Ornaments of the Peerage and Candid Anecdotes
Lord Lyveden as a reformer recounts a nineteenth century statesman visiting his imprisoned son. The father’s rebuke, I shall die and you will be a peer’s greatest blackguard, prompts the son to retort Yes when you die. A second tale features a peer’s son seeking a housekeeper named Mrs Brown who declines after learning of his lordship.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lord Lyveden
England
Anne Brown
Westminster Gazette
Poultry Toilets and Show Bird Grooming
A pet stock dealer performs a detailed bath and grooming of a white hen. He bathes, dries, and plans to polish feathers, feet, and face with brushes, cold cream, and drillsientine, aiming for exhibition quality. He notes that some breeds use elaborate methods including curled leg feathers with an iron.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Orleans Times-Democrat
First Giraffe Arrives in Paris Jardin des Plantes
The article notes early Paris fascination with giraffes starting in 1787 as Levaillant described the long necked animals. It mentions Dr Johnson doubting the Lisbon earthquake and Parisians doubting giraffes, with living specimens eventually restoring Levaillant’s credibility and captivating Parisian society and science.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hottentots
Kafirs
Marchausen
Levaillant
Paris
London Globe
The Light That Failed Squatter in Riverina
A wealthy Riverina squatter, famed for wit and parsimony, is described as unpleasant and stingy. Enmity with station laborers grew, leading to arson of a wool shed and a taunting note. The owner replied with a sardonic remark about insurance. Source London Standard.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Riverina
London Standard
What electricity and magnetism are in themselves
The New York American notes that the true nature of electricity and magnetism remains unknown and describes their modes of action. Electricity seems to need a medium, while magnetism acts at a distance like gravity, unaffected by nonmagnetic substances between the bodies.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Vacuo
New York American
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor Myth Told
The tale says Juno transformed Callisto into a bear and Zeus lifted mother and son to the heavens. Callisto’s bear form nearly meets her son who, unaware, would strike with his spear. Jupiter then placed them among the stars as the Great and Little Bears.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Callisto
Juno
Jupiter
Heaven
Engagement Recount Sparks Gentle Teasing
A young woman asks what her father said about their engagement. The suitor, flustered, begins with a hesitant reply and avoids profanity, while Phyllis presses for the verdict. The scene captures a lighthearted family moment centered on romance.
Irrepressible Irving Laughs at Twelfth Night Gaffe
While touring the United States the late Sir Henry Irving, in the role of Malvolio, misquoted a line during Twelfth Night in New York. The audience roared as he emphasized a pronoun, parodying The Private Secretary by mistake, a humorous incident he only learned after the show.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sir Henry Irving
New York
Malvolio
Sir Toby
Chicago Record-Herald
Ghost Story at Floors Castle and a Civilian Rite
A century old tale from Sir Walter Scott describes Duke of Roxburghe’s library held by Arch ie the footman who knew every book. The library bell rang at the duke’s funeral as Arch ie, dying of illness, vowed to serve instantly before dying. The Broken Bottle Symbol explains ships launching as sacrifice for gods, not baptism.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Floors Castle
Duke of
Archie
St. James’ Square
Duke
St. James
United Service Gazette
Citzen Debate on Baseball's Antiquity and Flood Era
The dialogue notes baseball as an ancient game possibly existing during the flood. A facetious citizen questions whether rain checks were offered, adding levity to the discussion. Exchange echoes a humorous yet inconclusive exchange about the sport's origins.
Miss Frocks Declines Odd Courtship
In a humorous exchange Jones notes Miss Frocks has declined, Brown retorts she is still young at heart, claiming she has rejected six suitors. The light dialogue centers on witty dating banter and aging perceptions.
Leading Heavy Circus Parade Ironies Life Quips
In a whimsical Life magazine line a child compares a chaotic scene to a circus parade with Willie playing the elephant lion hippopotamus and camel, lamenting the imbalance and unfairness of the performance. The playful metaphor reflects kid logic and social theater.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Willie
Prohibited Tromblon Arrives as Plunderbuss Note
The Bengal code bans the tromblon or plunderbuss in France. Once a Napoleonic era coach guard weapon, it features a short barrel and trumpet muzzle to scatter slugs. Buying one risks a 200 franc fine if brought into France, notes the London Chronicle.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
France
John Bull
London Chronicle
Sailors Joke About Mission Box Aboard Warship
A delegation from the W C T U toured a battleship anchored near a city. A young officer claimed the ward room chit box was for foreign missions as a joke. The remark was taken seriously by the visitors, leading to an awkward moment before the episode concluded.
Found Box Contents Revealed Thirty Years Later
The box opened in the month revealed only 12 dollars and 20 cents. A remedy was arranged by mailing a check for the amount with an explanatory letter to the secretary of the navy to forward the donation to its intended cause as described by Army and Navy Life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Secretary of the Navy
Army
A Noble Parent
A pupil ends a sketch of Washington by noting he married Martha Custis and later became the Father of His Country in a Delineator essay excerpt.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
Martha Custis
Kind Words Are Benedictions Proclaimed
A short meditation on how kind words serve as power and courtesy, blessing both speaker and listener, drawing on Frederick Saunders.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Frederick Saunders
Also Mentioned on This Page
Ike
Press Publishing Company
Douy
Polly
Darling
Dolly
The
Daily Telegraph
J Pealous
Lause
Phyllis
Uneeda Biscuit
National Biscuit Company
Foleys
Bright's
Baldwin Piano Factories
Baldwin Company
the Duvall Music Company
Bluefield, W. VA
Princeton Avenue
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!