Letter

Departement Du Tarn-Et-Garonne,
Mairie de St-Nicolas de la Grave

One letter from Mr. G. Doustin, Mayor of Saint-Nicolas de la Grave, France, to Mr. Reuben Ryding of Detroit. The letter is typewritten in dark blue ink on both sides of the paper and is dated March 6, 1959. The letter is translated from French as follows:

"6 March 1959

Mr. G. Doustin, Mayor of Saint-Nicolas de la Grave.
to
Mr. Reuben Ryding of Detroit.

Dear Mr. Ryding

It is already a year since my friend Alary and I made a trip to Detroit to attend the celebration of the occasion of the tricentennial of the birth of the founder of your beautiful city, the Knight of Lamothe-Cadillac, child of Saint-Nicolas de la Grave.
We have both saved an unforgettable memory of our stay, and appreciate especially your touching welcome.
I am particularly happy to have welcomed your family in our modest city last July, and I hope that you will recall the best memory of your too short stay among us, but if our welcome was modest, I can assure you the Saint-Nicolas and all its inhabitants recognize you and celebrate you as a sincere friend.
We have since gathered a small album with some photographic views of different events, I propose to send you a copy of the mounted photographs, I hope that this small collection of memories will be for you and yours a precious pledge of our friendship.
My friend, Boutel, tax collector in Saint-Nicolas whom you met at the small meal taken with family at my house, tells me without doubt you are interested in the restoration of the house where the Knight of Lamothe-Cadillac was born.
I intend to draw up an estimate and a study for your information.
This work will be relatively easy to execute and in this way we will have a permanent place where it will be possible to group various souvenirs (that we do not lack) which report on the life of the illustrious child who was born in that house.
I think that this building will become a welcome center that will not lack visits from a great number of your countrymen who each year visit our country or pass through our region.
This will support and ---- the ties that unite our two cities, this will be the perpetual memory of the work of our illustrious countryman.
It is with this hope that our modest efforts will contribute to the ties of friendship, which beyond our two cities unite our two countries, that I ask you Mr. Ryding to pass best wishes and respectful sentiments to Mrs. Ryding, and that you will accept this expression of my perfect esteem.

G. Doustin
Mayor"