Order for Shoes and Boots

This card is a wholesale order for boots and shoes, sent to John Leutz, Allentown, PA in 1895. The order was filled; you can see the word "booked" written in pencil over the order...also a blue check mark. It's not easy to decipher though. This is what I can make out of the message:

Please ship us

1 Case Ladies gums low cut

(various sizes listed)

12 pr boys gum shoes 1 to 5

6 pr misses gums #2

1pr boys gums #5 low cut fancy

If not all ready received ship us 6 pr boys gum boots leather sole #5

1 pr #8 shoes for felt boots.

yours truly

J S Wentz Co

Hazelbrook, PA  3/11/95

But J.S Wentz Co. was not a shoe seller, it was a coal mining operation! What were they doing ordering all these shoes and boots? I can only guess that since the company provided housing for its workers, it may have also operated a company store.

There was a history of labor disputes at J.S. Wentz. The Auburn Bulletin of June 23, 1887 reported a judgment for $300 in favor of six miners who had their "goods and chattels thrown into the streets" when they were evicted from the houses of J.S. Wentz Co. They were also awarded back pay. It was reported that J.S. Wentz Co. planned to appeal the case. The company's owner, John S. Wentz, was a millionaire and lived in Philadelphia at 38th and Locust streets.

In 1903, Edward Wentz, the son of John S. Wentz, disappeared in Virginia on his way to meet with land agents. A $30,000 reward was offered for his return alive or for the capture of his murderers. I think they were pretty much resigned to the fact that he had been murdered. All of the mining operations of the Wentz estate and the Virginia Coal and Iron Co. were suspended and the 1,000 miners, who earned $2 a day, were ordered to join in the search. It was suspected that Edward had fallen victim to a mountain clan in retribution for his crusade against squatters and moonshiners. His family dismissed rumors that Edward may have left the country because of a love disappointment, saying that he had no particular interest in any woman (Source: NY Times, October 24, 1903.)

Edward Wentz had indeed been slain, however it was not true that he had no particular interest in a woman either. In his will he left $500,000 to his fiancee, Cornelia Brookmire of St. Louis, Missouri.

Helena, Montana

Here's a lovely turn-of-the-century view of downtown Helena, Montana. I tried to figure out what's going on in the middle of the street and wondered if maybe it was some sort of early street sweeper. If you double-click on the picture, you can take a closer look and maybe you can tell what's going on. The message reads:

Thanks for your pretty card. Hoping to hear from you soon.

Your Friend,

Daniel E. Fowler

For more information and historic pictures of Helena, click here.

Pforzheim, Germany

This card was sent on May 20th, 1912

The message reads:

Dear Laura,

This card is to show you that there are a lot of pretty houses in Pforzheim. We have met a lot of nice people and have been out together in the Black Forest. I will write you a letter sometime soon, am anxious to hear from you. We have had some fine auto rides through the Black Forest. This week we move to little place right in the forest. Gertie will stay all summer. Love to you all from us all.

Lovingly, Mae

Pforzheim was (and still is) known for its jewelry and watch making. During WWII, the Allies thought that precision war instruments were being manufactured here. Because of that, Pforzheim was bombed numerous times, with one final air raid in 1945 killing over a quarter of the city's population and destroying 83% of the buildings.