Streetcar Sunday - Auckland, New Zealand

Last Sunday we looked at streetcars (or trams) in Sydney, Australia. This week we're off to Auckland, New Zealand.
This, from Wikipedia:
Auckland City had horse trams from 1884, and the electric trams was officially opened on 17 November 1902 - public service was delayed because the motormen from Sydney, Australia, were involved in the SS Elingamite shipwreck near Three Kings Islands 9 November 1902, in which three drowned. Public service commenced a week later, on 24 November 1902, and continued to 29 December 1956. They were replaced by trolleybuses and buses. While light rail is discussed as a future option for the city, there is currently only a heritage tram service between two main MOTAT museum sites, which runs parallel to part of the Point Chevalier tram route on Great North Road, but was not part of the original system.
With services running from downtown at the Waitemata Harbour, across to Onehunga on the Manukau Harbour, meant Auckland had the worlds' only 'coast to coast' tramway system.

Sepia Saturday - Your New Family #2

I once had a friend whose father always reconstructed their family Christmas tree, sawing off branches, drilling holes in the trunk and gluing the branches back in different places to create the perfectly symmetrical tree. It seemed wrong to me. Nature creates the tree and you're supposed to accept it as-is.

In genealogy, it would be the equivalent of discarding unfavorable relatives from your family tree and replacing them with imagined ones, or pretending to be related to the British royal family when you aren't (and why would you want that, anyway?) But, my thoughts about amending trees changed when  I met this girl:

I found her in an antique store. Somewhere along the line, descendants may have decided the picture wasn't worth keeping. So, there she was - abandoned. Not only is she captivating, she's much better looking than most of my early relatives and unlike them, she's actually smiling! Of course I immediately made room for her on the family tree. I didn't saw off any tree limbs, not even the one that includes the great-great uncle who allegedly died by falling into the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone Park.  Nope, we're stuck with him, but I think we can find room for this unnamed girl too. I'll just drill a hole in the trunk of the family tree and glue in a visitors' branch.

To look at more old photos from organic, free-range family trees, visit the Sepia Saturday blog.

Mystery in Dresden

Franz Walther, architect and building contractor, sent this card to Helmut Zimmer in Dresden in 1938. At first I thought Franz Walther was a city building official, but that doesn't seem to be the case. More likely, he owned the building that Mr. Zimmer lived in.
The message reads:

Dresden, November 23, 1938

By now you will have received my card from November 17, 1938 regarding bankruptcy case K.-Csb.

For the last time, I ask that you submit your answer to me no later than Saturday, November 26, 1938, and send you my greetings  Master Builder  Franz Walther

I'm not sure his plea was effective, because here is another card he sent nearly a month later.

The message reads:

Dresden, December 23, 1938

By now you will have received my letter of December 2, 1938 regarding bankruptcy case K.-Csb.

I ask you urgently to give me your decision so I can get Mr. Laemmerhirt moved in and I send you my greetings. Master Builder  Franz Walther

It looks like the bankruptcy had something to do with an inheritance, but generally it remains a mystery.  Here's the front of the second card, included only because it has such a great airmail cancellation.

Note: Originally, I was sure that this correspondence had something to do with seizure of Jewish property. Just a few weeks before the first card was sent, the horrific Kristallnacht resulted in the destruction of hundreds of Jewish-owned buildings and the beautiful old synagogue in Dresden.  After that, the state also took measures to confiscate Jewish property. Zimmer is a name that can be Jewish - or not.  I sent the scans off to someone who knows about such things; he was unable to draw any conclusions, but thought this was probably not related to Jewish property seizure. I mention it anyway, because it gives you an idea of the tension in Dresden and other parts of Germany and Austria at that time.