Saving a Spy Then a Confederate Colonel Gave His Life
A tale set at Cottonboro Florida in 1864 follows Colonel Melton who spares a captured spy Clara, a former wife, and navigates a secret rescue. He hunts for the spy’s papers, walks her into danger, and dies beside the outcome, leaving a Northwestern widow haunted by mystery. The piece blends war intrigue with a haunting question of loyalty and sacrifice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cottonboro
Florida
Gulf
Melton
John Melton
Rene
John
Captain Dallas
Comrad
Clara
Ines
Goodby
Tronborores
Lenny
What They Could Do
A San Francisco Chronicle item describes a couple walking arm in arm with flirtatious dialogue. The man notes he cannot use his right arm due to a vaccination, and the exchange ends with the woman offering her waist as an alternative, leaving the scene with playful tension.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Francisco Chronicle
Sound and feel test for counterfeit bills says bank cashier
A bank cashier explains that the best method to spot counterfeit currency is by sound and touch. By pinching a bill between the thumb and index finger and sliding it, the note emits a unique noise not like ordinary paper. Visual inspection is insufficient. only auditory and tactile cues reveal fakes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chanaas City Star
Burial Debate Sparks in Spruceville Family
A duo argues over burial plots as Leonidas Spink and Caroline clash about keeping spouses buried near their current home versus the late spouses in Woodboro. The quarrel escalates into threats to depart to Spruceville’s cemetery and ends with a firm decision to be buried at the local plot.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Woodboro
Spruceville
Love
Woodro
Leon
Leonidas
Caroline
Buriea
Leonidas Spink
Lear
What They Say How Girls Behave When Kissed
A crowd of city women from Boston to St. Louis reacts to being kissed with varied pride, resistance, humor, and indignation. Each regional voice offers a witty, if crude, portrayal of propriety and flirtation in an era of social etiquette.
Prophecy Tied to Year 25 Sum Foresaw Global War Cycles
The Philadelphia Inquirer excerpt discusses a century old prophecy linking the sum of figures in a year to war and peace. It cites past instances in 1699 1789 1798 1870 and hints at future fulfillment with Europe’s turbulent balance. The piece notes only five years remain possible before 2599.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Inquirer
Russia
Denmark
Poland
Sweden
Charles XII
Pultowa
Bonaparte
Egypt
France
England
Afghanistan
Europe
Scene on South Side Sunday school with blended families
In a Chicago scene a Sunday school class on the South Side feature a playful dialogue between two girls. They discuss who is whose mamma and papa, noting blended families and questions of prior marriages in simple child’s language. The exchange hints at family ties and social change in a quiet, domestic moment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Mail
South Side
Messenger Boy Life Between Sunshine and Shadow
A brief reflection on the life of a messenger boy, contrasting cheerful daytime tasks with the hardship of staying awake overnight to deliver a message to a sick patient, highlighting the varied duties and human moments within the job.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Puck
The Bowser Trip to Chicago in a Wild Night
Mrs Bowser endures a bilious attack as Mr Bowser, impatient and comic, stumbles through a chaotic night. He fetches Jamaica ginger peppermint and mustard, drags the trunk, and they mishap toward Chicago by train. After misdirections and hurried packing they return home with no lie.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit
Mr. Bowser
Jamaica
Schoo
Chicago
Mr. Bow
Baby
Coincidences and names in historic anecdotes
The piece surveys surprising name matches and date related quirks from Daniel Webster to Harriet Lane, noting how coincidences arise in church, crime, politics and death. It discusses how two phenomena may share a cause or be independent and cites a physician’s death timing study plus a 19th century claim on death hours.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Daniel Webster
Catherine le Roy
Boston
First Unitarian
Baltimore
Furness
Bellows
Sparks
Burnap
Greenwood
Guilford
Conn
Second Congregational Church
Root, Wood and Chipman
First
New York
Charles Peace
England
Angel
John Hope
Manhattan
John Love
John P. Hale
John, P. Hale
Norman
James Buchanan
United States
Harriet Lane
Henry Wainwright
Henry Wainwight
Harriet Jane
English Quarterly Review
Must Restrain Herself
A rustic courting pair in a New York Tribune piece enjoy a city matinee. The tall one eyed man and the good looking country girl Martha share uneasy laughter that erupts during the show. He warns her to save such outbursts for home behind the barn.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Tribune
Martha
Calling pupils by their full names in class rule
A teacher urges students to address classmates by full given names, cautioning against nicknames. The moment captures classroom discipline as a student requests permission to sit with another peer, illustrating daily school routines and authority.
What makes it rain, papa in the city?
The child asks why it rains and the papa explains rain helps crops and fruit. A playful twist asks what rain makes the boulevards do, but the line shifts to a stray phrase about rain on Despair of papa.
Shoplifter Caught In Act At Local Store
A woman attempting theft was seized by a floor walker and store clerks after the incident. She spoke briefly when confronted, saying she planned to help herself before the authorities intervened.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Erango
Old-Time Dudes and the Dandy Tradition Through Time
Alcibiades to Disraeli and beyond tracing foppery from ancient fop-doodles to Macaronies and Corinti ans through Bullbys and masher eras. The piece surveys dandies from Swift to Byron to Carlyle, noting shifts in fashion, language, and social reception, and laments foppery’s fading yet lingering presence.
Money in Pocket, a Twenty Dollar Gray Area Tale
A Philadelphia man recalls a moment in the northern city when he had only a twenty dollar gold piece and no change. He tried to buy a beer in a saloon, but the barkeep refused change, claiming the coin had been tried before, leaving him penniless for streetcar fare.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ming
Lyowald
Columbia Avenue
Kierell
Teenth Street
Seventh and Market
Philadelphia Press
Seventh
Market Streets
Luck in Garters and the Bride Superstitions Across Society
A reflective essay recalls how brides and debutantes are influenced by wedding superstitions learned in boarding schools. It catalogs beliefs about something old and new something borrowed and blue garters rings in cake bouquet tossing and other rites. The piece notes varied devotion among girls and the persistence of superstition despite modern views.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
North Side
Ladiga
Handwriting Triumph In Navy Letter Confirms Restored Property
A Washington resident’s long battle to retrieve seized wartime personal property ends when a letter with unreadable handwriting leads to a restoration order. General Meigs, unable to read the signature, learns the item was restored on his order after an attorney’s bold paste job.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
United States
Phonia
Congress
Agai
Eigs
Bae
Corral
Meigs
Love by Candie Light
A humorous peek into Boers courtship in South Africa where a man declares his suit with a candle. The candle and pin mark the wooing period, and as it burns down the couple gain time for courting until the wedding is anticipated with the trousseau ready.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Alta California
South Africa
Trousseau
Land Prices in Bar Harbor Foot by Inch Gag Startled Owner
A Bar Harbor real estate owner quips that a corner lot is valued by the inch rather than the foot, reflecting a humorous take on local land prices in the Bar Harbor Record. The exchange ends with the stranger asking about value and the owner replying with the witty remark.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bar Harbor
Little Girl Reflects on Blessings and Eggs in Epistolary Tales
A collection of children’s sayings and anecdotes from readers in various cities. The Little Girl Who Wouldn't Die asks for blessings while a boy explains his mother wants real hen eggs, not farmer’s eggs. The pieces include a six year old’s fatality reflection, siblings noting a removed thermometer, and a boy misnaming a newborn Harold.
Brother Warns About Names Placed On Belongings
In Cambridge on January 20, Sydney R notes a six year old French-speaking brother warns his sibling as he writes his name on boxes and clothes before Harvard. The brother quips that “Les noms de fous Se trouvent partout” a mystery source.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harvard
Sydney R
Cambridge
Wanted a Change. Little Harry and the God above
A mother teaches five year old Harry about an all seeing God Mamma explains that God sees every good or naughty act and even punishment yesterday Harry concludes that the D s have no God and plans to visit them The dialogue uses simple moral framing and childlike humor reflecting a small town newspaper vignette
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harry
Mamma
Walter the waiter and the windy night stars out
A child recounts a dark windy evening visiting an uncle. On returning home the boy notes the wind blew the stars out. The uncle asks how he got home and the child replies he did pretty well despite the dark and wind.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Waiter
Walter
O. W
Everett
Dee
Journal of Education
Referred to St. Anthony Controversy In Church Row
A brief churchyard note reports three year old Frankie asking if God made his clothes. He then wondered if God was ashamed when told clothes were not his. Mother replied no. Item labeled with Quincy and Dee, ages 13, and Mrs H. G. involved.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Frankie
Quincy
Dee
H. G
Bank in a log cabin and a child's fear
F. E. Arnold of North Billingham recalls telling his seven year old daughter Eva about a bank shaped like a log cabin with a black man at the door. He described whitewash brush triggering a penny payout, then Eva fears the nigger would steal all the money. This historical letter reflects racist language and social attitudes of the period.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eva
Forgotten He Was Ever Young
A short memory note from J. W. Charlestown dated December 19 recounts a parent observing a three year old who, after a long night, complains that the baby’s crying is like music that wears on him. The child voices fatigue with the infant’s wailing as bedtime stretches.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. W. Charlestown
Child’s First Day at Sunday School and Revival Meetings
Charlestown on December 8 reports a local note about a young girl attending Trinity Sunday school and revival meetings. After a photo was taken her grandmother asked how she felt and the child compared her sense to going forward for prayers, unsure if it took effect. The item reflects small town religious life and family testimony.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Burlington
Trinity Sunday School
Henry W. Woopsury
Charlestown
Dec
Prayer lessons and a child's plea for blessing
A family anecdote describes an 83 year old cousin recalling being taught to say prayers and ending with a plea for God to bless her and keep her from being whipped. She then asks if as a baby she was hung in the store like meat, blood rushing to her head and hair turning red. Published in Cambridge on December 21.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cambridge
Ingram Crockett
Counter
Not Ready for Bed Nighttime Yawn Misheard as Sneeze
A parent notes a child Gracie yawning at bedtime and insists it indicates sleepiness. The child humorously corrects that she was not yawning but producing another kind of sneeze, sharing a light domestic moment from Boston dated January 20.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gracie
MAS
F. W
Boston
Child observes minister at tea in brief scene
A brief domestic vignette describes a three and a half year old boy named Grover Cleveland watching a minister as he blesses the tea before the meal. The scene unfolds with quiet domestic details and a morning reference to an oak boards plank.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Grover Cleveland
Unclear fragment features Biddeford man’s breakfast remark
A fragment describes EB in Biddeford Maine on January 18 noting a man delaying breakfast to pray and speak before eating, saying Trust in the Lord before proceeding. The readable text ends with a breakfast vow and no further context.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
H Biddeford
Through the Snow and Other Verses From Life
A period miscellany of short poems and verses from Life and Judge magazine fragments. It mixes sentimental inquiries about love and etiquette with light domestic scenes and playful rhymes. The collection features questions about cooking school, witty portraits of a pious girl, and a valentine’s pledge.
Sunlit farewell and sand castle dreams
A poetic reflection on parting and fragile dreams. The narrator speaks of a fading horizon as a sunsets today and tomorrow's dawn. A fragile sand castle stands for ephemeral plans, paired with a terse goodbye and a fleeting smile. A pale winter beam and blossom symbolize fragile hope.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Arope
St. Louis
Mr. Brown
Brown
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Baltmore
W Nabinatog Bee
Cincinnati
Louisville
Jerusalem
Sunshine and
Shadow
MR. and
Mrs. Bowser
Mrs. B
Bowser
Telisary
Michigan Central
R. Bowser
Chiago
Sutporter
Stevens
Sam
Samuel
Lem
Lemuel
Dan
Daniel
Sinen
Jimuel
Slims
Swift
Chambers’ Journal
Alcibiades
Plutarch
Beau Nash
George Brummells
Foppery
Lucullus
Horace
Butler
Macaulay
Muns
Tityre Tus
Hectors
Nicker
Haucubite
Fops
Foola
Dr. Johnson
Ae Beau
Lord Foppington
Sheridan
Scarburo
Almack
Addison
Holland
Jean Potages
Italy
Great Britain
Benjamin Backbite
Lord Byron
Mme. de Stael
Lewis
Carlyle
Sartor Resartus
Kllurs
Corinth
Greece
Rome
Brewer
Jack
Thackeray
Payaso Nobs
The
Daily News
Punch
Carlos Mackay
Uni
Disraeli
Julius Cesar
Byron
Duke of Marlborough
Fopper Ag
Luck IN Garters
Argonaut
Garden of Eden
Lynn
Willie
Manchester
N. H
Jan
Joe
N. P. Ryper
Somerville
Harold
Bella
George Graves
Georgie
Groge
Herald
George B. Graves
Maplewood
St. Anthony
H. E. Clamp
Helen M. Winslow
Sara Jewett
Bridges
Rose
Valentine
Harriet Maxwell Converse
Temple Bar
New Orleans Picayune
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!