WCP173

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Feby. 23rd. 1902

My dear Will

Thanks for the particulars about the Acetylene Gas which seems quite conclusive in its favour. I have also a letter from a gentleman at Haslemere to Mr. Rollo Russell¹, which is equally satisfactory. The one thing now is expense & who to get to do the work, though I suppose any one almost can lay the pipes. The one thing you have not told me is where to find the "Darque" system. Please send me the address of their London Office.

I have found out that the Well Fireplace Comp[any]. have an Office in London, & that it is their works only that are at Newcastle. So you need not trouble more about it unless you can meet any of their foremen or superintendents. [2] Our progress the past week has been chiefly in getting materials on the ground, men engaged, and digging foundations. The quantity of clay dug out is enormous, & as the man who said he wanted it has now cried off it is all on our hands. However we have now had Pennington for two-three days clearing away the top soil from the lower fence leaving a hollow in which to bank the clay where it will be out of the way and perhaps useful, & we have got perhaps a dozen cart-loads of first rate soil which looks as if anything will grow in it. The last few days P. Curtis has put in the footings of the outside walls & cellars, and was going to begin building on them tomorrow, but now it has been raining nearly 24 hours & I fear the cellar will be a pond & the first thing to do tomorrow will be [3] to dig a trench at the lowest point & lay drain pipes so as to run off the water, & even then perhaps it will want a day or two of fine weather to dry it up a little. We have got in now about ten tons of cement several loads of lime, about 20,000 bricks, 50 yards of gravel for concrete and about the same quantity of good sand.

The Study is increased to 19 feet long. I have decided to have a modified "Well"-fire— that is the raised hearth & general form of the "Well"— with the construction of the Ash-pit as in "the Rational" which is but a modification of the "Well", as the "Well" is one of the "Teale".

We are glad you have got an increase of your salary as it shows they do not want to lose you. You can of course still look out, & apply [4] again next year.

The true reason why gambling is immoral is that the winner gets money without giving any service in return, and that for every winner there must be a loser. And, further, whether rich or poor gamble, they never do play or bet for sums that do not affect them. All gambling is for the excitement, & the excitement depends on the loss or gain being of some importance to the gamblers — the more important the more excitement. Hence arise all its evils. When people play merely for the interest or amusement of the game it is not gambling, but no games of chance are ever played for nothing, hence again the evils. On these general principles it is not I think difficult to define what is gambling & what not.

Hoping we shall get some brickwork done in the coming week,

Believe me | Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]