Guarding Our Money A Loophole in Treasury Security Exposed
A historical Los Angeles Times piece recounts eighties era treasury security flaws and a thwarted robbery plot by Martin Broadfoot. It describes sewer access to the Fifteenth Street vaults, the planned rubber bag scheme, and the drastic improvements under Secretary Folger including time locks, steel safes, and a reinforced watch force ready to shoot to kill.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Treasury
Martin Broadfoot
P.n
Fifteenth Street
Potomac
White House
Broadfoot
Secret Service
Virginia
Folger
Los Angeles Times
Herring Survives Drastic Habitat Experiments
A German satire recounts Professor Schildtger testing how far a fish can adapt by slowly altering its environment. A herring survives salt to fresh water, then dry, then a birdcage, until forgotten water leads to its death in a dish.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Germany
Professor Schiltiger
Herr Professor
Rook
Harper's Weekly
Man Kills Camel Turns Threat Into Bazaar Sale
Norman Duncan recounts a Turkuish trooper in Raifeh who tethers a docile camel that turns violent trampling his master. The Turk survives the attack and vows to sell the beast in Beersheba while hoping for divine mercy on the owner’s fate.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hebron
Rafieh
Mohammed
God
Beersheba
Norman Duncan
Harper's Magazine
Lost joke about lapsus linguae at New York banker's dinner
A quotation attributed to Congressman Quarles recalls a banker hosted dinner with gossipy guests. A waiter spills smoked beef tongue at the fifth course and the host loudly quips that it is “merely a lapsus linguae.” A Broadway merchant attends and later hosts a similar dinner with a staged roast beef mishap.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Quarles
Dimmer
New York Giants of Finance
Broadway
Malaprop
Jimed Quarles
York Press
New
Snagging Salmon in Alaska Described
Indigenous anglers on the Chileat river fish by night using a barbless steel hook attached to a pole. They set the hook when a salmon takes, then jerk it to land the fish, a practice labeled snagging salmon by forest and stream.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Alaska
The Counterfeit Ten Dollar Bill Ruse
A man buys shoes for 3 dollars and pays with a counterfeit ten. The shoemaker borrows 7 dollars in change from the grocer, gives 7 back to the customer, and later admits the bill is fake. The shoemaker returns 5 good ones, a 2 dollar pill, and 3 dollars in change, totaling a loss of 5 dollars.
An Eager Parent and a Library Marriage Proposal
A quirky anecdote from Lippincott's recounts Jack entering a library to tell his father he wants to marry his daughter. The father responds with humor asking which daughter, highlighting a playful exchange about family and bold devotion.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jack
Lippincott’s
Verger William Miles and the Dean's Birthday Banter
In a Rochester cathedral reminiscence Mr William Miles a former verger and inspiration for Edwin Drood’s Mr Tope is recalled as a favorite of Dean Hole. On an anniversary greeting the dean asks how many children Miles' mother had. Miles replies he is the eldest of twelve, and the dean says Miles never saw his youngest brother. Miles responds that he did, with ten miles between them.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
William Miles
Rochester Cathedral
Tope
Edwin Drood
Dean Hole
Mr. Miles
Miles
Dean
Modest Retainer Ruse in Divorce Case Sparks Court
A Kansas City Newsbook item quotes a court rebuking a lawyer for taking retainers from both spouses in a divorce. The attorney explains he started with the husband, then sought equal representation for the wife to balance professional talent.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kansas City Newsbook
Maude’s Wary Jest About Men In Cleveland Leader Quote
A Cleveland Leader excerpt features Maude noting she treats men as fools yet hides her expectations to avoid disappointment. The wry remark reflects social gender dynamics and humor in the era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Maude
Cleveland
Fire safety guidance from the New York Tribune
The article instructs readers on emergency prep including sealing pottles for gas, using water or flour on oil fires, salt on chimney flames, and methods to escape smoke with a wet cloth and crawling low. It emphasizes remaining calm, using blankets, and safe egress from windows with ropes or ladders. It notes smoke rises then falls and offers step by step actions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York’ Tribune
The Stranger Within Our Mirror
A philosopher notes that the person you care for most is the least familiar to you, yourself. People rarely recognize their own face when not in a mirror as photographs and mind’s eye fail. The visitor voices unease, confessing fear at the thought of self-knowledge.
Fire safety preparation with salt and nitrate of ammonia solution
A home method describes mixing twenty pounds of common salt and ten pounds of nitrate of ammonia in seven gallons of water to coat burning articles. The solution is stored in quart glass bottles for use on fires, forming an incombustible layer when applied. The text promotes low cost, at home preparation and keeping fire grenades on hand.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Han
Strictly Fresh Eggs From Remote Resort
An anecdote recalls a summer tourist at a distant resort puzzled by fried eggs. The waiter explains boiled eggs are possible but warns the guest of the risk, highlighting regional food quirks and gentility in delivery.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Times
The Plumber's Derby Hat Worries and Warnings
A New York Press remark imagines Gus wearing a dented derby hat. The plumber explains the hat protects his head from knocks while crawling through cramped spaces and pipes. He keeps it packed with crumpled newspapers for resilience and inspiration.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gus
New York Press
Dukes, Not Earls, Says St. James Gazette
A quoted remark recounts a noble mediocrity telling William Pitt I he might deserve an earldom for his services. The reply is a sharp rebuke asserting that dukes are the reward for such greatness.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
William Pitt
St. James’ Gazette
Is he really a good violinist
Quote from the Philadelphia Press notes that the violinist is exceedingly remarkable though the instrument is not a genuine Stradivarius. The remark highlights the performer’s skill over the instrument’s branding.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Press
Indignant Disclaimer in a Ring Mark Dispute
In a Chicago Tribune snippet, Hazel Nutt disputes a claim about a ring leaving a black mark while Vanilla Beane insists the ring itself caused the mark. The exchange underscores tension over a simple accessory and its effects.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hazel Nutt
Chicago Tribune
The Headman and the Evolution of Execution Weapons
London Notes and Queries discusses how prior to 1488 judges used the sword for beheadings, with the ax only becoming common after Lord Hastings was killed on the Tower green. The author cites a timber block and an adz as the tool of execution and notes a rare reference in the Paston letters from around 1450.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lord Hastings
Tower Green
Gloucester
St. Peter
Jack ‘Ade
London
The Hair Elasticity and Growth Study
The article reports Dr Pincus measuring hair growth by removing circular patches about an inch in diameter from healthy men. Patches showed growth slower after cutting, sometimes equal to the rest, and never faster. The hair is described as highly elastic able to stretch up to one third its length and return to size.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pincus
Hair length ranges. long hair noted in London standards
The London Standard states average head hair length spans twenty two to forty five inches with forty five inches viewed as unusually long.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London Standard
Beetles Mystery Puzzles English Authority’s Primrose Find
The Rev Theodore Wood notes a small brown flat beetle found frequently in primrose flowers but nowhere else. He admits uncertainty about its life cycle eggs grub food chrysalis and why the beetle enters primrose blossoms.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Theodore Wood
Mr. Wood
Waking Enemies as Key to Success in Baseball Um pire
A Washington Star quip frames success as facing foes. A veteran advises not fearing foes. The youth replies by suggesting putting in time as a baseball umpire to gain insight and leverage.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Star
Fish Superstitions and Their Cures Across Eras
The piece notes cod liver oil as the only fish medicine modern science approves. It recounts old beliefs such as drowning trout in milk for epilepsy, eels’ liver powder for deafness, eel fat decoctions for hair loss, and eelskin as rheumatism preventive. It also covers the red herring superstition and the idea of a king herring guiding each shoal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
North
Wales
Pittsburg
Boy Five Falls From Window Survives Unharmed
A five year old boy leaned from a second story window and fell into the yard but escaped injury. His stunned family celebrated with coins as he recovered. He asked his sister Gladys why she did not try the stunt for money.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gladys
Manhood and true majority through self reliance
Isis argues real manhood comes from earning independence rather than turning twenty one. The piece emphasizes self dependence as the measure of maturity, highlighting the value of producing one’s own bread and light cultivated by others’ care over years.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Isis
Hereford Cathedral Holds Vast Chain Bound Book Collection
The Hereford cathedral in England houses the finest chained library with about 2000 volumes. At least 1000 books are chained for security with three to four foot chains and central swivels.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hereford
England
The Engineer's Burden Beyond the Wreck
A coroner's jury absolves blame in a mentor wreck. An engineer recalls the risks, explaining that his lost legs mean a life of flagging crossings and facing a daily audience of trains, with pain and duty interwoven in every mile. The narrative reflects on the weight of responsibility and the human cost of rail travel.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Black Tower
Mentor
Denny
Lover's letters captivate jury in literary twist
A judge hears the defendant's correspondence read aloud as jurors weigh the case. The dramatic letters, cited as evidence, reveal personal motives and tensions surrounding the alleged crime.
One View of the Kiss Across Cultures
Excerpt compares scents and kisses as signals among wild beasts, naming Mongolian and European varieties. It explains the nose based sniff as Mongolian and the mouth based kiss as European, linking them to preservation instincts and predatory give and take.
The Superior Smile as Studied at Oxford Varsity
The piece extols the superior smile as a valued skill for young men at universities. It notes its vogue at universities and its usefulness in later life, describing it as a cover for a naked mind and advising parliamentary candidates to seek it.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Don
Oxford Varsity
Extravagant folly claimed in Cleveland teacher remark
A Cleveland Plain Dealer excerpt quotes a speaker recalling a teacher calling him a fool for spending on education. The dialogue frames education as criminal folly and mocks the speaker as a chump, highlighting class and self-deprecation themes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Nothing Left But Last Fare To Offer Judge
A convicted man answers the judge that he has nothing to offer before sentencing. He says his lawyer took his last far thing, reflecting a grim legal moment reported in London Tit-Bits with a wry tone.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
The Last Word Conductor and Passenger On Ventilator Debate
In a sharp exchange aboard a car a conductor notes a transfer expired an hour ago. The Lady digs for change and complains no ventilators are open in the car while Puck comments on the situation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Puck
Danish Proverb on Labor and Food
A Danish proverb urges valuing food by earned effort and labor. It emphasizes that savoring meals comes from personal toil and diligence.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Washington
United States Treasury
Camel
Beetles
Chained Books
B. BR. Winslow
New York Tribune
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