The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-02
Dear Dad:

l was surprised to be getting here
myself, but dad a lot bigger surprise
is coming so get ready because you
never could guess.
You know l was saying that after
we got kind of scared thinking
Uncle bud was burgler he want
ed us to get somebody to come and
stay with us, SO all at once he
thought of Nannah, so we all got in
Claribel and came clear over here
to Louistown. They finally got
Nannah to say she'd come last
night, SO after that we come over
to this hotel and l guess we're go
ing to stay awhile.
But dad. l haven't told you the
surprise yet, so please listen. l for
got to say that hannah told us
about a big Red Cross sale they
were going to have today, SO that's
one reason we staid over, and dad
you ought to of seen it.
All the street was full of people
and horses and wagons and autos
and in the middle they had a big
platform where three of four men
were holding up pies and chickens
and dishes and things, and shouting
all the time, and then people in the
crowd were shouting too. l asked
Uncle Dud what they were hollow
ing about, but it took so long for
him to answer that l saw how it
was myself,-they all wanted to
give more than anybody else.
One man held up an egg and
said the chicken that laid it was
named Betsy Ross so somebody
said he'd give fifty cents for it, and
another said he'd give sixty, and
then they kept on shouting until
finally it sold for two dollars and
a half, and that man said, to sell
1t over again, so they did, and f.
nally that one egg brought the Red
Cross about seventy dollars.
And then dad, they had a great
big cake with flag made in the
icing, and they kept on selling it
over and over until it made about
three hundred dollars, and then
after that one man shouted "I'll
give a dollar to eat one slice at
dinner" SO all the men took it up,
and finally dad, that cake sold for
over five hundred dollars.
At noon everybody went upstairs
in an old building where they were
having dinner on long tables, and
dad, they just put big plates of
chicken and potatoes and pie and
everything right on the table, and
you took things just when you
wanted it, you even could eat des-
sert first, some people did, and it
was just quarter for all.
But dad, l havn't told you the
surprise yet SO I'm going to right
now, and, well, after dinner we
went out there again, but they were
just selling of horses, and big
things, so l went down to the bake
shop where Nannah was, to get
some candy marbles. And when l
got back l heard Uncle bud shout
five fifty" and then the man
shouted, "Sold for five hundred and
fifty dollars"
l asked him what he was doing,
and he said just proving that he
was a good war time uncle, and
then Jean was sort of squealing
and jumping up and down hanging
onto mother. And when she saw
me she said oh Jimmie what shall
We name him, and l said name
what, and she said why the pony
Uncle bud has bought us, and then
dad, l saw him.
He Is little and black with a real
long tail. and his face is the nice
looking kind that makes you want
to rub his nose. Dad, you've just
got to see him that's all, but don't
worry I'll tell you everything he
does, so I guess I'll have to stop
now because mother says SO, only
dad don't you think he'd get awful
lonesome If We put him in the
barn, that's what / said. but in the
celler maybe,-well here comes
mother again. So long.
Jimmie