ENVELOPE: Address to: Mr John Colman Burroughs, Claremont, California ~ Postmarked: March 9, 1933, Los Angeles, California. 

Malibu ~  March 7, 1933

My dear Jack,

It seems a long time since we have seen you, and I suppose it will not be until after your play is produced that you can come home. But that will not be so very long. We had a nice visit with Hulbert, but he does not seem the same as he used to be. I am worried about him. I am afraid that he is worrying too much about his physical condition. I wish that he would tell me, if anything is troubling him, for I worry more when I am in the dark than I would otherwise. We all go through stages of physical and mental debility; and while they are on everything looks dark and hopeless, but we always pull through. We have in-herited good constitutions, and Nature eventually takes care of everything if we are reasonably careful of ourselves. 

Mamma, Joan, Jim and I are going to Agua Caliente on the 24th. On the 25th Joan, Jim and I are to appear at Marston's in San Diego between 12 and 2 to autograph books.

If your play is on on the evening of the 25th, we will come to Claremont for dinner and see the show in the evening. If I am right about the date of the show, the 25th, please get us four good seats; and if you and Hulbert can take dinner with us at the Inn at Claremont, we would like that. We shall also be glad if you care to bring a couple of good-looking girls. If there is a better place to eat than the Inn, either in Claremont or Pomona, we will meet you there if you will tell me where it is.

I think so often of the wonderful grades you made. I am afraid, because we joke so much, that you have not realized how proud I am. You boys are doing the things and being the sort of men that I should like to be if I could live my life over again. Maybe I'll have some sense in another incarnation, but I am afraid the genes are against me.

Let me know about the play night, and don't forget the tickets. 

Love, 
OB

(A pencil note at the bottom left reads "Me too Darling")

ENVELOPE:  Address:  Mr. John C. Burroughs, Claremont, California ~ Postmark: January 22, 1934. 

January 22, 1934

Dear Jack,

Your mother clipped the enclosed [newspaper clipping included] from the Sunday papers, as she thought you might be interested. 

There is really no news except that somebody spilled the beans to your mother Saturday and let my pet secret out of the bag; and inasmuch as the rest of the family know about it now I can tell you. 

I kept it a secret because I didn't want anyone to worry until I had my pilot's license. In other words, I am taking flying lessons and have been for about a month. Am getting along very nicely and take a ship up, fly it around and land it without breaking my neck. Mama and Hulbert came out to watch me take a lesson yesterday, but before I did so they went up in a Stinson cabin job. It was mamma's first flight and she enjoyed it thoroughly, not being at all afraid. 

The natural consequence of my flying is that Hulbert is going to start taking lessons; and I presume that when you are through college, you will follow suit. 

With lots of love and best wishes, I am, 

Yours,
 OB

ENVELOPE:  Address: John Coleman Burroughs, Claremont, California ~ Postmark: May 27, 1934, Los Angeles, California. 

Tarzana, California ~ May 27, 1934
Dear Jack

It has been ages since I saw you, and I certainly miss you. Tried to get you one day this week, but they couldn't locate you. They never did complete the call. 

Flew to Pomona, and thought you might be able to run over to the airport for a minute or even have lunch with me. Took Jim along with me this time. It is much farther than I thought. The Doo-dad only cruises at about eighty. 

Yesterday I flew alone to Alhambra where I opened a book department in a market! Did it for Tom Scully who sells these people Carnation products for a chain of some forty stores in Southern California. 

Tom put on a good show. I was met at the airport by a delegation of high school student, the mayor of Al-hambra, the commissioner of public works, some other big shot official, the editor of the paper, executives of the Fitzsimmons Company who run the market. We were escorted through town in a fleet of new Airflow Chryslers, and two motor cycle officers led the parade. 

After being photographed fore and aft with all the aforementioned celebrities, I autographed books for an hour and was then escorted back to the airport. 

You will be proud to know that I made a perfect landing - proud and surprised, as was I. The air was terribly rough. While I was circling the airport before land-ing I was being blown about most horrifyingly. Once the ship dropped straight from under me, and I felt it hanging from my safety belt. It was a mighty rough trip both coming and going. Low clouds came racing toward me on the way back to Clover Field - like wild white horses, shaking their manes. They really looked appalling. One of them hit me right on the nose and then engulfed me. I kept my eyes glued to the turn and bank indicator recalling stories I had heard and expecting momentarily to find myself upside down. 

I can find Pomona now, and hope to drop in on you again some day soon. It is certainly a rough field and not much of it. It nearly ran out on me the day I landed there.

I am still backing people into corners and telling them that my son is Phil Bet - I never was so proud of anything in my life. 

Hulbert is doing fine in his job. I only hope he likes it. Everyone likes him, and he can be very successful if he will only learn to evaluate himself properly and not underestimate his ability.

The majority of mentalities and personalities are mediocre, and a man doesn't have to have a great deal to be superior to most of the people he will meet in life. Both of you boys have qualities that will put you wherever you wish to go when you finally come to realize their possession. 

Hope to see you soon. 

Lots of love.
OB

 

LETTERHEAD: Apache Hotel ~ Las Vegas, Nevada
ENVELOPE: Address: Jack Burroughs,  Pacific Palisades, California 

Las Vegas ~ October 21, 1934

Dear Jack,

Was terribly sorry not to have seen you Saturday morning; but something tells me that you probably wouldn't have been up in time to make the grade even if I had not been held up by two important business engagements a typical hotel (?). The trip here was very easy. Made it in 5 hours 37 minutes running time. Made one 25 minute stop en route, at Barstow for gas and lunch; so leaving L.A. at 9:10 am, I arrived here at 3:10 pm. The car functioned beautifully, no sign of overheating, plenty of power and speed. I only let it out to 83 for a moment, but I averaged 53 m. p. h. for the trip. My best average was 61½ mph between Barstow and Las Vegas. 

With my usual good luck and in line with my seeking crowds, I ran into a Shriners' convention here. I think there are five thousand of them, six thousand of whom are hilariously soused, from the amount of noise on the streets. I have been walking the main street and loafing in the lobby of the hotel for four hours, occasionally sauntering into bars and gambling joints of which there are nothing else but. If I had wanted a drink, which I did, I couldn't have gotten near enough a bar to have gotten one - they were all jammed full of Shriners and their ladies. I also feel in need of food, but I can't get near a table. 

Only the fact that some guy from Hollywood recognized me and told the hotel clerk that I was a big shot from Hollywood got me a room at all. Our good friend, Mr. Russell, who owns this joint, was out getting pie-eyed with the Shriners, so I had no friend in town except this man from Hollywood whom I do not remember ever having seen or heard of. He said he was a publicity man, and he was about to have a rendezvous with the newspaper men in some saloon. He asked me to come along, but I proferred my regrets. 

I am down here gathering material for a new movie, and shall probably write an article on Hoover Dam; which would probably not interest the newspaper men. I wish you would talk with Ralph about the diorama window display. 

I shall now make one more attempt to get a rare steak and French fried potatoes before I am too weak to hoist a fork. Lots of love my dear boy. 

[signature] 
Address me General Delivery until I send you a permanent address.

ENVELOPE: Address: John Coleman Burroughs, Bel Air, California

Tarzana, California ~ February 28, 1935

Dear Jack,

It doesn't seem 'possible' that it has been twenty-two years since I saw Dr. Earle pick you up by your hind leg and slap Hell out of you. You have made the most of the intervening years, and you may well be proud. I certainly am proud of you. Wish I might see some of your work.

Have hoped to get in to the studio, but have really been very busy, what with working on a story and actively interesting myself in the Burroughs Tarzan Enterprises. I even work nearly every Saturday afternoon and all day Sundays. I think we are going to have a good picture from what I have seen of the rushes and what little has been assembled and cut. 

The financing has been Hell though. No one wished to finance a picture being made in Guatemala. We finally got part of the money from the Citizen's National Bank and part from advances by distributors The latter demonstrated two things - the confidence the distributors have in our organization and the universal demand for Tarzan pictures. 

Ashton has done a grand job so far, and now that he has taken over the direction it is even better. He has made a new Tarzan of Brix. It is too bad he did not direct from the first. 

Horace Greeley wrote me this ...... ; so you and Hulbert must be very brainy. My beautiful farming land indicates an I Q of about -3 by comparison. 

Lots of love, my dear boy, 
Always,
OB

ENVELOPE: Address: Mr. John Coleman Burroughs, Los Angeles, California ~ Postmark: June 4, 1935. 
LETTERHEAD: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

Tarzana, California, June 3, 1935

Dear Jack
I was glad to have your letter of May 29 and to know that you liked the robe. I think it would be very interesting to go to Mexico City. I am hoping to be able to go down myself some time during the bull fighting season. 

As for going to Summer School, I wonder if it would not be well for you to take a vacation for a few weeks this Summer and get a good rest, which I think you will find will bring you back to your work with renewed interest and vigor. 

No, I have not been flying much lately. Have you? The picture has not been released as yet, but I think it will be released in some districts this month. But even so, any time you are around a pier it might not be amiss to look for my hat.

I am looking forward to seeing you again in the near future. 

Yours,
OB

HANDWRITTEN NOTE AT BOTTOM: 6/4 - your letter of the 3rd came today. Thanks a lot, I like to hear from you. Something tells me that I have probably experienced the full realization of camp life for the last time; but, being simple minded, there is no telling what I may do.

ENVELOPE: Address: Hulbert and John C. Burroughs, Los Angeles, California ~ Postmark: January 15, 1936. 

Palm Springs, California ~ January 15, 1936

Dear Hulbert & Jack,

I'm fine; how are you? Herewith your checks. You are now in my employ, and b'God and b'Jesus! See that you get to work on time.

I was so sorry not to have seen you while I was up, but I tried to make the trip in one day so that I would not have to go to a hotel. Had work at the office, and saw both doctors. They say I'm fine (see above). Crispin told me that they were both terribly worried about the operation. My chances were about 50/50. Gibbs told me it was the most difficult operation he ever performed. My rapid recuperation has astonished them. After the operation Gibbs told me it would be a matter of six months before I could exercise much. Yesterday he told me I could start in playing tennis. I am very much encouraged. 

I think I shall come up next Tuesday again and back the same day. I have to go to Gibbs once a week for a while. I'll reach the office about 9:00. It may interest you to know that I have opened up Mecca avenue through the ranch. It has been done rather sketchily, but gives ingress without taking prospects by Smoke's stock-yards, which have killed several deals for us. 

Lots of love to you both 
Always,
OB

LETTERHEAD: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzana, California
Tarzana, California, June 19, 1936

Mr. Bryant, 
Technicolor Motion Picture Corp., 
Hollywood, California

Please be advised that I wish to have photographed for test purposes only sixty feet of film. 

Yours very truly
Edgar Rice Burroughs