Heroic Newfoundland Fisherman Saves Ship Crew
Sir Eadward Morris recounts the 1832 rescue of 168 aboard the brig Dispatch near Cape Kay. George Harvey and his Newfoundland dog braved a gale, towing a rope to the wreck while their boat battled monstrous seas. all aboard were saved after perilous efforts by Harvey and his helper dog.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eadward Morris
Newfoundland
Wide World
George Harvey
Cape Kay
Canada
Dispatch
Quebec
Harvey
Light and the Eyes The Quantity of Light Hurting Eyes
The article explains retinal fatigue results more from total light entering the eye than its brightness. It cites Arctic goggles, pinhole sun viewing, distant arc light, and large bright city lights to show that smaller light areas reduce glare while large, intense sources increase discomfort.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Arctic
Optier
Mistaken Identity in the Lyons Mail Case
The famous misidentification of Lesurques who was executed for the Lyons mail robbery and murder. A woman later testified innocence, naming Duboscq, but her testimony failed to save Lesurques. Four years later Duboscq was captured and executed after a similar resemblance led to conviction.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lesurques
Lyons Mail
Duboscq
Fossil Remains Show Preservation From Ancient Sediment
Fossil remains of prehistoric animals would not survive if exposed to air. Ancient soft mud or drifting sand enveloped carcasses, sealing them from air and water until they hardened into rock. Some oldest remains have been found near the surface.
Crust as Paper Wrapping Reveals Ancient Animal Age
The crust folds under internal gases and fire, turning strata upside down in places. The exposed rock layer indicates the animal’s approximate age, and geologists estimate the era from rock dating.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London Strand
Calabash Lure Ducks By Submerged Hunters
A Chinese hunting method uses floating gourds to lure wild ducks. The hunter wears a hollow gourd on the head, hides submerged, and grabs ducks by the leg pulling them underwater. He wrings necks and belts them, repeating the stealthy capture until escaping with a belt of ducks.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
China
Occidental
Spiders Weave Threads of Incredible Strength
A New York Press report notes that a spider weighing 54 milligrams spun a thread that supported four grams endwise, seventy four times its weight. The intertwined threads can bear bees and wasps and bend under dew or rain without breaking, explaining the spider’s unseen descent.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Press
Sealed Bid Auction Method in Japan Explained
A New York Sun description notes that Japanese auctions use sealed bids written on slips placed in a box. The highest bid wins the property, avoiding neighbor knowledge. This method deters low offers and is used when owners intend to sell.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Japan
New York Sun
A Famous Dresser Joachim Murat’s Courtly Rise
The New York Tribune recalls Joachim Murat born 1767 near Cahors who rose from day laborer’s son to field marshal Duke of Cleve and Berg and Naples king. He married Napoleon’s sister Caroline and valued attire, wearing gold embroidered uniforms fit for battle and a court review as he faced execution.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Joachim Murat
Cahors
Cleve and
Berg
Napoleon
Caroline
Naples
New York Tribune
Humorous Scribbles From The Twitter Home
The Birmingham Age Herald sketches a lively view of life at the Twitter home with a playful quarrel over flow. It notes a bulldog a cat and a globe of goldfish sparking domestic antics and triaging pet tensions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Twitter
Birmingham Age-Herald
Something In the Filling Disposition and Teeth Sign Beliefs
A girl who trusts signs and palm reading asks about judging a man by his teeth. Her companion, a skeptic, notes the idea as an interesting, whimsical belief. The exchange centers on Jack and his presumed disposition based on dental imagery.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jack
Poor Substitute for Truth Questioned in Public Discourse
A reflective line asks what remains when truth is hidden or distorted. The quote ponders the value of alternative explanations and the limits of belief in the absence of verifiable facts.
Signature Experts Keep Checks Safe at Banks
Large banks employ one to six men as signature experts who verify every check through the clearing house. They memorize thousands of signatures and spot alterations instantly, while screening for postdated or stopped payments and ensuring genuine drafts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harper’s Weekly
Thinking Ball Players Win Ballgames Say Expert
John J. Meshew argues in the Metropolitan that baseball success hinges on players who think and act instantly. He says many physically gifted players lack this instinct and that teams need at least two such quick thinking players, four strong contenders heighten championship chances.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John J. Meshaw
Metropolitan
A Tribune Tale of Garrick and a Grocer
A country grocer visiting London sought a letter to actor David Garrick. He saw Garrick in Abel Drugger, later confessed he would not deliver the letter as Garrick appeared a dirty low lived fellow, preferring not to meet him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Garrick
David Garrick
London
Abel Drugger
Where Licorice Grows on the Tigris and Euphrates
The text describes the licorice plant grown along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It notes flat treeless prairies, long hot winds, and extreme temperatures from 104 degrees in heat to 30 degrees at night in a three month cold period.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tigris
Euphrates
First French Gazette Emerges Under Richelieu
In 1631 Dr Renaudet secured Richelieu’s license for a weekly paper, the Gazette of France, the first regular newspaper. It started modestly with four pages and single columns, with Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu occasionally contributing literary pieces.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Richelieu
Thomas KE. Watson
France
Renaudet
Gazette of
Louis XIII
Cardinal
Nantucket Windmills Preserve Water and Corn Milling
Nantucket on the New England coast relies on windmills to pump water to tanks and meet community needs. The island also boasts what is believed to be the oldest operational windmill used for grinding corn in America. Nathan Wilbur, a Nantucket resident, witnesses this history.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nantucket
New England
America
Nathan Wilbur
Sailor Forges Everturning Windmill From Wrecked Ships
A sailor who visited Holland in youth built a windmill in 1746 from timbers of wrecked ships. For 165 years the mill has remained busy, with a constant wind turning its outstretched wings, as described by the New York World.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sailor
Holland
New York World
Curious quip on doves from Noah and Genoa
A lady jokes to Bulwer Lytton that a dove sent to find the old world and Columba to find the new are odd. The novelist agrees the remark is curious, noting the humor that one bird hails from Noah and the other from Genoa.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bulwer Lytton
Columbus
Genoa
Just a Little. Amelia Engaged Amid Quiet Night Talk
In a London Tit-Bits snippet, Aunt-Ah questions Amelia about her pale appearance and late nights, as Amelia admits an engagement though she downplays it. They lower the lamp, hinting at secrecy or restraint in their conversation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Amelia
London
A Unique Ear
A humorous remark about English phrasing from a professor quoted by Harvard Lam poon. The line notes that a sentence may be technically correct yet sound odd to native speakers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harvard Lampoon
Daring Duty Echoes in Byron Quote
A concise quotation attributed to Byron emphasizes resolve in pursuing a righteous end. The line invites focus on steadfast courage and moral mission despite challenges.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Byron
Size of Whales in the Modern View
A government official with a special study on whales states the average length of a full grown sulphur bottom whale is just under eighty feet. Reports of eighty five to ninety five feet exist but have not been observed by the expert. Yearlings measure thirty to thirty five feet. The scientist provides measurements and photos to gauge spout height, which is likely less than commonly thought, typically around fourteen feet and occasionally up to twenty.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune
Falling Coconuts and Coconut Planting Methods
An importer explains coconut harvesting for planting as nuts drop mainly at night after fourteen months. Seeds are sorted by sprouting health, holes dug three feet deep twenty feet apart, with salt added near shores for growth, and plants then grow without further care.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tropics
Washington Herald
A Just Beast and a Just Beastly Chair
In Tem ple era Rugby master expels a boy wrongly accused but cannot name the true offender. The lad swallows punishment, writes to his father who forwards a postscript calling Temple “a beast, but he is a just beast.” Tem ple preserves fairness and the boy is not expelled.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Canterbury
Frederick Temple
Temple
Marksmanship Tests in Virginia Militias of 1775
C K Bolton in the American Historical Review recounts Virginia mountaineers eager to enlist for patriot cause. A 150 yard nose-target shooting contest determined early recruits with a board nose outline. the first forty to fifty shooters cut the nose from the board with a single bullet, demonstrating keen skill.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
C. K. Bolton
American Historical Review
Cow to be killed toyed with by stranger
A Kansas butcher driving a cow to his slaughterhouse is stopped by a stranger who questions the plan. The stranger suggests feeding the cow to keep her alive, claiming she may live if cared for. The exchange appears in Kansas Magazine.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kansas
Kansas Magazine
Banquet Remark Sparks Mockery in Chicago Record
A brief exchange highlights a narrator claiming a notable banquet speech while denying attendance. The Chicago Record Herald quotes a sharp retort noting the speaker was the only attendee who declined.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Record-Herald
Modern Eccentricity and Duckworths Baby Naming
The Chicago Record-Herald notes an eccentric young Duckworth who prefers to name his baby daughter Sarah. The exchange presents a contrast between perceived eccentricity and a sensible exterior as townsfolk react to the unusual naming choice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Duckworth
Sarah
Chicago Record-Herald
Letter From the Dead Letter Office Stirs Mourning Crowd
An old woman, crying out in grief, displays a letter she says is from her deceased Jim. The scene, quoted from Woman's Home Companion, captures a poignant moment as she proclaims the letter arrived from the dead letter office.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jim
Life as a Dome of Colored Glass Reflection
The fragmenteered lines evoke Shelley like glassy life refracting eternal light. A meditative literary thought on perception and time framed as a quote.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Shelley
Making Steam Work in the 18th Century
A 1769 Watt patent is noted alongside an early Spanish 200 ton vessel in Barcelona where an engine hidden within propelled the ship. The inventor Blasco de Guerere faced royal opposition and died with the secret. parallels are drawn to 17th century interests in steam with SoloMon de Coste in Paris and Cardinal Richelieu.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
James Watt
Spain
Barcelona
Charles V
Blasco de Guerere
France
Marian de Orme
Paris
Solomon de Coste
Normandy
Cardinal Richelieu
Kansas City Star
Pongee Silk Varieties Hard to Match in Shops
The New York Sun notes pongee silk from Shantung and adjacent north China is undyed and varies by a jot of silk. Each cloth piece differs in weight and fineness, making matching across lots difficult for shoppers and outfits.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pongee
Shantung Province
North China
New York Sun
Absentminded Bishop in Ontario Telegraph Tale
A western Ontario bishop, prone to abstraction, loses direction while traveling north from London. The conductor suggests telegraphing ahead. the bishop asks his wife at the first station where he should alight and learns at Exeter to get off there. He smiles that small difficulties resolve happily.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ontario
London
Exeter
Argonaut
German Pedigree Book Aimed at Middle Class Ancestry Records
A Berlin correspondent describes the Deutsches Geschlechterbuch or German Pedigree Book as a registry not of nobles but of bourgeois and working class lineage. It seeks to prove genuine middle class ancestry.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Germany
Berlin
Editor Defends Purity of Blood in Pedigree Book
The editor argues that many German nobles have not kept their blood pure, while many business class families remain virtuous. The pedigree book is meant to foster proper pride and reduce envy toward nobles.
Two Broadway Men Argue Over Chauffeur Fatal Dog Incident
Two Broadway businessmen discuss a chauffeur running over a dog, triggering a demand for payment. The first man worries about liability while the second dismisses the incident as minor. The quarrel ends with a demand for one hundred dollars, citing responsibility.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Broadway
New York Telegraph
Cross Purposes in Crimson Gulch Gambler Tale
A stranger asks about local game laws in Crimson Gulch. Three Fingered Sam warns that if you don’t know the rules, don’t try to play. The exchange appears in the Washington Star via a western vignette.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Crimson Gulch
Three
Sam
Washington Star
Character and Change Do Not Confuse Truths
A quote attributed to Mohammed asserts caution about shifting character. It contrasts disbelief when a mountain moves with acceptance of a person altering character, urging skepticism toward false claims of moral change.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mohammed
The Sympathetic Watch and its Peculiarities
A London Chronicle correspondent notes watches fail to keep regular time with nervous wearers. An inherited watch, once reliable, became erratic when worn by the writer, never fully normalizing. Only a Swiss watch stayed accurate during a Swiss holiday, prompting questions about nerves or native air affecting timekeeping.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
London Chronicle
Spoiled His Speech by a Heckler in the Hall
A judge recalls a speech interrupted when a heckler from the rear shouted for louder delivery. The anecdote highlights the speaker’s hesitation and the audience’s reaction as the moment paused before the first sentence.
Bending of Great Guns Causes Muzzle Droop
Engineers report that wire wound twelve inch guns fifty feet long droop about four and a half minutes of arc at the muzzle while solid built guns of the same size droop about two and a half minutes. Temperature differences in the gun body also produce bendings affecting muzzle droop and projectile motion up to and beyond 500 yards.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Army
Navy
Fashionable Bridge Party Feels Fearful Frailty
In a Philadelphia Times piece a nervous young bridge player trembles at her partner while the other player icily critiques a failed discard. The scene underlines the tension of a high stakes game as nerves clash with strategy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Times
A Hint For the Flatterer
A dialogue notes that flattery did not win her love but sparked self admiration. She rejected the suitor, yet his praise only fueled her ego, leaving no space for affection toward others.
The Wife's Work Leads to Automobile Purchase
A husband saves enough money to buy an automobile after his wife helps with morning fires. On a hill the engine stalls and he tells Fannie to push while he stays to guide the car, illustrating their shared labor entering a new era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fannie
Lippincott’s
Beating Furniture Method From a User’s Home Guide
A home cleaning tip explains beating furniture by covering upholstered parts with damp lint-free cloths and striking until the cloths collect dust. Flip to the other side and repeat with fresh cloths until no dust appears.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Spiders
Nantucket’s Windmills
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