Letter from Jesse G. Dorsey to Raymond T-Bone Woods, October 18, 1943.

              [letter]
[page 1]

[hand written]
Raymond Woods
Prisoner of War

OCTOBER 18, 1943 

DEAR T-BONE: 

THE SUMAC ALONG THE HIGHWAY HAS TURNED TO BRILLIANT RED, MAKING A WONDERFUL BACKGROUND FOR THE GOLDEN ROD WHICH IS BLOOMING IN GREAT PROFUSION THIS YEAR. BACK IN THE FIELDS AND ALONG THE EDGES OF THE HILLS THE MAPLE TREES ARE TURNING TO MANY SHADES OF YELLOW AND RED. THIS, MINGLED WITH THE DEEP GREEN OF THE EVERGREENS, MAKES A GLORIOUS EFFECT. IN MANY FIELDS THE NEWLY SHUCKED CORN STANDS LIKE SENTINELS IN IRREGULAR ROWS.

STRAW HATS NAVE BEEN DISCARDED AND SWEATERS HAVE MADE THEIR APPEARANCE. SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE RADIO BLARED FORTH THE NOISY CROWD AT THE FOOTBALL GAMES AND THE WORLD SERIES IS OVER WITH THE YANKS AGAIN THE WINNER. FROM THE CHIMNEYS A WISP OF SMOKE CAN BE SEEN LAZILY ETCHING THE AUTUMN HAZE. THE ROADSIDE STANDS ARE SELLING APPLES, AND THE GROUND UNDER THE WALNUT AND HICKORY TREES GIVES EVIDENCE OF THE RECENT VISIT OF THE KIDS OUT TO GATHER THE NUTS. YES, IT�S FALL HERE AT HOME AND YOU KNOW HOW BEAUTIFUL SOUTHERN INDIANA CAN SE AT THIS SEASON OF THE YEAR. 

SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH ONLY A VERY SLIGHT DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT. FOOTBALL HAS SEEN ABANDONED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR- -TRANSPORTATION TROUBLES. BASKETBALL PRACTICE IS IN FULL SWING NOW. THE SCHEDULE OPENS IN NOVEMBER, THE FIRST THREE GAMES BEING PLAYED AT HOME AGAINST PEKIN, CHARLESTOWN, AND NEW WASHINGTON. THE NEXT TWO WILL BE AWAY FROM HOME AGAINST CORYDON AND JEFFERSONVILLE.

FOUR NEW HOMES ARE GOING UP IN THE HAAS ADDITION IN SELLERSBURG; WILLARD BEGGS OF SCOTTSBURG IS THE BUILDER. I AM TOLD THAT TWO HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BUT NOT SOLD AS YET. ORA BURR HAS MOVED FROM THE CLARENCE RIGGLE FARM TO SELLERSBURG. MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM ORBERSON HAVE MOVED TO ST. JOE. JOE CONROY AND HIS FAMILY HAVE MOVED TO HENRYVILLE AND BOB WELLS AND HIS FAMILY ARE LIVING IN THE FORMER CONROY HOME.

JUST AFTER MY LAST LETTER WAS MAILED TO YOU WE HAD A VERY UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT AT THE MILL. MR. CHARLIE HUCKLEBERRY FELL FROM THE CLINKER CRANE, A DISTANCE OF MORE THAN 40 FEET, AND SUFFERED SERIOUS INGURIES. HE DIED A FEW DAYS LATER IN THE HOSPITAL FROM PNEUMONIA BROUGHT ON BY HIS SERIOUS CONDITION. MR. GEORGE APPLEGATE, WHO WORKED AS NIGHT WATCHMAN AT THE WHEEL, WAS FOUND DEAD RECENTLY FROM A HEART ATTACK. THE WHEEL WAS CLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS LAST MONTH WHILE MR. AND MRS. DOLD WENT TO MICHIGAN ON A FISHING TRIP.