Advances and oddities from the era of tall tales and quirky headlines
A collection of brief items and quips on weather, fashion, law, and society. Highlights include comments on war doom, fly swatting with pets, rabies prevention through water, Austria boosting tobacco taxes, a man choked by a collar, alimony rulings, a senator’s pipe organ, a yard master delaying freight for a thrush, ammonia stopping a runaway horse, an Egypt tomb wheat experiment, and a New York divorce over scant honey moon kisses.
Debating Society Prefers Horse Over Automobile at Omaha
Discussion at a local Omaha group favors horses for transportation over automobiles. The members are workers who receive wages rather than salaries.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Omaha
Kaiser's Daughter to Marry Hopeful Suitor
The Kaiser’s only daughter is 18 and of a sunny disposition and will marry whom she hopes. Other recommendations may be had by addressing her father at his Berlin residence. A New Jersey woman allegedly contracted rabies after a bullet passed through a mad dog. Charleston, South Carolina, rejoices over fifteen babies born in one night and may seek a new census allocation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Berlin
New Jersey
Charleston
S. C
Wife’s punch injures husband for twenty two weeks
The account describes a wife delivering a forceful blow to her husband resulting in injuries and a displaced third vertebra by one sixteenth of an inch, with ongoing pain lasting twenty two weeks.
Philadelphia Woman Divorces to Escape Chicago Life
A Philadelphia woman ends her marriage to avoid living in Chicago. Quoting George Ade, Somebody must live here, as rapid travel cuts the trip from Philadelphia to New York to under two hours.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Chicago
George Ade
New York
Rabies Misconception Refuted In Medical Opinion
A Chicago doctor cites that 66 percent of dog bites involve rabies infections while debunking the belief that a mad dog bite is invariably fatal, noting no human rabies epidemic has been reported.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
Inventor jailed in New York after larceny charge
A renowned engineer, out on bail for larceny, has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison. The writer notes Keokuk as the gate city and jokes that he may dam the Mississippi to conserve its waters, a speculative notion tied to the inventor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Keokuk
Mississippi
Ienceforth
Health Hint yawning helps keep people alert
A physician says yawning benefits health and helps prevent overwork. A visitor notes America has many climates, and occasionally they arrive in bursts. Five hundred women and children traveled to New York from Scotland to join husbands and fathers farming in Minnesota Saskatchewan and other western areas, explaining Scotland’s population drop.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Scotland
Minnesota
Saskatchewan
Pacific
Modern baby beef shifts cattle feeding in corn belt
The article traces a shift from 24 to 30 month beef cattle to the baby beef concept. It explains rising land and labor costs, focus on corn farming, and the appeal of finishing calves at 12 to 18 months for 800 to 1,000 pounds. It notes butcher demand for smaller, bone-sparing cuts and predicts baby beef will grow in popularity where dairying is less common.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Corn Belt
Mar
Corn
Remedy for Cabbage Worm with Saltpeter Solution
A simple spray combats cabbage worm in cauliflower and cabbage. Dissolve an ounce of saltpeter in three gallons of water and thoroughly spray the heads. One application is usually sufficient.
Dairy butter profits hinge on farmer turnout and market mix
The article urges farmers to boost dairy butter production as oleomargarine gains share during high prices. With creamery butter at 40 to 50 cents, substitutes flourish and demand exceeds supply. Diversify outputs by maintaining butter dairies and marketing weekly to capitalize on current prices and future prospects.
Jersey cows sold at Kirksville average 170 per head
Ninety Jersey cows were sold in Kirksville Missouri at an average price of 170 per head. One cow brought 760. The paper predicts butter may reach 1 per pound and good milk cows may hit 1000 each.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jersey
Kirksville
Questioning Question Sparks Razing of Ignoramus in Lecture Hall
In a dramatic exchange the lecturer answers a challenger about figures with a single line urging to advertise for the greatest common divisor. The audience erupts in cheers as the man who asked the question leaves defeated and humiliated.
Cure That Sore Throat With Paxtine Antiseptic
An advertisement touts Paxtine Toilet Antiseptic as a preventive and cure for sore throat. A small gargle in water is claimed to quickly relieve soreness and strengthen the throat membranes, superior to liquid antiseptics and peroxide, with pricing and a free-sample offer from The Paxton Toilet Co.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Paxton Toilet Co
Boston
Mass
Seventy One Years in a Troy Shoe Shop
Charles H. Wilson of Troy New York has spent 71 years in one building at 242 244 River Street in the shoe trade He began as a 13 year old in 1840 with John Leonard Williams whose shoe store occupies an 1803 building now a historic Troy landmark Wilson remains active in business, a rarity in American retail history
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charles H. Wilson
Troy
N. Y
River Street
Wilson
John Leonard Williams
Williams
Water rifle for divers fires jet of water under water
Captain Grobl, a German diving instructor, has built a rifle for underwater use. It shoots a water jet instead of bullets, capable of penetrating armor plate and delivering force in shark infested rivers or seas. The cartridge is rubber cased.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Grobl
India
Boy Scout Movement Spreads to Malay Peninsula
The boy scouts movement has reached the Malay peninsula with Singapore set to host a fine organization under the patronage of the governor and chief justice. The movement, noted for military training, is seen as a beneficial permanent institution as scouts spread across British colonies.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boy Scouts
Malay Peninsula
Singapore
British Colonies
False Hunger Linked to Stomach Trouble and Good Food
A Carthage Missouri teacher describes a decade of poor health despite good appetite. She details nervous prostration, weight loss, and digestive pain, then credits Grape-Nuts with restoring health and eliminating ailments. The letter promotes Grape-Nuts and Postum with a closing sales claim and a classic line, There's a Reason.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Carthage
Postum Co
Battle Creek
Mich
Wellville
Jehoiakim Burns the Prophet's Book Sunday School Lesson
Lesson overview describes Jeremiah as a prophet from 626 to 568 BC and Jehoiakim's destruction of the scroll. Baruch wrote the book, read it in Jerusalem, and Jehoiakim burned it before divine justice. The piece notes subsequent rewrite, divine preservation, and ongoing Bible circulation amid attacks. It ends with Jehoiakim's death and the exile of his son to Babylon.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jehoiakim
Jeremiah
Josiah
Jerusalem
Temple Courts
Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel
Iis
Babylon
Western Canada calls for workers to seize rich wheat lands
Reports praise an expected 200 million bushels of wheat in Western Canada with farmers urged to bring labor across the border. Agents in Detroit to Spokane offer low rates and land from 7 to 20 dollars an acre, promising yields of 20 to 25 bushels per acre and profits of 8 to 10 dollars per acre.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Canada
M. V. McInnes
Jefferson Avenue
Detroit
Mich
C. A. Laurier
Marquette
J. S. Crawford
Syracuse
N. Y
Thos. Hetherington
Tremont Street
Boston
Mass
H. M. Williams
Gardner
Toledo
Ohio
Geo. Aird
Traction-Terminal Bidg
Indianapolis
Indiana
C. J. Broughton
Chicago
Geo. A. Hall
Second Street
Milwaukee
Wis
E. T. Holmes
Jackson Street
St. Paul
Minn
Chas. Pilling
Clifford
Grand Forks
N. C
J. B. Carbonneau, Jr
Main Street
Biddeford
J. M. MacLachlan
Watertown
W. V. Bennett
Bee Bridge
Omaha
Neb
W. H. Rogers
West 9Th Street
Kansas City
Benj. Davies
Dunn Block
Great Falls
Montana
Spokane
Wash
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
The Quaker Scored in a Bookshop Prank
An elderly Quaker visits a bookseller who mocks him by offering a book titled Essay on Rearing Donkeys. The Quaker calmly confirms his rural background and replies that the shopkeeper should give the book to his mother, ending the encounter with quiet wit.
Mrs Campbell Declares She Is An Artist At Rehearsal
At a rehearsal Mrs Patrick Campbell argued with her manager Charles Frohman over line delivery. She retorted I am an artist, prompting her manager to reply I will never reveal your secret.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Patrick Campbell
Charles Frohman
Pushem Reconsiders Hiring Brains After Big Legal Bill
Gray Matter quotes Mr. Pushem recalling a plan to hire cheap talent for 25 dollars weekly. He then describes hiring a 109000 dollar lawyer to fix the ensuing problems and straighten out his affairs.
Allen's Foot- Ease Powder Promises Relief for Tired Feet
An old advertisement touts Allen's Foot- Ease antiseptic powder for tired swollen and nervous feet. It claims test and comfort and makes walking a delight with a freh sample offered by Allen at 8 Olmsted Le Roy N Y.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Allen
Olmsted
le Roy
Scream Turns Fun Into Tense Candy Heist Claim
A terse exchange hints at a dramatic dispute over a baby and candy with witnesses describing the event as a scream worthy moment. The dialogue suggests heightened emotion and potential conflict centered on a child and a playful misdeed.
Mike Flynn Seeks Back Row Seat Ban at City Hall
A Kansas City Star item notes Mike Flynn, longtime hall cleaner, visits the mayor to request permission to remove the back row of seats. He complains the rear row harbors spit and dirt during gatherings and argues removing it would improve the venue for future performances.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mike Flynn
Mike
Kansas City Star
Babbling Baby Sparks Muttered Q and A
A playful exchange reveals a baby’s sounds as a young mother explains only she can understand him. The light moment hints at family dynamics and language discovery within a home.
No Luck and the Gracious Neighbors
Harold laments bad luck while his mother lists classmates’ fortunate circumstances such as roller skates a bicycle a football suit and a gym ticket. She points to Willie Swaddling saving items during a house fire Tom Anderson hearing a burglar and neighbors delivering ice cream to Jack Turner who is ill.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harold
Willie Swaddling
Tom Anderson
Jack Turner
Castoria Ad Urges Careful Use for Infants and Children
An advertisement stresses inspecting CASTORILA bottles for the signed mark from wa, claiming the product has been in use for over 30 years and that children cry for Fletcher's Castoria.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fletcher
Ade lampoons modern wives at Lambs Gambol
George Ade taunts contemporary marriage norms at the Lambs Gambol in New York. He notes that married men boast finer wives while bachelors enjoy better living quarters, delivering a wry take on domestic life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
George Ade
New York
Also Mentioned on This Page
Advance Hustler
France
Austria
Massachusetts
Clark
Colorado
America
Amanuensis
Paruch
Neriah
Baruch
Temple
Jehudi
Professor Brown
Nineveh
Jonah
Wreliffe
Ingersoll
Western
J. W. Cole & Co
Black River Falls
Carter
Carters
Veterinary College
South 3Rd Street
Terre Haute
Wisconsin
Ferus
Dohn Arnold
Cedar Falls
Lowe
World's Dispensary Medical Association
R.V. Pierce
Pres
Buffalo, N. Y
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!