In Post Oaks and Sand Roughs, Robert E. Howard’s semi-autobiographical novel, the protagonist, Steve Costigan (not to be confused with Sailor Steve Costigan), tells us that Hubert Grotz has “decided to run for the legislature.” Grotz is the character standing in for the real-life Herbert Klatt. While many things in the novel are known to have actually happened (see here and here, for just two examples), I’d never seen any evidence of Klatt actually running for office. Until now.

The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, in Austin, Texas, has a small collection of Harold Preece’s papers. I was hoping to find a long-lost letter from Robert E. Howard in the stack, but no luck there. I did, however, find the following letter from Herbert Klatt. The letter is handwritten in faded pencil on nine sheets of browning paper from a small pad. Here is my transcription [my notes are in brackets]:

[page 1]

Hamilton Sanitarium

March 9th, 1928.

Dear Harold:

My folks brought your letter in yesterday. I have been here the last five weeks. Have stomach trouble and the doctors say also t.b. altho I don’t notice it myself. Feeling fine now. Ought to get out soon. May go to the state t.b. sanitarium for a few months if the

[page 2]

doctors think that best. I haven’t been teaching school since the second week in January. Just incurring expenses. Had to give up the planned political campaign, regretfully. No candidate has announced yet. I’ll vote as a Democrat, otherwise I’ll lose my vote. I don’t think I’ll ever join the socialist party altho I am convinced of the ultimate soundness + necessity of some of the socialistic

[page 3]

ideas, principles + doctrines. As I see it the socialist party is hopeless + I can’t indorse all of its aims.

I planned to go to school this fall. U. of Texas taking preparatory for medicine but that is probably all off now. I may go to Commonwealth College, Mena Ark, a labor school. It is in financial straits now but will survive I think. I would really like to spend a year there. [Harold Preece ended up attending Commonwealth for a short time in 1931.]

[page 4]

Of course work in Commonwealth would not give me any collegiate standing but what are credits + certificates really worth anyways. Either you develop or you don’t. As Dr. Overstreet, professor of Philosophy, College of the City of New York (Upton Sinclair’s alma mater) says, we need “education without graduation.” A person’s education is never finished, unless ignorantly regarded so

[page 5]

on graduation, ignorantly + erroneously.

Truett [Vinson] sent me a big bundle of radical + liberal papers, magazines + other literature. Gosh, I really must subscribe to some of the liberal papers — The New Republic, The Nation, The Lano Colonist, etc. Need them to balance my opinions, to balance Satdy Eve Post, daily paper news, Literary Digest etc. I am really interested in the work of the

[page 6]

Texas Cooperative Colony. Seems to be a fine thing judging from perusal of the Lano Colonist. I would like to stay there awhile. I also think about the things I would do if I could acquire a small piece of well situated land with sufficient capital to begin improvements. I guess I am a farmer after all, have an innate love for the soil, but I’m not going to buck the

[page 7]

system as a farm laborer, renter or mortgage – covered farm owner. I believe I could make a good + almost independent living on a relatively small farm. The idea is extremely fascinating to me; here in the sanitarium I can be for hours in contemplation of it.

Yes, the U.S. is still in Nicaragua + the administration + “yes-boys” make a great clamor about

[page 8]

the “success” of the Havana Conference when all the facts indicate a different or at least a less optimistic conclusion.

I worry your eyes are bad. Take care of them to the fullest extent you can. I know it is tough. I am always afraid something will go wrong with mine before I kick in with t.b. or something.

Houston + Jesse Jones

[page 9]

make me sick. Simply a purchase of publicity + a probable vice-president nomination for Jesse Jones. Wish I had a typer at hand + I’d really tell you some of the things I think + suspect.

For the meanwhile I must leave off.

Yours — Herbert —

Write soon, what are you doing now?

This is the last known piece of correspondence from Klatt. It comes right at the time that Booth Mooney was starting up The Junto. In fact, Klatt had an item in the very first mailing which was dated March 1928. In a letter to Clyde Smith written after he’d read the first issue, Bob Howard said, “I’m going to give your name to Booth Mooney as a possible subscriber to The Junto; a pretty good paper for that type. He seems to be a kindred soul, lacking the touch of idealistic optimism I find cropping out in Preece and Klatt ever and anon. They are the true reformers, the men who will do real good in the world. You, I and I think Mooney will do the world good — we will do it so good that likely we will all have plenty of money before we take the count.”

Klatt would not do any more good in this world. He died in the sanitarium on May 10, 1928. Following his death, there was a flurry of activity amongst the Juntoites in May and June. Plans were made to create a collection of Klatt’s writing and/or a memorial edition of The Junto. The collection never materialized; the memorial edition may have been dated July 1928, if it was ever issued. We’ll never know for sure as that edition apparently hasn’t survived. These details (and more!) can be found in Lone Scout of Letters, a collection of Herbert Klatt’s writings. I’ll have to add the new letter if I ever update that collection.