Interesting Animal Facts From A Curious Observer
A pastiche notes that cud chewing animals are often cloven, suction feeders are herbivores, and many animals lack upper teeth. It states horses lack something, hares have reduced vision, owls cannot move their eyes but can rotate their heads, and fish breathe by open mouths while living amphibian-like constraints apply. It mentions deer with additional breathing passages and snakes with teeth and eggs in Africa.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Africa
Did He Understand Trick Alarm Clock Prank on Professor
In Edinburgh, a prank by restless students placed an alarm clock on a professor during a noon lecture. The clock rang loudly as the hour struck. the professor resumed and thanked the class for the reminder, confessing he forgot it was his time.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Edinburgh
One Boy's Loyalty to New York Question
In a school geography exchange a York boy answers a teacher's question about the largest city in the world. He insists the answer is York, despite the lesson pointing to other possibilities, and writes a refrain about New York as the biggest city.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
York
Ork
New York
Praying and Prinking Sermon Sparks Rhetorical Clash
A revivalist named Jones scolds women for prinking over praying, calling out a feeble old woman who claims to pray most of the time. He taunts her as a faded specimen and urges her to spend more time in prayer while she sits or leaves straight away.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jones
Turner the Painter Delivers Toast at Artist Dinner
At a dinner of artists and writers Turner the painter, a witty amateur poet, proposed a toast to the health of painters and glaziers of Great Britain. The toast was drunk amid the gathering as Turner returned thanks and saluted the British paper stain.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Turner
Great
Ungallant school ma'am asks what I speak
A fragmented Kansan newspaper snippet shows a school ma'am humorously asking a student to identify what she speaks about in the past tense. The line ends mid thought, with the boy replying correctly as a joke about grammar and time.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Johnny
Kansas City
Fragmentary note on vice and meaning in class discussion
A garbled classroom fragment discusses defining vice with a quirky line about the head of the bell. The text is incomplete and lacks clear context or identifiable individuals.
Chinese Liar Card Trick Revealed In Tobacco Ad
An advertising agent recalls paying a Chinese writer in San Francisco to compose praise for a two for five cigar in Chinese and lithographing the lines. The cards misled readers into praising another brand. After months the agent learned the true text urged not smoking the cigar and praised Gong company cigarettes instead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Record
Lo Hen Wong
San Francisco
United States
Gong Company
Chinatown
Hen Wong
Old Names In London Lambehith to Lambeth
London Chronicle recalls how Lam behith became Lambeth through history and charters. It notes the old river port origin of Lambehith from hithe meaning haven and mentions remaining hithes like Queenhithe and Rotherhithe.
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London
Lambeth
Edward the Confessor
Lambehith
Lanchel
William Rufus
How to Make Chop Suey Recipe from Amoy Official
A historical recipe explains chop suey for four, using two chicken livers, two chicken gizzards, one pound pork, ginger, celery, olive oil, vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Mushrooms and bean sprouts or peas or string beans or asparagus tips are added. seey u sauce available at Chinese groceries.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fales
Amoy
Webster’s reply to Hayne a model of prepared oration
Daniel Webster told a friend that his famous speech against Hayne was long prepared though delivered spontaneously. He claimed to rely on notes kept in a pigeonhole and said Hayne could not have matched them, insisting no man is inspired by the occasion.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Daniel Webster
Hayne
Left and Right Limbs Arm Strength Study
Physiologists report on limb dominance from tests on men and women. Among men 59.9 percent show stronger right arms, 16.4 percent equal, 32.7 percent stronger left. Among women 46.9 percent stronger right, 24.5 percent stronger left.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
When Smoking Is a Crime in Abyssinia
A 1642 Abyssinian law bans tobacco use to curb priests smoking in churches. The rule is enforced so strictly that foreigners also must avoid being seen smoking in public.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Abyssinia
Unusual Lady's Plate Race Advertised at Ripon
A 1725 Yorkshire note advertises a race at Ripon titled The Lady's Plate worth 15 pounds. The race allows only horses five years old or younger and requires women to ride. Each entrant pays one guinea, with three heats and two laps per heat on the common.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ripon
Yorkshire
Staffing Ratios Revealed Across Ireland Scotland England
The report shows 408 able bodied persons per 1000 in Ireland, 424 in Scotland, and 432 in England, indicating varying workforce availability among the nations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ireland
Scotland
England
The Hardest Thing to Find in a Swindle Partner
A proverb notes the hardest task is finding a trustworthy partner for a scam. It highlights risk, deception, and the need for scrutiny in forming any criminal collaboration.
Man Chases Street Car in Desperate Dash
In a dramatic pursuit, a man dashes along State Street after a retreating street car. He overthrows stalls and injures bystanders while muttering a vow to catch the car or die. The scene ends as he boards the tram and the conductor signals departure for the barn.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Tribune
Dutch Hank Loses 25000 After Liver Feat Joke
In New York Daly's room Hank wins 25000 odds in a poker game then stays to eat liver at a Dutch restaurant. He turns the winnings back to Daly as luck shifts, leaving Hank broke and quipping that liver takes longer than a minute to eat.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dutch Hank
Rochester
Hank
Daly
New York City
The Temptation That Cheated Nordenskjold
Nordenskjold, en route home from Siberia, faced a czarist offer of a decoration but yielded to temptation. After accepting, a high official revealed the Russian government had prepared 800,000 rubles to reward his refusal, proving Russia’s gratitude for his break with the Antidecoration pledge.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Baron Nordenskjold
Ceylon
Siberia
Russia
Bjorsterne Bjornson
Nordenskjold
Lamps of the Sea Jellyfish Phosphorescence and Form
The text explains that many jellyfish glow at night, earning the title lamps of the sea. In daylight they appear striped or tinted with melon shapes and fringed tentacles. The Portuguese man of war is highlighted as the best known and most attractive member of the family.
His Gift
Joke dialogue where Mrs Wyles and Mrs Styles exchange lines about a birthday present. A husband’s gift is a check bearing both names highlighting selfishness and practical humor.
Names and the Comedie Francaise In Two Titles
A writer first offers a play to the Comedie Francaise as Le Droit du Seigneur which is rejected for bad writing and poor rhyme. He resubmits the same manuscript as LEcueil du Sage under his own name and it is accepted with enthusiasm and universally praised.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Voltaire
Comedie Francaise
Neighbor Harris Cat Dies Paso City
A brief notice recalls the death of neighbor Harris's cat and the neighbor Mrs. Stutson expresses sympathy. The exchange notes the cat distracted Fido with pleasant barking, reflecting a small domestic moment.
Confucius on faults of the superior man
A compact moral reflection noting that the virtuous leader bears faults seen by all. It compares personal flaws to eclipses, urging continual self-correction as others watch and adjust their views.
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Confucius
Moon and Mirror Experiment with Moon and Planets
On a clear night use a hand mirror to reflect the moon and see four images in a line with a bright central image. The extra images arise from front and back mirror surfaces and reflectors. Venus Jupiter Mars and bright stars can show three images depending on object breadth.
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Venus
Jupiter
Mars
Sirius
Capella
Arcturus
Vega
Antares
New York Herald
Those Old Circuses and Frauds from Cornhill
A nostalgic note recalls the old circus acts the five barred gates and signorina leaps. It describes jockey tricks, leaps from horse to back, and the audience’s rising excitement as the band and crowd react to near misses. The piece laments the fading simplicity of those days.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Signorina
Cornhill
Meaning of shy leads to dramatic courtroom moment
A young girl testifying in a London case reacts to a lawyer’s question about the term shy by picking up a lawbook and throwing it at the attorney. The judge remarks that the court now understands the word’s meaning before the girl completes her testimony.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Shy
London
Inquisitive Penguins on Arctic Ice
The excerpt describes penguin groups of six to eight approaching explorers with curiosity, then becoming aggressive if provoked. The scene shows reconnoitering individuals signaling others to advance, leading to a brief clash where humans defend their perceived superiority.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Geographical Magazine
Origin of the term Black Maria described
A Boston boardinghouse keeper named Maria Lee aided authorities to keep peace as emigrants swelled New England. Police would send for her to take suspects to jail, and her actions inspired the nickname Black Maria for the English prison van.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Maria
New England
Maria Lee
Boston
Black Maria
Barnum Monkeys Treated With Scotts Emulsion
A Barnum and Bailey circus report claims monkeys in the monkey cage were dosed with Scott the Emulsion after an accidental spill. The keepers say deaths from consumption dropped and note the treatment is cheaper than buying new monkeys. The piece ends by suggesting humans with consumption should try the remedy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Barnum
Scott
Bargain Day for Des Moines Capital 1902 Subscription
On December 28 the fifty fifth anniversary of Iowa statehood the Des Moines Daily Capital offers a full year 1902 subscription by mail for $2.00. Present subscribers may settle accounts and mail $2.00 for the new year. Send letters and checks to Safe Young Des Moines Iowa.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Des Moines
Capital
Safe Young
Associated Press
Daily Capital
Patent remedies and beauty tonics advertise across old ads
An assortment of patent medicines claims cures for colds and vitality. Foley’s Honey and Tar and Rocky Mountain Tea promise quick relief and improved vigor, beauty, and complexion. Advertisements from Loughran Bauer and Madison Medicine Co promote blends and facial tonics with boastful testimonials.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Foley
Loughran & Bauer
Plymouth Rock Cockerels for Sale by W J Freed
Advertisement for barred Plymouth Rock chickens offered by W J Freed. Claims a remedy with a 98 percent cure rate for piles and promises a free trial if it fails. Mentions “I free if it fails to cure” and a promotion by L M worth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
W. J. Freed
L. M. Worth
Pig Killed Quietly in German Town Police Ban
English travelers heard a restaurant aide say a pig was killed near the corner and that it did not squeal. The woman responded in German that it was forbidden by the police.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Polizeilich
Opportunities for Home-seekers Excursion Tickets
The Iowa Central Railway sells home-seekers excursion tickets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month to many western states at one fare plus two dollars round trip with a twenty one day final return limit. Route covers Iowa Minnesota North and South Dakota Montana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas among others. Printed material and full details available from agents or Geo. Batty G P T A Marshalltown IA.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa Central Railway
Iowa
Minnesota
North
South Dakota
Montana
Nebraska
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Iowa Central
Batty
Marshalltown
Diamond Ring Motive Behind Woman’s Engagement
A terse line suggests a man’s behavior toward marriage is influenced by a woman’s father figure, implying paternal approval drives the engagement ring gesture.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Susie
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Nts
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His
the Black Maria
Barnum’s Monkeys
Scott & Bowne
Pearl St
Banker’s Accident Insurance Co
F. L. Merepits
L. M. Bosworth
Madison Medicine Co
Rocky Mountain
Ubo. A. Underwood
AMES
M. Hemstreet
J. A. Campbell
Hemstreet & Campbell
Real Estate & Insurance
South Side Main Street
Lown
West Main St. South Ride
Mutual
Rhad
Sali
Read’s Market
Ames, Iowa
Union National Bank
W. M. Greenny
Henry Wulson
Gro. H. TupEn
Ass’t
Doe
Bankers’ National Bank
Chicago
National City Bank
Valley National Bank
J. LL. Sis
Meat Market
Thompson & Graves
Insurance
Lowa