During the “Undivided Back” Postcard Era, personal messages were not permitted on the address side. Writers could pen short greetings around the image border or on top of the picture itself. Carl G. Ackerman inscribed his short message in the State Capitol’s blue sky.
Postmarked: MAR 8, 1907 Indianapolis, IND., 1-PM
Received: MAR 9, 1907 San Antonio, 10-AM
Message:
Dear friend.
Everything’s fine. I wish I could see you and Chris at the SS Convention at Piqua?
Good Bye
Carl G Ackerman
Addressed to:
Mrs. Chris Voge
Fort San Houston
Texas
A penny for your thoughts … Like the tweet of yesteryear– given limited space, what kind of note would you write to a friend?
Unless the 1907 Post Office used a different protocol, the “received” postmark is actually a “backstamp”, which on a postcard appears on the front. It is used when a piece of mail was sent to the wrong place, forwarded, or returned. (DMM 764.3) I suspect the first numeral of the day didn’t print, so it was probably delivered sometime other than the next day.
I think the “Received: MAR 9, 1907 San Antonio, 10-AM” is correct. A Google Map search shows Fort Sam Houston close to the San Antonio International Airport. Now if it made it to the Fort the same day and was delivered is an unknown.