Happy PFF - History in a postcard

To Mrs. Harry Sommerfeld, Lohrville Iowa (rural route)
Postmarked Long ? April 9 1917
Dear Lillie:
How are you? I am just fine. Nearly every-body is done with the vats(?) Had a snow Sat. afternoon and a big freeze the last two nights. What do you think of the war? Looks very serious. People are all worked up about it around here. Did you start some goose berries plants for us. If you did send by parcel post and will pay you the postage. Corn was 1.18 Sat. eggs 20p. Good stuff is taking a jump. Ans .soon Rita

I knew from the postmark that Rita was talking about WWI – the Great War. After doing some research (OK, just Wikipedia) I realized there was much about the war I did not know. And the date of this card will be significant.

Many socio-political events contributed to the war, though the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in July 1914 is considered to be the trigger. Various alliances were invoked so soon “The conflict opened with the German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and France; the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia and a Russian attack against Prussia." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I

Later the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and Romania joined the war. In March 1917 the Tsar abdicated and a provisional government continued with the war. Conditions in Russia were chaotic.

The United States followed an isolationist policy. However there were some cases of suspected German sabotage in the USA. There were increasing U-boat attacks on shipping. And then there was the Zimmermann telegram. Gosh, I must have been asleep that day in history class. Or they skipped right over it.

In January 1917 “British cryptographers deciphered a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Minister to Mexico, von Eckhardt, offering United States territory [Texas, New Mexico, Arizona] to Mexico in return for joining the German cause. This message helped draw the United States into the war and thus changed the course of history.” (http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/zimmermann/).

However, the Brits waited until February to tell President Wilson, and news didn’t hit the papers until March 1 1917. Public outrage ensued.

On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress formally declared war on Germany and its allies. No wonder the talk was all about the war among Rita’s friends and neighbors.

Another note about April 1917. Lenin at that time was in Zurich, Switzerland, but with the abdication of the Tsar, he had decided to return to Russia. But how, with the Great War raging all through Europe? Therefore the sealed train, traveling through Germany to the Finland Station in Petrograd (once Leningrad, now St. Petersburg). And so, after a number of events, the October Revolution that year and changing history, again.

Lenin left Zurich on April 2, 1917, arriving in Petrograd April 16.

And as in my postcard that mentions the Berlin Wall, the mundane is intertwined with the historical. Rita asks about gooseberry plants, and gives an update on farm prices.

I am joining Beth at The Best Hearts are Crunchy for Postcard Friendship Friday. Please see who else is joining her today.

Viridian

Strange Postcard Friendship Friday

To Kenneth Van Patter or Van Patten, Hubbard, Iowa. Illegible postmark.

"Tell the kids Hello! My school let out last Friday the 19 th. Good-bye. All kinds of flowers here now. Hello Kenneth, I rec’d your card. I found you on the picture. Would you like for me to send some little Prairie Dogs? If you do let me know right away for I have my trap set now. I’ll tell you how I’ll send them if you want them. I am well and so are papa and mama. Hope you are well." C. Ri ????

A very mundane card, except for... the prairie dogs. What is going on here? How would one send prairie dogs through the mail, even now, never mind 90 years ago? Live in a cage? Butchered and dressed in a box? (Ugh) I don't think refrigerated or frozen delivery was available then. I sure hope this was an inside or family joke.

Strange.

Viridian61

Peek into Kansas, 1913

OK, you knew I couldn't keep up a postcard a day for long. My collection is not that extensive or deep. So, every other day. The next few entries cover postcards with mundane messages that yet offer us a peek into the past.

To Charlie McCloud of Iowa, from his sister in Coats, Kansas, July 13, 1913.
"Dear Bro.
I recieved [sic] your kind & welcome letter yesterday was glad to hear from you. We are well and hard at work thrashing wheat. Did you go the 4th. We thrashed all day. We have made over $80.00 since we came here. O the wind is blowing awful here today and has blowed hard every day we have been here. I don’t like it here at all. Well I guess I will have to close for this time hoping to hear from you again soon. I remain your loving sister [illegible]"

$80.00 was very good money. Of course, we don't know how long she worked to earn this amount. I wish I could read her name.

Whitten, Iowa (population 160) is in central Iowa, northwest of Des Moines. It's clear in Google Earth that it was once on a railroad line, but that the tracks have been taken out.
Coats, KS is still there, a little farming and railroad town in Pratt County. According to Wikipedia, its population was 112 in the 2000 census. It is SW of Wichita and south of I70, and about 26 miles from Greensburg KS, the town that was destroyed by a tornado and is now rebuilding itself.

The teens were a time of more rainfall on the plains and farm yields were good. Labor was needed. She does not live in Coats but is there for the work. Who was with her? I wonder how old she was.
viridian