The Inaccuracies of History and Weather Myths
A New York Evening Post writer mocks prevalent fallacies from weather forecasts to myths about cats, dragons of steam and pendulums, and famed legends. It debunks beliefs about drowning, breaking down how people misinterpret physics, animals, and history with examples from everyday life and rail freight tracking.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Evening, Post
Materia Medica
Wellington
Aterioo
Dick Whittington
London
William Tell
Horatius
Lady Godiva
Cinderella
Brooklyn Bridge
Tracing Freight Cars and the Quest for Tracking
The article discusses freight cars as common property moving across lines from Jacksonville to Spokane and Phoenix to Augusta. It argues a single company owning all cars could normalize use charges, but notes the ongoing labor of tracking cars involves pen, telegraph, telephony, and typing. It highlights the complexity of modern freight logistics and the hunt for better tracking methods.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jacksonville
Fla
Spokane
Wash
Phoenix
Ari
Augusta
United
Inventor of diving armor and the 1838 Taylor valve
William Hannis Taylor revolutionized the diving suit with a June 20, 1838 patent that introduced a valve to vent used air without water ingress. Before this, diving helmets and bells by Smeaton had limited safety, making Taylor’s armor resemble a knight’s mail with a surface pipe feeding air to the wearer.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
William Hannis Taylor
Taylor
Smeaton
Marriage Customs of Kavirondos in Uganda
Travel Magazine quotes Captain Duquesne describing Kavirondo society as polygamous with men valued by wives. Wives chosen through cattle and skin exchanges, arranged by male relatives. Women fight beside men in war and practice cannibalism. the practice may fade over time.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Africa
Thieves Hide Loot Across Britain as Detectives Reveal Pattern
A detective reports London thieves and ex-convicts hoard loot in hidden caches. Embezzlers bury thousands, recover on release, and some flee abroad with wives aiding escapes. Cases span Soho flooring to Essex marshes and Whitechapel tenements, with valuables still unrecovered years later.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Britain
Garten
Hig
Hoxton
Australia
States
Soho
Whitechapel
Essex Marshes
Wit of the Youngsters
The dialogue sketches classroom and family scenes with children in humorous exchanges. Margie notes hail as raining pills while a parent scolds Flossie for misbehavior and tells a tale of honesty and pie sharing. A boy explains being behind in studies to pursue them.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bobby
Margie
Mamma
Flossie
Johnny
Deceivers and Wives in a Bitter Exchange
Two speakers clash over deceit in relationships. A woman argues men deceive wives but counters with instances of male deception, then quips how a man could not marry without deceit. The dialogue shifts to social judgments, including the line about a man describing a woman's hat revealing character.
Mosquito Nuisance and Curious Notes From The Era
A varied crop of items includes Arctic mosquitoes thriving in cold, vast fishing value, scientific experiments with water under pressure to prevent coal dust explosions, and a nose sense tale. It also recounts a New York civic church talk, Italy’s queen as a crack shot, Kansas City garden projects, and a fashion scene from Puck with a hat description and a spectator’s remark about a gray lynx muff.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Germany
Manhattan
Kansas City
City Club
New York’ Press
American Mayor In Brazil Captures Porto Velho Post
Five Americans, led by Thomas F. Murphy, arrived in Porto Velho Brazil to plot a railroad across the Amazon headwaters. With a homemade ballot, locals elected Murphy mayor, prompting debate over Brazil’s law and the fate of the unusual administration as the group departed a month later.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ammerican
Brazil
South America
Clement
Thomas F. Murphy
Loftin IE. White
Joe” Gugenheim
W. Gerald Cooper
Fred Schmidt
Madeira
Amazon
Porto Velho
Gugenheim
Murphy
Woman Testifies On Streetcar Dress In Police Court
A defense attorney questions a woman about a woman's attire on the streetcar. The witness recalls only a minute of observation before the woman left the car, noting a wide gray fur hat with the brim turned up.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
California
Puck
Big Ben losing tone shocks Londoners
London readers learn the famed Big Ben bell in the House of Parliament tower has developed a crack and possible holes in its sound bow. Officials say recasting would be required, but removing the bell is impractical. history notes the 1856 casting and a later crack. The Westminster clock firm cites the need to restore tone and protect chimes such as the proffered hymn lines.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Voice of
London
Big Ben
Big Bell
Wooding Starmer
Royal Institution
Messrs. F. Dent & Co
The
Strand
Westminster
Fim
Turle
Westminster Abbey
Guzzler Sees Double Twins Hinted in Jest
A New York Times anecdote recounts Guzzler, real name not given, who often sees two bottles where one exists. After marriage and a recent birth, two friends joke that his wife gifted him twins, with Guzzler confirming the claim, though others doubt the tale.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Guzzler
New York Times
Beulah and Bella Dialog in Yonkers Statesman
A quoted exchange from Yonkers Statesman features Beulah and Bella debating romance and finances. The dialogue humorously notes a man buying an engagement ring beyond his means and a woman’s perspective on such purchases.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bella
Beulah
Visit of Halley Triggers Fearful Reactions in 1835 Georgia
In Georgia 1835 Halley's comet spurred panic among enslaved and free people of color and white neighbors. A Georgia memory recalls Millerism and end times chatter, with people confessing sins and preparing ascension robes. President Andrew Jackson led a country with few observatories and little scientific knowledge of astronomy. Halley, identified by Sir Edward Halley, was noted as a periodic visitor, expected to return in 1910.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Masaey
Atlanta
Halley
Jane Godfrey
B. J. Massey
Atlanta Constitution
South
Good Old
Georgia
William Miller
Jesus
Old Marster
Esther
Martin
Miss Sophia
Mr. Baird
Andrew Jackson
Olid Hickory
United States
America
Sir Edward Halley
London
Sir Isaac Newton
Boston Economist Hatpin Debate Sparks Lively Quip
A humorous exchange highlights a woman's defiant line about not discarding hatpins and a man's blunt view of lawful constraints. The dialogue underscores social norms and gendered humor in a Boston setting.
Hookworm spread alarm in Virginia as deaths rise
Virginia authorities fear a hookworm outbreak spreading across the state with the first death a 15 year old in Newport News. The piece notes public worry and contrasts responses to nuisances with rural and political attitudes while critiquing social behavior.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Virginia
Newport News
We hope some man will finally be found who never loved but one woman
A concise, reflective remark on choosing true devotion, expressing a wish to meet a man whose fidelity to a single woman endures above all others.
Popcorn Vendor Earns Noted Admiration at Chicago Ballgame
A Cleveland observer recalls a Chicago popcorn man who captivated crowds with his talk of origin of the corn and butter, his deft sales tosses, and exact change. The piece celebrates pride in skilled work and the dignified worth of a popcorn seller.
Tigers Frighten Inland Koreans Trapped by Primitive Methods
The London Globe reports on tiger presence near inland Korean villages where firearms are banned. Tigers multiply with locals devoured weekly in some districts. A humble bee trap once captured a full grown tiger, showing animals can be trapped but rarely. Koreans may need muskets again to curb roaming tigers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morean
London Globe
Korea
Tigers’ den
Conscientious Declaration and Road Life Motif
A fragment citing a vow of devotion from February to April and August to December. The speaker pledges worship while the rest of the year is spent on the road, with a reference attributed to Fliegende Blaetter.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fliegende Blaetter
Also Mentioned on This Page
Alvision
Hole
Chicago
Omaha
Pleca
Scientific American
Man
Uganda
Alaska
Hut
Boston Economist
Cleveland Plain Dealer
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