Luis Alvarez - continued

Yesterday's card to Senor Don Luis Alvarez was sent from Freiburg, Germany in 1904. Today's card was sent a year later by a different sender from Larche, a lovely little village in the French Alps near the border with Italy. That helps to explain why it is an Italian postcard.

The card shows the Alpini, Italy's mountain troops that were formed in 1872 to protect the mountainous borders with France, Switzerland, and Austro-Hungary.  It was during World War I that the Alpini distinguished themselves, fighting battles on glacial crags and throughout the steep Dolomites. They had to be agile and able to function well at low temperatures and high altitudes. But the adaptable Alpini had also been sent to Tripoli in 1911 to fight in the Italo-Turkish conflict where they battled against Berbers in the sand dunes.

Enough about the amazing Alpini though; let's look at the text. Just as with yesterday's card to Mr. Alvarez, the message is written on the front, because no message was allowed on the address side.  The message, sent on August 8, 1905, reads:

Dear friend,

I received twice three newspapers. Thanks. My regards to all the friends. without______

P. Bulgo (Buljo?)

 Here's the back of the card.

It appears to me that Mr. Alvarez had a post office box (#8). As with yesterday's card, you can see that the sender has specified the route the card should take. I'm not sure if that was just to assist the postman or because the sender preferred that route over others. This card is designated to go via Le Havre and New York to its final destination in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Tram Tuesday - Freiburg, Germany

Streetcars are alive and well in Freiburg, Germany, transporting an average of over 200,000 passengers a day. The City also has an extensive pedestrian zone and is considered to be among the 'greenest' cities in the world.

Every now and then I run across a postcard where I get the sense that there's a lot more than meets the eye. This card was sent to Don Luis Alvarez of Chihuahua, Mexico in 1904. Who was Don Luis Alvarez? I don't know for certain, but there is a Luis Alvarez who was a Mexican industrialist and the Mayor of Chihuahua as well as a candidate for President of Mexico in 1958.  Was he related to the postcard's recipient?

The message was written on the front of the card, because in 1904 no messages were allowed on the address side. It is written in Spanish and reads:

October 7, 1904

Dear friend Luis:

Here is the second dozen cards. The maps arrived safely. 

Affectionate Greetings

Foerkel.

This is postcard #13,  addressed to Mr. Luis Alvarez. His title includes the word 'Don', which suggests that he was a person of distinction. The title is used a little more broadly today, but was originally reserved for nobility. The card was sent to Alvarez in care of Mr. Ketelson and Mr. Degetan, who were prominent in the mining and banking industries in Chihuahua. For whatever reason, Ketelson and Degetan are listed on the Enemy Trading List of the United States War Trade Board in 1917. The list is described as follows: This is a list of enemies and allies of enemies, and other persons, firms, and corporations, whom there is reasonable cause to believe have acted directly or indirectly , for, on account of, on behalf of, or for the benefit of enemies and allies of enemies.

As with so many other postcards,  I'm sure with a bit more research I could get to the bottom of this.

More Lovelights

last month I posted some Lovelights cards. Here are a few more.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message to Miss Ilene Harris of Decatur, Illinois reads:

Garfield, Kans.

May 11. 09

Dear Cousin-

This leaves me well. Am going to leave here tonight for Kingman Ariz. just 1200 miles South west of here. Am going with a car load of stock. It takes about 6 days for the trip will send you a card when I get there.  LM (?)

The second card was sent to Jennie Safarak of Rochester, Minnesota in 1910. The message reads:

Dear Jennie:-

Rec'd your letter and card. We are all very glad mamma came out all right and hope she will be better by this time. Will write a letter later on. Will go out to Farwell next Wed. Love to Mama from us all. Your niece Lottie.

Did you get my letter? We ___often. Very warm, hot rather, aint it?