*fore it is time to start home. Of course you will continue to write up to within a month of my starting or to about the 1st of February.

Buenos Aires
Dec. 3 1897
Dear Marcia:–
Well I am nearly tired out from running about over the city all day yesterday and today trying to look up some matters connected with the "Langosta Comission" work, as well as some my own. It appears almost impossible to do anything here short of at least a week or ten days — little affairs that had ought to be done in a few minutes.

I am afraid that I will not get a single photograph from all of my wanderings here in S.A.​. It is impossible to get any film for my Kodack​ [sic] — either here or in other places. Will have to buy a couple dozen photos to illustrate a few of the most characteristic features, but of course there will not be just what I would have selected to snap at myself if I had the films. Too bad that I neglected to bring any from New York when I came and arranged for more to be sent later.

Last evening I took tea (Dinner) with the McCroskys who are now keeping house in Flores, a suburb of Buenos Aires. We had quite a visit, and as I went a little early and Mr. McCrosky

did not come home until quite late Mrs. and I had quite a time to gossip about the U. of N.​ and members of its faculty. As they live out of the main city about 5 miles I did not return to the hotel before midnight.

Today was spent principally in trying to find Kodak film, settling with the commission for October and November, and in getting the draft for sending to you. I also went to the National Museum here in the City to see some of the naturalists, as well as their collections, and also to arrange for exchange of publications and specimens. Did not see the Director, Dr. Carlos Berg, for he has been away in Europe since the 10th of last May. Have a special letter to him from Scudder and also one from the "Sem. Bot."​ of the U. of N.​ Am sorry that I couldn't use these, especially the latter.

There are ever so many interesting things in this city that one might go to see if he only knew what they were and where to find them, that is if he had the time to spare and was a fluent Spanish speaker. This last I am not; nor do I expect to be one while I remain in the country. Time is too short and a new language too hard

for an old man to learn in a comparatively short time. I am getting to be quite a dutchman (German) though. Why I sometimes unconsciously begin talking German to myself instead of talking in "United States." I even think in the pesky language, I have to use it so. My man is German, as is also the entire family where I board, and none of the lot talk anything else that I can understand "fluently" or talk back in. So when I return, should I unconsciously address my remarks to you in the language you will, I hope, pardon me.

One of our war ships, the "Cincinnati" is in the port here, and every now and then while on the streets, one, two, or three of our sailor boys are encountered. It is a good sight, since it brings to mind the great United States and home. Wish that I could board a ship for there soon. Of course there are only 3 months or a little less till my time is up and I will be starting. The nearer the time comes, the more anxious I am to be off. But I will have to abide the time.

I found considerable mail at the U.S. Consulate here in Buenos Aires when I arrived in

town yesterday. Mr. Hunter had sent in care of the Consul instead of the Minister and I had no arrangements for forwarding it too​ me. Then too, the affairs at the consulate have been rather unsettled since Consul Baker died. He would have known enough to send it to me. I'm speaking of the affair to one of the Commission, he said, "Why there isn't a man, woman or child in the Republic who doesn't know who Professor Bruner is and that it was not forwarded to me was peculiar."

Tomorrow, Saturday, I start for to be gone not more than a week. The entire region that I expect to pass over is terra incognita to me, hence I will very likely have some things to write to Psyche again. Will write on Sunday or Monday at latest unless some unforseen [sic] thing occurs to prevent it. This letter is not my regular weekly one it is merely "sandwiched" in to keep the inclosed [sic] draft for $450., U.S. gold, No. 510, Brown Brothers & les, New York company. Hope it will reach you all right.

I am well, fatter than ever, and pining to come home. Good bye, kisses for all.

Yours
Lawrence Bruner
P.S. This will be about the last of my letters that will reach you in time to permit of an answer reaching me be-*

*from your Papa. L. Bruner.

Bahia Blanca, Argentina
Dec. 5 1897
Dear Psyche:
According to promise I now sit down to write you a letter from a point nearly 500 miles further​ away from home than when I wrote to mamma the day before yesterday. This is nearly as far south as I expect to get while in South America. If you will look in your geography you will see that I am almost to Patagonia. The country between Buenos Aires and here is very flat most of the way, but part of the time we were in sight of mountains, not very high ones, but quite a change to the very level country that one sees over the greater part of Argentine Republic where I have been. It is nearly as level as a floor from here to Santiago del Estero which is pretty well to the north or quite 1000 miles. Then too from Buenos Aires to nearly the base of the Andes Mts.​ it is said to be just as flat and without scenery.

Ever since early this morning — about half past 4 o'clock till after 4 this afternoon, we were passing great droves or flocks of sheep. There are millions of them kept on the vast level pampas. I must have seen more sheep to-day than all put together before. Besides sheep there were also many cattle and horses and a few ostriches and two or three kinds of other large birds that walk about the country in flocks of a half dozen

and more. Sometimes there will be thousands of these bird​ together. One kind has two horny hooks on each wing, is about as large as a turkey and has a top=knot. It is said to be a great singer and dancer as well as a magnificent flier. When it gets uneasy it will scream very loudly, dance about and all of a sudden soar up into the sky until it even goes beyond the clouds and quite out of sight. So loud is its voice that when out of sight it can still be heard. At this distance its song is said to be beautiful beyond description. The bird is called the "Crested Screamer." I have not yet been able to get a specimen of this bird for the University because there are none of them at Carcaraña. Another interesting bird that is seen here in droves or flocks is the very queer bird that I told about in another letter. I mean the long-billed, big billed bird that most of the time sits down like this [doodle of the bird] just as if its legs were too long to reach the ground and it had to double them up or else stick them into holes in the ground. Then too, I saw thousands of meadowlarks — two or three different kinds. Instead of having yellow breasts like ours they have the breast and all the underside bright red. Argentina certainly is a home for queer things, and I thought that I had already seen the queerest and told you and Helen about them. But only day before yesterday when I visited the

National Museum in Buenos Aires I saw the most peculiar one of all, I believe. It is about the size of a mole or a pocket gopher at home. it is something like both of them too, in some respects, but also quite different. It has the lower side covered with long soft white hair like that on the Eskimo doll, but the upper half is entirely bare of hair and scaley like an armadillo. It is almost blind and lives under the ground just like the gophers and moles and has very long and strong claws for digging. [doodle of the animal] It is only found near Mendoza just at the foot of the Andes. I will try very hard to get a specimen or two when I go to Mendoza next week. Then there is another animal that rolls itself into a ball [doodle of animal rolled into ball] so that a dog cannot get at it. It is also covered with a hard bony shell. Will try to get it too. There are animals belonging to three quite different groups but all have the shell like a turtle. The armadillos, the little blind "pinche," and the "metaca." One is a mole or between the mole and pocket gopher, another a hedge hog, and the others near the anteaters. One of them also has a pouch or pocket in which she carries her little "metacas," at least so I have been told.

Tomorrow if I can get the time I intend to take a bath in the ocean, and also do some insect collecting. The grasshoppers are quite plentiful down here now,

and even 100 or 150 miles further south. They have come a full 1000 miles since they began flying at the close of winter. They have scattered out over the country so much now that I think they will not do much damages, and he birds will eat very large quantities of them. There are very many more birds down south here than there are around Buenos Aires, Rosario and There are fewer people to kill them off. I used to think that the boys and men in Nebraska were just about as bad as could be towards the birds, but they are not. The Argentinians can beat them a long ways. They not only kill the birds but everything else that has life just to see them squirm and wriggle when they die. It is terrible to think of it! There is a new line of railroad being built towards the Andes to the southwest from here. I think that I will go out to the end before I return to Buenos Aires. It extends to and across the Rio Colorado a dozen or more miles. It passes through sand hills something like those in Nebraska but they have springs on their tops. In fact, it is these springs that have made the hills. The sand blows around a great deal, but where the springs are it cannot blow. So the hills are made. How funny to go on top of the highest hills in a sandy country to find water.

I will try to write you another letter in a month or so — maybe I will write to you from Chile. Good bye*

*than I have at any time since I began my investigations. Still there are some points that thus far have refused stubbornly to be solved. If all goes well I hope to feel that I have really accomplished much. I hope that the present winter will not be such a very cold one in Nebr. that you and the children will come through without being sick. As for myself I seem to be keeping quite well most of the time and not very much out of the way at other times. The country has surely agreed with me ever since I recovered from my malarial attack. Wish that I could go with you occasionally to some of the receptions and church things, but in a little while I can. 

Good bye. Kiss the girls for me. Lawrence

Dec. 13 1897
Dear Marcia:
I was too busy yesterday to write home, also too tired. I had just returned from Bahia Blanka​, the Pampa Central and Buenos Aires where I was kept so busy that I only got half sleep for 10 days. On returning here there were so many things to look after that, although it was Sunday, I had to attend to them at once. This became particularly necessary since the Commission has decided to issue a preliminary report of instructions for killing the young locusts which are now in all parts of the country overrun by the mature insects up to a month ago. They wish to publish this week and I am getting the report ready as rapidly as possible and at the same time carry on fungus experiments in the field and breeding cages as well as to superintend several methods of destroying the young mechanically. The fungus experiments seem to be coming out quite satisfactory both here and at several places over the country where it is being tried by others. The Gov't.​ "expert" has tried the African fungus and pronounces it a fraud​. On the other hand a German doctor at Parana has found it to work excellently in several trials, as have I also here at Carcaraña.

In the mechanical methods of fighting the insects the natives are way behind the times. Instead of trying new and rapid methods suited to the habits of the insect under treatment they are depending wholly on the ancient methods in vogue for hundreds of years in killing quite another insect . They do not attack the young as soon as they hatch and while they are still bunched, but wait until they begin to move and are about half grown. Then they dig long trenches a couple feet deep and wide, and in the bottom of these at intervals deeper holes. When the trenches are prepared they begin driving the locusts towards the ditches and keep at it until they have them all driven into them. Another method that is suggested and used by the Gov't​ commission is the placing of strips of tin end to end thereby making fences on barriers which are made to converge at a deep pit and then drive the locusts as mentioned above. Both the ditch digging and the purchasing of tin barriers are exceedingly expensive and at the same time very slow methods of destroying the insects besides being applicable only to the destruction of the half — grown or nearly grown locusts. In my studies with reference to the in

sects habits I have ascertained a number of facts that convince me that the time to destroy them is within the first week of their hatching when they are still very small. During this time they are greatly concentrated and usually on base or only partially covered ground. They are also rather sluggish, and do not move or jump to any great height. They can then be destroyed by beating them with a flail, brush, paddle, shovel, grain bag or almost anything that suggests itself to the would — be destroyer of locusts. They can also be burnt with a torch made of rags or other such stances saturated with coal — tar, kerosene or other inflamable [sic] material tied to a handle of iron or wood and iron. I want to try each of these methods personally and see them used by natives so as to see which give the best results with the least outlay of money and labor.

It is now after 8 o'clock in the evening and I will try to write a little more. Since writing the above I have written a couple letters infected 3 speparate​ [sic] "mangas" of the little locusts with fungus disease and gone over considerable ground to see where the most are for working on them tomorrow. It has also rained some and made getting about a little difficult. My man has brought in a lot of additional locusts for breeding cages, and collected quite an assortment of insects for the Univ. of Nebr.​

Your three letters dated Oct. 25, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8th were all received within a few days. They are good letters full of news, Still they make me feel like being a little homesick. Only about 2 1/2 months more and I can start for home. Surely time does not drag, but just the same I can hardly wait for the time to come. I also received 2 Sunday and two Semi — Weekly State Journals Yesterday. These brought me considerable news from Nebraska and the United States. A letter from Ida too was among the mail that was awaiting my return from the wild Patagonian land. I will try to answer it if possible before very long.

I am glad to know that you have secured someone to look after the furnace, but you speak of working so hard &c., and suggest that if I were at home that I would scold you. Well, yes, I would, and I feel like doing it now too. Wish that I had you here tonight so that I could. Why don't you be a little more careful of your strength and hire more done? You will soon be quite an old lady if you don't take better care of yourself. True, the girls are growing up like weeds and can soon do much to make burdens lighter, but in the meanwhile they must be educated aright​. Give them music lessons by all means if they want them. We can rent an organ or piano for awhile, and bye and bye we may be able to buy one. I hope to be able to bring a little money home with me or send it just before I start for home. With this we can get out of debt and fix up a little about the house and yard. Perhaps we can put in a bath tub, hot water, &c. &c to make things handier.

I am now beginning to see my way much clearer in the Argentine locust question*

Dec. 26 1897
Dear Marcia and Girls:
It is now the day after Xmas, and I hope that you all enjoyed yourself even if I wasn't at home to share the pleasures with you. Although so far away from home my Christmas was not so dull as it might have been. I was invited to dinner by Mrs. and Mr. James who have been so good to me ever since I came to the country. Then too, Christmas Eve I was invited to a little entertainment held at the hotel. Schneiders are Germans but are like us North American people. They believe in observing the day by having appropriate songs and music along with a tree and presents. Of course I remembered the children in the way of cards and it pleased them. On the previous day also I was at an Xmas tree on a large estancia about 40 miles form here. The name of the estancia is "La California" and is the property of the Benect brothers — U.S. citizens who came to this country years ago from California. This estancia is one of the best in the country and contains about 17,280 acres — all under cultivation, being planted to alfalfa. Just how much stock there is I cannot say. But I was told that they had about 11,000 sheep, besides large numbers of both cattle and horses. They also have 5 other estancias over the Republic. On one of these there are more than 25,000 head of cattle, and it is only a "supply station" to the home estancia. The main estancia is a model and the finest place yet visited by me here in the country. The house and buildings are good and excellently kept; and the people as hospitable as can be found. They have lots of curiosities of the country all of which I will tell you about when I return home.

Our dinner was excellent. Turkey, goose, chicken salad, mashed potatoes, barley soup, bread, butter, candy, cake, ice cream &c & besides claret, water, coffee and wine. There were 13 in all — just the number that seems to occur so often when I am about. But I wore my opal as usual. It was no dress affair though all the men happened to wear their black clothes because it was quite cool — a pampero having come up in the forenoon and a very heavy rain. The day before, in fact for an

entire week the weather had been suffocatingly hot, the thermometer having ranged near the 100 point. It is just as uncomfortably hot now as it was uncomfortably cold in the winter. It is now quite damp and sultry making the heat more oppressive.

On Friday the newspapers printed a preliminary report on the locust that I sent in to the president of the commission. It is printed in Spanish, English and German and very likely also in the French and Italian papers too. I will send you a clipping in one of the languages that you can understand. Save it.

During the coming week I may go down to Buenos Aires again to see if I can find an artist to make drawings to illustrate my report. Will then try to find my Xmas package which you write that you sent to me some time ago. Up to the present I have heard nothing of it. This country is simply abominable in the way of loosing​ mail and other packages. Whether stolen or merely "lost", it matters but little since they fail to reach the consignee. Nearly everybody who has sent or received parcels has lost more or less in this way.

It is now but about 2 months till I can start for home and 3 till I will be there if all goes well. How good it seems to think of being home again.

For some reason or other there seems to be absolutely nothing to write about today, so I am afraid that my letter will be rather shorter than usual this time. I will try to make up for this in my next if possible.

Hope that you are all well, and that you are not suffering too severely from the cold while I am sweating in heat.

When you receive this letter you will not be able to answer it for before the reply could reach me I may be half way home.

Good bye, kiss to each of the girls, baby included as well as yourself.

Yours, Lawrence Bruner
P.S. It does not seem at all like Christmas when everything is so warm and green. I might write a little on this theme, but will desist. I want something new to tell you when I see you therefore I do not dare to write everything in advance.