DARWIN D. MARTIN 1928 Correspondence Part 2 A Remarkable Partnership.

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY
PMSS Board of Trustees
Darwin D. Martin, Trustee
1928 Correspondence
Part 2 (051-086)
(July 21 – September 26, 1928)

PMSS staff and Ford truck at Tool House. Bassett Album, c. 1928-29. [pmss_bas080.jpg]

TAGS: Darwin D. Martin 1928 Correspondence, PMSS Board of Trustees, piano, fire extinguishers, pottery pitchers, fruit trees, used clothing, Ford truck, Luigi Zande, Ethel de Long Zande, the Cabin, Angela Melville, Edith Canterbury, Katherine Pettit, Laurel House, Evelyn Wells, S.C. Tozier, Big Log, Ruth Campbell, Elena de Long, Christmas

DARWIN D. MARTIN 1928 Correspondence Part 2

Part 2 of Darwin D. Martin’s 1928 Correspondence provides images and summaries of letters among PMSS staff and Darwin D. Martin, a member of the Board of Trustees at Pine Mountain Settlement School, (1920-1933), and a generous contributor to and consultant for the School. Martin was an executive of the Larkin Co. in Buffalo, New York. Trained, in part by noted Arts and Crafts leader, Elbert Hubbard, Martin became one of the highest-paid executives and entrepreneurs in the United States, Like many others of the early 1930s, Martin’s resources were severely curtailed by the Market Crash at the beginning of the 1930s and did not recover.

While the market crash ended Martin’s generosity, the years leading up to the event were prosperous. The following correspondence captures Martin’s optimism and his sincere philanthropy and enthusiasm for giving. His donations to Pine Mountain were many. Giving a hand to needy students who showed a willingness to work toward a better future perhaps reminded him of his own career trajectory. Martin’s philanthropy went beyond the many donations he made to the School and included valuable administrative and financial advice to the School’s leaders for over a decade. His correspondence captures his strong ethics and his commitment to both educational and industrial training for the youth of the day.

Martin also served as a mentor for the various directors of the Settlement School and provided valuable contacts within both the industrial as well as educational fields. As a close friend of Frank Lloyd Wright, he also contributed to the School’s Architectural Master Plan and its mechanical and fiduciary challenges associated with building and maintaining the physical environment of the School.

CONTENTS: DARWIN D. MARTIN 1928 Correspondence Part 2

051-086 (July 21 – September 26, 1928)

[Note: Letters from PMSS staff in the PMSS Collections are carbon copies, typewritten, unsigned, and meant for the Office files. The original signed documents were sent to the correspondents. The initials at the bottom left of most PMSS letters indicate the writer (along with initials of the secretary). For example, “KP” refers to Katherine Pettit, “EKW” to Evelyn K. Wells, and “AM” to Angela Melville. Letters from Darwin D. Martin are typewritten originals on Larkin Co. letterhead or his personal stationery. The following list of contents is in chronological order and not necessarily in the order of the image numbers.]

051 July 21, 1928. To Darwin D. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from EKW (Evelyn K. Wells), who informs Mr. Martin that Mr. Tozier’s statements are inaccurate. She reports that, with Miss [Angela] Melville’s help, they have 3 applicants for the bookkeeping position from Cincinnati. Work on Big Log shingling will begin soon after Mr. Cain’s arrival.

052 July 23, 1928. To Martin from EKW (Wells), thanking him for the clipping; enclosing “Notes,” covering

“the policy of our weaving department and the special aim it has to recreate the old arts and how hard it is to fill the orders that come to the school. … We could, however, sell more “Summer and Winter Weave” coverlets, the old process we have brought to life again. It is still hard for us to spare more girls to the weaving department from the kitchen, laundry, houses, etc.”

Mr. Cain will be Mr. [Luigi] Zande’s successor. Wells describes the background of Dean [Charles D.] Lewis, a former Berea College teacher, whom she knows and whose daughter is currently visiting PMSS.

053 July 25, 1928. To Wells from Martin, who encloses a copy of a letter from Mr. Tozier, responding to a Christian Century article by Lucy Furman. He writes that it does not quote either Mrs. Lloyd or June Buchanan. He describes Miss Melville’s travel itinerary. He will “try to line up possible candidates for” Melville to see when she returns; three applicants are in Cincinnati. He asks if “the Jones person” will stay until a bookkeeper is hired. He has received a plan of “Pine Mountain School Campus” from Luigi Zande, a blueprint of which he will send to Mrs. [Mary Rockwell] Hook and Miss [Katherine] Pettit. He mentions that Zande’s letter indicates “he is homesick and an applicant for his old job.” He asks whether Mr. Samuel’s daughter has been hired as a summer volunteer worker.

054 July 30, 1928. To Martin from KP (Pettit), thanking him for news about Miss Melville and for Zande’s blueprint. She is glad that Loraine Redwine and Carrie Madon are “taken care of at Berea.” She heard that the Leopold Shapp Foundation in New York may send a scholarship, which will be used for Madon. Pettit approves of Martin’s letter to the trustees about Dean Lewis at Lincoln Memorial University and subscribing to Mountain Life and Work.

055 July 31, 1928. To Martin from [unsigned], who is interested in Mr. Tozier’s letter and gives her opinion on how to deal with Mrs. Lloyd. She thinks Mr. Zande wrote a letter to Martin because he was worried about a successor. Mr. [William] Browning has “run the plant and the truck” pending the arrival of Mr. Kain [sic, Cain?]. Mr. Samuel’s daughter decided not to come for the summer. The writer enjoyed unpacking “all the new things for the Zande Memorial House.” The H.W. Covert people in New York have sent “some very nice ones [fire screens?]”

056 August 8, 1928. To Wells from Martin, asking for the address of H.W.Covert, so that he can order the fire screen wholesale. He asks about sheets.

057 August 8, 1928. To Martin from AM [Angela Melville], asking about how to record the gift to the School of the Zande Memorial House. She is concerned about “any equipment left in [the] house…also, the matter of insurance. Miss Jones’ replacement will arrive tomorrow.

058 August 10, 1928. To Martin from [unsigned], asking him to inform Miss [Elizabeth] Hench not to request people to go on PMSS Advisory Board until after Miss Melville and the writer have reviewed them according to “their value to the school.” Melville will write to Martin about Mrs. Hert.

059 August 7, 1928. To Pine Mountain Settlement School, Inc., from S.B. Wilkes, Manager, Wholesale & Hotel Supply Dept. on “Larkin Service” letterhead, asked that the too-large sheets be returned and his department will send the School a refund.

060 August 10, 1928. To Melville from Martin about sending the “fiber furniture with special covering and finish” which she had ordered.

061-061a August 11, 1928. Two-page letter to Martin from AM [Melville], expressing her opinion about the “appointing of new members to our Advisory Committee.” She feels that “before people are asked to go on the Board, their names might be…submitted to Miss Pettit and me for our opinion….” She explains why she has doubts about Mrs. Hert and recommends Mr. William S. Speed of Louisville instead, who gave $500 to start Line Fork. She also recommends Mr. Charles Lewis of Lincoln Memorial University. She lists additional names submitted by Miss Wells: J .S. Duncan (a very large contributor), H[elen] de Long, [Luigi] Zande, Mrs. John C. Campbell, Dean Baird of Berea, Mrs. Charles S. Robb, and Dr. [Alfreda] Withington of Pine Mountain.

062 August 13, 1928. To Martin from AM (Melville), about needing a fire extinguisher for Zande House. She expresses appreciation for his gift of china and silver. However, “quite a few” pieces of china were broken during shipment.

063 August 13, 1928. To Hench from [unsigned, enclosing a copy of Pettit’s August 10th letter. She also suggests “that we always obtain approval of those whose name we wish to add to the Advisory Board.” Mentions Mrs. Hert.

064 August 14, 1928. To Melville from Martin, who “gladly” agrees to ask Hench to get endorsement from Hench and Pettit “for all names suggested for the Advisory Board.” He agrees that Dr. [William J.?] Hutchins’ “busy-ness bars him” from being considered for the Board.

“Advisors are partially for our show windows and to form the voting list for election of Trustees, they themselves being the eligibles for trusteeship.”

065 August 15, 1928. To Martin from AM [Melville], informing him that Pettit will buy six of the sheets for her guest room and asks for the bill in order to determine whether the School should buy all twelve of them. Melville praises Martin that he will try to meet her requirements for the workers’ room furniture at Zande House.

066 August 15, 1928. To Wilkes, Larkin Co., from AM [Melville], repeating the plans for sheets she outlined in her letter to Martin.

067 August 16, 1928. To Melville from Martin, instructing her to write to the shipper about the broken crockery and asking for “replacement as a donation to the school.” Mr. Zande has requested fire extinguishers.

068 August 20, 1928. To Melville from Martin about sending the sheets and a mattress and spring. He points out several items on the PMSS annual report for the year ending June 30, 1929 [sic], including depreciation for the Saw Mill. He questioned the large amount under Miscellaneous, the “Stores” item, and missing revenue from the Medical Settlement. “Apparently Model Home is covered on the books as Country Cottage!”

069 August 20, 1928. To Pettit from Martin about the bedsheets. He then asks about the missing income from the Medical Settlement on the accountants’ [G.F. Mansell and Co.] annual report sent to him by Mr. [Charles N.] Manning.

070 August 22, 1928. To Melville from Martin, sending samples of covering for the reed furniture from Ypsilanti Reed Furniture Co., Ionia, MI. He gives further instructions on the furniture and its covering.

071-072 August 22, 1928. Two-page letter to Martin from AM [Melville], explaining the deductions from the Admin Department that she made on the annual report for Line Fork and Medical Settlement. She also explains why it is not possible to get our annual scholarship per child below $350. “I should like to have these figures used on any literature which we send out.” She asks his opinion “whether it is dishonest to omit the labor value of the child.” She feels it is legitimate.

073 August 23, 1928. To Martin from KP [Pettit], thanking him for the sheets for Big Log. She is turning over to Melville to inform him of the Medical Settlement and other finances, then praises Melville for her fine work. “So level headed and just and sensible and keen to get ahold of all outside conditions. You may be sure she is going to have a good school. She has good people.” Pettit then reports that Mr. Kain arrived August 1st, but she and others feel that he is “not the man for this place.” She will be talking with Mr. Harshbarger, “the Bradely [sic] Polytechnic man” whom she prefers.

074 August 24, 1928. To Martin from AM [Melville], responding to his questions about the annual report by sending him a copy of a letter to Mr. Mansell with her explanations. She tells him the definition of “Stores” on the report; also, that the Model House’s name was changed to Country Cottage by Mrs. Zande.

075 August 28, 1928. To Melville from Martin, dealing with the question of whether to tell the whole truth about the cost of an annual scholarship. He feels that PMSS should check what other schools (such as Berea) are advertising as the cost, because “What I fear is that contributors will make comparisons unfavorable to Pine Mountain and divert their contributions.” He suggests that all the trustees should be consulted, particularly Pettit, Wells, Hench, Holton, Manning, and Samuels. His vote is to tell the truth and advises how to determine the number of pupil-days. However, the pupils who remain through the summer and holidays are a problem in computing the cost. He questions “how to place Tess.” He suggests asking Mr. Samuels, whom he describes as “heart and soul with the school.”

076 August 31, 1928. To Martin from AM [Melville], who will ask Mr. Mansell to check her figures for the annual scholarship before she approaches the board. Mr. Samuels will take Tess. “He is a wonderful friend.” The workers like Mr. Harshbarger, the manual training man, who “seems practical and enthusiastic.”

077 September 3, 1928. To Martin from KP [Pettit] with praise for Miss Melville’s opening speech and describes the arrival of students in the pouring rain,

078 September 3, 1928. To Martin from AM [Melville], enclosing Mr. Mansell’s reply to her letter. The [Steubenville] Pottery Company agreed to replace the broken china without charge. She mentions Miss Caldwell, secretary.

079-079a September 6, 1928. Two-page letter to Martin from [unsigned], providing School updates: 106 boys and girls at the start of the school year, with a few coming and going; 5th and 6th grades – 17 children; junior high school – 47; high school – 42. Old workers: Miss Emerson, Miss Purbrick, Miss Daniels, Miss Hill, Miss Campbell, Mrs. Burns, Miss Denton, Mr. Argetsinger, New teachers: Miss Margaret Motter, Miss Harriet Crutchfield, Miss Carolin Rhone, Miss Kingman, Mr. Ernest Harshbarger. New Office workers: Miss Caldwell, Miss Andersen, and continued help from Miss Jones. New housemothers: Miss Lillie, Miss Isabella Whitenack, Miss Huyett, Mrs. Keezel. Continuing housemother: Miss Gaines. Continuing worker, Ms. Browning. The writer also gives the positions and/or educational background for each name.

080-080a September 7, 1928. Two-page letter to Melville from Martin, giving advice concerning the School’s annual financial report: Depreciation (of the buildings); Zande House Equity; General Expense; Receipts of Medical Settlement and Line Fork; Farm, Dairy and Poultry Credit Account; Annual Profits; Betterments. He encloses a copy of Miss Pettit’s letter of September 3rd, “ which pleases me so I have sent copies to all the Trustees.”

082 September 11, 1928. To Martin from AM [Melville], responding to his suggestions concerning the School’s annual financial report.

081 September 14, 1928. To Melville from Martin, who thanks her for the detailed personnel information.

083 September 14, 1928. To Martin from AM [Melville], informing him that she is “holding up the Department of Education on the matter of accrediting the school” pending a discussion of it at the next Board meeting. “Personally I believe that we must keep away from standardization at Pine Mountain if we are to be flexible enough to best serve the changing needs of our locality.”

084 September 24, 1928. To Martin from KP [Pettit], ordering 39 fire extinguishers, which will be a gift from Martin. Pettit then describes Saturday’s celebration in honor of Uncle William [Creech] and Aunt Sal [Creech], attended by the Creech family for dinner. They had a “working” on rebuilding the chimney at the “original little log cabin.” Tomorrow, members of the Kiwanis Club at Harlan will visit the School.

085 N.D. A list of buildings and their rooms for which 39 fire extinguishers are needed. “Of course every house has a living room where fires are kept most of the time.”

086 September 26, 1928. To Melville from Martin, writing about orders for three lamps and curtains for Zande House. He asks the cost of Grannie Creech’s work so he can send a check. He asked his son, Darwin, about “movie machines” and asked if the School needs a “DeVry.” He encloses “Thessalonica statements…on suspicion.”

Next: DARWIN D. MARTIN 1928 Correspondence Part 3
(087-114, October 1 – December 28, 1928)