(If you read to the end of the story, you will see that the Guardian Angel may have been very busy.)
Mr. Karl Schlosstein, Jr, lived in Frostburg – a city at the head of the Georges Creek Valley in northwest Maryland.
Frostburg lies on the Maryland peninsula that stretches between Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the Allegheny Mountains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frostburg,_Maryland
In December of 1909, Karl received a postcard from a friend known only by initials.
The postcard was mailed from Irwin, a borough in Westmoreland County about 22 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.
This area had rich veins of bituminous coal, and foundries and factories were located in Irwin in the early 20th century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irwin,_Pennsylvania
Frostburg is 77 miles southeast of Irwin.
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The face of the postcard is a drawing of a tall angel in a blue robe.
The angel leads two children from a railroad track on which a train approaches.
The children, a girl and a boy, are well-dressed and seem oblivious to the imminent danger.
Beneath the scene, in blue script, is a legend – “The Guardian Angel”.
This is the third postcard image we have seen related to Guardian Angels:
(“Guardian Angel of the Trolley Tracks” and “The Guardian Angel of the Rowboat”)
As discussed in earlier postcards, the idea or a tutelary deity or personal daemon is ubiquitous in ancient religions.
In the early 20th century, when childhood mortality was far higher than it is today, appeals to a Guardian Angel would have had enormous resonance.
This deeply-embossed and well-colored postcard was “Made in Germany” and published by a European firm.
It may be that Karl was a child, and the postcard was an invocation of his Guardian Angel.
The postcard was also mailed near Christmas Day, so it is possible that the greeting was intended as a Christmas greeting.
Karl seems to have treasured the postcard as it was preserved in very good condition throughout his life.
One hopes that he was protected from harm or destruction through the 20th century.
GENEALOGICAL NOTE
I am unable to find definitive documentation of Karl Schlosstein, Jr.
The Schlosstein name is rare in the United States.
A tavern master named Schlosstein (no first name) emigrated to the US from England in 1896, and two children named Schlosstein (no first names) emigrated to the US from England in 1901.
I believe that this is our Schlosstein family, and that Karl Jr. (who received the postcard) was a child in 1909.
A search of newspaper archives indicates that Karl E. Schlosstein (the father) had a remarkable career as a brew-master.
He founded a brewery in Massachusetts, but was fined in 1900 for selling liquor without paying for revenue stickers.
He had additional children born in Massachusetts.
In 1911, Karl Sr. was President of a brewing company in Frostburg, Maryland.
He is noted as also owning a home in Irwin, PA.
In 1928, the property of Karl Schlosstein was raided and Karl Sr. was arrested for violations of Prohibition.
Schlosstein’s son is noted as destroying 4000 gallons of beer while his father was held by federal agents.
It is unclear if the action resulted in any further penalty for the Schlosstein family.
An archived government document with the name Karl (E.) Schlosstein is a probated Will in Allegheny County, Maryland in 1946.
This could be either Karl Sr. or Karl Jr. – the file summary lacks any indication of family relationships.
