A Novel Mix of Jokes and Notices From Bygone Era
A collage of witticisms and brief anecdotes on lawyers manners and social foibles. Silly vignettes include a Victorian judge calculating jail terms, a Scot and Sydney Smith quip about humor, a honeymoon misadventure with a hotel door, a housemaid’s bathroom misidentification, and an advertisement praising Defiance Cold Water Starch for not sticking and offering 16 ounce packages at the same price as lighter rivals.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mabel
Defiance
Berlin stenographer sells funeral sermons as keepsakes
A Berlin man starts a new industry by attending funerals of notable figures and recording verbatim the addresses of the officiating clergy. He then prepares engrossed copies for the mourners and sells them, turning a profitable trade.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Berlin
Langton recounts yacht party prank on Long Island
John H. Langton recalls being invited to a yachting party on Long Island Sound. He sent a jokey note claiming he could not attend, asking to be paid what he would have spent. A reply arrived demanding $37.45, and Langton feigned an error to avoid payment while noting the host collected double charges.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John H. Langton
Long Island
Gound
Trin
Langton
Father John
J. A. Ly
Chicago Journal 1805 Garfield study packers conspiracy
The Chicago Journal notes Garfield examined Chicago Packers books under a pledge that no data would be used in court. Now the findings are sent to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. The paper urges fair process and warns against overreaching eastern targets, stressing a square deal for any guilty party. It criticizes methods used by the government and references alleged intrusions into private records and improper tactics.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Garfield
Chicago Packers
Government Department of Justice
Washington
Chicago
New Jersey
Capitol Dome
Thanksgiving Day in American Tradition and Decline
The piece recounts how Thanksgiving began as Lincoln proclaimed days in 1863 and 1864, and how the holiday once flourished with religious worship and family feasts. It laments modern secularization toward sports and urban crowds, while praising rural observances and enduring familial devotion in villages and country homes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New England
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg
Vicksburg
Johnson
Lincoln
Thanksgiving Day Proclamation Praises Divine Blessings Across America
The nation marks a yearly day of thanks proclaimed by leaders, praising divine grace, bounties, and the growth of opportunities. It asserts belief in a higher power, the enduring influence of religion, and communal worship across temples as communities gather to give thanks and seek continued blessings.
Origin of the turkey name Oocoocoo folklore
Sunset Magazine recounts Cherokee origins for the turkey name Oo coo coo and the Pilgrims mishearing the bird’s call as Turk Turk Turk. It notes the Indian name sounded melodic, praising the bird as it roamed river beaches in contentment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sunset Magazine
Primitive Pilgrim Feasts and the First Thanksgiving
The text imagines early Pilgrims feasting on wild turkey as news of possible starvation reached England. It paints a stark winter scene with limited firearms and desperate Puritans hunting turkeys, enjoying simple preparations over fire or in a cauldron rather than elaborate services.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
All Bend the Knee to the Turkey
A whimsical retelling traces the turkey from exotic import to a festal icon. It notes the bird’s spread from India and Europe to the Americas and references early explorers and Native names. The piece playfully contrasts the turkey with the peacock as a banquet centerpiece.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Turkey
India
de Soto
Europe
de Buta
Carolinas
Jock
ULCERS FOR 30 YEARS CARING WITH CUTTEURA REMEDY
A Gainesville Texas man reports thirty years of painful ulcers and a leg eruption cured in six months by Cutleura Soap Ointment and Pills. He says relief came with the first use and urges others to try the Cure. The second sentence notes the umbrella thief is under a cloud.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cutteura
M. C. Mose
Gainesville
Texas
Lydia E. Pinkham
Frontier Strengths and Odd Advertisements from Old Papers
A jumble of frontier lore and sales pitches notes the Highlander pioneer image and porridge for strength. It promotes Vitaa pills, Defiance Starch, and household gadgets, including an electric washing machine invention, with assorted novelty ads and quips about widowed houses and cheerful housewives.
Catarrh Cure Ad Offers Reward and Testimonials
An old advertisement promotes Waldoing Kinnan & Marvin selling Hall’s Catarrh Cure with a $100 reward for incurable cases. It claims J Cheney Co of Toledo approves the cure. The notice includes testimonials about F G Cheney and advises price 75 cents per bottle and sale by druggists. It also mentions Hull’s Family Pills and fashion notes about waisted gowns.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
All Drugeteta
Hull
Defiance Starch and Household Remedies Featured
A humorous adage and mixed notices highlight Defiance Starch promising 16 oz packs for 12 oz price, claiming superiority over cold water starch. The piece includes testimonials about Piso’s Cure for Consumption and Mother Gray’s Sweet Powders for Children, with endorsements and sample offers from druggists, plus a quip about an elevator boy’s lifting influence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mother Gray
New York
Olmsted
Leltoy
N.Y
Also Mentioned on This Page
Cleveland Plain
John Madden
Victoria
The
Chicago Journal
Laura E. Smith
THAN
Sahara
North Pole
American West
Frontier Ife
Pillabury
P.O
Buffalo
N. J
Lewis
Lewis Factory
Pearis
Ill
Presburg
Joan
Boren
Trinity Springs
Ind
Red Cross
Largo
Nackare
Russ Company
South Bend
Jaques Mfg. Co
Hicago
Iowa
Tina Mtudy Courar
Ces
Courece
Bust ‘Rob
Bradonta Runin New Catalog
Government of Canada
Canada
Yailway
Ottawa
O.T. Holmes
Jackson Street
St Paul
Minnesota
W. W. Bennett
New York Life
Omaha
Nebraska
Price
LYS
BOVEE
Bovee Grinder & Furnace Works
Waterloo
Ige Starck
Drupelats
Fren
WHEA
Paxton ComPany
Boston
Masa
W.N. Us
Des Moines
Diemer
M. D
Springfeld
Ettedt Ron
St. Jacobs
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!