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This newspaper page contains 44 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Ames Times
Location
Ames, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Jul 16, 1908
Page
7
A writer details the rag and spear illusion by a Hindoo fakir and his assistant. The helper enters a secured sack while the fakir times breaths and drives a spear through the bag twice to simulate wounds, with perfect breathing unison to avoid true harm.
A Bohemian Magazine excerpt recalls souvenir cravings from a New York cafe, where a guest stole a pewter cream pot stamped Stolen from M. A Pittsburg bachelor meets two ladies and pays a bill only to learn the extra charge covered spoons in the ladies’ bags. A U S ship christening banquet shows a full crew using silver service, leaving forks scarce.
A Georgia man recalls a Negro literary society meeting where a proposal to move regular meetings from Tuesday to Friday caused heated debate. The president finally spoke, declaring with gravity that he personally doesn't care which night the society meets, but he prefers Tuesday.
The London Globe argues against meat dominance by linking national strength to fish consumption. It notes historically that even apprenticeships limited salmon intake, suggesting a fish based diet may better support intellect and physique.
An old military man asks what is needed to beat a retreat at Fort Washington. The humorous reply says you must retreat faster than the others, captured in a line from the Philadelphia Press.
Italian proverb states that past wrongs should not be mourned. The saying cautions against dwelling on harms already gone. It reflects a pragmatist view of moving forward and focusing on present actions.
In 1784 M. La Combe described London as filled with armed highwaymen and footpads and noted thieves stealing door brass knockers. He lamented changes in London society with bold women, bankrupts and beggars, coiners and informers, plus widespread adulteration in bread beer and milk.
A London Answers note traces the blood red banner and cap through revolts from Persia 4000 years ago to Paris rioters and Bunker Hill, linking the color to liberty movements, flags of trades unions, and Swiss emblem history, while noting monarchs never chose it.
A New York police official analyzing a case of a policeman convicted for protecting gambling houses notes the suspect lied naively. He narrates a parable about a newspaper friend and a carpenter who builds a sound proof wall and then cannot hear the literary man in the next room.
While walking down Bond Street Lord Palmerston and Sir James Paget encounter a man who salutes the statesman. The man shares his old complaint is not improving, then vanishes, and the two ladies or gentlemen discuss the stranger’s identity. The moment ends with a casual remark that the old fellow is over sixty and prone to health issues.
In a Dublin era anecdote Archbishop Whately outsmarted a soldier at dinner who asked naive questions. The exchange turns on who wears a cross the miter or the back and ends with a witty remark about not knowing the difference between an aide de camp and a pass.
The piece recalls Horace Greeley as a writer whose letters often puzzled readers and even caused misreads by editors. A New York Tribune reporter once received a letter from Greeley that was treated as a recommendation to another editor.
A Chicago News quip jokes about marriage and money as a husband fears becoming cross eyed from trying to view income and expenses together. The wife responds with a witty retort about the idea.
Mrs Hoyle reveals she learned her husband’s evenings are spent at home after she had to stay in last night. Mrs Doyle remarks on the situation in Harper’s Weekly style.
A quotation asserts that every man’s homeland is where he lives best, attributed to Aristophanes. The line suggests a view on national belonging and personal familiarity shaping patriotism.
A playful look at the turtle as a hardy sea creature with armor like a tank and surprising lifespans. Then a quirky report on Maori whiskers being valuable in the South Seas, where chiefs wear headdresses rich with white whiskers sold for their weight in gold.
Old preacher Peter Cartwright holds a camp meeting in Ohio. He delivers a fiery sermon on Christ’s second coming, stirs a vast audience, and a man in a tree with a tin horn triggers a panic before many reform. The climactic trumpet scene leads to hundreds rushing to conversion.
A country farmer explains a method to produce streaky bacon by alternating starvation and overfeeding a pig. The cockney visitor then asks how to make ham, and the farmer replies by placing a ring in the pig’s nose, in a humorous exchange.
A Scots couple journeys to London and debates the fate of their teeth as they walk the Strand. The husband asks about fixed teeth while the wife jokes she has left them locked in the portmanteau, reflecting London thieves and urban humor.
A San Francisco Chronicle excerpt shows Jones praising children as a blessing while Smith notes the challenge of a new family with two kids reducing time for piano practice.
Dialogue from a London Telegraph piece shows a doctor planning to summon more physicians for consultation and a patient urging to bring as many accomplices as possible, implying a conspiratorial medical scene.
London Notes and Queries traces the shift from postlaunch christening with a wine cup to prelaunch naming. It cites Pepys and 1664 Royal Katherine as late examples of the old method and notes a 1780 newspaper reference to bottle smashing on Magnanime, suggesting the modern custom was developing but not yet universal.
A kindly man hesitates to lend money to a supposed borrower. He fears misuse but refuses to lie. His friend suggests he lend all his money to him, so he can honestly claim he has none left. After acting, the man ends with a partial rest of conscience until repayment.
A famed dramatic critic visiting Stratford on Shakespeare’s birthday asks a street sweeper about the author. The exchange reveals the town’s modern tributes to Shakespeare with references to hotels, gingerbread, and even a pig driver nicknamed Shakespeare’s best. The sweeper, wheezing, concedes the writer did indeed write, but jokes about what he wrote.
Mrs. Graham, noted for interior decoration, drank a glass of red ink thinking it was claret. She was frightened but unharmed. The doctor dryly warned that the urge for decorative interiors can be pushed too far.
A Stuttgart Familienblatt note urges men to train memory as a great life asset. It recommends daily practice of memorizing a few lines by heart, claiming memory is the easiest faculty to improve.
Mrs Darley asks Darley about his choice after a loving prompt from the London Mail. He remains thoughtful and questions whether burial or cremation should be chosen.
A barber pauses during a shaving as a customer, who raises his hand, asks for gas. The moment unfolds like a terse surgical scene in a crowded setting.
A proverb notes that wrinkles come from constant worry and that such concern cannot fix the issues causing distress. It underscores the futility of fretting over problems beyond influence.
The article traces serpent worship from ancient temples to the Aesculapian staff, noting serpent imagery in Apollo’s cult and voodoo in Haiti. It cites relics of primitive serpent rites, links to Genesis, and mentions the brazen serpent healing in the Lancet summary.
In the mountains of Ceylon a spider builds a five foot diameter central net with ten to twelve foot support lines. It often blinds and chokes prey with stout coils around the head. Its body is gold or scarlet beneath and slate colored on top, and its webs trap larks and lizards. Skeletons of small birds too.
A literary man argues violet ink costs three times black yet lasts longer and prevents pen corrosion. He recalls Russell Sage using violet ink in his office and claims it extends pen life to six or seven months.
A drawing room after dinner recalls a joke about an absent maiden friend. Two companions dissect her appearance and mental traits, noting her desire to be plural as a witty correction to being singular.
A humorous anecdote about Mrs. Casey crying over a steam roller misunderstanding. Pat attempted a pants pressing scheme and forgot to remove them first, prompting laughter from Mrs. Garrity and others. The judge records the misstep as a light, social quip.
A short exchange misattributes a gag about genius and insanity to a father and son. The elder quips that a lunatic at least is certain of his beard and clothes, a humorous contrast on sanity and perception.
In 1887 Professor Leopold Schroetter warned Crown Prince Frederick not to expect certainty about his ailment. Frederick, a soldier who could face death, asked bluntly if his condition could be cancer. Schroetter cautioned that the illness might develop into carcinoma but could not be positively diagnosed at that moment.
A St James' Gazette quip debates hurried marriages as villagers praise long courtships and warn couples about rushing. An old man boasts a nineteen year courtship while others jest about courtship patience and choosing wisely.
Mrs. Bloomfield Moore recounts a scene where a snobbish pair criticizes their guests after an evening. Their old uncle awake in the hall overhears and reveals their grandfather was a bootmaker, noted by some as not very honest, prompting their retreat to bed.
The article recalls Good Friday rings made from decayed coffin metal hallowed with elaborate rites to prevent cramps and epilepsy. It notes medical endorsement around 1557 in Andrew Boorde's Breviary of Health and cites diplomacy uses by Lord Berners in 1508 seeking cramp rings for Charles V’s court.
The passage details Persian burial customs where two sticks prop up the arms of the deceased as they rise for questioning by the angel Gabriel. A dog’s glance is said to purge defilement, and a street car is used to lure the dog’s gaze with bread placed on the chest.
The article notes restlessness is often considered minor but when intense enough to prompt consultation it typically signals a serious underlying illness. Physicians see this symptom as a superficial clue to deeper health issues.
Dialogue excerpt shows Parson Primrose questioning grace and Freddie arguing his father swore after carving the turkey. The exchange highlights a clash between religious ceremoniousness and everyday family tension in a domestic scene.
A Yonkers Statesman excerpt contrasts workers and households adopting labor saving devices. A man notes progress over a decade while joking about marriage as a badge of experience. The piece reflects rural humor and domestic efficiency themes.
Bridget warns of dinner guests as a comic exchange unfolds with a boastful Cook vowing to outdo the visitors. The captioned moment promises humorous domestic mischief and a lighthearted clash of wills.
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