The oldest postcard in my collection is 131 years old. It was mailed from Sedan, Kansas, on October 9, 1894, to Bud Tabler in Cedar Vale, Kansas. The sender of this yellowed card was Dr. Pleasants of Sedan.
A somewhat cryptic message written on the back would only be recognizable to the sender and recipient. Crude cursive handwriting has doctor written all over it.
“Sedan Kans
10-9-94
Bully for the boy but he will never be a Christian – I was not there.
Dr. Pleasants”
I understand what ‘bully for the boy’ stands for, with it being archaic language meaning, good for this person. Just who this unidentified fellow is and what he did remains a secret.
I view Dr. Pleasants as being a bit judgmental when saying the guy will never be a Christian, because it’s never too late for a person to repent of their sins and ask Jesus Christ into their heart. He should’ve known that.
Dr. James Harvey Pleasants was born in Greene County, Kentucky, on September 1, 1833, to parents Nancy and William. He had four brothers and two sisters. The family spent a good number of years in Missouri.
In 1862, Dr. Pleasants enlisted as a first lieutenant in the US Army during the American Civil War. He served with the 12th Kansas Volunteer Infantry – Company E. After the war, he graduated from St. Louis Medical College.
James married Emma Cervante on July 29, 1874, and they had three children. Dr. Pleasants served as a horse-and-buggy doctor in Sedan, Kansas, and the surrounding areas. There are several hundred newspaper accounts in the Sedan newspaper of people the doctor tended to. One of them was Bus Tabler, the postcard recipient.
Dr. Pleasant and his wife moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1902, where he set up practice. By 1906, his health had declined, and he retired. On May 7th, 1907, John Pleasants died from liver and stomach cancer. His remains were cremated. The good doctor’s wife, Emma, lived another 47 years, passing away at 100 in 1954. Oddly enough, she’s buried in Idaho.
John Pricell “Bud” Tabler was born November 16, 1856, in El Dorado, Iowa. Bud, as he liked to be called, married Sarah Waters on December 5, 1883. They had three children. Bud Tabler wore many hats during his lifetime.
He was a cashier for a Sedan bank, elected Chautauqua county treasurer, elected mayor of Sedan, sold real estate and insurance, and was actively involved in local and state politics. Bud was a staunch Republican. He died on August 14, 1927, and is buried in Cedar Vale.
I found several newspaper articles on the man, with Bud Tabler incurring serious injuries on the Fourth of July 4, 1905, in Cedar Vale. A fireworks display went awry with Tabler getting seriously burned by rockets—jumping off the bleachers to escape them—injuring both legs and ankles in the process.
Dr. Pleasants and Bud Tabler are long gone, to Heaven, I assume. Better yet, the person referred to as the boy is hopefully there as well!
I like to write junk... 