Message in a Bottle (or under a buttplate)

I recently acquired an early Mauser Mm 410. The buttplate wasn't on very tight and it looked like a cardboard shim or something was underneath. Took the buttplate off and it turned out to be a message from the owner written on some sort of material in ink. Folded very tightly. Here's a pic. Very interesting! You never know what you might find. Best. dj

Man that’s really cool! Always hoped I would find something like that, but never have. Thanks for sharing
that!

Yep, that's me too! Very cool! I always like to check under the buttplate in the hopes that there might be something interesting like that hidden but nothing so far. Yes, I'm a nerd...

Would be interesting to try and find out whatever happened to Herman C Windland Jr. Not a super common name, I'd imagine.

I do almost the same exact thing to every rifle I get. So far I have only had luck with my K31 and its troop tag. I took a photo and put it back so I wouldn't rub off the writing.

I may have a possible match. There was a Herman C. Wendland, Jr. who grew up in Illinois and died a few years back in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In 1925, he would have been 13 years old. Herman and his family immigrated from Germany. I sent out some "feelers" to possible family members. Will see what comes of it all (if anything) Herman C. Wendland Sr. and Jr. was the only father and son combination I could find on Ancestry.com