Plowing with elephants and Barnum's playful reply to a farmer
A Century magazine excerpt recounts P T Barnum using elephants to draw attention, including a plowing elephant seen from trains and letters from farmers asking about elephant forage and profitability versus horses. Barnum’s reply: such stunts pay if a major museum and railway eye the spectacle, otherwise horses and oxen are cheaper.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
P. T. Barnum
Asia
Barnum
America
Bridgeport
Conn
New Haven and Hartford
New York
Joel Benton
Century
Wedding Superstitions Tale From Old Siren Lore
The article lists wedding day omens. Tears by the bride signal luck, two church doors portend bad luck, the bride cuts the cake and serves wine for small gatherings, and the groom picking up a dropped handkerchief foreshadows him playing second fiddle. It adds that tying shoes is unlucky.
Seeds Return Letter Reveals Farm Family Plans
Washington correspondence in the New York Tribune recounts a seed package sent to a farmer by a congress member. The farmer writes that his daughter Matilda will marry the local doctor next month and the couple plans to leave the farm, asking to exchange the seeds for stockings, handkerchiefs, or a spring bonnet for Matilda.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
New York Tribune
Department of Agriculture
Congress
Matilda
A Juvenile Feminine Prayer in Lippincott’s Magazine
A summer scene at a fashionable resort shows a little girl overhearing women debate fashion and stylishness. The child ends her prayers urging God to make her stylish, highlighting society’s emphasis on appearance over beauty.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lippincott's Magazine
Overfed child prompts doctor's cold diagnosis
In a brief exchange Mrs Fondma apologizes to a doctor about her child's ailment. The doctor suggests the child is overfed after a short outing to the grandmother's, noting a cold as a possible factor.
Town Had Offsets and Odd Settlement in Sewer Injury
A drummer in a Kansas town sues for damages after falling into an open sewer with no railing or light. He settles for $125 after public opposition and advice from a lawyer, with $5.66 deducted for damages caused by collapsing planks and a cavern.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kansas
Dallas News
Medicinal Salt Uses Highlighted by Old Text
A historic note praises salt as a natural remedy and antiseptic. A teaspoon in water aids indigestion, a similar rinse relieves nasal cold, and a hot salt bag eases severe abdominal pains.
Necessary Precautions Humor in Life Insurance Debate
A wry exchange notes a life agent's plan for dependents as a dog guards the door and a hired girl claims the agent is away, underscoring practical safeguards in estate planning.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brooklyn
Fragment on volcanic ash and lava definitions
The piece notes that ashes from volcanoes are essentially lava that has been finely pulverized into powder.
Strength in Men at Heart of Women’s Admiration
A long quotation from Lady Colin Campbell argues women seek strength in men in body mind and character. It critiques cowards cads and arrogant financiers while insisting women rely on male strength as protector and refuge. The piece notes even strong women respect strength but may privately feel contempt when roles reverse.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Adam
Athene
Colin Campbell
A Queer Library Near Cassel Germany
A curious Warstentein library houses books that resemble logs but are actual histories of the trees they represent. Each volume bears a barkback title with scientific and common names, shows the tree trunk in natural and polished states, and includes leaves fruit fiber and insect parasites with full descriptions of the tree and its products.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Warstentein
Cassel
Germany
Also Mentioned on This Page
Cras
Ieeeeae
Bears
the Centaur Company
New York CiTy
City Property
Iowa
Story
Woodbury
Monona
Harrison
Little Sioux
Maple
Soldier
Boyer
Missouri
Polk
Marshall
Red Lake
Kittson
Minnesota
Munden & Potter
Ilowa
Ames
Sammy & Miller
H. S. Goble
Ings
Evory
Mutual
Bell
Namilton
Parley Sheldon
Pres
F. G. Schleiter
Asst. Cashier
The
Story County
Dors
Tornado Insurance
Kor
Lot
Hamilton
M. Schulz
Ellington
Fischer
A. F
A. M. Hall
Valley Gem
Baldwin
Irving
Semple
Schulz
Steinway
Knabe
Needham
Schubert, Sohmer
CK Hot Mrc
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!