“Uncle Sam Is a Butcher!” – Worcester, NY (1909)

In 1909, Master John Waterman was growing up in Worcester – a town on the Schenevus Creek in Otsego County of central New York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester,_New_York

In November of 1909, the boy received a Thanksgiving postcard from ‘Helen, Erwin, and Kenneth.

The postcard was mailed from Albany, the capital city on the Hudson River in central New York State.

(Worcester is about 60 miles southwest of Albany.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany,_New_York

On the face of the postcard, we see a large turkey running on an unpaved path.

Pursuing the turkey is the figure of Uncle Sam, who also appears to be running.

Uncle Sam carries an axe, and seems to be intent on transforming the turkey into a holiday meal.

Above the chase is the printed message, “Thanksgiving Greetings”.

On the reverse, the senders inscribed a humorous verse:

Turkey is a funny thing,

Scratchin’ in the gravel,

But when you go and try to catch him,

Golly!  he can travel!”

John seems to have been pleased with the Thanksgiving postcard as it was preserved in good condition throughout his life.

One hopes that young John and his family – along with Helen, Erwin, and Kenneth- enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast.

Genealogical Note:

John McKown Waterman was born in Worcester in 1903, the son of Joshua S, Waterman (1866-1948) and Carrie Lillian McKown (1869-1950).

(John was about 6 when he received this postcard.)

Joshua and Carrie were married in Otsego County in January of 1899.

John had one brother, Paul (1903-1987) – I don’t know if John and Paul were twins.

Happily, the Family Search Site of the Church of Latter-Day Saints has a small portrait of John’s parents – Joshua and Carrie.

John lived in Worcester through the 1940 census; he never married.

I could not find the US Census listing for John in 1950 and 1960.

John seems to have registered for the Draft in the State of Florida in 1945.

John died in1962 and is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Worcester.

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