Monday, June 27, 2011

Giant Potatoes and Typhoid Fever

Both the message and the card itself are a little unusual. Viola sent it from Dixie, Washington (current population about 220) to her friend Edith McKinzey in Portland, Oregon.

The message scrawled on the front says:
Has S. and E.B. made up and got married again - we will surely pull old Daddy by leg. best Regards to Carl from John.

Here's the back of the card.
The message reads:

Dixie Wash
Ans soon
Dear Edith, can't write much as I have the Typhoid Fever, been down in bed 15 days all ready, don't know when I'll be able to sit up. John is getting awful then gives me dope all night and works all day - Viola.
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11 comments:

  1. DorincardJune 27, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    I thought everything's bigger in Texas, not Washington.
    "Made up and married again"? Sounds like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
    "Pull old Daddy by leg"? Ah, so that's how the expression "Daddy long-legs" appeared...

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  2. Lisa BJune 27, 2011 at 8:56 AM

    What a disturbing image!
    I do hope Viola recoverd.

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  3. JanineJune 27, 2011 at 12:41 PM

    Was ist denn das, die größten Kartoffeln der Welt?

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  4. HowardJune 27, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    They look more like enormous rocks! Any idea what happened to Viola?

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  5. Christine H.June 27, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    Howard,
    You're right, those potatoes don't look especially tasty. As for poor Viola, I don't know. With no last name and an unclear date (1912?, 1918?), it's virtually impossible to know. I do know that there is no one buried in the nearby cemetery with a first name of Viola. perhaps that's an indication that she lived a long life and died elsewhere?

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  6. AnonymousJune 27, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    What kind of dope do you think she got? Is it grief or drugs? She talks rather cryptic!

    Those potatoes would make a lot of Tator Tots.

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  7. Tattered and LostJune 27, 2011 at 5:23 PM

    I'm imagining this farmer also raised jackalopes.

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  8. Postcard RoundupJune 27, 2011 at 7:48 PM

    Truly bizarre message on that card....and just look at them thar taters!

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  9. Archie TechtJune 27, 2011 at 9:12 PM

    I'm pretty sure those are rejects from the Easter Island sculpture yard, not giant potatoes, either that or just the damn rockiest field anybody ever had to plow! Some strange verbiage indeed in the messages, makes an already weird card downright bizarre...

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  10. Aimee DarsJune 30, 2011 at 7:07 AM

    Fascinating message! The potato farming reminds me of George (my husband) - he works at a farm!

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  11. PostcardyJune 30, 2011 at 8:18 AM

    I wouldn't want to lift one of those. Maybe they could ship them to a sawmill and make giant french fries.

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