Giant Corn and Watermelon

It looks like there was a bumper crop this year in the land of the Jackalopes.

Here are the backs of the cards.

The message to A.V. Stroud in Lowell, Washington reads:

Seattle WA, Nov. 18 '09

Dear Sister:-

Well here I am in Seattle, got here 10 minutes past 9 o'clock. don't know just when the Portland train leaves but I think it is 1:15. I got off all right and there was a little Jap that works around the depot was out at the train + he carried both suitcases so I am fine. The sun I shining nice. I hope you get back all right. Myrtle

The second one is addressed to the same person, but it's harder to decipher.

Edwin Burt Fine Shoes

I posted a card previously for Edwin Burt fine shoes, but I like this one even better. Trade cards were very popular during the 1880s, but not really beyond then. Edwin Burt died in 1884.

Streetcar Sunday - Duisburg, Germany

This is a beautiful postcard, but it's also remarkable for the message and the stamps on the front.

Duisburg is located in the western part of Germany's Ruhr Area at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. It was (and is) an industrial center, known for its iron and steel production. The city was almost completely destroyed during World War II, so it doesn't resemble the picture on the card anymore.

Duisburg currently has electric light rail, but it started out in 1881 with horse-drawn trams. These were  followed by steam-powered trams before the whole system was electrified in 1897. There was also interurban service between Duisburg and Düsseldorf as early as 1899. That service continues today as Stadtbahn service.

The sender of this card was obviously a postcard and stamp collector, who purposely affixed the stamps on the picture side, and wrote "stamps on the other side" where the postage would normally go.
His message to Eugene Bloesch in San Francisco is also interesting:

Be so kind as to send me more postcards of the American army.  If possible, please use Jamestown stamps affixed on the picture side.

With greetings from afar,

Johann Kugler

Duisburg on the Rhein

Kraut (?) Street 33

28.2.08

The stamps that Johann refers to were issued in 1907 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement in America. They looked like this: