WCP191

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

March 16th. 1908

My dear Will

I am surprised at Mr. Waugh. I have sent him a card at once. Some oversight in his office I expect.

Yes: I am going steadily on with the "Reading" affair, though so far I have not even the consolation of a "commended" — or "mention", let alone even a guinea prize! I know that I have answered all the Q[uestion].s correctly with the one exception of the Telegraph poles "due" to the "New" argument. And as regards [to] all the statements required in 50 or 100 or 200 words, I feel sure I have done them as well as we will say 99 [2] out of 100. But then I expect there are several thousand very clever men & women at it, who have had some more experience than myself and often a whole family to help them. I rather think my failure has been in overlooking one of the possible references occasionally. Last week I nearly did so, but determined to take a last look, & found something I had overlooked.

I have just begun a great outdoor work which much interests me (& all of us). I thought I would celebrate the conclusion of the Spruce¹ book, and ^use the £25 I shall get when it is published by putting up a good [3] windscreen to the upper garden. After getting estimates of each of Brick, concrete, wood & corrugated iron — I had nearly determined on the latter with concrete piers instead of posts. But on further consideration I found that a concrete wall like that I built at Grays only higher, would cost no more and be far more durable, good looking, & satisfactory in all respects — (as do Ma & Violet²) — So for the last 2 weeks I have been "completing my design" — which I think now is both practicable & nearly perfect. I have just got in about £5 worth of timber, a ton of cement (to begin with) am casting a good gravel which Mr James gives me for digging, and shall do the foundations this [4] week. I shall have engaged a good bricklayer (who has done concrete work) and labourer, and shall superintend the putting up the frames &c. myself. The wall is to be 10 feet high! with piers 10 feet apart — over 100 feet long — and people here don’t think I can do it! But I shall astonish them!

Further particulars as we get on. I have got an artist here — Mr. Young — to finish some of Spruce’s drawings that were in outline — & Mr Slater³has found 4 more ^{large ones} hidden, & I have got some fine photos, so the book will be well illustrated. All the portraits of natives are done, reduced about half! I am now doing the first proofs.

Yours affect[ionate]^ly | Pa | A.R. Wallace [signature]