates" formulated on similar lines - the minor part
relating to the character of the regions treated, and the major part relating
to the species of birds observed. On receipt of his reply I shall let you
know just what he says. I suggest that you do not write him on that subject
until you hear from me. - Gosh ! one would think we were conspiring against
the dear old cuss ! If we three could get together for an evening we would
figure it out in fifteen minutes and then go after the tagger beetles.
RHW Please advise H & S [penciled across right margin]

When do you propose to come to Omaha ? I shall try to have your taggers
ready for you ; you have a nice little collection and don't know it. Have
you had any time to look around for vermin ? I hope you can get out in the
spring and summer on Sundays and find at least representatives of the
species of your region. By the way, the manner in which Dr. Horn sent his
specimens is just right. He put them in neckless vials, with just enough
alcohol to keep them quite moist, and with pads of cotton firmly set in to
keep the mass of beetles from "chugging." Better adopt the idea. I propose to.
In common with most of the eastern collectors, he condemns the capsule
method. There seems to be so much dislike of this method that I have made
up my mind to abandon it, though I can not see what they are all so worried
about, for my own experience with it has been quite satisfactory. However,
Horn's method is safe, while the other is doubtful, as is instanced by the
fact that my shipment of beetles to him contained many broken specimens, while
his specimens reached me almost perfect,

Have been experimenting with labels for beetles ; set 'em up and have 'em
photo-engraved. Samples herewith. Will prepare another plate soon and have
"Orleans" label for your use. Any others you would suggest ?

Enclosed find receipt for the amount of which I am in receipt from you.
Please acknowledge receipt of the receipt upon receipt.

This is full of bad mistakes, but my fingers have been too cold for
proper work. - All of us are quite worried over the possibility of a visit
from you, as we feel that it may occur at any time now, or words to that effect.

I have the honor to remain, sir,
Geoponically,

THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
(THE OMAHA MEDICAL COLLEGE)

HENRY B. WARD, DEAN, LINCOLN                                        
HAROLD GIFFORD, ASSOCIATE DEAN, OMAHA   

ANATOMY
ROBERT H. WOLCOTT
C. W M. POYNTER

LINCOLN  NEBR.,
Mar 19, 1906

Dear Shoemaker -
I spent much of Saturday and all yesterday
labelling and arranging "taggers" and picking out specimens for
Harris. And how I wished you could have been on the other side of
the table with your work! If that interurban road ever gets built!

But what I wish to say is that your labels were used and proved
eminently satisfactory. Could label very much more rapidly than I
ever have been able to before, and they present a very neat appearance.
Am perfectly satisfied and very much indebted to you - please ac-

Have, however, one or two suggestions. In another plate would it not
be well to add some to the Lincoln-month labels - [Lincoln, Nebr. March 19 R.H. Wolcott] - pay 2
more of Apr., 4 of May, 6 of June, 2 of July. Otherwise a lot of
these labels of earlier and later months will accumulate and be of
no use. I foresee on this plate also a lot of extra labels for Niobrara, Trotter;
Orleans, Trotter; Beed, Miami; and Lincoln (Salt Basin), Shoemaker ~ that
is extra so far as I am concerned. But you will have use for them ~
Of course you haven't repeated these on another plate - and I shall save
every one for you. Yesterday I ran out of Council Bluffs, Shoemaker; and
was about 115 shy on Forest Res., Halsey, Wolcott. Pardon me if I suggest that
a few more would be welcome - perhaps you printed off, and kept, more
of these a week ago

Walther Horn was right - I no sooner got my lens on your lot of
"celeripes" from Council Bluffs, than the two forms appeared. One ~celeripes~
hairy elytra and no marginal band - the other - cursitans - without
hairs and with a continuous marginal stripe for about the posterior 1/3 of the
elytron. I found in the lot you gave me, 33 of the former, 46 of the lat-
ter. Curiously, they weren't mixed up evenly - from one pill-box came the
most of ones, from another the most of the other - all on same date. Does this

With very cordial regards to all at your house,
Sincerely your friend,
Robt H Wolcott.