Miss Lillian Weaver lived in Asheville, the lovely city at the confluence of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of west-central North Carolina.
In the early 20th century, Asheville was home to textile mills, manufacturers of wood and mica products, and food processing plants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asheville,_North_Carolina
In January of 1907, Lillian received a postcard from an unidentified admirer.
The postcard was mailed from Sweetwater, a city in a valley of the Sweetwater Creek in southeast Tennessee.
This area in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains was devoted primarily to agriculture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetwater,_Tennessee
Asheville is more than 154 miles east of Sweetwater.
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The face of the postcard is a drawing of a young man using a foot-operated grindstone.
He seems to be working energetically, although he is grinding a red heart.
His labor produces significant sparks.
A printed legend expresses his complaint:
“I’m wearing my heart away for you”.
The simple drawing and the inferior quality of the paper and printing (along with the American eagle logo on the reverse) suggest that the postcard was printed in the US.
It was preserved in poor condition – apart from marks received in the mail, there were slight tears, stains and blotches, and many worn edges.
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On the reverse, the “undivided back” has no written message.
I assume that the lack of a personal greeting or a name indicates that the postcard was not selected at random to communicate news, but was intended to reflect a romantic interest.
The address of Miss Weaver is typed, suggesting that our suitor worked in an office or was responsible for regular business communication – such as a railroad signalman or freight dispatcher.
Although not well-preserved, the postcard did survive for a century – outlasting Miss Weaver and her admirer.
One hopes that the weary beau and Lillian found romantic success.
