Charles Bessey, Letters, 1891

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. WM. TRELEASE, DIRECTOR

A. S. HITCHCOCK, Asst. in Botany. J. C. DUFFEY, Asst. in Horticulture. JAMES GURNEY, Head Gardener. J. W. DUNFORD, Asst. Gardener.

St. Louis, Dec, 8 __ , 1891.

Dear Dr. Bessey ---- Well have got settled and to work. I got here in time to put in a week with Mr. Hitchcock before he left, and so got hold of the ropes fairly well. We are moving the Engelmann Herbarium into another building now and shall finally move the General [ ] and Library also. While my work here this winter has a great deal of drudgery in it yet I am going to get a great deal out of it. Since I have been here I have learned more about trees especially conifers, and cultivated tropical plants. [ ] I everknewbefore. Along with the moving and general library & herbarium work I am naming the trees in the Arboretum Pine[ ] tc and the plants in the garden

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. WM. TRELEASE, DIRECTOR

A. S. HITCHCOCK, Asst. in Botany. J. C. DUFFEY, Asst. in Horticulture. JAMES GURNEY, Head Gardener. J. W. DUNFORD, Asst. Gardener.

St. Louis,_______________,189_.

houses, so am getting some excellent practice. So far I have failed to see the slightest indication of the so called jeolousy of the Dr, And Webber is in much better spirits than he was when he wrote. I think that he was simply impatient and did not understand all the why & wherefores. I came down fully intending to go back to Dak. and probably shall but Dr. Trelease is making it hard to decide. When I first came he said that the place would be worth $800 and that one could count on time enough to do one good piece of special work a year. Yesterday he told me that if I would stay I should have $900 and that there

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. WM. TRELEASE, DIRECTOR

A. S. HITCHCOCK, Asst. in Botany. J. C. DUFFEY, Asst. in Horticulture. JAMES GURNEY, Head Gardener. J. W. DUNFORD, Asst. Gardener.

St. Louis,_______________,189_.

was a piece of work, monographing the genus Copsicum, that he wanted me to begin on at once and that I should have every facility for working the thing up in No. 1 shape. Regarding the outlook for the future he is very fair in telling what I can expect? He says that the place will probably raise $100 each year till it reached $1200 or $1400 and then would probably never go higher. He looks upon the place rather as a stepping stone to something better in another school tc. He says that probably ultimately they will run across some fellow with enough of this worlds goods and a love for such work who will stay permanently, as he could afford to work on a low salary. The chances for pure botanical

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. WM. TRELEASE, DIRECTOR

A. S. HITCHCOCK, Asst. in Botany. J. C. DUFFEY, Asst. in Horticulture. JAMES GURNEY, Head Gardener. J. W. DUNFORD, Asst. Gardener.

St. Louis,_______________,189_.

study are excellent here, much better than in Dak. but the opportunity for economicbotany is better there. It seems to me now that I ought not give up the Dak. place yet for time there is a fair thing there, and now the indications are that it will come in a couple of years at the most. It is somewhat uncertain however and this is comparatively speaking a sure thing. Missouri is not nearly so healthful a place as Dak. and in other respects is not so nice a place to live in. There are many chances for work and improvement here that are not offered there, and of course many there not gotten here. Take it all together it is

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. WM. TRELEASE, DIRECTOR

A. S. HITCHCOCK, Asst. in Botany. J. C. DUFFEY, Asst. in Horticulture. JAMES GURNEY, Head Gardener. J. W. DUNFORD, Asst. Gardener.

St. Louis,_______________,189_.

a hard matter to decide between them. Financially there is not much difference between 900 here and 700 there so that matter is out of the issue at present. Well this will weary you, but as you are my botanical father I take the liberty to tell you my affairs and ask your advice. Regards to the people there Very Resply Thos.A.Williams P. S. the cedar at W.W. is a glaucus form of J. virginiana with very long leaves & [colis] I left word to have some sent to you.