TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COLUMBIA BANNER FEBRUARY 5, 1919 P. 1
Lcleron Haute Marne, France.
Jan. 12, 1919.
Dear brother and sister:
I will write you a short letter.
This leaves me well and trust it finds you both in the best of heath.
We are having a nice rain to day, which is one more day added to the last three solid months of rain which has just passed. It sure is a pity that the climate here is too cold for growing rice, for the weather here would cut out expense of irrigation, provided you could ever get the land drained and dried enough to harvest the crop. However I believe the crop could be gathered by closing the flood gates and raising the water until the grain would float out of the husks, then take a fine mesh seive and seive the rice up. Which would also save thrashing. To do this the rice would have to be shipped out of the country immediately for drying. I have been thinking of this project and might try it if the ___ ever finds out the war has closed.
At present I am in charge of a detail of sixteen negroes, building plank moads to float logs over to the mill, which is a large double circle mill that cuts about 225,000 feet of timber a day (24 hrs.) The greater part of the timber here is oak.
Of course you want to know when I am coming home, but you don’t want to know half as bad as I do. I haven’t the least idea when we will get home. If we stay here to do all the work there is to do we won’t get away this year. Please don’t worry about me for if I get hurt working here it will be because something falls on me.
Several of the negroes in my detail came from and around McNeil though I did not know any of them personally.
Well I guess I will quit. I haven’t had any mail in two weeks but I guess I will get a batch of it when it does come. Be sure take good care of the girlie, and you take her down to Kresses and buy her any thing she wants except a bugle, I hear one now so here goes.
With love and good wishes I am as ever your brother.
James E. Spradlin
40th Co, 20th Engrs.
A.E. F.
NOTES: James Edgar Spradlin was born at Waldo, Columbia County, Arkansas, on August 25, 1887 and died at Waldo on September 24, 1945. He is buried in the Smith Cemetery, at Waldo. His military headstone application lists him as a mechanic serving in the 40th Co. 20th Engrs. His actual military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Mech. serving with the 20th Engrs. He was described as being short and of medium build with light blue eyes and light brown hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Lcleron Haute Marne, France.
Jan. 12, 1919.
Dear brother and sister:
I will write you a short letter.
This leaves me well and trust it finds you both in the best of heath.
We are having a nice rain to day, which is one more day added to the last three solid months of rain which has just passed. It sure is a pity that the climate here is too cold for growing rice, for the weather here would cut out expense of irrigation, provided you could ever get the land drained and dried enough to harvest the crop. However I believe the crop could be gathered by closing the flood gates and raising the water until the grain would float out of the husks, then take a fine mesh seive and seive the rice up. Which would also save thrashing. To do this the rice would have to be shipped out of the country immediately for drying. I have been thinking of this project and might try it if the ___ ever finds out the war has closed.
At present I am in charge of a detail of sixteen negroes, building plank moads to float logs over to the mill, which is a large double circle mill that cuts about 225,000 feet of timber a day (24 hrs.) The greater part of the timber here is oak.
Of course you want to know when I am coming home, but you don’t want to know half as bad as I do. I haven’t the least idea when we will get home. If we stay here to do all the work there is to do we won’t get away this year. Please don’t worry about me for if I get hurt working here it will be because something falls on me.
Several of the negroes in my detail came from and around McNeil though I did not know any of them personally.
Well I guess I will quit. I haven’t had any mail in two weeks but I guess I will get a batch of it when it does come. Be sure take good care of the girlie, and you take her down to Kresses and buy her any thing she wants except a bugle, I hear one now so here goes.
With love and good wishes I am as ever your brother.
James E. Spradlin
40th Co, 20th Engrs.
A.E. F.
NOTES: James Edgar Spradlin was born at Waldo, Columbia County, Arkansas, on August 25, 1887 and died at Waldo on September 24, 1945. He is buried in the Smith Cemetery, at Waldo. His military headstone application lists him as a mechanic serving in the 40th Co. 20th Engrs. His actual military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Mech. serving with the 20th Engrs. He was described as being short and of medium build with light blue eyes and light brown hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT