DARWIN D. MARTIN 1931 Correspondence

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Board of Trustees
Darwin D. Martin, Trustee from 1920 until 1933
January 3, 1931 – December 22, 1931
Correspondence

Reservoir with heavy run-off. {c.1930s} [ kingman_031b]

TAGS: Darwin D. Martin 1931 Correspondence, PMSS Board of Trustees, Boys House, Mary Rockwell Hook, Hubert Hadley, Dr. Alfreda Withington, road conditions, Katherine Pettit, Evelyn K. Wells, Dr. Louisa Martin, Pine Mountain movie, the reservoir, Pleasant Hill Academy, Endowment Fund, bequests, auditors, Boone C. Callahan, power plant, Advisory Board

DARWIN D. MARTIN 1931 Correspondence

Darwin D. Martin, a member of the Board of Trustees at Pine Mountain Settlement School, 1920-1933, was a generous contributor to and consultant for the School. He was an executive of the Larkin Company located in Buffalo, New York.

This year brought new challenges to the water supply at the Settlement School. Glyn Morris writes to Darwin D. Martin, Chair of the Board:

We are facing a problem with the reservoir again. We have been watching it ever since I have been here, and it has dropped suddenly forty inches. I have gone over all the correspondence in regard to the reservoir on file here. I understand that there is a possibility of our securing some money from the Emory Estate through Mr. Livingood; however, this is only a possibility. I believe that something should be done at once with the reservoir in order to prevent what might be a serious situation this coming fall….

He declares that there was no time to negotiate permission from the Board. He describes how he has begun to correct the problems without success, and with no approval of the Board due to the immediate need for water in the upcoming School session.

This and other crises as well as joys during the 1931 year fill the correspondence between the Director and the Chair of the Board. The lessons in administration from both sides are many. The dialogue is lively and at times competitive but always respectful. Importantly, the School, with two such dynamic leaders, becomes an exemplary model of a rural settlement school.

CONTENTS: Darwin D. Martin 1931 Correspondence

(January 3 – December 22, 1931)
See GALLERY below for images of the following correspondence.

[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). Letters from others are typewritten originals unless specified otherwise. The following list of contents is in chronological order and not necessarily in the order of the image numbers.]

[001] January 3, 1931. Copy of letter to Darwin D. Martin from Director Hubert Hadley, Director. Correspondence in answer to a series of questions posed by Martin. October 1927 article in Mountain Life and Work was not yet read by Hadley. The average amount of time Pine Mountain holds students was not answered: “Too difficult for me to answer at this time …” Hadley tries to clear confusion regarding dating of correspondence. He advises Martin that he is still waiting to hear from him regarding batteries needed by Pine Mountain but is unable to find a solution to electrical lighting at the School.

[002] January 6, 1931. Martin comments on the rapid receipt of another letter from Pine Mountain and suggests the postmark of January 5 at 6 am is too rapid for credibility?

[003] January 6, 1931. Hubert Hadley to Darwin D. Martin desperately making an effort to get an interview with the Fairbanks-Morse and Company‘s salesman concerning batteries. He apologizes to Martin for any misunderstanding and indicates he will follow through with order for batteries and repair parts and a mechanic from Benham when parts arrive.

[004] January 9th, 1931. Darwin D. Martin to Hubert Hadley regarding the farmer’s short course at the State University. Martin suggests that Peder Moller, the new Danish farmer, might benefit from attending the farmer’s short course at the university.

[005] N.D. Note in handwriting of Katherine Pettit. “Country S.S – Sunday. Ruth Cunlick[?]- III health – Lower part of Open H[ouse] cost $700.00 given to K[atherine] Pettit by M[arguerite] Butler and E[thel] McCullough [??].”

[007-007a] January 23, 1931. Two-page letter from Hubert Hadley to Darwin D. Martin. Notes batteries are on their way. Answers questions of compulsory school age in KY and relates that it is from seven to sixteen. MORE ….

[008] January 29, 1831. Darwin D. Martin to Hubert Hadley. MORE ….

[006] February 16, 1931. Hubert Hadley to Darwin D. Martin. Hadley advises Miss Conn to itemize the incidental incomes for November and December. Secured Miss [Evelyn Wells] to take the Director’s place, beginning on April 19. Miss [Margaret] Motter and Miss [Ruth] Gaines will function as directors in their respective fields from April 1 to the 19th. Notes the receipt of $24,000.00 gift from the will of the late Henry C. Munger [Chapel]. Notes that all is well with the electric light problems.

[014] March 11, 1931. Typewritten letter to Mr. [Hubert] Hadley [PMSS Director] from Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY. Martin quotes an update from Dr. [Alfreda] Withington concerning improved road conditions over Pine Mountain and from PMSS to Big Laurel. Martin asks for confirmation and details concerning this “good news.” Also asked whether Hadley called a doctor during Withington’s absence.

[023] May 1, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Dr. Louisa Martin in New Orleans, LA., from Evelyn K. Wells, PMSS Acting Director. Wells thanks Martin for package of seeds; “Miss Pettit is no longer connected with the school except as a very valued trustee. She is sailing today for South America on an extended trip….” [Louisa Martin’s relationship, if any, to Mr. Martin is not known at this time. Further research may reveal whether they were related.]

[025] June 2, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Evelyn K. Wells, PMSS Acting Director. Wells asks whether Helen de Long sent Martin the Pine Mountain movie. “It has two speaking appointments this summer,” with Miss Kitty Russel of Grosse Pointe Village, MI, and Mrs. James R. Joy of Plainfield, NJ. Russel wants to show it at a Pine Mountain Assn. meeting.

[029] July 15, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Enclosing a copy of letter to Mrs. [Celia Cathcart] Holton. Morris describes problems with the reservoir; may get money from the Emory Estate through Dr. [James] Livingood; describes recommendations from an engineer from The Wisconsin Steel Company at Benham. Plans to take money from the “Flood Letter” excess receipts saved by Miss [Angela] Melville for this kind of emergency.

[030-030a] August 7, 1931. Carbon copy of two-page letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Pages 1 & 2. Morris updated Martin on the work on the reservoir, almost completed after 2 weeks; took out 75 tons of gravel and rock to increase the capacity; cost will probably exceed $650 due to charges by the Inter-Mountain Coal & Lumber Co. that owns the railroad; the engineer from Benham supervised the laying of the concrete bottom. Stated advantages of a road over the mountain.

Morris thanked Martin for letter re: Pleasant Hill Academy; has meetings with Mr. Fogel, the school’s new head. “One phase of the work at Pleasant Hill developed by Mr. Elder is “The Atmosphere of Controlled Freedom. This interests me particularly and is one of the ideals which I should like very much to see developed here.”

Plans to visit Hon. D.C. Jones at Harlan. “…I believe that by this time he has been put right in the matter of which you speak. One certainly needs a tolerant and understanding attitude to work here….”

[031] August 18, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Work on reservoir has been competed; walls were built so that they can be made taller in the future; Morris hired a young man from the theological seminary who is helping Mr. [Peder] Moller & Mr. [Oscar] Kneller with teaching agriculture.

[1050717] November 6, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Morris will issue a monthly bulletin at Martin’s suggestion; encloses a copy of a letter from the KY Utilities Co.; Morris has asked the County Schools Superintendents in the area for a list of their high schools to help with selection of PMSS students; Morris will use one of the rooms at the Medical Settlement “as a school for educating some of the older boys down at Big Laurel, with a view of having them come to Pine Mountain.”

[044] December 16, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Morris, PMSS Director, from Martin in Buffalo, NY. Martin circulated a plan “a la Antioch” proposed by Miss Melville and waits for Board suggestion. As of now, “The school is still maintaining 5th and 6th grades and is still rejecting applicants of whatever age who can not matriculate for 5th grade.”

[046] December 22, 1931. To Mr. Martin from “GM” [Glyn Morris, Director], reporting that, at Martin’s request, the bookkeeper has placed the following in the Endowment Fund:

“Sept. 18, 1931 – Frances D. Dole Estate, $2000.
Aug. 27, 1930 – H. Raymond Munger Estate, 5000.
Oct. 10, 1930 – Julia … .fler Est. 5000.”

“These are the three which have come in since Miss Conn has been here.” Morris also answers Martin’s question about whether to continue with the monthly audits by G.F. Mansell & Company. “I will take this matter up more thoroughly at the beginning of the second semester.”

[047] December 22, 1931. To Mr. Martin from GM [Morris], enclosing a copy of a statement made by Boone Callahan concerning trouble with the engine’s “magneto.” He gives his address in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he’s staying for 12 days, then NYC a short time, then returning to Wilkes-Barre.
[048] December 22, 1931. To Mr. Martin from “B.C. Callahan” on PMSS stationery, about the “crooked crankshaft” of the School’s engine causing a “flywheel wobble,” which will wear out the parts. He states the need for two engines.

[049, 050] N.D. Two-page handwritten letter on PMSS stationery to Martin from Callahan. This letter appears to be a draft of the typewritten letter of December 22, 1931.

[051] December 22, 1931. To Martin from “Director” [Morris], reporting that the Board has voted to send the “monthly Bulletin” to the Advisory Board members, which he will do.