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511

Detroit, Michigan,
December 27th,1899.

W. J. McBride, Esq.,
General Manager, American Car and Foundry Co.,
St. Louis, Mo. 

Dear Mac:-

The bottle presented to Mr.Dickinson was used for water and was made at the kilns known as Hagi, which are located in the province of Nagato, which province is situated in Southern Japan not far from the seaport of Nagasaki. The art of pottery making has been carried on at Hagi during the last eight or ten centuries. During the reign of the Hideyoshi he conquered Corea and brought back to Japan a number of Corean potters, several of whom were located at Hagi and worked there for a number of years and greatly improved the output of the kilns. The bottle you sent to Mr. Dickinson shows Corean influence and was made by one of the [[strikethrough]] original [[/strikethrough]] Corean potters at Hagi or possibly by one of their followers. It is a fine specimen, the glaze being creamish white splashed with long lines of sea green. 

Hoping this will enable you to enlighten Mr.Dickinson upon the principal charms of his beautiful Christmas gift, I remain,

Yours very truly, 
Charles L Freer

Transcription Notes:
I can't read the signature at the bottom. Also one word is crossed out with another word written over though I can't read the new word. Korean is also spelled wrong throughout.