Miss Emma Smith lived in McGregor, a small city in central Texas, southwest of Waco.

In December of 1910, Emma received a Christmas postcard from the General Manager of “the Company” – the local telephone provider.

In the early twentieth century, before the huge consolidation of phone companies (and their subsequent anti-trust divestiture), there were hundreds of local telephone companies.

Mr. G. A. Lindsey writes, “Guess you belong to our telephone family…” and proceeds to wish Miss Smith “a Merry Xmas”.

The face of the postcard beats an illustration of an antique sheet of parchment on which is inscribed a Shakespearean quotation.

The postcard was published by Raphael Tuck & Son of London; the postcard was printed in Bavaria.

Because the postcard was postmarked in Tyler, Texas, one assumes that the telephone company was located there.

Tyler is the largest city in northeast Texas, it has been a center of rose cultivation for many years.

Tyler is about 150 miles east of McGregor (which is close In Texas).

One hopes that Emma, the Station Manager, and all the members of the telephone “family” enjoyed a wonderful Christmas.