I stopped by the annual Mule Camp Market for lunch today, and picked up an old Perry Mason dime store novel (“The Case of the Sleepwalker’s Niece” by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1942, third printing) and — bonus! — found a penny postcard that apparently served as a bookmark.

The card comes from the British War Relief Society, Inc., and acknowledges the generous donation by Mrs. Camille Sadler of “4 more sweaters R.A.F”. Mrs. Sadler seems to have been staying in New York with her friend Mrs. Honore Palmer, at the very swank River House apartment building. Built in 1931, it has been an art deco landmark ever since and, today, one can get a three-bedroom apartment there for around $5 million.

But, back to Mrs. Sadler. I suppose she might have picked up the Perry Mason to read on the return trip back to — well, somewhere; who knows how many times the book has changed hands before it came to me but, apparently none of them bothered to open the book, let alone read it. I found the “bookmark” less than halfway through the book; I guess Mrs. Sadler never found out what happened to the sleepwalker.

Be sure to check out some of the other items in the Weekend Mailbox, and stop by Postcard Friendship Friday.

Patty at Just Letter Rip stumbled across this blog and decided to send me a postcard.  (Always a good idea; you could send me one yourself.)  Of course, if you send something to Patty, too, chances are you’ll get something cool and crafty in return.  Patty exchanges both postcards and letters, whereas I usually get writer’s block when confronted with any writing space larger than the left side of a postcard.

This postcard shows “The Brooklyn Bridge seen from Brooklyn Heights soon after its completion in 1883.”  This looks like the kind of thing General George Washington could have used, when he was busy losing the first battle of the Revolutionary War (the Battle of Brooklyn, in August 1776).  The British destroyed two militias, but Washington was able to save the bulk of his force by rowing them across the East River under cover of fog, while the British lay siege to Brooklyn.

Before the battle, the British commander, Lord Howe, tried unsuccessfully to have a letter delivered to Washington to propose a meeting.  We presume today that Washington would not accept the letter because he doubted that any talks would be useful.  At the time, however, he used protocol as an excuse: officially, the British refused to recognize the Continental Army or Washington’s military rank, and so the letter was addressed to “Mr.” Washington.  Henry Knox, Washington’s artillery officer, wrote this account to his wife:

(Lord Howe) sent a flag of truce up to the city. They came within about four miles of the city, and were met by some of Colonel Tupper’s people, who detained them until his Excellency’s pleasure should be known.  Accordingly, Colonel Reed (Washington’s adjutant) and myself went down to the barge to receive the message. When we came to them, the (British) officer… rose up and bowed, keeping (on) his hat.

“I have a letter, sir, from Lord Howe to Mr. Washington.”

“Sir,” says Colonel Reed, “we have no person in our army with that address.”

“Sir,” says the officer, “will you look at the address?” He took out of his pocket a letter which was thus addressed:

George Washington, Esq.
New York

“No sir,” says Colonel Reed, “I cannot receive that letter.”

And you thought today’s postal addressing guidelines were picky.

For Postcard Friendship Friday, here’s a postcard mailed to a Friend.  Postmarked Santa Monica, California, 13 December 1938, this real photo postcard was dispatched to Mr. Friend P. Williams of Albany, New York.

Let’s talk about our friend Friend; I was able to learn a great deal about him from a variety of sources.  Originally from Olean, New York, Friend graduated from Cornell University in 1899 with a degree in civil engineering.  He spent most (if not all) of his career working as an engineer for the State of New York.

In 1906, he became engaged to a Miss Alma Horton, the daughter of Mr. F. M. Horton of 97 Gates Avenue in Brooklyn.  (I can’t help but wonder how they met; I can’t find any evidence that he spent any significant amount of time anywhere near NYC.)

He worked on the “Barge Canal” Project, which was a series of major improvements to New York’s canal system, which began around 1903 and lasted for decades.  By 1914, he was the division engineer for the project’s Western Division and, from 1919-1921, he served as a Special Deputy State Engineer, still with the project.

Ultimately, his career progressed until, by 1935, he was the Engineer-Secretary of New York’s Division of Water Power and Control.  When he received this card in 1938, I imagine he would have been about 62 years old and close to retirement.  His work certainly explains his residence in Albany, the state capital.

So friend Friend is no mystery.  The message, however, has resisted analysis:

Our writer uses a postcard featuring one of Oregon’s natural wonders to extol the virtues of California. “Californians are very proud of their state (justly so) and have shown us every square inch, or so it seems. We have been from San Diego to Portland, Oregon, and Dororty has done her duty, lecturing and signing books. We love California, but cold old Albany will look pretty good to us. We shall have a lot to tell you!  Just today we visited the Kellogg Arabian Horse Farm, and you know how much I enjoyed that. There were some beautiful horses there — pure white stallions. Our love to you and the girls. T. H.(?) Santiago.”

You would think that a woman with a name like Dororty and who is obviously an author and lecturer would be easy to find; I found a few, but none of them seemed to fit in with this message. Nor was I able to find Mr. Santiago.

Be sure to check out the other blogs celebrating Postcard Friendship Friday.

“This view taken below Niagara Falls shows the American Falls on the left and Bridal Veil on the right. Under the falls lies the Cave of the Winds, formed by thirty feet of projecting limestone. This so-called cave is 100 feet in height and 60 feet in depth.”

According to the back of the postcard, this is a Colourpicture Publication, Boston 15, Mass.  Since the words “one cent” have been unceremoniously removed from the text “Place one cent stamp here” in the stamp box, we can surmise that the card was published no earlier than 1952.

This is an incredibly well preserved postcard, from Kay Anthony’s collection. The postcard would seem to agree with me: “A remarkable view of the downtown section of New York City’s world-famous skyline, a truly awe-inspiring sight.” The card was published by Alfred Mainzer, 118 East 28th Street, New York 16, New York.

The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them. — George W. Bush, September 20, 2001