"I love a mystery..."
Going through some old pictures, I found a postcard. No date on it. No address. No signature. Not even a "halfpenny stamp" where one should have been placed. Hmmmm. Who wrote this? How did it end up among the old pictures?
I have made a few conclusions about it.
1. The picture post card, as it says at the bottom, is of "Ernest Stevens "As Friday". I tried googling Ernest Stevens, vaudeville, blackface, minstrels....nothing showed up. Was he an American minstrel man? British?
2. The writing on the left side says "Jack this is not 110 Engine, but it reminded me of a man that took part in a ministral once upon a time." My dad, though named "John", went by "Jack" and he was in minstrel shows in Baker City as a young man. He was also an engineer for the Sumpter Valley railroad for a time. Did he run engine #110?
3. The writing on the right side says "I gave her that?". I have no idea what this refers to, but was probably clear to the writer and the recipient of this card.
Now for the really interesting part. In case you can't make out the message on the card it says:"Jack I was more than Pleased to hear from you although it was verry short. I did appreciate it, it showes that I have your well wishes. I have not got a letter from Dave since I left. I guess it is because he has had so much sicness. Tell him I would like to hear from him personaly when he gets time. Tell J. Eccles I awaiting for an answer from him. I will write you a long letter when I return from Scotland where I am going for conferance nex Sunday May 14. I expect to see uncle Stewart thus will tell you all when I return. I am not so well physicaly but Spiritualy I never felt better. May God bless you all. With regards to all ------"
So this is obviously a card sent to my dad by someone (friend? relative?) who knew him as a young man. And what is he doing in Scotland? How did the card reach my dad without any postage on it? When was it written, by whom?Moral of the story: date and sign everything you send to someone. That will save a lot of consternation decades later.
Stay tuned.
posted by The Oregonians @ 7:32 PM
13 Comments
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13 Comments:
Sounds like a friend who was on a mission. Going to Scotland for a conference. Sick. Spiritually never felt better. Wanting to hear from friends. Uncharacteristically friendly for a male. Probably a post card he saw on his mission that reminded him of Jack. The lack of postage can be explained by the church missionary mail system. Often the letters go to the mission house and then get carried by missionaries returning home back to the states. In my mission that's how it worked, although we did have to apply sufficient postage for the letters to get from Salt Lake to the desired location. Also the lack of address suggests it was hand carried directly to Jack.
"Uncharacteristically friendly for a male..." Dave, you are hilarious. And a very good detective!
Some logical conclusions, Dave.
Now I'll wonder who the unknown deliverer might have been.
David, David, David, the intricate working of your brain never cease to amaze and entertain.
Dad, whether or not the mystery is solved, it sure was fun reading this post. The post card would have to be 90 years old wouldn't it? How old would your dad be in 2009?
Love,
Barbie, who is old enough on my own without thinking of my father's father!
Dear First Born in the wilderness of La Grande--
According to all available records John Hiatt was born 30 Dec 1880.
Were he alive today he would be
going on 129, a fairly ripe old age.That's what I'm aiming for.
Wow - if he had lived, he would have been 70 when I was born (I think - I'm no Amy when it comes to math!).
When I'm 70, Ethan will be 26 years old.
Barb
Dear One Lost in the Wildeness of math:
Close, but no cigar.
1952 - 1880 = ???
--------------
Take it from there.
almost a cigar! I was only 2 years off - let's say I was "rounding up"
heavens - rounding DOWN
You'd make a good Secretary of Commerce. Just practice rounding down in trillions.
This reads like a woman wrote it and it sounds like she is a relative since she refers to Uncle Stewart and is also waiting for a letter owed to her by J. Eccles. Women are into the chastisement thing for petty transgressions. ("Pleased to hear from you although it was verry short....I have not got a letter from Dave since I left.....awaiting for answer from J. Eccles"). Is there a Stewart Eccles in the family tree who remained in Scotland? Brother to William? Could "Dave" be an Eccles? hmmmmmm
Julie,
I think you're on to something. My dad had a half-sister, Barbara Swinger, for whom my sister Barb was named.
Barbara Swinger had a beautiful voice. She was so talented that she went to Germany to study music and died there in 1922 at the age of 25.
Re-reading the post card as if it were coming from his sister, other things seem to fall into place. The "Dave" she hasn't heard from could be her half-brother David; "Uncle Stewart" could refer to her mother's brother, Stewart Eccles.
Even the statement that the writer is not physically well could be seen as a portent of what happened to her.
And the tone of the writing -- not "uncharacteristically friendly" if coming from a young sister.
We could also conclude that the reason it was among the odds and ends of things that Dad hung onto
is that it could well have been the last word he heard from his much-loved and talented sister.
I can go with that.
What do the rest of you think?
The Mystery continues: I have been on the church's family history website and found that Margaret Eccles was sealed to her second husband, Charles Swinger, in the 1990's in Provo, Utah. They had 5 children together. It shows that all of them were sealed to parents Margaret and Charles in the 1990's - some work was done in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1998. EXCEPT for Barbara it says "born in the covenant" which is impossible because her parents were not sealed when they were married because Margaret Eccles was sealed to John Hiatt. We need to investigate that further and either correct the "BIC" info or get her sealed to her parents. ALSO, it shows that she is NOT sealed to her spouse Francis Eble but that it is "ready". Do you and mom want to do this sealing by proxy or could I do it? Perhaps this is why you found this postcard.....Julie
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