August 4, 1942

Professor Hugh S. Taylor

Department of Chemistry

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Dear Professor Taylor:

Today I had the pleasure of talking with Father Lourdu Yeddanapalli, whom I had remembered being at Princeton. With only one day remaining before my scheduled departure for Pittsburgh, and with many chores to be done in that time, I was unable to talk with Father Lourdu very long; but I arranged to have one of our staff members show him about the Laboratories and discuss with him the work which is going on here, apart from the war work. This meant that the discussion was restricted almost entirely to immunochemistry, since that is the one field of fundamental research which we are continuing to prosecute vigorously.

Father Lourdu said that you had spoken to him about the state of my health. I am pleased to report that my condition has improved a great deal during the past fifteen months. The attack of nephritis has settled into a chronic stage, with, however, indications of continued slow improvement. I am pleased to be getting along so well, and to be able to continue my work with essentially no interruption. A decrease in the number of hours which I put in in my laboratory and office is compensated by my having a dictaphone beside the couch in my study at home. I am now putting in the major part of my time on war problems, and am leaving to spend the rest of the summer on war work at Pittsburgh and other places in the East.

With best regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

Linus Pauling

LP:jr

Thursday, 1PM

Dear little love:

Holmes and I have been getting along very well. Our bedroom has a long seat, transverse to the train — it is about 7' long, so I can lie stretched out. There is even room for Holmes at the end.

Most of the good scenery was in the region we covered at night. H. & I talked for a while about our work, and then went in the lounge car, where we saw Wickman (you remember "Wick" of the Commonwealth Fund — a bald fat fellow). We had dinner with him & then went to bed early, getting up at 10:30 & having breakfast. For supper I had cream of mushroom soup & spanish omelet, & for breakfast honey-dew melon & french toast. I didn't sleep quite so well as usual. Holmes seemed to sleep well — he has been missing most of the past few nights' sleep. I hope he finds this trip restful.

The train is very comfortable. The privacy of our room is pleasant.

Wick may be able to recommend someone for the bacteriology-immunology job I need to fill. He thinks that there is a man available in Cleveland.

I hope that you can arrange to come

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soon to be with me in Pittsburgh & other Eastern points, little love. I shall try to postpone any trips until the latter part of the period, so that you will be along.

Tomorrow we shall stay with Johnson, & then see Yost [?] on Saturday, & go on to Pittsburgh Sat. night.

Give my love to the children.

Your own

Paddy

Monday, 6 PM

Dearest little wife:

I love you, and am looking forward to your arrival here. It will be fun to be in a new place with you- although Pittsburgh doesn't look like much.

Today I learned a lot. Kisty isn't back from England yet - he's due in about a week. I talked with Hammett and Eyster and looked at part of the set-up and read some reports. Conant phoned from Washington and asked if I would be chairman of a special committee to settle some question, and I said yes. It will meet in Washington, probably toward the end of the month. I thought that you and I could stay with Milt and Dorcas. The question seems to involve the NDRC, the armed forces, and the powder companies, and Conant said that he needed an impartial chairman.

We are soon going out to dinner. For lunch I had pea soup, pie (huckleberry), and milk. I'm keeping track of my proteins, and I shall not over work.

Did you know that Kisty divorced? More than that - do you remember a tall boy, McDougall, with Giauque, and then at MIT? He is first lieutenant to Kisty here, in charge of half the work. He has just married the former Mrs Kisty!

Holmes and I had dinner (at 4 ³⁰ ) yesterday with the Eysters, who then took us for a ride. Mrs Eyster is a nice blonde young girl. She and Eugene seem to be having lots of fun. They have a big collection of herbs and spices in their kitchen.

I'll stop now, to put this in the mail when we go now to dinner - then I'll come right back to bed. I adore you.

Love to the children. Oceans of love to you, little sweetheart. Your own Linus

Tuesday morning, 1 ³⁰

Dearest sweetheart:

I love you, darling girl, and I wish that I were at home with you. No letter has come for me yet. I haven't been able to get to sleep-you remember that when I was alone at Cornell I couldn't go to sleep until 4. Here I must do better, since usually I shall have to get up at 7. Tomorrow we are not going out to the lab until noon, because we want to look up some things in the library here at Carnegie Tech.

I hope that you are careful if you go over at night to swim. You looked awfully sweet and beautiful swimming in the

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moonlight.

It is hard to believe that this is only the sixth night that I have been away from you, little darling.

Tonight I read a novel which was in Kisty's office-"Water Gypsies", by AP Herbert, who writes for Punch [?] and is an M. P. He is clever, especially at making his characters real.

I'll turn out the light now sweetheart, and go to bed. I hope that you aren't lonesome. Remember that I love you.

A little while ago, at 11, there came three knocks on the wall, and then a knock on the door-it was James (in dressing gown)-saying that I had knocked

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on the wall and he thought I wanted him! I remember that I had been drumming on my book while reading, and I must have drummed on the wall. You see that I am in good hands.

9 AM

Dearest love:

Holmes [?] and I are going to have breakfast (I think that I hear him up) and go to the library now. I slept all night, although it is rather noisy here. Life in Pasadena is much more pleasant-as would be life anywhere with

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you.

Loots [?] of love, little darling. Keep an eye on the children. I o your mamma going to come?

Your own

Linus

Midnight Tuesday.

Dearest Love:

I am going to try to go to sleep now, since we must get up at 7. Today I slept till 9, and we went out to Bruceton [?] only at 1, having looked up some stuff in the library in the morning.

Pittsburgh is on hills, with rivers between (they join here) and with 500 bridges, and green trees, and blast _^ furnaces [sic] and great steel plants, all in one potpourri.

I'm writing a report now, on my first suggestion.

I'm lonesome without my sweet little wife. I would be happy anywhere if you were along.

Goodnight, sweetheart. I adore you. Paddy

8PM, Wednesday

Dearest sweetheart:

I am a little tired tonight, and shall go to bed early. I thought that surely a letter would come from you today- a week since I left- but none did. I wish that you were here.

Today I got a letter from V. Bush about my committee. Holmes + I examined the powder press this morning; then I finished writing my letter of suggestions about NH₄NO₃; and then I read reports. Kisty [?] is due back in a few days.

At noon we drive to a little nearby town and eat lunch at Curry hotel- soup 10 cents, pie 10 cents, coffee 5 cents, etc.- 5 cent tip. Tonight

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we had dinner with Hammett, who has an apartment near our hotel.

We had a good thunder storm this afternoon, with big lightning flashes, and pools of thunder louder than the explosions which are always going off at the station.

Are you making any progress about coming to be with me? I think that you should take the Chief or Superchief, so that you won't be alone on the train so long, and so that you will be here that much sooner.

I hope that Holmes isn't too bored with life here. He is beginning to learn something about powder. At any rate, this is a change for him.

I love you, sweet little wife, and your children too. Your own Linus

10 PM, Thursday

Dearest sweetheart:

Your letter came today, talking about the big rain, + Wilson + Rubin, and the Post +Watermelon pickles + Misha. I liked especially the hand written part of the end, but I liked that typed part too. I'm glad that you are over your cold. I wish that I had some of the bread you made.

We too had a thunderstorm-another one. It is just moderately warm here. Our rooms are rather noisy, + we plan to move.

Today I talked with Houde, Couant's [?] Aide. He said that Couant [?] wants me to come to Wⁿ [?] to talk with him + learn the inside story of the AdHoc [?] committee. Probably some day next week. I don't suppose that there is any chance that

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you'll be here in time to go with me-you can come with me on the next trip to Washington, probably the following week.

Holmes + I had dinner with the Eysters tonight. Young Mrs E. had cooked tomato soup, individual souffles (just right), and cream puffs-also good. We also had french salad dressing on, Californian wine, and coffee. She seems to be a satisfactory cook.

I read reports today, and talked with MacDougall. Tomorrow I'll come home early-today I stayed because of the dinner engagements.

I think that James is picking up some. He has no duties here, except to look around + read.

I love you, sweet little wife,

Your own

Paddy

Friday 6 PM

Dearest love:

Today another letter came from you - a nice one, telling about the little Mexican girl, and Liny's raise (that's fine!), and Eddie's visit to the Crellins', and Mrs Cox'es dancing, and Dr McM and your eyes. I'm glad they have turned out so well - they're the most beauti- (a drawing of two eyes with eyebrows) ful eyes in the world. I adore you, darling girl.

Today I didn't go to work, but slept late and then after noon visited the Mellon [?] Institute, just across the street, where I looked up some things in the library, talked for a while with the Director (Dr Weidlein, who kept telling me what "Don" had told him - Donald Nelson), and then made a tour with an As'st Dir., Dr Cretchler, who used to be (1916) with Levene at Rock Inst, and who wants me to talk with Dr Maclachlon [?], head of the Pittsb. Hospital, an authority on pneumonia, about our artificial antisera [?].

James is horrified that the standard

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local abbreviation for Pittsburgh is Pgh.

Today I moved from room 352, which was noisy & had only a shower, to 710, which is quieter, has a tub, has a double bed (which I hope will come into full use before too long), is bigger and generally nicer, and costs a dollar more. I think that Holmes [?] will move up here too, onto the same floor.

After supper we are going to make a brief visit with the Frank Longs (Cornell - you remember Mrs L - sister, isn't she, of Mrs Coryell?). Long is one of Kisty's lieutenants here.

When you buy your ticket it might as well be round trip to NY, via PGH and Wn. Santa Fe to Chicago, Penna RR beyond there, Union Pacific from Chi. to SF to Pasadena. I think that saves a few dollars.

Are things shaping up so that you'll soon be able to help me with this double bed?

I love you, darling girl. Don't be lonesome. Buy yourself some nice fall clothes.

Your own

Paddy

Saturday, 9 PM

Dearest sweet love:

Your letter of Thursday was here this morning, and was I pleased to read that your mother is to arrive tomorrow! You see that the mail service is good.

I have never told you our schedule. We rise at 7, meet at 7 ³⁰ for breakfast, and at 8 ¹⁵

leave for Bruceton in the Expl. Res. Lab's automobile-I think it's about 15 miles away. At noon we drive a couple of miles to the Curway Hotel [?] (which I told you about ) for lunch, and at 5 we start for home. This weeks I stayed here all one day (yesterday) and all morning till 1-another day. Here after I think I'll come home with the errand boy in the lab car at 3 PM. Saturday we work only mornings.

Today I took my laundry to a Chinese laundry near by. I was just about down to nothing.

It has turned hotter-and of course the humidity is high. There was a

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thunderstorm from 4 to 7. I was in my room reading. Now that I have a tub bath I bath 2 or 3 times a day.

I've just got back-at 8 ³⁰ -from a late supper with James + Mark Farinhslt [?] and Lorie Rahm (a mech. eng. from Princeton-friend of Bob's). The late hour was due to the rain-we eat at a restaurant 2 blocks away, because the food at the hotel here is poor.

I've been reading the New Yorker's little footnotes-"Dept of Understolement", etc.-and laughing out loud, the way Liny does. I don't suppose that they are any funnier than usual\, but they made me laugh.

A letter come to me today form Eduardo Cruz Colse of the Universided de Chile, in writing me to a conference in Santiago from Jan. 10 to 20, 1943, and saying that official invitation would come later. I'll send the letter to you after I've answered it. It mentions

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[On the same letterhead]

my work on "systematic antigenos". They seem to keep up to date in science!

Holmes said today that he was having much more fun than he could have had on any vacation, and I think that it is good for him here-he has no responsibilities, nothing that has to be done even if it takes all night, but only interesting new explosives to look at and watch tests of and interesting reports to read, during regular hours. He brought a big batch of British reports here for weekend reading, although there

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was no suggestion that he do it, so I think that he is no longer tried out. I'm going to leave him go to Wright Field and the Bell Labs. And Washington and perhaps other places, to complete his education.

I've brought a Sunday paper, so as not to miss out on the funnies.

It will surely be fine when you arrive. Pittsburgh isn't half bad -it's main drawback is that you aren't here.

Give my love to the children and your mother. I adore you, little sweet wife.

Your own

Paddy

Sunday, 8PM

Dearest little wife:

I haven't much to report today. No letter came from you. Holmes & I rose late and rode the streetcar down town to have breakfast at a child's restaurant. Then we came back and went to the big Carnegie Library to look up some things. I looked for Paulings in the Genealogical Library which we happened to see, but found none — only a book about Captain Henry Pauling who landed about 1615 from some place unknown and married a Dutch girl and started a big family. (You know — the Pauling NY crowd). Then it began to rain, and we looked at the Carnegie Museum — not much good stuff, mostly birds, plaster casts, etc. A nice Eugene Speicher — portrait of Babette. Then we came back to the hotel (one long block) in a slight drizzle & I went to bed and read the paper and a 25¢ novel (by Faulkner — no good) until 7. We have just got back from dinner.

I'll be glad when you get here. I'll bet it won't be boring then. I love you, darling. I even think that things will improve when Kisty [?] comes.

Be a good girl, sweetheart, and don't work too hard. I'm glad you have some help. Give my love to the Kiddies.

Your own

Paddy

[Enclosure: Article from The New Yorker magazine entitled "FRONT AND CENTRE, KIDDIES!"]

[Marginalia:]

Did you see this, darling?

[Enclosure: Color comic on newsprint]

"His wife gave him the eye decoration--for conspicuous gallantry to a blond manicurist!"

Monday, 10 PM

Dearest love:

I was surely pleased to get your two letters this morning, saying that you would leave Friday on the Chief and get here Sunday night. I had not dared to think about your getting away so soon. You are a wonderful girl to have arranged it. I love you.

Today was a long day — longer than I had planned. We had breakfast and went to work as usual, except that Farinholt & others stayed here for a meeting. Then this afternoon the visitors came, including Gibson and other on my committee, and we talked while, and then all (army & navy officers, et al) went

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to a restaurant for supper (also Bachman from Ann Arbor, Johnson from Cornell, Bright Wilson, and others) which lasted until a short time ago. I hear that these occur every week or so, but shan't go hereafter.

I'm to see Conant in Wⁿ [an abbreviation for Washington?] Thursday, so I'll take the Wednesday night train down & come back Thursday night. You and I shall probably spend much of the following week in Washington too — I trust that we can stay with Milt & Dorcas, since its [sic] so hard to get rooms there.

I adore you, sweet little wife.

Your

Paddy

[postmarked Aug 18, 1942 12 PM, Pittsburgh, PA. Marked Air Mail]

[on back of envelope]

$1.80 dinner

.25 tip

$2.05

97 breakfast

10 tip

3.12

1.79 supper

21 tip

5.12

77 break

10 tip

5.99

Monday 10⁴⁵ PM

Dear sweetheart:

I have mailed your letter and taken my bath, and just remembered a story- the only one I have heard. The paper we saw in the restaurant tonight had an error in its headline "SEE BATTLE RAGING..." This reminded someone of how a Cleveland paper made the mayor mad. He had spent the whole day signing relief checks, and the paper decided to feature the story. They intended the headline to read "MAYOR'S PEN IS BUSIEST IN TOWN" but forgot to leave the space between PEN and IS.

Well, I'll go to bed now. See you Sunday night. Darn it, that's still 6 nights away.

I love you.

Paddy.

9 AM

Tuesday

Dear love:

I'm afraid that I don't have the key to your big bag. It must be in the top drawer of my dresser. I'm enclosing the only unknown key that I have- but I think that your big bad has a key like this [drawing of key]

If you bring it with you (the bag) under your berth it won't need to be locked.

I'm just getting up now. I'll go out to the lab. at 1.

I love you. You are a rascal- a sweet little one.

Paddy

[Key enclosed. Probably key LP sent to AHP. Has "J2 56DP" inscribed on the key]

[enclosure is a clipping of newspaper which says] "Nor can I admire the remark of the grave and stately carver who solemnly asked the pretty lady at his left, ‘Miss, do you care for the organs?'"

[on lined paper]

Tuesday, 9⁵⁰ PM

Dearest sweetheart of mine:

I have just had a most interesting experience. After dinner Holmes came to my room to help make some calculations on a new weapon, and at about 9 he left. I continued with the calculations, somewhat annoyed by the quarreling voices of two salesmen in the hall outside my door, which rose above the roar of streetcars and the general clamor of the city. And then there came the variable-pitched whine of sirens, the tooting of factory whistles, ringing of church bells- indicating a blackout (Pgh has no special blackout sirens). I turned out my lights and sat by the window, and watched the hundreds of lights go out- the streetcars and automobiles stopped and vanished in the streets below, as their own and the streetlights were extinguished; the scores of lighted windows in the bog apartments disappeared, the pattern of lights on the distant hillside was gone; and in a few minutes the city was black and still, the blackness marred only by one regularly flashing orange warning signal on a safety island in the street and by a faint glow from the direction of the distant river- perhaps from a Bessemer converter, blowing, which could not be extinguished- and then, later, by the green and red wing lights of a big transport plane flying overhead. In a few minutes the sirens and whistles stopped, and I heard only a few footsteps, the voice of an air-raid warden angrily yelling at someone to put out his light- and the mutual imprecations of the two salesmen, who had resumed their argument in the dark hallway.

Then after half an hour, the sirens blew again, uniformly, and in half a minute the streets, were brightly lighted, were full of moving vehicles, the apartment windows flashed into view, and the distant city pattern appeared again.

I slept till 9 this morning (or perhaps 8³⁰), had breakfast and fetched my laundry from the Chinese, and read in my room until 1, when I left with the errand boy of the lab. for Bruceton. There I worked until 5, and then spoke to the younger group of workers (about 50) until 6, on antibodies. We got home at 7, and dined.

I have my reservations for going to Washington to see Conant tomorrow night and to return Thursday night. If necessary I'll stay over longer, but I'll be back in Pgh by Sunday night- or I'll telegraph you to come directly to Washington. I'm pretty sure to come back Thursday night, but also we are " " "[pretty sure to] go to Washington next week.

Your letter on the Flemming-Jewett invitation came today. I like getting your letters , and I love you. Give my love to Mother and to the children.

Your own Paddy

Wednesday 11 ⁰⁰ AM

Dearest love:

I'm afraid that this is the last letter that will reach you. I wish that the train went faster, so that you'd be here Friday night, say, instead of Sunday night. I'll come to the Pgh stn to meet you at 11 ⁴⁵ Sunday night- and girl, will I be glad to see you! Here today it is two full weeks since we left Pasadena. You surely are a fine girl to have arranged to come.

I've just had breakfast- at 10. I went to bed at 1, and had a good sleep.

I hope that the line of work we're thinking about now comes to something. I'm afraid that the Nazis have already got it worked out.

I'm enclosing some drawings which you may like.

Last night was rather cool- I needed you here to keep me warm- and it is still cool today. I suppose

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that by Sunday the cool period will be over, and the good hot weather that the local residents tell about will be back, and you'll say "Don't touch me- you're too hot"- but it won't do much good to say it.

I'm saving two nights' hotel bill by being on the train to Washington and back.

You are a wonderful girl, and I adore you. Your typing is fine.

Kisty hasn't turned up yet. Perhaps he'll be in Washington when I get there. I want to ask him what the British are doing along certain lines.

I love you, sweet little wife.

Your own

Paddy

August 22, 1942

_{Sat. night}

Dearest Peter; This brain is going so fast now, that I think will make up the hour we lost today. You can see that the Army isn't all hunky dory by this picture. Thank you a milion times for my nice snelly welly.

Mom

[postcard]