At long last documentation

[J.David Moriaty]

The earliest letter that mentions the Ghetto is to my parents, 
postmarked February 11, 1963.   I had moved in some time earlier at the 
urging of Tary Owens since all the rent payers had moved out and the 
"family" was about to lose the apartment, 2812 1/2 Nueces, Apartment 4. 
Wali Stopher was still crashing there, but he assured me he'd move out 
any day. I got Jackson to sign on, so we were splitting $35/month two 
ways, bills paid.

"2812 1/2 Nueces
'down the alley from
the friendly tavern'

"Our man from Gatesville is gone. The gentleman I told you about that 
went to reform school and then went insane stole a car, left a note to 
his roommate and then drove off a cliff. 700 feet. I didn't know Wynn 
Pratt personally like a friend. I only talked to him on one or two 
occasions but quite a few people around here knew him and among them he 
is universally mourned. His father is Dr. Pratt, a university 
professor. [reporters with the Daily Texan had come thundering up the 
stairs at 2 am to ask me about Wynn the night he died. Since they woke 
me and I didn't know anything I wasn't the best interview]

"The more I clean out this place, the more I am convinced it is a 
fantastic deal. It looks huge and airy now that we have the windows 
washed. Amazing view. [Wali] Stopher came in and looked and said he 
always thought this place was backed up to a grey stucco wall."

I had moved into what was essentially a public space, like living under 
the Congress Avenue bridge, and it took some getting used to. A bunch 
of people I didn't know charged in about 2 am and helped themselves to 
the bathroom, then complained loudly that I was ruining the ambience 
because I had cleaned the toilet. I told them since I was paying the 
rent, that gave me a certain amount of proprietary discretion.

Some  days later I awakened at 4 am to the sickening smell of peyote 
cooking and found a stranger in the kitchen boiling a big potful of 
buds.  He said his name was Toad, and he had heard in Greenwich Village 
in NY that this apartment was cool.  No report of this exists in my 
parental correspondence.

Dave