635 E. Elizabeth St.
Detroit, 1, Michigan

635 E. Elizabeth St.
Detroit 1, Michigan

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York 30, N.Y.

635 E. Elizabeth Street
Detroit 1, Michigan

June 14, 1947

Hi Lang:

I read your column this week and saw
that you had taken a trip to New Orleans and
Chicago. Man, I certainly wish I could have
gone with you. But here I am up here in the
motor city working my fingers to the bone.
But, needless to say, the compensation that
I get for my labor ($d.48 per hour) is most
pleasing.

I was very lucky in that I had the
proper inside contacts here at Ford and went
to work the same day that I was hired whereas
some fellows that I've known have been trying
get jobs for quite a while and haven't had
any success.

After rejecting that U. of Wisconsin
deal and coming here, I'm convinced that I
am learning far more about unions and the
people that make up the unions than I could
ever have learned by sitting in classes (of
which, incidentally, I am thoroughly tired)
studying only the theory of the thing. I expect
my experiences of this summer to enlarge me a
great deal.

I live in constant fear that I may
be forced to take a few days off because of
the labor situation here. The foremen at Ford
are on strike and it is the contention of the
workers union that if the foremen lose their
strike the laborers will be in danger of losing
theirs. As a result, there are quite a few
"slowdowns" in production and if the slowdowns
are serious enough, the men are sent home
without seeing who is or who isn't working.
We shall take for granted that I always work.

I heard your song "Moon Faced, Starry
Eyed" played over the air here the other night
about three o'clock in the morning. In case
you're wondering what I'm doing up at three in
the morning, I'd better make it clear that I
usually get to bed at that hour because I don't
come from work until 11:30 and by the time I get
home, bathe, eat and wlk my dinner down, it's
three. Of course I don't go to work until
3:30. By the way, How's the play going, or is it
gone? I hope it hasn't closed yet because I'd

like to see it when, and if, I get to N.Y. this summer.

I was looking forward to seeing some plays here in Detroit this summer but I have only one legitimate house here so far and there seem to be no others. Currently playing there is something called "Suds in Your Eye". I don't know what it's like but I may go just to waste some time.

Which brings me to the subject of why I have to waste time around here. The Alexanders, with whom I spent the first few days here, have been out of town recently and I haven't been able to meet many people but I shall begin getting around soon. I did meet a few people the first few days I was here, however, among them the Roxboroughs (Joe Louis' manager).

There are loads of lovely women here. You'd better go on a plane and come up here and get one, man. They're all over the place.

I suppose I've said enough of nothing to hold you for awhile, so I'll sign off now. By the way, when are you leaving for Mexico? Write me before you go.

September 23, 1947

Dear Mrs. Murphy:

I was certainly sorry to miss you when you were here in New York. I tried several times to get the number which Mabel and Hugh gave me, but found no one home. When I finally did get Sarah, she told me that you had left a couple of days before. Hugh and Mabel promised to bring you by my aunt's house, but he tells me that he became ill and was unable to take you out at all. I had wanted you to meet my Aunt, because I had told her so much about you and I know that she would have found you very interesting. I certainly hope that I have better luck next time when you are in the city. (Then, too, I was dying to hear the Alston story in its authentic version, having, at this distance, gotten several variations on the theme.)

I had been meaning to write you all summer to tell you that I shall never forget your kind and generous hospitality to me during my stay at Atlanta, beginning with the first evening of my arrival there. It was a great pleasure knowing you, Mr. Murphy, and Harry, and I certainly have many happy memories of that acquaintanceship—which I hope will continue throughout the years.

I have a couple of very nice letters from Harry this summer, and in the last one he sort of bawled me out for answering him only on a postal card. But, as usual, I have been struggling with piles of mail that accumulated during my absence in Atlanta. However, I do intend to write him a letter soon. Hugh tells me that he intends to remain in Detroit for the coming school year.

This summer I have put together a new book of poems, worked on songs, for various composers, and gotten a number of other little jobs done, so I am about ready to go away on a little vacation. I had expected to be in Mexico long before now but just couldn't seem to get things cleared up. Maybe on the way back in November I will have a chance to stop by Atlanta for a day or so. It seems almost like a second home to me now.

Give my very best regards to Mr. Murphy, and to my friends in the dormitory.
All my good wishes to you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. H. S. Murphy
749 Fair Street
Atlanta, Georgia

Mrs. H. S. Murphy,
749 Fair St., S.W.,
Atlanta, Ga.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
634 St. Nicholas Ave.,
New York 30,
New York.

749 Fair St., S.W.,
Atlanta, Ga.,

Oct. 8, 1947.

My dear Langston :-

Two of us are sorry that we didn't see each other this summer, but with Mabel pregnant and Hugh ill Sarah and I had to find our way around the big city alone most of the time. But the trip was just what I needed. I was so tired of the sameness of things here and I really turned out there. Hugh asked me "Mums, what made you think that you wanted to see "The Voice of the Turtle?" after I came back from the theatre. I had enjoyed it immensely and looked around to see if there was not another to go to see.

But I did find New York very stimulating and I can understand how you young people would like to live there. I, will be satisfied with a visit occasionally.

I am so sorry that I did not meet your aunt. I wanted very much to go to your home for we, Murphys, began to feel a very personal interest in you while you were here and it didn't seem quite fair not to make the connection there.

Langston, please excuse this poor typing but it is the best that I can do and being in this office so long I have become a slave to this poor old, dilapidated machine. But in spite of the bad looking letter the spirit that prompted it is the best.

Of course we are grieved about Harry's decision to remain out of school for we feel that every one now, in order to meet competition, needs as much formal training as they can get but Harry has been very hard headed and has insisted on his course. If he comes out on top we will all be glad. If he doesn't he will not be able to say that we did not offer him the best that was available.

I will look forward to seeing your new book. There are some of your poems that I love. I am going to take one of the favorite ones and have Dad print it on a card for me. In one corner I will put just the face of one of your pictures then I will frame the whole thing. This will be added to the collection that I have of the people who are near and dear to me.

I know that you want to hear something of the people here in Atlanta. I think of you every time I go down to Suite 6. There is a young Dr. Jones who teaches at the Atlanta School of Social Work living there this year. He is so quiet and afraid to venture out that the little place is not the mecca for tired people as it was last year with you in it.

We miss the Alstons and the young Williams family who lived in Suite 302. You remember them I am sure. The Williamses moved over to Fair St., and we don't see much of them. Mrs. Alson didn't ever return. Mr. Alston came back and stayed in town for two weeks while he closed up his work here.

The dormitory family is not quite as gay as it was last year. Stevenson and Sommersette are back. Russell Brooks and Paul Richeiz (from Haiti) Morehouse teachers and Mr. Maxey an A.U. teacher all have rooms near Suite 6. A Mr. Armstrong (white) is teaching Anthropology at A.U. lives in the Alston's apartment. In Suite 234 we have Wenita Lewis and a very nice little person from Chicago by the name of Mrs. Stradford. They both teach in the School

of Social Wprk. Dr. Warren Henry of the Clark University faculty occupies
Suite 302. This gives you a picture of how things are in the Men's building.

The Jarretts from Nashville are here from Fisk. He teaches English in the
University. They are a delightful young couple. They are going to bring their
baby daughter so we will still have children in the dining room.

Miss Wilson in Dr. Clement's office got married and so did Miss Suggs. Their husbands are not here, however.

Mrs. Edwards did not return but we have a very pleasant older woman here who seems to be doing quite well with the work. I do hope that she will like it well enough to stay a while. We have changed so much that we don't get a chance to feel at home with one before they are gone.

The resignations have been many this year. Elder went back to North Carolina at the insistence of Dr. Shepherd. He had not been there but a month before Dr. Shepherd died. Looks like fate had his hand on a president, doesn't it ? We will sit silently by and watch.

Eagleston and Finley went to Haward, Alston to Wilberforce, Shabsis to New York.

Wynona is studying this year at Columbia.

I envy you the trip to Mexico. I would like to get Dad and go there for a month but I don't have that much vacation. In addition to this when one has a new Grandchild arriving they want to go and see about it so you will see me in New York during the Christmas season.

When you come back from Mexico we will be glad to have you park right at our house if you care to. You will be very much alone for we will be out but the house is there and we would be very happy to have you in it.

It was so nice of you to write us. Surprise us again with a nice letter. We will look forward to this.

Dad joins me in sending best wishes.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
20 East 127th St.,
New York City,
New York

April 15, 1949

Mrs. Josephine Dibble Murphy
749 Fair Street, S.W.,
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mrs. Murphy:

I know Mr. Hughes will be happy to have your letter of April 11th
along with its enclosure of the poem, AMY MALLARD IN HUMILIATION by
Welborn Victor Jenkins.

As you no doubt know from the papers, Mr. Hughes is out of the city
at present. He is at the University of Chicago conducting a seminar
in creative writing in the Laboratory School there. The title, I
believe, "Poet in Residence".

He is not expected home until the Spring Session ends, however, there
is always the possibility of his flying home for a weekend. I am holding
your letter for his attention when he returns.

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 E. 127th Street
New York City

749 Fair Street, S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia

May 1, 1953

Dear Lang:

May I state before hand that I do not expect an
answer to this. I have not a single writing friend
who writes letters.

I just wanted to tell you though how sorry I was
to have missed you when I was in New York. I did
want my spouse-to-be to meet you. She may as well
know the shady characters that I associate with
now as ever.

We had spent the weekend at Mount Holyoke (she goes
to school there) and we came to New York for a couple
of days of merriment before putting a thousand miles
between us again.

I met your boy Paul Levy. I had a wonderful time
interpreting your poem "Dig and be Dug" for him. As
is to be expected, the hep talk of cullud folks too
gone for him.

We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mabel,
Hugh and Karen. Mother is already "straightening up
the house" for them. Naturally, this imposes something
of a strain upon my father and me for our displays of
enthusiasm will be deferred until sometime nearer
their arrival.

Your latest book holds a spot of honor in one of the
main book shops down here. I asked how sales were
going, hoping that I would be able to report to you
on this, but it had come too recently for any trend to
have been established.

Give my warmest regards to your aunt and her husband
and to Nate and his wife (though I don't know her).

Mrs. H. S. Murphy,
749 Fair St., S.W.,
Atlanta 14, Ga.

FREDERIC REMINGTON
ARTIST OF THE WEST
1861

Mr. Langston Hughes,
20 East 127th St.,
New York City, N.Y.

749 Fair St., S.W.,
Atlanta 14, Ga.,

November 17, 1961

My precious friend, Langston :-

Last week I sent you the poems that I told you I wanted you to evaluate for me. This young woman is of the poor, rural class of white southerner who is tired of the routine of her limited surroundings. For some reason she has become very much attached to me and feels that I have the answer to all of the world's problems. I can at least influence her to work in her community on the people there and try to make a little dent on the "hate complex" so prevalent in such areas. Her poems distress me because they need so much done for them before they are acceptable by the general public but I am not a poet and therefore no good in this particular case. Please do what you can for me.

Take good care of yourself, don't work too hard and know that a real Southern welcome awaits you whenever you decide to take a trip to our Atlanta who is making a desperate effort to become a real, decent American city.

Lots of good wishes from both Daddy and me.

Poetry returned
12/13/61

J. D. MURPHY
749 FAIR ST. SW
ATLANTA 14, GA.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
20 East 127th St.,
New York, N.Y. 10035

ALL MESSAGES TAKEN BY THIS COMPANY ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

To guard against mistakes or delays, the sender of a message should order it repeated, that is, telegraphed back to the originating office for comparison. For this, one-half the unrepeated message rate is charged in addition. Unless otherwise indicated on its face, this is an unrepeated message and paid for as such, in consideration whereof it is agreed between the sender of the message and this Company as follows:

1. The Company shall not be liable for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for non-delivery, of any message received for transmission at the unrepeated-message rate beyond the sum of five hundred dollars; nor for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for non-delivery, of any message received for transmission at the repeated-message rate beyond the sum of five thousand dollars, unless specially valued; nor in any case for delays arising from unavoidable interruption in the working of its lines.

2. In any event the Company shall not be liable for damages for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for the non-delivery, of any message, whether caused by the negligence of its servants or otherwise, beyond the actual loss, not exceeding in any event the sum of five thousand dollars, at which amount the sender of each message represents that the message is valued, unless a greater value is stated in writing by the sender thereof at the time the message is tendered for transmission, and unless the repeated-message rate is paid or agreed to be paid, and an additional charge equal to one-tenth of one per cent of the amount by which such valuation shall exceed five thousand dollars.

3. The Company is hereby made the agent of the sender, without liability, to forward this message over the lines of any other company when necessary to reach its destination.

4. Except as otherwise indicated in connection with the listing of individual places in the filed tariffs of the Company, the amount paid for the transmission of a domestic telegram or an incoming cable or radio message covers its delivery within the following limits: In cities or towns of 5,000 or more inhabitants where the Company has an office which, as shown by the filed tariffs of the Company, is not operated through the agency of a railroad company, within two miles of any open main or branch office of the Company; in cities or towns of 5,000 or more inhabitants where, as shown by the filed tariffs of the Company, the telegraph service is performed through the agency of a railroad company, within one mile of the telegraph office; in cities or towns of less than 5,000 inhabitants in which an office of the Company is located, within one-half mile of the telegraph office. Beyond the limits above specified the Company does not undertake to make delivery, but will endeavor to arrange for delivery as the agent of the sender, with the understanding that the sender authorizes the collection of any additional charge from the addressee and agrees to pay such additional charge if it is not collected from the addressee. There will be no additional charge for deliveries made by telephone within the corporate limits of any city or town in which an office of the Company is located.

5. No responsibility attaches to this Company concerning messages until the same are accepted at one of its transmitting offices; and if a message is sent to such office by one of the Company's messengers, he acts for that purpose as the agent of the sender.

6. The Company will not be liable for damages or statutory penalties in the case of any message except an intrastate message in Texas where the claim is not presented in writing to the Company within sixty days after the message is filed with the Company for transmission, and in the case of an intrastate message in Texas the Company will not be liable for damages or statutory penalties where the claim is not presented in writing to the Company within ninety-five days after the cause of action, if any, shall have accrued; provided, however, that neither of these conditions shall apply to claims for damages or overcharges within the purview of Section 415 of the Communications Act of 1934.

7. It is agreed that in any action by the Company to recover the tolls for any message or messages the prompt and correct transmission and delivery thereof shall be presumed, subject to rebuttal by competent evidence.

8. Special terms governing the transmission of messages according to their classes, as enumerated below, shall apply to messages in each of such respective classes in addition to all the foregoing terms.

9. No employee of the Company is authorized to vary the foregoing.

10-42

## DOMESTIC SERVICES

### FULL RATE TELEGRAMS

A full rate expedited service.

### DAY LETTERS

A deferred service at lower than the full rate

### SERIALS

Messages sent in sections during the same day.

### NIGHT LETTERS

Accepted up to 2 A.M. for delivery not earlier than the following morning at rates substantially lower than the full rate telegram or day letter rates.

## CLASSES OF SERVICE

### CABLE SERVICES

#### FULL RATE CABLES

The standard fast service at full rates. May be written in any language that can be expressed in Roman letters or in cipher.

#### CODE (CDE)

A fast message service consisting of words formed without condition or restriction, counted at 5 characters per word. Minimum charge of 5 words applies.

#### DEFERREDS (LC)

Plain language messages, subject to being deferred in favor of full rate and CDE messages.

#### NIGHT LETTERS (NLT)

Overnight plain-language messages. Minimum charge of 25 words applies.