“Dear Louis, Here is a good sample of the land advertised for sale so cheap. All light sand and the most desolate country you ever saw. A man here told me that there was some of this land that was good, but that has been sold. In time this land might be all right for grass, fruit and sheep.”

Some things haven’t changed since that message was written in 1909. Things aren’t always what they are advertised to be, and the early bird gets the worm.

When buying property in today’s economy there is a lot of truth to both of those old adages. Often, when a piece of property is offered “cheap” it is easy to write it off thinking it is probably not worth your time, and in many cases that may be true.

But, there are also those hidden gems out there whose beauty is uncovered with a little bit (or a lot!) of elbow grease.

Who knows, someone may have come along and bought that “light sand and the most desolate country you ever saw” and made millions selling grass, fruit or wool.

So, buyers beware, but also keep an open mind.

The card is postmarked March 24, and is either 1906 or 1908.

The location is not indicated on the front of the postcard, but on the back it says, “Chinnery’s Landing, Pere Marquette River, Scottville, Mich. In smaller letters it says “J. Henry Chinnery, Pub. ”

The location, “Chinnery’s Landing”, caught my interest. I did some research on the web, but found nothing on Chinnery’s Landing, or on J. Henry Chinnery. If you know anything about this, I would appreciate hearing from you.

I’m not sure what the gentleman on the front of this postcard was thinking, but when looking at him, I was reminded of my posts on June 24 and August 26 about securing your toys. This man seems to be thinking, “Where is my boat? Both of my neighbors’ boats are here, but where is mine?”

But, then again, he could be thinking “This wasn’t what I envisioned when the real estate ad said ‘Waterfront Property. Needs a little work.”

Summer is going fast, so don’t let it slip by without taking time to enjoy a Michigan lake or river.

The audience that evening was made up of the very young to the very old, and all seemed to be enjoying the entertainment very much.

The part I respect the most is that they are all volunteers and donate their proceeds to a nonprofit organization. Visit our last post on the band or their website for more information.