3 
don*t knov/ how much neatness one should expect of a job like that* I think it 
is something of a job to get the old asphaltum off and put on a nice new neat 
ring, I asked Mr, Shoemaicer to look at them several times, but he wouldn^t 
be bothered. At any rate, Patton hasn't hurt the slides, I'm sure, and he may 
have improved them, I don't Icnow enough of that kind of v^ork to be able to say 
how well he did it. Personally, I liked him less than any of our people, but 
I gniess he is all right. 
The typists were nearly through the Crustacea, They had the last of 
the Crustacea drawers out working on them, so if they don't come back I can 
probably finish it myself in a few days, 
unidentil'Sii ^ippey finished putting index tabs on the Concilium, finished 
the/ sponge collection, and had started working on the dry sponges in the attic. 
It became too cold to work up there, so I told Howard to start sorting over the 
geographic cards that the girls had made. He and Rippey did so, and are much 
more than half through, but the cards are scattered over several tables. He 
said he v/ould come back and finish the few that are left, and I told him I 
would be ver^^ grateful but could not pay him for it, I told him to stop in 
Saturday morning; he has to come down then anyvvay for his pay. 
Miss Clark and Miss Kerr had finished pasting up all the photographs 
you left and had done all the duplicate publications you left and many more 
that Mr. Maloney has gotten out since. For the last two weeks they have been 
working on things for Miss Rathbun. They had the Grapsoid Crabs almost done, 
and they too said they vrauld come in Saturday morning and finish. Miss Kerr 
has done as good work as Miss Clark, and, separated from Miss Boyle, she is 
a good hard worker — intelligent and imder standing. Miss Boyle is really the 
poorest of the catalog ers, and she isn't really poor — she's just slow, and needs 
to 7/ake up. She's the kind who- doesn't do much work when I'm not right here 
to watch her and is rather careless about what she does do, A nice girl, but 
a little dumb, 
I Knew I wouldn’t get this done today. I'll write some more after 
the holiday. Tomorrow's the 22nd you know. 
Feb, 22, 
This morning when I went out for groceries it was such a nice, warm, 
sunshiny day that I decided to walk down here this afternoon and finish this 
letter. But Virhei I finally got around to getting started, it had clouded up 
and 7/as raining or misting a little. I came anyvYay, It is still warm, and 
that seems quite wonderful. We have had more winter this year than I have 
ever seen in Washington, There is still snow on the ground that fell three v/eeks 
ago today. It has never been warm enough to melt the snow, and there has been 
more at intervals since then. 
Here's a bit of good news. Last night the Senate voted full restora- 
tion of our pay on July 1st, with restoration of 5 per cent retroactive to 
February 1st* There is some doubt as to whether the House will accept it, but 
there will be a good fight. Roosevelt recommended the 1st of January that 
^ per cent be restored on July 1st, and the House passed the Independent Offices 
