Charity chain letter. War thrift savings. Send 25¢ cent saving stamp forward. Ten copies.  US, 1918.

                                                                           Arma, Kansas, May 15, 1918

Mr. Laurence Van Norsdall
Ft. Smith
Arkansas

Dear Sir:

          Chain letters are among the things we read by compulsion
and criticise from force of habit. This is not because the chain
letter is bad but because it has been abused.Used patriotically this
chain letter can become a mighty link of loyalty.

          Enclosed is a Government Thrift Card with the first stamp
affixed.Buy the stamps to fill it out for yourself,firm in your
conviction that this chain letter will grow to be of powerful use to
Uncle Sam.

          Then go to the Post Office,buy ten 25¢ Thrift stamps and
ask  for ten Thrift Cards.Put one stamp in each card and fill the
blanks with the names of ten of your friends.Write them a letter like
this on your stationery and send your list of names to the War
Savings  Committee,51 Chambers St. New York City.

          Let's get action on this,It's one of our ways of getting
"Over The Top.".
                        Yours to Save and Serve

                     C. B. Van Norsdall

C B VanNorsdall            818 Lexington Ave. Ft. Smith Ark.
Laurence Van Norsdall                         Ft. Smith Ark.
Wm. Mattney                                   Ft. Smith Ark.
W J Allen                                     Weir Kansas
Morey Whitemore                               Weir Kansas
John Veatch                                   Weir Kansas
J W Baker                                     Weir Kansas
John Stewart                                  Weir Kansas
James Broadley                                Weir Kansas
Wm. Williams                                  Weir Kansas

[.................... enclosure ....................]

"American Red Cross Christmas Membership" card (3x5 inches) for the Fort Smith Chapter.  "Dues Paid for 1918 $1.00."  Printed in red and green, no. 8027. Made out to L.L. Van Norsdall, to whom the letter was addressed.

Typed (?) letter on standard size paper. Letter head of "Van Norsdall Automatic Oiler Co." of Arma, Kansas (phone 69). "We Solicit Your Wants in Mine Car Lubrication."  The text and names following may be a carbon copy. The lead name is in a different font,  in blue.  No envelope. Apparently  the Red Cross membership was sent forward instead of the Government Thrift Card and stamp as the letter requested. Purchased on ebay by D. VanArsdale.

ce1918-05-15_warthrift_q10

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