Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aug. 5th 1897
Dear Marcia:–
I have just received your letter that is dated "West Point, June 26th" — not a very recent date to be sure, but nevertheless quite welcome. Am pleased to learn that you have finally received some word from me other than my cablegram from here dated June 25. Since writing those I have written at least 9 or 10 others most of which you undoubtedly have received ere this. My last was about 2 weeks ago just before starting out on a long journey through the northern provinces of this country. Could not very well take the time to write while on that trip because I had other things to write in the form of notes relating to each day's investigations. Your and Amy's letters dated from the 16th to 20th came duly to hand on the 1st of August. I answered Amys at once and wrote to F.W. Taylor in reply to one that I had for more than 2 weeks. Did not write to you because I wished to inclose [sic] some money, and could not do so until I came down here and drew my salary.

I sent you $600 on June 8th which I trust you had no difficulty in getting. But in case you had, I now send you $400 by "sight draft" on New York. The rate of bank exchange is so high that I tried to save it in my former sending. It is .05 1/2 percent — percent $33. on $600. The way I sent it there was no exchange.

Now, as to what to use this money for. If you paid the N. York Life Ins. $26.84 Northwestern Life Ins. (Mockett's) $52.89 policies; Mr. Loveland's note ($100 and Int); Doane College$10, Children's Home $10, Youth's Companion $1.75, and R. Halsted Ward's interest ($34.00), there still remain the following debts, viz. 
Loan on House (due May 1 1899) $850 
"Nannie" Frankish (you paid interest) 275 
Ella Westfall (Sept. 30-1897) at 8 op. 300
Seba Dewall $100 les taxes 1.48 & 15.00 83.52 
N.Y. Life Ins. Premium Aug. 12 1897 26.84 
N.W. Life " " (Mockett & Sons) Dec.8 52.89
and the subscription to Plymouth Church whatever that is and if the full amount has been subscribed so that we will be out of debt for the present.

We had ought to get out of debt entirely save the $850 on the house and even save some towards that — this of course if no sickness or other bad luck should

arise. I will send money again early in October — another $400 and then again about the 1st of January. After that I will not send any until about the time I start for home. I need but little money here — $500 for the Uni. of Nebr. and about $200 for myself. Your giving money for Uncle Till is all right. I would have done so myself had I been at home. Be saving, but do not stint yourselves at home. I am earning the money to use as we go along in life.

I was very sorry to hear of Hattie's sickness and the loss of the babies — too bad. What a comfort they would have been to all of them. Hope she is well now. Also trust that Jesse has entirely recovered.

Of course you are all at home again and living in comfort — having everything your own way. Wish that I was there too instead about ranting over portions of South America at least 7,000 or 8,000 miles away. True, I am gaining lots of valuable experience in this far away land that will be of great value to me later as a teacher.

1. About your coming down here. I would rather not have you undertake the trip. It is a terrible one, and then too, you would see but little of me since I am on the move most of the time. The expense would be terrible — at least $1,000 for you and

the two older girls, not to say anything about the chances of sickness for yourself and the children. Was just reading today in a Buenos Aires paper that the death rate of children in this province is over 50 per cent between birth and 15 years of age — a rate higher than anywhere else. Then too I shall be starting home in less than 7 months from now. The time will soon pass. School will have commenced when you receive this letter, or will in a very short time. The weeks will fly, the months come and go & the 1st of April be here before you know it.

You speak of having some things fixed about the house. Go ahead, you know what is needed. Be sure to lay in a supply of coal for the furnace before winter sets in for good; but do not drive over the yard when the ground is soft. Either F.W. Taylor or J.S Dales will look after the ordering of coal — be sure to get anthracite "nut" and "egg" mixed as that burns best. Soft coal requires too much looking after, and makes too much soot in the chimney. You do not want a chimney on fire. At least I do not want it even as far away as I am. Am sorry to hear that Fred and Alice Taylor's mother is afflicted with a cancer and cannot live long.

Hope that Seba may have a principalship in a school not too far away from home so that she can live with you and the children during the winter. You would have quite a lonesome time of it if she couldn't.

I suppose the children had a great time at West Point — all three of them. Psyche and Helen I know had. About the baby I know less, for she was just beginning to be somebody when I left. She must be cute now, running all about and talking everything. Wish that I could see her and the others too. Their pictures are quite a comfort to me down here, and I look at them quite often too. By the way, I did not happen to get a picture of yourself among my things when I so hastily packed up. Couldn't you send me one — a card sized one as that would go in my pocket case.

A great deal of what you seem quite anxious to hear about concerning the country, people and myself has been written in former letters which you will have had before this reaches you.

I have nothing to say further about U. of N. matters. Was glad to have the clippings about commencement week. Should very much have liked

to have heard Edward Everett Hale's address.

I don't know how the boys will make it go on the claims but I hope it will be well. Living all by themselves will be a little rough.

You speak in your letter of a number of articles and notices concerning me but have not sent any of them. Hope that you have clipped and saved some of the longer articles — especially the ones publishing my portraits, for I would like to see how I look in a newspaper sketch.

My work is shaping itself more and more as time goes by so that I can begin to see a little dime glimmer ahead. Still it looks as if I would be obliged to take a trip into Bolivia, as well as another into Paraguay before I can settle the question as to the probability of a permanent breeding-ground. If I go it will be soon but will write you again before starting.

I send you now the original draft, and in a week or ten days will send you a duplicate in case the original should miscarry. The duplicate not to be used if the original is paid.

Good bye. Yours.
Lawrence Bruner
P.S. Mrs. McCrosky forgot to give me that "great big hug."

*come home. If I go up to Paraguay and Bolivia I will write you again from there or when I come back. To go to Bolivia I would have to ride mule back for a whole.

Good bye, your papa
Lawrence Bruner

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aug. 10th 1897
Dear Psyche:–
I first thought that I would write to Aunt Seba tonight but then I changed my mind and will write this letter to you. By the time you receive this school will have began and maybe you will be studying your geography about South America, and very likely about Argentine Republic. If you do you can think of your Papa who is way down here learning about the geography of the country too. But I am learning my geography by travelling about over the country. In two months I have travelled about more than 4,000 miles. I have been up to Tucuman twice, to Salta once, to Cordoba twice, down to Buenos Aires 3 times, to Rosario 8 or 10 times and up nearly to Paraguay 3 times. Perhaps I will go quite there next week or even sooner. I have asked the "grasshopper commission" to get me a pass up to Asuncion and Consepcion and back, and if it comes I will start at once so as to get back in time to go up to Bolivia before hot weather commences. Later I want to go south and west so as to see some of Patagonia and Chile.

The most of the people here are Indians that are partly civilized. They live in houses, but not very good ones, and many of them dress very curiously. The men wear "bloomers" made of white cotton cloth, but they are a little longer than bicycle bloomers because they come down to the ankles. On sundays or when they go to town they put on black ones if they have them. When it is cold they wear a poncho or kind of shawl around their legs too to help keep them warm; also one over their heads and shoulders. A poncho, a sort of shawl that has a slit in the middle through which the men put their heads and then let it hang down in front and behind. The poncho which is worn over the pants is fastened to a belt and put on something like Alice's "didies" are, only that the baggy part hangs down behind almost to the knees. It hangs loose so they can walk. Little people do not wear very much of anything. Boys have a thin cotton shirt and pants that come a little below their knees. Girls have a calico dress — that is all. Sometimes they have stockings and home-made shoes, but not very often even in winter. But I can't take the time to tell

to tell you everything now. Then too, if I did there would be nothing left for me to tell you when I come home. The poor houses in Mexico are quite good when we some kinds of houses down here that people live in. When I was up near Tucuman and Salta almost to Bolivia I saw some very poor things that people lived in. Four posts stick in the ground, a few sticks laid across the top, and maybe a little dirt throwed on these to keep them from blowing off, and the house was finished — too poor for our pigs to live in at home, but down here used by people. Some of the better houses had cactus plants stood up on one or two sides, and others were protected by walls of brush. These were in the country. The houses in the towns and cities are better but more of even these are made with fire-places or chimneys so that they can be warmed. The people, like the animals shiver until the weather becomes warmer. In the country near Tucuman, I saw a number of children and a man standing with their backs humped towards the wind trying to keep warm. There was lots of wood that could have been used for a fire, but it was left undisturbed. They stood like this [sketch of man and children with their backs towards a tree] behind a tree or post while the woman was getting something for them to eat I believe.

I have quite a number of things already to bring along home and will very likely get others to show the customs of the natives of the country.

There are a great many interesting things to be seen aside from the people and I certainly improve every opportunity to observe these. The birds are very interesting and will make a fine collection to bring home for the museum at the university. After awhile the reptiles and insects will begin to leave their winter quarters and I will make collections of them too so that if you don't come down yourself you can see some of the things that live and grow here. The plants too, are peculiar. Nearly everyone whether tree or bush has thorns, and even the seed-pods of many like the sand burr at home are full of stickers. The country is very flat — much flatter than anything even between Lincoln and Denver, and there are great stretches of salt beds and alkali or soda. But very little of the water is fit to drink when we get a little ways from the mountains — the Andes. Even the well water tastes of saltpetre and other salts. I can hardly drink it, but have to because I cant drink the coffee they make for it is as black as ink and bitter. Then too it makes me sick when I do. But I can eat almost anything now, even boiled cabbage, turnips, onions, garlic or a mixture of all soaked in dirty fat. I sometimes wish that I had a few of the things that I couldn't eat at home. I know they would taste good to me. I believe I could eat parsnips and codfish now. Of course you needn't tell Mamma about this or she will try to feed me on them when I do (over)*

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aug. 19th 1897
Dear Marcia:–
I have been waiting for a letter from home for the last week so have not written quite as quickly as I otherwise would have. Whether or not the letters come in good time and then are allowed to lie about for some time in the office of the American Minister and Buenos Aires, I cannot say. I would have all my mail addressed to me direct only it is safer to come through Mr. Buchanan's hands. Then too, he always knows where I can be reached.

You will remember that in my last I said that I was figuring on a trip into either Paraguay or Bolivia soon. Well, I am still figuring. I have been intending to make both trips during the winter months while there is less to do here in the Republic. If the authorities in Buenos Aires don't soon "get a move on themselves" and get me the necessary passes etc. the time will slip by and I cannot make either of the journeys as important as they are in the locust studies. I do not see why people are so very slow about things of importance. If they cannot get the passes why do they keep me waiting without letting me know about it. I could then go and pay my way and afterwards collect it from the commission. But such a thought does not seem to enter their minds.

In the meanwhile I am here at Carcaraña doing office work towards the preparation of my final report at the end of the year. I am also collecting insects and trying to work out the names of the few Orthoptera that I have thus far succeeded in getting hold of. This is sort of uphill business with only a very few books. A great many of the insects that really occur within the country do not appear to have thus far been reported from Argentina. My list of the order, will therefore be quite a surprise to the "native" entomologists who have been working (?) the group for years. Just to think of it, only a few more than 100 Orthoptera reported from so large a country as Argentina! — a country with such a varied surface configuration, and one extending from the tropics to 55 degrees south latitude. Why, there should be at least 400 species instead. Of course I do not

P.S. I inclose [sic] herewith a duplicate of the sight draft for that I sent you just 2 weeks ago. If you received the other do not use this but put it away after marking across one end "Original paid." L. Bruner

expect to find more than half of all these during the next 6 months — the remaining time that I have in the country and only a small portion of which time can be spent in collecting insects. I shall, however, try to insist a number of person in collecting for me at various points over the Republic, and in this way do considerably better than I could hope to do single handed. But enough of this! You will become tired of so much about myself in every letter. But what else is there to write about? You do not know any body down here except Mr. McCrosky, and I see very little of her # or him either.

The weather has been miserable ever since I came to the country. Raw and chilly, and today it looks like rain. The wind has been blowing from the south — the cold direction — for an entire week now. When I moved into my present quarters, a little house of 3 rooms I did not think it worth the while to buy a kerosene stove to warm it. Hence I have been suffering most of the time since here. When writing and looking up insect names I usually keep my lamp burning on the table before me and a very small oil water heater going behind me. In this manner I manage to exist in a sort of fashion.

My man continues to collect new birds from day to day, and now has about 140 specimens on hand — pretty nearly all the kinds that are to be found in this vicinity during the winter months. Still, I have him go on collecting some of the kinds that he already has hoping that ere long the weather will moderate and the spring migrations will bring us new birds in plenty. In fact, even though the weather has been so "beastly cold," as Mr. Schwarg would say, he had brought in 6 or 8 new arrivals. Some of the birds are really beautiful and I will bring home enough of these to fill another case for ourselves. I make these skins myself so as to be sure they are well put up. This work I usually do by lamp light as a change from the daylight desk work.

I am keeping rather well now, and have a good appetite notwithstanding the abominable food that I am obliged to eat. I weigh more now than I ever did — about 173 lbs. The clothes I had made soon after arriving in the country are quite uncomfortable to wear. They have not been washed, so have not shrunken.

Hope that you and the little folks, as well as Seba and Grace and the ballance [sic] of the family keep well.

Yours as ever
Lawrence Bruner

*meal — chocolate and bread — the best meal during the entire day.

Argentina
Aug. 22, 1897
My Dear Helen:—
I believe that I will write this letter to you because the last was to Psyche or Mamma, I forget which. But it does not make any difference because you can all read them anyway. It was only a few days ago that I wrote so I don't know very much to write about now.

Today is Sunday, but nobody would know it by seeing the people here. Almost everybody works just the same as if it were a work day. The stores are open too just the same as every other day. I do not work very much myself, only to take care of my grasshoppers that I have in cages, and that I am trying to learn something about. Even if I do not work I can't go to church or sunday school. There is only one church in town and it is Spanish Catholic. I wouldn't understand the priest, even if I do understand some Spanish already.

Yesterday I received 4 letters from North America — 1 from Mamma, 1 from Grandpa, 1 from Lettie's papa, and 1 from Gov. R.W. Furnas. Mamma's was written on the 11th of July and the others nearly the same time. So you see it takes quite a long time for letters to come way down here. Some of

the letters go to Europe before they come here, so you see they must travel quite a long ways before they reach me in South America.

Last night there was a very heavy frost here so that this morning the ground and even the grass and trees looked as if covered by a thin coating of snow. This has been a very cold winter here in Argentine Republic. Since I arrived here it has been rather cold all the time, so that I had to wear woolen underclothing and woolen socks all the time. It is now beginning to show some little signs of spring. The weeping-willow tree in my yard is beginning to turn green, and a few insects come out during the daytime when the sun shines brightly and the wind blows from the north. —Here the south winds are cold and the north winds warm — just the opposite from what they are at home. So in about another month the weather will be quite warm and flowers will be in bloom. I mean the flowers on the prairies and in the woods — wild flowers. There have been a few tame flowers all winter in the gardens. I have quite a lot of pansies and violets in my garden. I will send you a few in this letter so that you can see what South American pansies and violets are like.

The pansies are nice, but so very small — no longer than ordinary violets — probably just like the wild pansy. There are also two or three other kinds of flowers in the garden, one a sort of marigold and the other a candituft [sic]. Later there will be a number of other kinds, but they will not bloom for more than a full month.

I have just been out to breakfast (dinner) with Mr. and Mrs. James. They live almost a mile from here, and he came after me with a two — wheeled cart called a "tilbre." After dinner I walked back. Jameses always have good things to eat. Today they had fish, then "quail on toast," cauliflower, potatoes, mush and milk, toast etc. At the hotel where I take my meals the cooking is not so good. If I were to tell you all the different kind of things that I have to eat you would laugh. You know that at home I am quite particular. Here I eat the first thing they bring on the table for fear the next will be so much worse that I can't eat it at all. In this way I eat cabbage, turnips, beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and fat meat all cooked up together. If it has plenty of broth with it it is soup, if only a little it is (?), and when all the

broth has been poured off it is "pucharo." [puchero] It is all cooked in the same kettle and then first the soup ladled out. After this the larger pieces of meat and the vegetables in big pieces taken out with a fork and sent on the table as "pucharo." Now the mess that is left is put in a stew pan with more grease and the other stuff for the third course made — It must be a stew of some sort, but just what I cannot say. The fourth course is another stew — the kidneys of beef or pork with garlic and some sort of black gravey [sic]. Then comes rost [sic]​ beef that has chunks of garlic thrust all through it, and afterwards beefsteak with onions or garlic poured over it. Sometimes there is a change, then after the soup come cauliflower fried in an egg-garlic batter, fish fried in the same batter, after which follow respectively fried veal, tongue and corn–meal mush (the latter mixed with the scraps of everything that was left over from the meal before including even bits of cheese) all dipped in the egg batter. There are other dishes too, besides those mentioned, but usually they are further combinations of these, or the same things sweetened. Still I am growing quite fat since I am now heavier than ever before in my life. I don't like this kind of food but eat it rather than get none or worse. In the morning I get my own*

My man has just brought a box of grasshoppers home from the station. They have been sent to me in order to find out whether or not they are soon liable to lay eggs. I receive a lot of the insects every day or two from some locality where they just make their appearance. I am much better posted on the Argentine locust than I was when I first came into the country; and I can now begin to see a little more clearly the line of procedure that must be followed in dealing with the pest.

I don't remember whether or not I wrote you I had found a disease here in the country that I shall try to utilize against the plague. It seems to be quite distinct from the locust disease in N. America and much more fatal in its nature — very similar to the "chinch-bug" fungus at home. I shall send samples of it to Prof. Bessey for his opinion. I also hope to use both the North American and an African fungus in my experiments here in Carcaraña. Of course I shall also advocate the destruction of the hosts of the plague by every other means, and plead for the protection of and encouragement of its natural enemies of all kinds. In this way I hope

to get the insect under control within the year, or at farthest by another year. From this assertion don't infer that I expect to remain in the country longer than till about the last of February next. I am quite satisfied that by that time I will be ready to come home, I will have had enough of Argentina.

Now that the Commission speaks of sending me home via England I am thinking some of trying to arrange it that I can go by way of South Africa and through the Suez Canal if possible, and if it can be made without too much extra time. They seem to be having a good bit of trouble in Africa with grasshoppers, and according to newspaper accounts they are killing them off there by means of fungus diseases. If I can get my expenses paid to go there a couple weeks to study methods and collect the fungus I would like to do it before coming home. In case I should do so, why, of course, I would expect to start from here a month or three weeks earlier. But this is only an "air castle" of mine as yet.

Hope that this letter will reach you all well and that you​ (mamma) shall have received the $1000. that I have sent you by two instalments — one of $600. and the other $400.

Good-bye
Your Papa,
Lawrence Bruner
Aug 22

*caraña where I hope to find a letter or two awaiting me from home.

Cruz del Eje, Argentina S. A.
August 29th 1897
Dear Marcia:–
Since I am way off here "nearly 100 miles from nowhere" and it is Sunday I will begin a letter to you. If most that I write is descriptive and nonsense you must pardon me, for there is nothing else to write about. I was in Cordoba and certain large grasshoppers were shown to me — 'hoppers nearly or quite as long as the width of this sheet of paper, and the person who showed them to me said they came from "Cruz del Eje." He said that there was a swarm of them there and that they had done much damage. Of course this to me was something quite new. The insect in question is a strictly tropical animal & its native home according to the books in Ecuador and Peru; therefore I came at once to this place to see for myself. Here I am, but there are no large grasshoppers to be found, and no one seems to know much about them. It appears that a Mr. Smith found several specimens at a water tank of one of the two railway stations in the town and sent them to Cordoba. From this grew the great tale about a large swarm and great damage.

I came on Friday evening. It appears that the railroads in this out–of–the–way place ran two trains each way weekly. I will have to wait until Tuesday morning before a train goes back. While it is almost like being in prison I am making the best of it and collecting some insects, but even this is rather uphill business since it is now the dry part of the year and but few insects are to be found. The country is the most forlorn looking region that I have thus far been obliged to remain in. I was just about to write that "I have had the pleasure etc." I was out yesterday nearly the entire day and only found about 30 kinds of insects, and today again and added but about 10 others. These I found under the bark of dead trees, under stones and cactuses. A few yesterday were found near the river bed–not the river, for there is but little water and it takes water to make a river I believe.

Well to start with, this line the Cordoba & Northwestern R.R. is quite a picturesque one. It runs through the mountains and is supposed to be something great — like the railroads that run through the mountains of Colorado and other portions of the West. There are also several summer resorts along the line to which people flock during hot weather. Capilla del Monte, the principle of these is about 25 miles above here and to me looks very ordinary. It

seems like all other Spanish American small towns only that it is a little more barren and has poorer water than usual. It is, however, not far from the mountains. These mountains at present are anything but inviting (they may be better and more attractive in summer) to the eye, being for the most part destitute of timber. What little timber there is is of the scrubby, thorny kind that we find at all timbered points that I have thus far visited in Argentina. Hardly a bush is to be met with that is thornless. Even the limbs, branches and twigs and in a thorn, while it is quite a prevalent rule for even the leaves of many of them to​ contain pointed ends and a few thorned or spiked edges. All this is characteristic of desert regions; and this is nearly a desert, at least for much of each year. Some parts of the province of Catamarca, Rioja, San Louis and Mendoza as well as of Tucuman, Salta and Jujuy are the dryest on the continent — the air often containing much less moisture than it did in Nebraska and Kansas during the 2 days when so much injury was done to corn the summer that we spent in northwest Nebraska and the Black Hills. In some parts, I was told, that on the days when these dry winds blow the people shut themselves indoors

and throw water on the walls and floor so they can breathe. Why people live or try to live in such a region I cannot imagine when there are better places to be found on the face of the earth.

By storing the water that falls during the rainy season or summer the people are enabled to water the land over limited areas sufficiently to raise crops and in some places even to make things look cheery. At a point 12 or 15 miles west of Cordoba there is a dam across a that is at least 100 feet high and that forms a lake 3x7 miles in extent when full. A little below this dam is where Mr. McCrosky is supervising the construction of an immense electrical station that is to furnish power in Cordoba. Will tell you more about this and many other things when I come home. There is too much to tell it all in letters even if I had the time to write longer letters and oftener.

I had thought some of driving about 33 miles to Dean Fumes on the other railroad where there is a daily train, but the people here seem to think I am rich. They only want $50. to make the drive. I will see them in — well in the miserable locality where they are at present before. I will pay so much. Would pay $16. or $18. but no more.

Will finish writing this letter when I return to Car*

I will go on with my letter as I have returned to Carcaraña and have received your letter written on the 19th July. I have one from Ella DeBell also, so you see that I am not entirely forgotten by the people of North America.

I will write to N. York Life Ins. Co. direct so that you need have no further bother with the matter. You did the right thing by sending them the $26.84 in payment of premium due Aug. 12th, for under the circumstance it would have been impossible to have received a reply from me in time. Just what they will do now about the $56.72 dividend I cannot say, but no doubt they will do what is right. As to other money matters you do what you think is best. You undoubtedly have the other remittance which I mailed to you on the 5th of August, so that if you obtained the money on both all right you will have had $1,000 less what the bank may have charged you as exchange. With this you need not suffer until I can send you another $400 , which will be in about 5 weeks. You would receive it about Oct. 10th to 15th if the mails run about ordinarily. With that and what may be left of the other you can pay for coal and live until about Jan. 1898 when I can have another

remittance reach you. On a pinch you might be able to get a few dollars from Seba too.

Aside from the money that I must spend for the Uni. of Nebr. and clothing and presents to bring along home I will use but little down here. We ought therefore, to pay most of our debt unless some unforseen [sic] calamity should arise that would take considerable money.

I am sorry to hear that Psyche has gotten a nervous attack again, but hope that it will be over long before this letter is received. Yes, before it is written. Should she continue more or less nervous try to cool her down and don't send her to school if it worries her. See the doctor about her if you should feel worried about her yourself. As to baby Alice I hope that her vomiting didn't develop into anything serious, and that a few days at home cured her alright. While I am lonely a great deal of the time down here, I am not much concerned about you grown up folks, but I do feel a little worried at times about the children. I feel as if I would like to share the care of them and not leave it all for you. Of course there are plenty of persons at hand to help you, and then Dr. Righter can always advise you even if it does cost something.

I thought that perhaps 6 pages would be enough, but they are not as you see.

It was right for you to take the girl along with you if she proves to be of any account, and I hope that she may. As long as I am earning a fair salary it is perfectly proper that you should save yourself all you can in the way of housework.

Start a fire in a small stove at least just as soon as the nights begin to be too cool for comfort. Do not try to save on fuel. Don't use soft coal in the stoves so as to fill chimneys with soot & render them possible of taking fire. If you think it necessary have the flues examined before starting fires. Then too, be careful about coal gas. (I am giving lots of advice — just like father does).

Should Seba need some money, and you have it to share let her have it. She has always gone out of the way to give us some when we even hinted that it could be made use of if we had it. I can draw my wages monthly but must always keep about $250 on hand so as to advance the necessary amount for expenses for at least a month or 6 weeks. And I cannot always tell just how much will be required for I don't know just what I will do or where be o–

bliged to go.

Thus for I have not taken any journeys outside of Argentina, but the time for doing so draws nearer everyday. At present it looks as if most of the locusts that have not been killed have gone north into Paraguay and it will be necessary for me to follow them. Will not, however, leave the main lines of travel and try to go into the interior, as time is too precious and I do not feel obliged to take any risks of that kind. I may undertake a trip into Bolivia along the direct road and as far as Chuquisaca or Sucre, the capitol. This soon after I return from Paraguay or about the 1st of October. In December and January I want to look over the southern country a little and cross over into Chile. Then too, I must begin to get the material together for my report. But this I am doing all the time on cards as I did my "Nebraska Birds." In this way it is always ready for the printer.

Please arrange to send me the "Weekly Journal" or have Mr. Hunter do it. Have it mailed direct to me at (F.C.C.A.) Argentina, S.A. It can be done from the Journal Office. I do so miss the general news and you forget to write them. I only see McCrosky's once a month for a few minutes and then hear much news.

Good bye
Yours etc.
Lawrence Bruner

I am delighted to learn that the full amount was raised to settle the debt of Plymouth Church rather than to have seen it miss. I feel that I could have given an additional $100. Although by so doing it would have made it just that much harder to pay our debts. Now that the immediate necessities have been met, the church had ought to flourish. We had ought to see to painting and fixing up a little so as to make things a little more comfortable about the church.

Of course nearly everybody has done so much that for the present nothing can be done along the lines I suggest, but after awhile it might be well to let them know what I suggest. I have been quite saving down here — some months not using more than $10 for personal expenses. Think that with all the presents I have bought I will get through the year with less than $250.

You must not stint yourself

for things in the house or for wear on account of the money it takes. Still it always requires a little saving on all sides to make our salary reach for all that is expected from it.

The weather is now very warm much more so than it would be if we had an occasional rain. There is no suffering now on account of cold. It is just the other way.

Had quite a long letter from Father in which he seems to think that he does not hear from me often enough. Will write him a long letter during the week in which I will try to hell him such things as will also interest the boys. He can then forward to them and save me writing to them. In fact I am not able to write to all who expect to hear from me. I do not have the time to do it.

I think what you write about doing for Grace a very creditable resolve and say "yes, do it by all means." She will appreciate it & you will feel all the happier for having done it while you could. Seba has been carrying too much of a burden during the past few years. Let her do a little for herself now.

Good bye again, yours
L. Bruner