Continuing Mac’s trip surveying where to establish a veterinarian practice, after traveling to Los Angeles, he continues to Delta, Utah. You can read an analysis of these letters in 2025 in Delta, Utah at Centennial of Birth of Robert Mack Twitchell.
FROM: [Mac] TO: Mrs. Ruth Batchelder
Del Norte Colorado
POSTMARK: Utah 9 pm Filmore, Utah
Dear Ruth: April 21, 1923
My good intentions all went to the bad this week so far as writing any letters were concerned.
I amy as well commence with Tuesday morning and end with the present time.
Fred and I started out in the flier at five o’clock in order to avoid traffic. It was fine that time in the morning, Fred drove and I read the road map. All went fine until we reached San Bernardino at eight o’clock.
I took the wheel and Fred the map. He thot he saw a short cut and we started on it. It took us just two hours to get back on the right road agian.
We passed thru Victorville and Barstow without much trouble. The road from Barstow to Ludlow were very poor but we managed to drive to Ambay that night. A little over two hundred miles.
We had our bed roll and tent so have camped out all the time. We change off driving pitching camp cooking and washing dishes.
Here is our sample menu. Breakfast, Hotcakes bacon and eggs & coffee. While one washed the dishes the other would cook dinner. An egg sandwich, a bacon, ham or pork chop sandwich with a can of pine apple. In this way we did not have to stop long for lunch. For supper, bread, beans, meat, Coffee and fruit.
Wednesday it was eight o’clock by the time we fixed a spring and started. The roads were bad but better than they were Tuesday afternoon.
Fourteen miles East of Goffs we turned North over the Arrowhead trail. It was thirty eight miles to the first town, Searchlight, we only saw three cars during that spasm. Ate lunch at Searchlight and then drove thirty eight more miles to Las Vegas. Had to camp there for the night as it was fifty eight miles to St. Thomas.
Got away at seven o’clock for St. Thomas. The worst road for such a distance that I hope to have the displeasure of traveling. Just rocks and ruts all of the fifty eight miles. Ate lunch at St. Thomas and started for St. George a distance of about eighty six miles.
Broke a front spring before we reached Bunkersville so had to camp there for the night. Yesterday we left Bunkersville going thru a hilly country into the North West corner of Arizona, Littlefield, and then St. Thomas to Cedar City.
Cedar City is much like Saguache. That is it a sheep and cattle country but mostly range stuff and while they need a vet part of the time, doubt if it would be worth while for two or three years. They are building a railroad in so that will help them.
Beaver is larger but practically the same.
Left Beaver this noon and intended to be in Delta to-night about five miles out of Beaver it began to snow and got cold. Can you imagin me in an open car without an overcoat and only B.V.D.s in a snow storm.
Fred drove this morning so it was my turn during the storm. Fred wiped the wind shield while I drove for fifty five miles.
It was still snowing when we reached here at three thirty and still is at seven o’clock. We would have stopped long ago if there had been any stopping place.
This is the first room we have had and the first meal that we did not cook.
It is thirty five miles from here to Delta. We hope to make that some time to-morrow and look things over Monday and decide what is what if possible.
Sunday a.m.
Got tired of writing so put off finishing this till to-day.
it snowed quite a good deal during the night. Is much warmer now and we will try and drive to Delta.
Am anxious to look the place over and also to get my mail.
The train runs here tri-weekly so expect I had better take this to Delta, scribble a little more before I mail it.
Finally arrived at Delta about twelve thirty. It snowed most of the time we were on the road. Had one puncture and got . . . and went fixing it.
Surely was glad to get here. Of course it being Sunday cannot do much to-day. Had a good dinner and a fair room. No stove in the room and I feel the need of one.
Walked over the town and saw most of the sights. Looks like a good place so far as the town is concerned but have not seen any country around it yet that amounted to anything.
On the road in the country was all sage brush.
It is on the main highway to San Francisco so there is a good road east and west at least. Am going down town and will mail this then.
Am anxious to hear from you as it is lonesome enough without missing out on letters.
With love
Mac
FROM: [Mac] TO: Miss R.E. Batchelder
Del Norte Colorado
POSTMARK: Delta, Utah
April 25, [1923] 9 pm
Dearest Ruth:
I received your three letters as soon as the Post Office opened Monday.
Very sorry that you had to spend your vacation by being sick. Well school will soon be over and you can take a much needed rest.
In spite of the snow and rain Monday I managed to get fairly well acquainted around town and every one says these is lots of vet business here.
Yesterday afternoon Mr. Wilkenson the secretary of the Farm Bureau went out North west with me. We called on several farmers and wound up at a small community called Sutherland. North of it are Woodrow, Lucerne and Sugarville. The branch railroad runs out there to haul in sugar beets.
The Sevier river runs Southwest and forms a rather large reservoir about a mile west of town. The town consists of nine hundred and sixty acres with broad streets and cement sidewalks. No crossing to speak of so you get muddy crossing the street. Two drug stores, four hotels, two restaurants, four garages, picture show, two churches, two large seed houses, flour mill, sugar factory, two millinery stores, shoe shop, jewelry store, laundry, barber shops, several groceries, meat market and hardware and clothing stores.
They claim a population of two thousand. Their principal crop is alfalfa seed. They claim that Millard County ranks first in the U.S. as to quality and quantity of seed produced.
Dairy business is increasing and they already have a number of good herds.
This afternoon I drove South and West to Hinkley, Deseret and Oasis. They are all boasters for the country as a good location for a vet.
Electric lights and sewer in town but no city water. Everyone had their own well and few of them are artesian. It is good water tho.
The roads are the worst objection I see to the place. They are adobe and either good and slippery or rough and chucky. No danger of breaking the speed limit, come nearer to breaking all the springs. They are gradually improving them and where they are surfaced they make a fine road.
Well I haven`t fallen for any of the single beauties yet. Married ones either for that matter. I would come nearer to it if they would give me a good meal once.
I can repeat the menu card backwards already buy I still manage to down three squares [meals] a day.
The commercial club is a live organization. They have a program and dance to morrow night. The governor is to be here so I reckon there will be a big crowd out. Fred and I plan on taking in the program and maybe he will dance. I might if I could but haven’t learned yet and doubt if I will.
If I could see any future in staying in the valley I would be content to go back but I do not either in the vet line or any other for me.
If things are half as good here as they say they are it is a good place to locate.
Time will tell and I intend to remain here and find out if possible.
Hope that you keep well Dear.
With love
Mac
FROM: [Mac] TO: Miss Ruth Batchelder
Box 153 Del Norte Colorado
POSTMARK: Delta Utah
Apr 29, [1923] 9 pm
Dearest Ruth: April 28, 1923
Fred says we are civilized now that we have a room with a table in it. Perhaps we are, who can tell. It is the first time since I left that I have had a table in the room and I certainly appreciate it.
So much so that I wrote fifteen pages to the folks. Now dear girl, do not feel slighted if I do not write quite that much to you. I received a good long letter from Dad yesterday and that is something rather rare so I answered it accordingly. I could write, that I love you, all day long and it would be true, but perhaps you would not care for me to write all the minute details to you that I do to the folks.
However the California natives have nothing on me as a booster at the present time. I am boosting Millard County, Utah, which has not the wonderful climate but great possibilities in agriculture.
Of course, Delta is the largest and while not the county seat, the most important town in it. If I get to raving on and repeat what I have told you before, just forget it.
I have a nice large room at the Paxton Hotel. It is on the North East corner, two windows, one on the East and one on the North, overlooking Clark Street, principal thorofare to the High School and grade schools. The school grounds occupy an entire block and that means some thing in this town. The East window looks down Clark Street so that I get a good view of the people going to the community church next to the Hotel.
They have services two or three times each Sunday. They all went at ten this morning and are all going again now at two. Several good looking ladies have gone by but none of them that come up to you. Now that on on the square dear.
Have steam heat and hot and cold water in the room. No telephone as yet, but there is one in the lobby and they are very nice and accommodating about calling me to the phone or taking down calls for me. I say they for there is Mr and Mrs Paxton and two girls.
Mr. Paxton does not stay around much and I accumulated the rumor the other day that he had quit. Alice the blond takes care of the rooms and the brunette waits table I haven’t caught on to her name yet.
I have the use of a shed in back for a lot of my stuff that I do not carry all the time. In fact cannot as it would fill a ford so there wouldn’t be room for my feet.
For all this I donate thirty dollars a month. It seems quite a lot for a room but they claim that their rooms are always full anyway and so will not make weekly rates. I let the car stand out in the street. It usually has the company of four or five more and as it looks the poorest, I do not believe there is much danger.
I usually eat breakfast at the restaurant, but when possible eat dinner and supper here. They serve family style but it is sure great. The best grub I have eaten for so long a spell since I left home. The land here is all drained and irrigated. Rather all of it is that under cultivation. There are three different drainage tracts containing from forty to forty five thousand acres each. There are two tile drains to each forty acres, the land being bonded to pay off sixty dollars an acre in twenty years. Now this may not be interesting to you dear and if not just skip over it. The water for irrigating is taken from the Sevier river by means of hydraulic cams. This costs about one dollar per acre a year. The main crop is alfalfa, tho grain, spuds and sugar beets are raised successfully.
The first cutting of alfalfa is put up for hay and the second allowed to go to seed and thrashed. Then of course the crop has a fair feeding value. They have good horses, good jersey, durham and holstein cows and good hogs. All worth more than enough to pay a vet’s fee. They are bound to make money in that kind of farming and do. There is a great deal of land to be reclaimed yet and it is being done rapidly. The valley is a large one with ranges a great deal as they are there but talk about your beautiful sunsets. They San Luis Valley has nothing on this place.
The river broadens out West of town forming a reservoir about six miles long and half a mile wide. I happened to be driving West just at sunset and the glow of the sun on the water in addition to the mountain and clouds made it surpass the San Luis Valley.
The snow lies on the East range just as it does there, only they are not quite as high. I mean the mountains are not as high. I fear I am about to get the writer’s cramp or something of the sort.
Perhaps it was just some high notes reached by the vocalist next door that distracted my attention.
I might even attend church today if my dress up suit were here instead of at Long Beach. It ought to be here by next Sunday so if I have nothing more remunerative to do I might go.
To get back to real and vital facts again, Delta is on the main line of the Salt Lake and Los Angeles R.R [Railroad] which is controlled by the Union Pacific. A branch line runs East to Holden and Fillmore with a train three times a week. Another line runs North and West to Sutherland, Lucerne, Woodrow and Sugarville, also Southwest to Hinkley and Deseret. All of the trade comes to or thur Delta. There is a vet at Fillmore but none West. Fillmore used to be the State Capital in the old days of stage coaches and Pony Express.
. . . .
One man told be that the Mormons here had certainly treated him fine for the five years that he has been here. We were interrupted and I have not heard religion mentioned elsewhere. Everyone has certainly given me the glad hand and done everything they could for me.
Have had a few calls and have several lined up for the coming week. So I am going to stay and give it a good try out any way. If the vet business is not a success here it is not any place so far as I am concerned and I am going to try something else. Farming preferably. So beware dear you may live on a ranch again.
Dad and others are undecided just what to do but Dad says that they will not stay in the San Luis Valley if I decide to stay here. You need not broadcast this, dear, as I don not know that they have made it known there. I believe that they will go back to Canon as both lived there a long time and have friends there. I know that both of them will be better satisfied there than where they are. They may come out here or go to California tho, hard for me to tell.
Fred plans on leaving . . . . The condition of the roads is doubtful tho and he plans on leaving his car here and going on the train. Then he will either sell me his car or come out after it. Meanwhile I have the use of it. I stood the expense of fixing it up before we left Long Beach so that it ought to be in good shape as far as the running parts are concerned.
Fred and I went to hear the Governor speak the other night. He gave a good talk tho is was along political lines. The school gave Snow White last night and we accidentally went to that, thinking it was the regular picture show. Ignorant, well perhaps along some line but we will learn if we live long enough. There is a vaudeville in town tonight but I am not very crazy about this cheap small town vaudeville. I saw plenty of that in California to last for a long long time.
I wouldn’t take an oath that I know what dark blue taffeta is but am conceited enough to think I do. I know it is pretty for all your clothes are and always becoming.
Yes, I know some thing about how much you would like to see me for I would certainly enjoy (that is mild) seeing you.
Am glad that your party is out of the way. Hope that you had a good time. Well I should rather go riding with you dear than to any party I ever saw, unless I went there with you.
Here I have run over my allotment and doubt if I have said much, except that, I love you.
Mac
Box 153
P.S. Church is just over so I can smoke and watch the people go by.
This might have been the Paxton Hotel Mac referred to.
He likely when to this build, the dance hall on the second floor, for the dance.
Twitchell Ancestry 
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