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J. BRUCE BREDIN 
P. O. Box 87 
Wilmington, Delaware 
February 8, 1961 
Dr. Waldo L. Schmitt 
Smithsonian Institution 
United States National Museum 
Washington 25, D. C. 
Dear Dr . Schmitt : 
Thank you very much for your recent letter . I 
am very happy to have the pictures. I have started to 
read the book "Mayapan" 'which you so kindly sent. 
Recently, at a dinner in Washington, I sat 
opposite Melvin Payne of the National Geographic Society. 
He was leaving the following morning for Yucatan. You 
have probably heard that the National Geographic Society, 
in cooperation with a Mexican outfit, is dredging the 
sacred well at Chichen— Itza . I know that you are as 
interested as I am in what they come up with. Incidentally, 
I thought Mr. Payne was a delightful person and I enjoyed 
talking with him. 
This Friday, Tibi and I and the three younger 
children are leaving for Delray. The other children will 
be coming down for the Easter holidays. We have no other 
definite plans for the winter; but there is a possibility 
that I might be running down to the Virgin Islands for a 
day or two . 
If you happen to be coming to Florida for any of 
your meetings, you know that we would love to have you 
stop with us. We will be returning to Wilmington on April 
4 th. 
Not long ago I had a letter from John Finlay. 
The operations at Xanadu are going along without any inter- 
ruptions. John was in Miami recently and brought over a 
coral display which he made for me. I haven't seen it 
yet; but the next time I am in Miami, I plan to pick it 
up. Incidentally, I have heard by the grapevine that John 
