Carthage South Dakota Postal Card UX12 Prof Robinson from H Reeves

February 15, 1900 Postal Card from H. Reeves to Prof Robinson
Carthage, South Dakota (USPS Postal Card UX12)

This blog post presented by Mary Katherine May

of QualityMusicandBooks.com

Carthage, Miner County, South Dakota in 1900 was a town with future and promise.  

The Postal Card here, UX12, a one-cent prepaid card with Thomas Jefferson and laurel leaf border imprint, has an unreadable year on the cancellation, but can be dated with the message which included the date, February 15, 1900.

Addressed to one Prof(essor) Robinson, city, from one H. Reeves, it is interesting to conjecture what might have prompted such a message.

I am not above (the use) of cold water.

Dear Sir.

A little bird told me I was to be dunked tomorrow night by yourself, my mother and Mrs. M.  I will let you (know?) I am a seeker of revenge and there are others wth me.

H. Reeves.

At first I thought the dunking might be a prank, but that didn't really make sense.  Why would three adults dunk anyone in February with its cold, winter weather?  My next thought was that perhaps H. Reeves just may have spent the cold months snug and warm in his long underwear, and was much in need of a cleansing to "clear the air."  Who knows?