[nolemmings]

Hi Larry,

I too would be interested in seeing a scan; however, I am skeptical that what you have is genuine and period. There are really no known salesman samples, unless you count the mailer that Hank Thomas auctioned through Legendary(?), which contained six attached "cards", none depicting Ruth, and all with a different-styled caption containing no numbers. Moreover, these six were placed so close together side by side that any attempt to cut them into singles would have left extremely narrow borders if not no border at all on at least one side.

There were some of what I call promo cards from Successful Farming that were sold in the last REA auction, but they too were unnumbered, had the full ad on the back and almost certainly emanated from the sponsor itself. Again, no Ruth. There was also the mystery Lajoie card discussed here last March, but that too was unnumbered and used a different font and/or caption.

I doubt that they were a printer's proof either, as it sounds like the card was in all respects finished, down to the font and numbering. Seems unlikely that they would print the final version on something other than the stock they intended to use unless there was a financial reason for doing so, which I do not see here.

Finally, I am naturally suspicious that a heretofore unknown single card emerges of Ruth rather than some common player. Why no Fred Luderus or Carl Weilman? Also, there seems little reason to change the cropping to such a minor degree as apparently exists between your card and the known, genuine m101-4/5, which minor change just so happens to match up well if not perfectly with known reproductions.

I have no problem being wrong on this, as it would add another mystery to Mendelsohn's card-making, but unfortunately I am a natural cynic.