Make short work of the “tall + uncut”

Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 40-43

I originally intended to focus on one card at a time. That didn’t last long! It proved much easier to spend extensive time on the initial cards I presented, both because I was starting to figure out what to do with this blog and because each was selected for one or more iconic qualities which rewarded in-depth examination.

With this album, the attractions for me include seeing how the cards fit together–how Fred (and others, especially when we move on to add other albums) uses the cards. What information he includes, where he’s open versus coy and allusive.

TLDR: I’ll share however many cards seem warranted in any given posts, and posts focused on albums will likely include multiple cards.

This week, four (unless I change my mind by the end).

First on the line: a mystery. A number of postcard senders enjoyed (and still do, likely) sending cards that teased the recipients and asked them to figure out who the sender was or some other detail. The first batch of postcards sent to an individual that I acquired included a number signed “Y.K.W.” I regret to write it took me a lot longer than it should have to realize this stood for “You Know Who.” (In that case, the recipient may have but I’m still trying to piece it out based in no small part on handwriting comparisons.)

Here are six women reclining in a tree in western New York. A simple, colored photograph produced by The Buffalo News Company (various news companies were responsible for a lot of local postcards).

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Apparently, one of the women pictured is acquainted with Katheryn “Kittie” McMahon. Which? Don’t ask me, nor what her name is. Perhaps at some point I’ll have enough information about Katheryn to identify her in external sources and explore whether her school friends and/or relatives included anyone who might reasonably be placed in the vicinity at the proper time. Don’t bet on it (even if I do have the information to explore this, there’s no guarantee I’ll have the time to invest in pursuing it).

Then the album contained two quick messages, one to Katheryn from Fred and one to Anna McMahon from “J.T.R.” — any guesses which is which?

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This should be easy, since I specified the card to Katheryn came from Fred. The one on the left (from Buffalo, N.Y. and portraying a local image) went to Anna and that on the right (from Seattle and a local image) to Katheryn. The right-hand one was from The Puget Sound News Company, and the back looks very much like that of The Buffalo News Company. They were both affiliates of the American News Company.

For once, Fred wrote the message only on the front, and it’s hard to read. My guess as to the text is “How would you like to take a stroll thro here with me As ever Fred.” It’s dated late March, 1908.

Last but not least, we have a card bearing one of Fred’s more typical lengthy messages. He often needs to turn the card and use up as much space as he can. This time, he seems to have tried leaving additional space when writing the first part of the message. Perhaps it was an experiment of some sort. Based on a quick review of overall style of writing these longer texts, he mostly just wrote from edge to edge, or as close as he could get, and then squeezed additional material in where he could. There are other instances where he started about 1/4-1/3 of the way across, but not many. He seems to have been as ready to write over the variations of “POST CARD” printed text as around it.

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As for the message itself, it offers several points of analysis:

Dearest: It is Sund. A.M. + your letter of May 16th I recd. the same eve after mailing you by Spec. deldy[?] the Bracelet, Pictures + letter. Suffice is to say I have several “little”? Matters of interest to say to you when I write tonight I would write to you this morn but the boys at the house here drew straws last night to see who would be the victim to cut the grass on the front lawn for Mrs. Simmond this A.M. + it fell to yours truly to preform[?] that little set. I consequently have to get busy + make short work of the “tall + uncut” swallowing my pride against manual labor on Sunday but recognizing[?] the fact that when some of us feel hungry and make a raid on the ice chest she is mighty fine + good hearted + says nothing. Result we reciprocate in a number of little ways by helping her around the house + she in turn complaineth not Dear the fleet is here + the city is decorated beautiful. I will mail papers Untill this eve. Then dear. Lovingly Fred”

Fred Newton to Katheryn McMahon, 25 May 1908

Once again we have evidence that Katheryn is writing to Fred, if not so often as he would like. His wording is a bit loose, but he likely received her letter after having sent the special delivery package. As for the “”little” matters of interest”–we’ll only know if he confided them in a postcard that happens to be among the remainder to be processed. If he sent them in a letter or in postcard separate from those in the album. As an aside, I do have one letter he sent her a few months earlier (will include it here when we’ve finished the postcards) and it’s not actually longer than some of his postcard messages.

The other subject this offers is insight into Fred’s housing arrangements. This is definitely a topic I’ll research in more depth down the road–especially as I have a name: Mrs. Simmonds. She likely ran some type of boarding house popular with young men (“boys”). She provided food, and didn’t object to raids on her ice chest–and in turn they did various errands and tasks for her. This included cutting the grass, and even though Fred had objections to doing this on a Sunday, he obliged after drawing the short straw. The use of straws and reference to other tasks suggests there’s a degree of organization among the young men. Perhaps future postcards will feature references to tease out Fred’s daily living in Seattle.

As for the arrival of the fleet? That’s a subject for next week when a different postcard touches it in more depth.

“Make short work of the “tall + uncut,”” copyright 2021, A.R. Henle.