12/24/30 [
3940]'s wife's letter:
Alicia Joel Towers
3203 Highland Drive
Birmingham, Alabama
My dear Mr. Cayce:
Back in 1922 you made four readings for us on our lands in
St. Clair County Alabama. Those readings were encouraging
and we went to work securing leases which were to extend over
a period of ten years. It is our recollection that a Mr.
Rice was associated with you who said if we could get up 5000
acres under lease he would take the matter of drilling up.
We only secured slightly over 4000 acres, and thus were
never in a position to trade with your party.
Since that time the matter has rocked along with sporadic
efforts by prospectors to get the field drilled. At one time
the prospects looked very bright for activity, but a backer
in Oklahoma got in bad in his home State (so it is said) by
running afoul of the blue sky laws. We did not join in with
these parties, although they got up in the neighborhood of
40,000 acres.
A year ago, Mr. J. D. Linthicum was passing through the
county by rail and observing that the territory looked
promising as to oil and gas, he returned later and has been
there now over a year and has secured a solid block of 20,000
acres which links up with and joins our acreage. Know we
are ready for capital to come in and put down drills and make
the test. The field is open to the first comer. This man,
Linthicum has been over foot of the field and has found
more fossils and evidences of oil and gas than any of his
predecessors.
The gas seeps near Pell City are very good. I saw one in
an artificial pond where the bubbles were coming up so fast
as to give the appearance of a shower on the surface of
the water. After digging and prying around I have learned
that scarcely any hole has been put down in this district
[Jefferson County] without encountering oil sands, but the
claim is made that it is not here in commercial quantities.
Mr. T. H. Aldrich, an old operator here (brother to the one
interested in mind power), told me he had brought up cores
which dripped oil. But the trouble is that the coal barons,
I think have the State tied and sewed up so that our State
Geological Department will not endorse drilling for oil
and have discouraged every effort in that direction. Mr.
Aldrich also said he took out a barrel in one place. All the
geologists agree that there is gas here, but say in pockets.
I saw one well burning a flame fifty feet high on Aldrich
dome [Jefferson County]. That all quieted down and nothing
was done.
I enclose the log of a well which I learn was drilled at Cook
Springs [St. Claire County] four miles from our place. Also
an extract from a letter written by J. D. Linthicum. He has
not seen your reading but it is noteworthy that he thinks
there are several pools and in the direction which you
indicated.
The claim is that the sands here are not thick enough or
porous enough, but Linthicum contends that every well has its
own individual formations, and why not say that if Jefferson
County has no oil in commercial quantities, all that is
necessary to do is to send down a drill in the adjoining
county, St. Claire, and get sands deep enough and porous
enough to hold the oil.
Linthicum has exhausted his funds and is now having a pretty
rough time making ends meet. He married a Jewess, and the
little woman is valiantly trying to help out his cause by
clerking in a store in Pell City, pawning her diamonds, and
economizing in every way possible. They are hoping to hold
out until some one with capital will come in and find the
oil.
Now you will recall that you are interested in the first well
that shall be drilled on our property and if you can steer a
driller down our way, you are going to save the day. Get out
those readings and show them to some one who has income tax
money to be used in this way instead of its going along into
an already overflowing treasury.
Please think this over carefully and do what you can to help
us.
With kindest regards to Mrs. Cayce and your household,
I am cordially yours, [
3940] & [
3940]'s wife
1/21/31 EC's letter to [
3940]'s wife:
Mrs. [...]
3203 Highland Drive,
Birmingham, Alabama
My dear Mrs. [...]:-
Yours of December 24th came in due time, and here it is
almost a month later and I haven't written you! First of
all, I had a severe cold which lasted about two weeks and
made everything go wrong for the time being. I'm sure you
are like all the rest and will say "What on earth do YOU want
to get sick for?" but when I disobey the laws, I suffer the
consequences as everyone else.
It certainly is an interesting proposition there in Jefferson
and St. Claire Counties. I haven't known what has become of
Mr. Rice for a number of years. In fact, I haven't heard of
him since 1923. However, there are two friends of mine - one
I have known for several years, and the other is a physician
from Ohio that I met several months ago - who are seemingly
very much interested in the development of oil territory.
I haven't seen them since a few days before Christmas, when
they came through here. They are at the present time in
Washington, D.C., working on some proposition. Whether it
is a development in Kentucky or Florida, or both, I am not
able to tell you just now. When I see them again, it might
be well for me to show them the data you sent me and acquaint
them with the information given some years ago. I think they
might be interested in the undertaking there. The amount
suggested that has been gotten together by Mr. Linthicum,
with the operators and prospectors in that territory, would
seem to be sufficient to interest speculators. However, as
we all know, under the economic conditions, this seems to be
a very poor time to interest such capital. I assure you I
will do whatever I can to interest such capital. I assure
you I will do whatever I can to interest Mr. Preston and Dr.
Snyder in this proposition. I will write them at once and
acquaint them with the circumstances, and shall expect to
see them in the next two weeks in person.
I hope that both you and Mr. [
3940] are feeling the very
best. Hoping that I will have some good news for you when I
write again, and with kindest personal regards from all here,
I am,
Sincerely, EC:GD
P.S. Mrs. [...], would you be interested in subscribing to
our weekly paper here - the Virginia Beach News? Every other
week it carries one of Mr. Cayce's talks. We started out
with the new year and expect to furnish them with twenty-five
talks. The first two have been published - Astrology and
Subconscious Mind. The next will be Dreams, the next Mind
As Related to Healing, and so on. The subscription price for
a year is $2.00. I'm sending you a copy of the paper under
separate cover. Kindest regards to you and Mr. [
3940]. GD.
1/27/31 [
3940]'s wife's letter:
3203 Highland Drive
Birmingham, Ala.
Dear Mr. Cayce:
We were over joyed to get your letter of recent date. Also
the copy of the weekly news paper. Tell Gladys that I
promise to buy out the plant when resources warrant. Just
now, things are pretty slow and money comes in at a snail's
pace. Real estate is picking up and some is moving, although
we have been unable to dispose of any of our holdings.
Things are better and we have some deals pending.
Your reference to your friends renewed our hopes of the oil
situation. You will pardon my importuning you to do all you
can to get them to come without delay for the situation is
desperate for Linthicum. We received a letter from him this
morning and he said, "I am holding on by an eyelash and with
my weight (he is a fat man) you can imagine how long I can
last." He is one of the most cheerful individuals under
adversity I ever knew and can always joke. This, of
course is his salvation.
Kindest regards to all your household and greatest
appreciation for yourself, we remain
Sincerely, Mrs. [...]
2/05/31 EC's letter to [
3940]'s wife:
Mrs. [...]
3203 Highland Drive,
Birmingham, Ala.
Dear Mrs. [...];-
I have yours of the 27th, and have asked Mr. Preston to
communicate with you and Mr. [
3940] direct regarding the
proposition there. You will no doubt hear from him soon. I
certainly hope they can do something to save the situation,
and to enable you to get started on the proposition in the
near future.
We are having quite enthusiastic reception of the talks,
both by the local attendance on Sunday afternoons and by
the number of subscriptions to the paper that carries the
articles.
With kindest personal regards to both you and Mr. [
3940], I
am
Sincerely, EC:GD
5/09/31 [
3940]'s wife's letter to EC:
3203 Highland Drive
Birmingham, Ala.
Mr. Edgar Cayce,
Virginia Beach, Va.
Dear Mr. Cayce:
We never did hear from the two gentlemen whom you thought
probable might be interested in coming to Alabama to
investigate oil prospects in St. Claire County. Can you not
stir them up in this matter? It is likely that drilling will
commence in one section of the block in the next few weeks.
The Pell City Oil and Gas Company have incorporated and made
arrangements with drillers and have money in the bank to
begin operations. Our acreage is linked up in boundary with
theirs, but we are not in the company. The fact, however,
that we gave permission to block our acreage with theirs was
the means of their securing many thousands of acres under
lease.
We recently had a fight on in Alabama with a bill introduced
in the legislature which would have been a serious detriment
to wild cat drilling in the State. The bill is enclosed
and would have put all authority in the hands of the State
Geologist who is not at all experienced and must have been
in some way interested in getting control of the situation.
This in the face of the fact that the State Geological
Department has always given an adverse opinion as to the
oil and gas possibilities in the State.
Dr. Walter B. Jones who holds the office of State Geologist
was in Montgomery and made a speech advocating the bill
before the legislative committee. He was grilled by those
who were present determined to defeat the bill. There is
a great deal of activity in the State oil circles now and
a big crowd was there to defeat the bill. This was done in
committee by a vote of 12 to 4. It seems that the railroads,
the big four oil companies and the Federal Oil Reserve Board
were doing all they could to get this kind of legislation
across, before the people were aware that something was in
the wind. It is said now that it is positively known that
there is oil in Alabama otherwise such a bit of legislation
would not have been contemplated.
Now you know you are interested in the oil on our place and
we want you to send us the addresses of your parties and we
will write them all we know of developments in the State. Of
course, the big operators will decry all efforts to get oil
saying it cannot be marketed. But it remains that if there
were not so much foreign oil shipped in, and that free of
duty, there would be no over production at home. While we
are conserving our oil deposits, it may be flowing away down
into Mexico and even Central America and we will wake up to
find we have none left.
Write us. Our leases expire in a year and some a little
longer.
Sincerely yours, Mrs. [...]
5/16/31 EC's letter to [
3940]'s wife:
Mrs. [...]
3203 Highland Drive,
Birmingham, Alabama
My dear Mrs. [...]:-
Yours of the 9th received. The gentlemen in questions are:
Dr. O. H. Snyder, 612 So. 5th St., Ironton, Ohio,
and
Mr. A. C. Preston, New Amsterdam Hotel, Washington, D.C.
I saw them, but they have been on a deal with some oil
properties and developments, and with the financial
conditions over the country you know just how hard it has
been for such developments, with the low price of oil and the
cry for conservation - especially in this line. I'm sure,
though, if you will write to them direct you will get
their angle on it; for both of them have told me they were
interested in the district and would be glad to take the
matter up with you just as soon as possible. It seems quite
wonderful to have developments going on in the district under
existent conditions. It's too bad to have the State attempt
to make or pass such laws outlined in the bulletin, but such
are the interests of the larger companies who have holdings
in many portions of the country where developments have not
openly been carried on. I think most of us who have had any
experience with these feel that they are the ones back of
it all. I am hoping, however, that you will be able to get
developments on your own property. I wish that I were able
to be of more direct help at this time, but we are in the
midst of forming of a new organization here to carry on this
work and it is requiring all my time at present, and every
bit of thought I can possibly give. We are to have the
organization meeting on June 6th in Virginia Beach. We are
hoping to very soon be able to establish the study groups
we have so long planned in various parts of the country. To
be sure, we will want one in Birmingham. When we have an
outline of what we expect to do, I'll be glad to submit
one to you and to have your candid opinion respecting the
plausibility and feasibility of presenting it to any group
in your district or vicinity.
We often think and speak of you, and hope that you and Mr.
[
3940] are enjoying the best of health. Let us hear from you
whenever possible. I certainly hope that you will be able to
get Dr. Snyder or Mr. Preston on the ground there.
With kindest personal regards to you both, I am
Ever the same, EC:GD
1/04/32 Mr. [
3940]'s wife's letter:
Brompton Springs
Leeds, Ala. Rt. 1
Dear Friend:
Your lovely Christmas card received. It's unique and
representative of your Section and we must compliment
you on your taste.
We lost out in the depression in Birmingham and have been
living here since last July - have purchased a beast and
shall raise a crop of corn, hay and tobacco. Work - more
work - and hard work is ahead of us but we shall don overalls
and broad brimmed hats and go after the early cutworms.
What do you think? Shall we succeed? One thing is sure,
there is plenty to eat on a farm if one can keep teeth enough
to chew with. The dentist has to be paid in hard coin so we
have hit upon tobacco as a money crop. Cotton sold for five
cents here this fall.
The State Better Business Bureaus, et al have put the Kibosh
on all oil operation in our section. We think the coal
interests are at the back of it. The State owns lots of
coal land - and the coal business is breathing its last.
Electricity and gas pipe lines have dealt the deadly blow.
Are you ever coming South again? Drop in to see us sure if
you do. We are on highway from Atlanta to B'ham. Lots of
busses, but no railroad station now.
Affectionately, The [...]'s
1/09/32 EC's letter to Mr. [
3940] and wife:
Mr. & Mrs. [
3940]
Brompton Springs,
Route 1,
Leeds, Alabama
My dear Mr. & Mrs. [
3940]:-
I am very glad to have yours of the 4th, but sorry indeed
to note what you have to say about how the depression has
affected you. I rather envy, however, your ability to have
such a beautiful place to retire TO. If I were able to have
such a place as that, I believe I would be perfectly happy.
Never will I forget the very pleasant days I spent with
you there, though I am sure one of those days Mrs. [...]
[[
3940]'s wife] was feeling very badly. I certainly agree
with you when you say work, work, work, when you speak of
raising tobacco, for that's the one thing I know a LITTLE
about. I was raised in a tobacco patch. I don't know just
what the prospects would be for your particular type of soil,
or what type of tobacco you would consider there. If you
could raise the WHITE tobacco, or the Burley, or the light
one sucker variety that is used for fillers, it will be fine.
That, I imagine, would be the best type for the soil there,
though I am sure you will have it tested before making
preparations for it. Don't have too much of it, though -
yet if you don't have enough to enable you to get a market
for it, that's still very hard. It'll certainly be very
interesting to hear from you from time to time. When you go
to talking about tobacco, you bring back the old days when
I was growing up. In the dark tobacco district very heavy
firing is necessary, but that you won't have - I am sure -
for there's only a very small district that's adaptable to
that particular type of tobacco, and that's the kind the
Germans and Italians CHEW. I will be very interested to
hear how you progress.
We have started a study group here, Mrs. [...], to study the
information firsthand, and as a group - not as an individual
- we are preparing lessons. We hope that sometime in the
near future we may have such a group in Birmingham. One was
organized there, as you know - but they were never supplied
with any of the data that was proposed to be sent. We are
preparing the data first this time. Do you keep in touch
with any of the groups there now? The psychology clubs,
Unity groups, Theosophist Society, or the like? Some of them
MIGHT be interested in this, don't you think? I believe you
could organize a group that would be very much worth while.
What do you think of it?
Let us hear from you. Thanking you for your letter, and with
all good wishes and love to you both, I am
Ever the same, EC:GD
2/10/32 She wrote naming others in B'ham who might be able to
help with the A.R.E. Groups.
7/07/32 She & husband referred Mr. [
370] for
370-1 on Alabama
lands.
9/12/40 HLC's letter:
Mr. [
3940]
Brompton Springs
Leeds, Alabama
Dear Mr. [
3940]:
Our records show that in 1922 you secured four readings from
my father. We are endeavoring to bring our reports up to
date, and I will appreciate it very much if you will give me
a report on these readings. In what specific details were
the readings accurate? Through the years and especially
during the early development of my father's work, he gave
a great many readings of this type. While there were many
details in them which could be checked, such information has
never proven as helpful as have the life readings and the
physical readings. We are anxious to know just why this was
true, and I believe that a study of such information as you
received will give us some basis to work on. Therefore, I
hope you will be kind enough to give me a full report on the
information you received. What parts of it were you able
to check? How far was it carried out? What were the final
results?
You may be interested to know that my father's work has
continued to be of help to hundreds of individuals each year.
I would like for you to know about the Expansion Program
which is described in the enclosed leaflet. We would like
for every individual who has had experience with this work
to have an opportunity to take part in this program.
It will be a pleasure to hear from you again.
Sincerely, Hugh Lynn Cayce, Manager HLC:EM
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation