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DAVID DARY PAPERS (1856-2013)
INTRODUCTION
David Dary donated his extensive collection of personal papers to the Morse Department of Special Collections in 2011. The papers span the years 1856 to 2013 and are housed in 103 boxes comprising 90 linear feet of shelf space.
Dary was born and raised in Manhattan, his maternal great-grandfather having settled there in 1866. All of his great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents, as well as other relatives, played active and prominent roles in the history of Manhattan. Dary graduated from Kansas State College in 1956 with a degree in speech, and the University of Kansas in 1970 with a master’s degree in journalism.
The papers reflect the various stages of Dary’s impressive professional career, along with his early activities as a magician followed by years as a short wave radio enthusiast. His career in broadcast journalism, most notably for CBS and NBC in Washington, D.C. during the 1960s, led to positions in the schools of journalism at the University of Kansas and the University of Oklahoma, where he served as director. His passion for history combined with his writing ability and style enabled Dary to become a major western historian with countless articles in newspapers and journals and over 20 books for which he has won numerous prestigious awards.
The Dary Papers include the most diverse number of research strengths than any other collection in the department. Among the topics represented in the papers are Manhattan history, history of print and broadcast journalism, U.S. history and political science, history of Kansas and the West.
At the time of the donation, the K-State Libraries purchased Dary’s library containing approximately 4,000 titles. Housed in special collections, its strengths mirror those of his papers.
The Family Series consists of three (3) boxes of material relating to David Dary’s family members. The family series is divided into several sub-series according to family members: Carl Engel (David’s great-grandfather on his mother’s side), Charles F. Engel (David’s great uncle), A.W. Long (David’s maternal grandfather and Manhattan City Mayor from 1909-1911), Milton Russell Dary (David’s father), Ruth Engel Long Dary (David’s mother and spouse to Milton Russell Dary), Sue Dary (David’s wife), and Cynthia Dary Rugolo and Carol Dary Pennington (David and Sue Dary’s daughters). Photographs of family members can be found in series 14, photography.
The Education Series is held in one (1) box. It contains material from David Dary’s days at Manhattan High School and Kansas State University (then Kansas State College). Dary graduated from Manhattan High School in 1952. Included in the high school material is documentation of Dary’s interest in being a magician and drummer. David attended Kansas State College from 1952-1956 where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech. Papers for this period include items related to K-State and his classes.
The Short Wave Radio series is made up of two (2) boxes of radio-related content belonging to David Dary. His first interest was in short-wave listening and later obtaining his FCC license as a radio amateur after trying to operate a very low-power radio station at his Manhattan home. they contain correspondence from other short-wave listeners and radio amateurs, photographs, QSL cards from short-wave broadcast stations around the world, and verifications to many stations he heard on his equipment. His files document radio activities from around the world and provide an insight into the history of short radio for several decades.
The Broadcast Journalism Career Series concentrates on this period of his career and consists of one (1) box of material. There are documents from Dary’s time at CBS (1960-1963) and NBC (1963-1967) including scripts, reports, staff directories, and other material. Dary covered the assassination of John F. Kennedy (included is the United Press wire report of the shooting in Dallas), the Cuban Missile Crisis, the inauguration of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and other key events. Related documentation can be found in other series including correspondence, Dary files, and photographs.
The Higher Education Career Series is made up of three (3) boxes. They contain information from David’s employment at the University of Kansas and the University of Oklahoma. He was a Professor in the School of Journalism at KU from 1970-1989. At OU, Dary was a Professor of Journalism and Director of H.H. School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He retired as Emeritus Gaylord Chair and Professor. Many of the files in the OU section pertain to the Gaylord family. Also included is documentation of Dary’s two visits to Sudan, 1988 and 1989, when he participated in a U. S. Information Agency program to teach Sudanese journalists about free press in a democracy.
The Correspondence Series is made up of seventeen (17) boxes of correspondence from individuals relating to different areas of interest: broadcast and print journalism, state and national governments, western history, publishing (history of the West in particular), universities of Kansas and Oklahoma, etc. The correspondents and subject matter basically relate to the various stages of Dary’s life and represent a “who’s who” in those fields. A few examples include Ed Bliss, David Boren, David Brinkley, Dan Casement, Don Goldsmith, Robert Hemenway, Richard Rogers, Dean Rusk, Pierre Salinger, Ed Turner, and Harry Truman. The contents are filed alphabetically by the correspondent’s last name.
While the files in the Correspondence Series concentrate on individuals and personalities, the fifteen (15) boxes in the Dary Files Series represent many of the subjects that Dary researched, wrote about, and collected. A large number of the files include those that Dary maintained according to historical topics and include correspondence, notes, newspapers and clippings, periodical articles, ephemera, maps, and photographs. These files are organized alphabetically.
The Business Records Series consists of two (2) boxes. The first box contains appraisals that Dary completed for numerous businesses and collectors and they remain closed to researchers at Dary’s request. The second box contains information from Dary’s book business dealing with out-of-print publications, 1969-1989. The material includes the catalogs he distributed that listed the items that he had for sale. Included are items relating to book fairs and collections. Dary also purchased and acquired many out-of-print and historically valuable items that are found in his papers and library.
The Speeches Series is made up of six (6) boxes with its contents arranged in chronological order by the date the speech was presented. The dates range from 1970-2013; the undated speeches are filed at the end. The titles (if provided) and location of the speeches are also listed. The over 160 speeches preserved in the files cover a wide variety of topics, the history of the West and Kansas in particular. They offer researchers the results of his research and experience associated with numerous subjects; the audiences ranged from members of professional organizations to civic clubs.
The Publication Files Series is housed in twenty-six (26) boxes divided into fifteen sub-series. The first twelve document a number of Dary’s books, including The Buffalo Book, Cowboy Culture, Entrepreneurs of the Old West, Frontier Medicine, Lawrence: An Informal History, Oklahoma Stories, Oregon Trail, Red Blood, and Black Ink, Seeking Pleasures in the Old West, The Santa Fe Trail, Stories of Old-Time Oklahoma, and True Tales of the Prairies and the Plains. They document his research and approach to writing and publishing major works on western history and the history of the state of Oklahoma. The final three boxes are divided into miscellaneous, illustrations, and literary works and research. They include files on illustrations for several of Dary’s books and research files.
The Certificates and Awards Series is contained in one (1) box. They represent certificates and awards presented to Dary, some of which are among the highest honors an author can receive. They include a Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, and a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. Alfred A. Knopf publishing company nominated Cowboy Culture for a Pulitzer Prize. Also included are three certificates related to the field of medicine that Gilbert Dary received, 1895-1902.
The Ephemera Series consists of two (2) boxes of items in various formats. It includes items that Dary collected over the years that fall into the categories of autographs, broadsides, correspondence, financial, printed material, and wire service. Some items of prominence include autographs of Kansas Governor, documents dating from Kansas Territory days, and the wire service account of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. In addition, there is a collection of William Robert Smith letters that Dary purchased because of its historical interest. Smith (1863-1924) was a lawyer, judge, and U.S. congressman from Texas. He served as judge of the 32nd Judicial District of Texas, 1897-1903. He was elected to the U.S. Congress as a Democrat and served 1903-1917 after which President Woodrow Wilson appointed him the U.S. district judge for the Western District of Texas. The letters span the years 1890-1924.
The Printed Material Series, housed in two (2) boxes, is divided into seven subseries: 1) Early Journalism Career, 2) Career in Education-University of Kansas, 3) Career in Education-University of Oklahoma, 4) Writing Related Material, 5) Personal, and 6) Subject. They include a variety of formats and contain material associated with Dary’s early journalism career, years at Kansas University and the University of Oklahoma, a variety of items related to writing, personal activities, and subjects. Researchers are encouraged to look at the container list in order to gain a better perspective of the holdings in this series.
The Photograph Series is held in six (6) boxes divided into subseries according to family members. The first subseries on the Carl Engel family includes Manhattan photos of Norman Engel’s store, family homes, and other miscellaneous family views. In the Charles F. Engel section, there are photos of the Engel hardware store and log cabin. The third subseries covers A.W. Long’s family. It includes photos of family homes, the Long Oil Company, and family photos. The Milton Russell Dary photos include family, Poyntz Avenue, and the family home. David Dary’s subseries includes photos from both his career and personal life. His career photos include portraits of news reporters he worked with or knew; Dary’s own portrait, and photos from conferences/meetings/seminars. Photos from his personal life include those of his family and his home. The stereoviews (1880-1906) provide early views of Manhattan and the surrounding area including the family home and garden scenes. The subject series contains photos acquired by Dary and include notables such as Dwight Eisenhower and Harry Truman making “whistle stops” in Manhattan, Kansas [expand the number of examples].
The Audiovisual Series is contained in one (1) box and includes CDs, DVDs, Tapes, and slides.
The Oversize Series is housed in fifteen (15) boxes and several large folders filed in the oversize flat drawer cabinet; the locations are noted in the container list. This series contains material divided into nine subseries: 1) photographs; 2) scrapbooks; 3) maps; 4) posters; 5) artwork; 6) newspapers; 7) magazines; 8) certificates/diplomas/awards; 9) and other. The oversize material is housed in either large folders or oversize boxes. The photographs contain images of family as well as a few miscellaneous photos, such as the Popcorn Man. There are twenty-three scrapbooks in the oversize series. Four of the scrapbooks belong to Ruth Engel Long Dary (Dary’s mother) and cover the time she was attending Kansas State Agricultural College (circa 1926). Two belong to M. Russell Dary. And another two relate to M. Russell Dary and his marriage to Ruth Engel Long Dary, a guest list and anniversary memory book. Two are personal scrapbooks of Charles Engel and A.W. Long, respectively. Thirteen of the scrapbooks relate to David Dary, spanning from his birth to college to the publication of his articles. The maps section includes maps primarily over cattle trails and the frontier and there is also a large collection of Kanzana maps. The artwork and posters are housed in one box and one folder. They include artwork collected by David, covering mostly western topics, and posters from events, such as an NCAA final four game and movie posters. The oversize newspapers are separated into originals and facsimiles from sources such as the New York Times, the Kansas Republic News, etc. The magazines are all originals and include Life magazine, Kansas City Star Sunday magazine, Chicago Tribune, Collier’s magazine, and Midway. In the Certificates/Diplomas/Awards subseries there are items belonging to Gilbert Dary, Russell M. Dary, A.W. Long, and David Dary. The other category is a random assortment of items, such as a calendar, press passes, and table displays.

This collection features records from David Schafer who was a faculty member of the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry as well as the Faculty Senate at Kansas State University. Many of the materials from the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry contain records from seminars, short courses, and instructional materials about proper food safety, processing, and meat handling. Some of the seminars include Midwest Meat Processing, Angus Beef Round Up, and Kansas-Nebraska Processed Meats short course. Almost all of these contain agendas and outlines for papers presented. Other records included are articles, recipes, and course notes. Many of the seminars contain information about food safety and meat handling, as well as tests, pamphlets, and coursework containing information and notes. This information generally covers processing, packaging, and preparation of meat. Courses contain diagrams of cuts and articles. Food safety contains proper handling of meat, storage, and hand washing techniques. The Angus Beef Round Up does contain photographs of a cow being butchered that some people might find objectionable.
Other materials in this collection are publications that cover a range of topics focused on meat, such as economic, production, health issues, and ethics. Publications in the collection include newsletters, articles, magazines, newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, and several draft versions of articles. The publications contain items from the Animal Science and Industry Facts newsletter that was published by the cooperative extension service of Kansas State University; this newsletter contains news and information about livestock. Also included are articles about various kinds of food-borne illnesses, food preservation, and food poisoning. Magazines include Animal Science and Industry trade publications, catalogs, and publications about food products and equipment.
David Schafer served on the Faculty Senate, including one year as the Faculty Senate President. Materials from his leadership role are featured alongside his professional documentation in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. His Faculty Senate materials include records from the Council of Chief Academic Officers (COCAO), Board of Regents (BOR), and Faculty Senate committee records.
There are cooperative extension video tapes and film along with continuing education about food and animal safety. Finally, there is a recording of a Primetime Live broadcast that includes notes about how meat inspection is portrayed in the segment.

The Entomology Department Records were generated and collected by the Entomology Department at Kansas State University and pertain to the files of faculty and extension entomologists of the department, including Roger C. Smith, E.G. Kelly, Dell E. Gates, and F.L. Poston. They document correspondence, research and course files of faculty. Significant topics covered and material includes grasshoppers, corn borers, crops, pesticides, pest management, extension work, and extension specialist correspondence. Notable contributions to insect illustrations featured include works by artist such as Bertha S. Kimball, Ethel Gray, and Robert Stribling. Approximate years covered of the records are 1896-1990.

These materials include correspondence and reports of the the Department of Zoology, as well as sheet music of and tributes to faculty member James E. Ackert, namely Ackert correspondence, 1913–1918; reports from faculty about extending a Ph.D. program in zoology, 1958; faculty proposals regarding a 20-year plan for zoology, circa 1934; faculty comments about uniting zoology and entomology, circa 1945; "Aggie Loyalty" sheet music with words by Florence T. Ackert and music by James E. Ackert, circa 1915; and tributes to Ackert in Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 1969.

This collection includes genealogical materials, personal papers, and financial records relating to the Dodge family, especially William Pickett Dodge (1877-1966) and Robert "Bob" Hugh Dodge (1906-1997). Genealogical materials include a large binder, with accompanying USB flash drive, tracing the lineage of Orlando & Olive Dodge; Dodge and Cooper family documents; and photograph collections of Dodge family residences, the 2005 Richard Dodge wedding, and the 2009 Dodge family reunion. Personal papers include academic certificates, awards from professional associations, a postcard collection, and personal clippings. Financial records include real estate deeds and sale papers, farm ledgers, and assorted bills of sale.

This collection is comprised of material from the Dow Chemical Multicultural Resource Center at Kansas State University Libraries. Material within this collection covers multicurtural issues, personalities, and events at Kansas State University as well as the surrounding area. The bulk of the material in the collection is from the 1960s to the 1990s. There are photographs taken by Lawerence Wright, Jr., as well as posters from events sponsored by the Dow Chemical Multicultural Resource Center.

The Edna Worthley Underwood Papers (1889-1946) covers the period of her most active publishing. Underwood wrote original works of plays, poetry, prose, short stories, and news articles. She also translated various author's works into English.
The first series, Correspondence (1910-1944), is divided into Personal Correspondence, letters from friends and admirers; Business Correspondence, letters regarding the publishing of books and reviews; Postcards; Telegram; Robert Earl Underwood's Correspondence; and a Letterbook, letters, and poems used for background information for her book of translation of poets of Haiti. The poets include Madame D. Viard, M. Leon Laleau, Victor Mangones, and Maurice A. Casseus. She corresponded with many of the authors, often asking for a biographical sketch and a photograph. After 1938, not much is known of her life. She did not publish but traveled within the U.S. Photographs have been transferred to the photograph collection of the University Archives.
Literary Works (1927-1938) is divided into several sub-series. Original Works contains works by Underwood; criticism of other authors; news articles on points of interest; notes; poems; prose; play, A Petersburg Night; short stories, "The Shudder of Don Giovanni", "Madame Dorette and Nature", and three untitled. The sub-series: 1) Translations, includes translations of short stories put into the book Flemish Short Stories; 2) plays, The Yellow Tent and Improvisations in June poems; 3) short stories, "The Van Helmers", "The Beggar Minar", "Tramp and Peasant", "Vaudrevil", "If Life is White", "Exile", "A Game of Chess", "Martha Timar", "Father, A Portrait", "The Trick", "Christmas Eve", and "The Wedding". Also included are original works by Aberto Zum Felde, Fernand Knopf, Robert Earl Underwood, and works by unknown authors. The last sub series contains miscellaneous items.
The series Individuals (1918-1939) contains folders on individuals that Underwood corresponded with and whose works she translated. The folders contain correspondence and original works of poetry and prose. The individuals include Max Dickman, Fabio Fiallo, Germaine Lassara-Bouchecourt, Coelho Netto, Luis Felipe Rodriguez, Daniel Thaly, and Cesar Vallejo.
The series Scrapbooks (1905-1940) contains three scrapbooks. Scrapbook #1 covers 1905-1939. It contains newspaper clippings, letters, and various printed materials. Scrapbook #2 covers the literature of South America. It contains correspondence and original works of poetry. Individuals included are Julio Herrera, Xavier Abril, Carlos Wyld Ospina, Lartigau Lespada, Juan Borch, and Fernando Torregrosa. Scrapbook #3 contains correspondence and poetry from individual poets included in Underwood's translation of poets from Haiti. The poets include Emile Roumer, Clement Magloire, Maurice Casseus, Carl Brouard, Milo Riguad, Jacques Romain, Justinien Ricot, Jean F. Brierre, and Timothee Paret.
The series Notebooks (1889-1924) contains seven notebooks. They cover the time Underwood attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. These are handwritten notes from lectures. Notebook #5 contains prose written in 1924, thirty years after her graduation from the University. The last series, Printed Material, contains booklets, "El Pais Lilac", "Revista de Las Indias", "The Hobart Guild", "De Godsdienstige Keinst Van Rubens", "La Poesia Sorprendida", and "Requiem Por Los Muertos De Europa"; translations: newspaper clippings: and miscellaneous.
Twelve photographs were removed and filed in the University Archives photograph collection under the heading of Underwood. The photographs include Maurice Andre Casseus, Concepcion Monterrosa, Cesar Vallejo (2), Xavier Abril de Viver, Jorge Luis Borges, Germaine Lassara-Bouchecourt, Coelho Netto, Helery, Balleitein de Martin, and unknown.

The papers were assembled by Colonel Frank Caldwell Hershberger (1888-1965) over a long international career as a veterinary medicine specialist. The bulk of the collection consists of photographs and postcards gathered into three scrapbooks dating from 1908 to circa 1955. These albums cover various locations in Europe and Africa, as well as Diamond, Wyoming, and the Philippines. Additional loose photographs date from circa 1905 and document his time at the University of Missouri, Camp Marfa (Texas), Fort Monroe (Virginia), Fort Riley (Kansas), Fort Sill (Oklahoma), and Fort Mills (Corregidor, Philippines). Photographs include military officers, military polo teams, training cavalry horses, and the process of transporting horses via troopship. Augmenting the visual materials are articles, diplomatic papers, typescripts, some correspondence and a diary related to Hershberger's work for the Chinese government (1914-1918). One typescript details the history of the Port Veterinarian for the Port of Embarkation, New York, 1921-1945. The collection also includes the Legion of Merit medal, Legionnaire degree, which is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.

The Franklin A. Coffman papers contain letters, autobiographical materials, paternal and maternal family genealogies, legal documents, literary works, awards and honors, printed materials, photographs, scrapbooks and photograph albums, and artifacts.
Personal correspondence is mainly amongst family members though there is a letter from J. Edgar Hoover regarding a poem Coffman published. Business correspondence is sparse. Coffman received a bound volume of congratulatory letters upon his retirement. The letters provide the best account of Coffman's work with the United States Department of Agriculture within the collection. Many describe interactions with Coffman during field work and visits to experiment stations across the country. There is no official governmental correspondence in the collection documenting Coffman's work.
Coffman handwrote autobiographical accounts of his life during his later years. These accounts are mainly of his childhood, college days and work in the Philippines. The accounts covering the years Coffman spent in the Philippines are extensive. They provide many details and impressions about the native people. The accounts also cover his travels to other Asian countries while based in the Philippines.
Coffman spent years gathering genealogical information from relatives and researching his ancestors. He traced his father's Coffman ancestors back to 1737 and his mother's Bayle ancestors back to 1796. There are notes, different versions of family trees, and extensive narrative written by Coffman describing the lives of his ancestors.
Legal documents are sparse.
Coffman was a prolific poet. There are clippings of poetry published in the Washington Post. Some poems were published without his name. Others have his initials, F.A.C., including two series of poems compiled in notebooks. There are also unpublished poems.
There are certificates for scholarly and service awards and honors, and the registration certificate for the Marion Oat. There are not certificates for all the awards and honors listed on Coffman's resume.
There are just a few United States Department of Agriculture's bulletins and farmer's Bulletins that Coffman authored or co-authored. The vast majority of Coffman's published research is not part of the collection.
One of Coffman's hobbies was photography. There are hundreds of photographs documenting his personal and professional lives. Subjects are wide-ranging. Coffman signed some of his photographs, mainly what he referred to as the "salon prints." There are photographs taken by others including professional portraits and candid photographs of Coffman at various ages. Many photographs are undated and unidentified.
There are seven scrapbooks containing photographs and memorabilia. 1) Photographs and memorabilia document a 10 day automobile trip to eastern cities and New England that Coffman took with his wife and daughter in 1936. Expenses totaled $110.96.
2) "The Farm" album contains photographs of family members, neighbors, friends, crops, farmhouse interiors and exteriors, Rocky Ford School, and Rocky Ford dam and mill. The album is dated 1913 and some photographs are identified. There are also approximately 56 photographs of Manhattan and Kansas State Agricultural College. The subjects are the campus, buildings, classmates, lake recreation, train depot, street car, and a railroad bridge. Some photos are identified and dated 1914.
3) This photo album with narrative is titled "The Many Faces of F.A.C." and is written by "A Couple of Norths and Shanghai Louis Kao." It was compiled in 1962 and contains photographs of Coffman in various locations.
4) The album has photographs of Coffman's family and ancestors (earliest date 1884), Sunday school class, the First Baptist Church in 1902, Kansas State Agricultural College, and Manhattan. There is extensive Kansas State Agricultural College memorabilia including a cadet corps certificate, 1908 fall term schedule, invitations, commencement programs, band programs, banquet programs, clippings and a baseball ticket. The album also has correspondence and drawings. The album has memorabilia from Coffman's transit back to the United States on the Shino Maru including menus and passenger list. There are photographs of the transit and memorabilia from a Hong Kong visit en route. There are photographs of Kansas State Agricultural College, Oklahoma A&M and Akron, Colorado. 1916.
5) The Philippines album contains photographs of Coffman's trip across the western United States to board the S.S. Manchuria for transit to the Philippines. Coffman photographed the Golden Gate Park, the Panama Pacific International Exhibition grounds, onboard ship recreation, Honolulu, Tokyo, Nagasaki, the Philippines' countryside, Filipinos' daily activities, Philippine experiment stations, cultural activities, villages, Coffman's office and co-workers, YMCA sports, Viscayia (German naval ship), Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kobe, Yamaa, Yokahoma, the voyage back to the United States on the Shino Maru (not to be confused with the Shinyo Maru), Honolulu experiment station, Universal Film City, and the San Diego Exposition. 1914-1916.
6) The photographs and memorabilia in this album are compiled in honor of Coffman's brother, Will, who died in 1920. It contains drawings, report cards, class schedule and photographs of Kansas State Agricultural College, Manhattan, University of Kansas, and Will's travels. Loose commencement programs from Kansas State Agricultural College, 1913-1915, are with the album.
7) The album contains photographs from Coffman's days in Akron and his travels to Amarillo, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Arlington, New York, Philadelphia and Mount Vernon from 1919-1922. There is memorabilia from Washington, D.C., New York including a Metropolitan Opera House program and a Hippodrome souvenir book, Coffman's wedding and showers, and a program from the American Society of Agronomy 1922 meeting. Morrill, Kansas, Twin Oaks, Estes Park, county fairs, and Manhattan are also subjects of photographs. Alta Johnson's School Girl Days: A Memory Book from Washington County High School, 1914, is boxed with the scrapbooks.
The most notable artifacts are four cameras, presumably used by Coffman: Univex Model A, 1933; No. 1-A Kodak Junior Model A, 1914; No. 2 Folding Autographic Brownie, circa 1915-1916; Kodak Six-16 camera and leather case, circa 1932-1936.

Gavitt Medical Co. Records were donated to the University Archives at Kansas State University by Professor Charles Gardner Shaw in 1971. This collection is identified as accession number PC 1988.07.
This collection consists of correspondence documenting sales of the Gavitt System Regulator. The majority of the correspondence pertains to purchasing the product, some detailing how they first received the product and giving glowing testimonials of how it helped them: "It has cured me of a bad case of Catarrh and heart disease, and is commencing to give me strength." Other letters are inquiries about becoming agents for the company, explaining that either the correspondent is unaware of anyone selling their product in the area, or that the current agent is unable to continue to provide adequate service for the area.
Probably the most significant correspondence in the collection is the reports which the agents sent to the company's office in Topeka documenting the sales of the product. Many of these reports were penned on the back of the correspondence from the company, providing valuable insight into the times. The company letters include arguments for convincing the reluctant buyer to purchase their product: "Many say they employ a family physician after they get sick. The graveyards are full of people who had family physicians called after they got sick. The time to take medicine is when the disease first makes its appearance and the only way to take it is to have it in the house handy at all times." The company also provides advice on marketing, suggesting that agents target parents with sons in the military: "...we have not heard of a single case where the soldiers have had Malaria, Typhoid or Yellow fever where they had a box of our System Regulator sent to them."
Interspersed throughout the collection are personal letters from the Shore family and friends. These letters document the events in the lives of the family and the communities of Alma, Clay Center, Emporia and White City, Kansas, including births, deaths, and assorted gossip.
Of particular note is a letter from Jesse L. Shore to Kansas Secretary of State, George Clark, pointing out a error in the Session Laws of 1901, Chapter 420, and requesting that Mr. Clark check the actual bill to make sure it is correct. Mr. Clark's reply confirms that the error is in the bill as well and that the bill is invalid until the legislature meets again and can correct it.