[letter]
[page 1]
[hand written]
Raymond Woods
Prisoner of War
AUGUST 12, 1943
HELLO, T-BONE:
YESTERDAY THE SQUIRREL SEASON OPENED AND A FEW OF THE FELLOWS WERE GOING OUT, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD WHAT SORT OF LUCK THEY HAD. I DON�T THINK THE FISHING HAS BEEN VERY GOOD THIS YEAR BECAUSE I HAVE NOT HEARD OF A SINGLE BIG ONE BEING CAUGHT. EVEN JOHN POPP HASN�T BOASTED OF ANY GOOD CATCHES! IN FACT, I�VE ONLY SEEN HIM GOING OUT ONE TIME.
I�LL TRY TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE NEWS THAT SHOULD PASS THE CENSOR. FIRST, A FEW WEEKS AGO DURING A STORM THE LIGHTNING STRUCK THE STEEPLES OF BOTH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND THE REFORMED CHURCH IN SELLERSBURG. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST NEEDED CONSIDERABLE REPAIR BUT THE OTHER WAS NOT DAMAGED MUCH. LAST SATURDAY A BABY DAUGHTER WAS BORN TO BETTY JEAN (HIMEBAUGH) RIGGLE, BILLY�S WIFE. REV. KIMBEL WAS HERE IN SPEED LAST WEEKEND AND PREACHED IN OUR CHURCH ON SUNDAY; IT WAS GOOD TO SEE AND HEAR HIM AGAIN.
THE MILL IS RUNNING ABOUT LIKE IT WAS WHEN YOU LEFT. THE TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE PARK AND AROUND TOWN HAVE ALL BEEN BEAUTIFUL THIS SUMMER BUT HAVE BEGIN TO TAKE ON THE APPEARANCE OF FALL ALREADY. I SEE YOUR MOTHER AND DAD OFTEN AND THEY BOTH LOOK WELL. I ALSO SAW KEITH NOT LONG AGO AND HE LOOKS FINE.
HERE AT THE COMMUNITY HOUSE THINGS ARE ABOUT LIKE THEY WERE EXCEPT A LOT OF FACES WE USED TO SEE ARE MISSING NOW. OF COURSE, �LUCKY� IS STILL TAKING CARE OF THE POOL TABLES AND �SPATZY� MCCARTNEY STILL DROPS IN EVERY NIGHT FOR A GAME OF CARDS. DEWEY FLEMING STILL GUMSHOES AROUND WITH HIS SHERIFF�S BADGE VERY MUCH IN EVIDENCE. FLOYD HIMEBAUGH STILL HAS HIS LITTLE JOKES ABOUT EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY, AND MORRIS KRAMER STILL MEETS ALL THE TRAINS.
RALPH STONER IS ALSO ON THE JOB WITH ALL THE NEWS. BOB ROY SELLERS SITS ON THE BENCH AT THE CORNER AND CUSSES EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING JUST AS HE HAS FOR YEARS. SMITTY�S INN IS CROWDED EVERY NIGHT WITH THE YOUNGER SET DANCING AND DRINKING COKES, WHEN THEY CAN GET THEM. IN FACT, WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THE OLD TOWN JUST LIKE YOU LEFT IT AND I GUESS THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH, DON�T YOU THINK?
IF THE AUTHORITIES WILL LET YOU WRITE, I�LL BE MIGHTY GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU AT ANY TIME.
YOUR FRIEND,
JESSE G. DORSEY
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