WCP160

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Dec[embe]^r. 15th. 1898

My dear Will¹

We were glad to hear that you had moved to a better house with conveniences for washing and artistic decorations, to say nothing of three dogs & cats to fight and squall and eat up all your spare provisions. I am afraid the dogs ^{& cats} will keep away all the small mammals, so that you will have to set your traps afar, and even then if the dogs go with your the game will smell their tracks & will not come near. I expect trappers have no dogs, or one specially trained & quite under command. I do not know if a Coyote skeleton is wanted, but it perhaps hardly worth while making one as it will be more trouble & cost to get it here than it is worth.

I send you now a paper with Conway’s attempted ascent of the highest of the Andes— Sorata. Also Black’s "Princess of Thule," which Ma got for you at Bournemouth & which I hope will reach [2] you by your birthday (of which we wish you many happy returns) or at all events by New Year’s day. There is now a shilling edition of "Tommy Atkins". Shall I send you one? The author of "Tomorrow" has sent me his book describing his ideal "Garden City", of which a good review appeared in the "Clarion". It is very good in its way, but I fear it will go the way of so many other good suggestions, & be either tried imperfectly, or get into the hands of speculators, and then be forgotten. If the Government, instead of building more Iron-clads would establish a few "Garden Cities", they would do far more for peace & for the prosperity of the Country.

I suppose you have seen in some American papers some account of Tesla’s² discovery of how to telegraph & even convey power without wires through the rarefied air at moderate heights, & his statement that he will work machinery at Paris by means of the Niagara power!!! That, I think, takes the cake!

[3] I am now having my drains connected, but it has been a deal of trouble & will be a great expense. The drain sewer in the road opposite our house is too high & they wanted me to connect with the main sewer about 30 feet down the road towards Col General Dunn’s. After a great deal of correspondence I got them to bring a drain into our road at the proper depth, about 10-11 feet, & they are now carrying it on across the road & to the foot of our steps. It is all unused sand, & they have to board the sides to prevent it falling in, and it will come close to our holly tree but I hope will not kill it. Then "Ahier" will come and make a man-hole, and alter and connect our present drains, first pumping out our Cesspool into the new drain, and then filling it up with a lot of spare earth we have. I expect altogether it will cost me about £.15, or £.20, perhaps more. How clever the "Whatnot" & Bezique" are in the "Clarion"— I think the front page is as good as ever. I have just got Dangle’s "Old Cockaigue". Will send it you when read.

[4] In case you should have to dig a deep trench in loose earth I will tell you how the men here do it. It is all loose sand. [a sketch of a trench is inserted here to illustrate the description].

They make a rough frame of 3 in. planks 10 or 12 feet long and about 12 or 15 inchs wide in the clear which they drop into the trench when about 2 feet deep. Then outside this they have 2 inch or 2 1/2 in. planks 12 or 15 feet long stood up on end and kept firm against the sides by wedges between them & the frame. Every foot or two feet they take out the wedges and drop down the planks, and at 5 or 6 foot they put another frame, and then go on to 10 or 11 feet where they lay the drain pipes. In this way with planks long enough you can dig [5] a narrow trench, just wide enough to work in, down to almost any depth; and by making the top frame a foot wider & putting a smaller frame in when the first planks are down to the ground level you could work down to 30 feet deep in perfect safety.

Col.[onel] Nichols says they tunnel through such ground in India with boxes or box frames pushed along one behind the other like [a sketch of a box frame is inserted here] this I suppose with a plank at top and cross struts at bottom but it would be pretty hard to drive along. I fancy one box would have to fit inside another telescope fashion, & be left in the ground. However, here be wrinkles! And one never knows! I hope you have got some skeletons by this time.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

[6] My dear Will³

This is to wish you many happy returns of your birthday & a happy New Year. I am sorry I cannot get the paper I wanted as it is out of print. & none of the others are worth the postage. I will try & get you another book instead. It was so mild today not like Spring so I went to Bournemouth, every one is busy with their Xmas shopping, I am not going to do any as you are both away. Ruff is sitting on my arm, he has been most affectionate all day for some reason, he has a lovely coat so think & warm. You ought to have him to help keep you warm. Ananda sent some nice photos from Ceylon of plants, there was no letter so we don’t know how they are getting on! I hope he will come back alive. And more people will buy it & keep it up. We have Eucalyptus in flower & Iris & Jasmine & a root of primroses, there is always something coming on. I think my Hyacinths are going to flower at Xmas after all, they have buds & are shooting up. We have had very little sunshine lately it has been very wet instead. I hope you like the picture of the garden.