Treasury of Modern Oddities and Historic Notes
A mixed column of historical quips and brief notices mentions Harriman planning a massive railroad merger, Rockefeller cautioning prosperity as burden, legal fines paid by Standard Oil, Abdul Hamid treasure legends, memories of Moray and Morse, a St Paul woman offered $4,000 to delay marriage, and a Boston piece on intellect. Also notes a Paris mining stock case, fashion hats from a New England town, and a brief biography of John Annum Winslow, commander of the Kearsarge during the Alabama engagement near Cherbourg.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Annum Winslow
Alabama
Kearsarge
Cherbourg
France
Winslow
Admiral Foote
Union causa
Wilmington
N. C
Edward Winslow
Plymouth Colony
Patriotism, memory, and joys in public life in mid 19th century
The article reflects on the famed ironclad Kearsarge and the end of Semmes’s Alabama career, Massachusetts honoring Winslow with a bronze portrait, and questions whether patriotism should be taught with joy rather than sadness. It argues early, pleasant experiences reinforce loyalty. education should balance sacrifice with outdoor freedoms and enjoyment of life’s blessings.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kearsarge
Winslow
Alabama
Semmes
Massachusetts
Darfe Hall
State House
B Sidney Bronte
London Chronicle
flaga
Thea
Martyrs Who Entertain and the Simon Pure Phrase
A Providence Tribune excerpt ponders why people endure social pain to entertain and be entertained. It notes martyrs of hospitality, a host exhausted, guests gone, and a butler's pity. The piece cites Simon Pure from Mrs Centifyre's comedy and explains the origin of the phrase meaning the genuine article.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Providence Tribune
Simon Pure
Did the Next Best Thing Break a Promise
A Louisville Courier Journal excerpt recalls a threat to pay money or break a leg, then notes the promise was broken and the speaker declines to call hospitals. The piece conveys a sharp exchange on.payment and reliability in a humorous, cautionary tone.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Louisville Courier Journal
Portrait Request Causes Amusement in Boston Transcript
The Boston Transcript recounts a humorous exchange as a lady asks the artist to make her mouth appear small for a portrait. The artist offers to omit the word or adjust features, reflecting period manners and delicate negotiation in a lighthearted scene.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Willinng
Boston Transcript
Lemeontied Seaside Summer Wish Catches Attention
A Houston Post excerpt shows Lemeontied recounting a quarrel over a husband pressuring her to spend summers at the seashore while she privately wishes he would tire of her presence too, reflecting domestic tensions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lemeontied
Houston Post
What would life be without government essay excerpt
Count Leo Toitstol argues that government shapes stable society yet can cause harm. He compares human development to nations evolving over centuries and suggests life without government would lack property taxation and national division, while urging self love as a path to humanity. He notes some reformers preach but never reach bliss, remaining distant as common wayfarers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Leo Toitstol
fairy palace
brotherhood of men
What Is The Secret Of Happiness By Sidney Dark
Sidney Dark argues happiness comes from discovering essential needs and pursuing them with persistence. He decries dullness as a life of routine without imagination, play, or self mockery, saying religion and art share a mission to reveal the world’s wonder and uplift the soul.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sidney Dark
England Destined to Lose Control of India Says Saint Nihal Singh
In a essay, Saint Nihal Singh argues Britons are doomed to relinquish India as educated Indians embrace Occidental literature and Western ideas. He cites India’s awakening, American influence, and calls for Indian self rule despite Lord Ripon’s stance on military control.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
ENGLAND
INDIA
Nihal Singh
dag
Hindoostan
America
United States
Lord Ripon
Iudia
Sone. Give Me Back My Heart Fair Child
The speaker pleads to recover a heart expressed as fragile yet defiant. Images of blush and arched brows show intimate tension as love is weighed. A lyric confession ends with warnings to release the heart and resist reckless passion.
An Old Maid Aunt Backs A Niece In Home Makeover
Miss Kitteredge polishes up a bridegroom’s home in Indiana Avenue with Uncle Horace admiring the lavish furnishings. He reveals he’s been seeking a wife like her and hints at plans while she evasively tends to cupboards, repeating a past of assisting four nieces with weddings.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dorothy
Roberta Uncle Horace
Miss Kitteredge
lye
Robert
Horace
tlina
Uncle Horace
Bob
Mina Kitteredge
Chicago News
offens
Al” thun
Edison
Clyde Fitch
John Drew
Fragmented Miscellany of Odd Facts and Anecdotes From Old Press
A collage of curious notes on lumber origins in London chimneys, Russian rail thefts, and ancient tree lifespans, followed by sketches of early European names, girls at Wells College voting on suffrage, a child’s prayers, and a Turkish school head’s report. The piece closes with anecdotes on goblet ice, a clergyman’s golf quip, and circus clowncraft by a long‑time performer reflecting on art, originality, and audience reaction.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
At. Germanus
France
Deere
Mi-fa
Sola
Tdo
Dorn
Miffy
Solly
Wells college
George
N. Chambers
Kassab
Turkey
Magazin
magoner
Cleveland
Clown Describes Trials of His Profession in Old Time
A retelling centers on a traveling jester named for a bygone era. He speaks of life on the road and the skills required to entertain crowds. The piece reflects on performance hardship and the cultural role of clowns in historical settings.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Trigta
Hxartions
Baggage in France Tale of a Little Fat Woman
A short tale from Avary, describing a heavy trunk weighed by a porter and a brigand in a Paris station. The fat woman insists on fair charges as a scale misreads, arguing sixty six francs for a small trunk. She challenges the fare while bystanders watch.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nord express
stoon
Samuel G. Blythe
constituenta
abe
Indy
france
Also Mentioned on This Page
Harriman
Mr. Rockefeller
Bultan Abdul Hamid
Pera
Kidd
Moray
Morse
St. Paul
Boston
Mr. Taft
Harvard University
jai
Paris
sherty
Athens
New England
Bobby
Sone
Aubrey De Vera
Louis
Emma
nievn
Margery
Clarice
CLOWN
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!