The Past and the Coming
A forward-looking essay predicts a doubling of American trade with the East and the United States becoming the dominant Pacific power within a decade. It argues the U.S. will lead in production of coal iron copper timber cotton and other goods, aided by a vast railway system and global ocean routes. It foresees future news delivery by air waves and phono-air newspapers, while praising wartime army loyalty and prowess, noting continued uncertainty about exact outcomes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United States
East
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic
Pacific
America
Europe
A Vision of Industry Progress and Scientific Breakthroughs
The piece envisions enduring economic growth for America through stable interest rates, expanding markets in Europe and beyond, and strong resource development. It praises the rise of applied science in universities, practical learning, and questions the impact of tariffs and other devices. It notes advances in wireless telegraphy and early hopes for flight, while moderating expectations for literary and artistic leaps.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Europe
Japan
China
South America
England
Germany
France
America
Greece
Christmas Decorations and the Spirit Behind Them
The piece traces why Christmas use of evergreens and mistletoe endured. It links holly laurel pine and mistletoe to ancient Druids and believed spirits that kept growth alive in winter. Modern celebrations keep these symbols to honor enduring life and festive protection.
New Year Offer of Hope on the Bay
On a fog shrouded New Year Eve a despairing man contemplates suicide aboard a San Francisco ferry. A rancher father and his daughter invite him to leave the bay’s grim edge, urging him to return to the foothills and start anew as the vessel heads toward the New Year.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Francisco Bay
Goat Island
Jim
Bay
Nevada
Florence Matheson
New Year Superstitions Tell of Tea Test for Marriage
New Year customs across lands center on divination about marriage. In England and Germany country districts, a tea or coffee test balances a spoon on a cup edge. Drops added one by one determine years until the wedding, with balance predicting a longer wait and few drops signaling an sooner union.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
Germany
Manlders
The Boy's Frankness at Christmas Mission
At a city church Christmas gathering a boy named Jimmie Smith receives lavish gifts, including a solitaire diamond ring, a gold match safe, and a silver paper cutter. When presented with a large engraved mug, he blurts that it is the same mug his Uncle Frank gave as a baby, exposing the earlier lavishness and dampening the festive mood.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jimmie Smith
Smith
Jimmie
Frank
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!