Bill Nye’s Plea to Edwin Booth About Date Clash
Bill Nye writes to Edwin Booth in Cleveland proposing to shift his engagement to avoid conflicting performances with Mr. Riley. Nye praises Booth, suggests markets in Insomnia and Fremont, Ohio, and offers to read a new play in person at the Gem City House while noting crop prosperity and audience interest.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
VaLpRian
Cleveland
Insomnia
Alvin Joslin
Board of Supervisors
Castoria
Bromide
Armbidexter
Fremont
Dave Ranch
Mr. Hayes
Hayes
Chicago
Omaha
Gem City House
San Francisco
Eugene Field
Kind Reywards
Birt Nyz
The Size of London London Letter in Davenport Democrat
A Davenport column ponders London life with brisk lists of daily births and deaths, miles of streets, drinking shops, and vast food consumption. It riffs on population flow, transport, and the city’s sprawling scale.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Davenport
Glazed with Alcoholic Excess in Frantic Speech
A fragment notes absurdly large alcohol quantities with quarts of beer rum and wine mentioned as a contrast to the drinking water supply. The tone mocks the excessive consumption while acknowledging the need for water for sprinkling streets and fountains.
Woman Resolved to Treat All Callers Politely in Harsh Times
A Chicago woman in a Arkansas Traveler piece resolves to be courteous to all solicitors beggars and tramps during hard times. Read about her daily encounters from 8 45 p m to 3 20 p m including refuses refusals and a stray broom handle incident with a minister.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
Matelliz
Eve
Sisson
New Trick Watch Tricked by Train on Rails
A travelling man recounts a stunt in Iowa where a man places a heavy watch on a rail and a locomotive passes over it without damage. The watch supposedly balances on the rail edge due to its oval case and air pressure, then is retrieved intact.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kago Herald
Iowa
Jean
St. Louis
Nimble Tongues Comical Articulation From Virginia Normal School
Youths at a Virginia normal school submitted difficult speech examples after class. The collection showcases tongue twisters and verbosities, including memorable lines about twisting twists, seeing sights, and famous names, all rendered in playful, challenging phrasing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Virginia Normal School
Popocatapetl
Cotopaxl
Robert Rowley
Theophilus Thistle
Willyite
Vife
Vorst Windsor
Vest Windham von Vitsun Vernesday
Front Gate Moonlit Reminiscence in Old Photograph
Maria and John reminisce about swinging on the front gate as a night sky of moon, stars, and clouds evokes bygone days. They debate returning to the gate to relive the old moment, but Maria doubts John’s courage to join.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
P.tteburg Dispatch
John
Maria
Recalling the Spottsylvania War Time Ride and Battle
A veteran narrator revisits the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House campaign in Virginia. He recounts meeting Bill Ashby, touring the Brock road, and recalling Meade, Hancock, Warren, Sedgwick, Burnside, Sheridan, and Grant. The piece blends war memory with local landscape and a glimpse of civilian life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Spottsylvania Court House
Fredericksburg
Court House
Burnside
Eld
Brok
Pennsylvania
Bill Ash Y
Battle Grounds
Brock Road
Rapidan
Mine Run
Chancelorsville
Wilderness
Booteayvania
Gill Ashby
Wotomac
Wildersness
Spottsylvania
Fifth Corps
Readey
Bill Ashby
Army of the Potomac
George G. Meade
Hanecock
Warren
Sedgwick
Sheridan
Grant
Army of the United States
Isold
Siramely
Confederacy
Potomac
Ohio
Europe
New York
Norfolk
Paone
Richmond
Match You for the Dinners A Gambling Hobbyist Reflects
Chicago gambler John Raymond discuses chance and the even odds of matching bets with fellow players. He recalls Plunger Walton and Fred Lane, warns against chasing luck, and shares tricks seen at San Francisco tables. He also details coin tricks, an 1804 dollar piece tale, and his philosophy of balance between luck and skill.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
iChicago
Chance
John T. Raymond
Sam Brown
Sam
John
Raymond
Long Branch
Jonaco
Anther
Jose
Tam
Walton
Fred Lane
Umorella
Lane
Frank
San Francisco
Willie Edouin
Edouin
England
Clark Street
Snowden
Philadelphia
Mickey Finns Gosling and the Crow
A gosling in the Finn household endures taunting by a crow and a dramatic rooftop clash. The crow abducts and nearly harms the gosling, then shoves it toward the chimney as Mickey returns from school, prompting Mrs Finn to harshly scold the crow’s mischief from Egypt.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Sun
Gosling
Mickey Finn
Finn
Lindsley
Doolan
Mickey
Billy
St. Mary’s
Gabriel
Dominick
Campaign Liar Cone to Lead in Palatka Tale
A Palatka Florida Herald column describes a bank teller with a remarkable pet crab named Lord Timothy Dexter. The crab supposedly demonstrates unusual intelligence by counting money with a large left claw, prompting readers with a humorous tale about a detector of spurious funds and a peculiar banking ritual.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Palatka
Timothy Dexter
Timothy
Not Respectable. Omaha World shows Paris carriage trade ban
In an offbeat exchange, an American woman explains her husband plans to export baby carriages to Paris claiming he can undersell European makers. Marie counters that there is no demand as babies are not considered respectable in Paree, highlighting a satirical view of cross Atlantic commerce and social norms.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Marie
Paris
Zee
Paree
Detroit
Baby
Hiram Marks
John Robinson
Circus
Mr. Marks
Baly
Hond
Mademoiselle
Lao
Hid Behind the Counter at Local Store
In Reidsville Georgia last week a salesman tried on pants with a yardstick concealed under the counter. A female customer entered to shop and found the man hiding there and remained under detainment for about an hour while another clerk waited nearby. A parson present reportedly enjoyed the scene.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Reidsville
Mica Gangafta Giey
Mabel expresses love and longing in a tender exchange
The dialogue shows Mabel pledging devotion to her mother and requesting time with a lonely aunt. Mabel promises to sit with relatives when the mother is away, signaling familial affection and concern within a simple family moment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Accivedi News
Mabel
Physician’s condition on Kate’s marriage noted
A letter from ACCIGEN expresses no objection to Walter marrying Kate but requires that if Kate falls ill, a different physician must be employed. The tone suggests a formal family agreement or wedding notice with medical caretaker stipulation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Accigen
Walter
Kate
Revare Puck Scene Notes Cobble Stone Exchange
In a quirky exchange a puckish Revare confronts a clarinetist about a stone, stumbling over loose cobbles as the dialog reveals a playful street scene and a moment of comic misunderstanding. The dialogue focuses on a casual test, a clarinet, and a stumble.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Puck
Drom
Yarns About Sharks Sailor’s Odd Tale From a Brig
A New Orleans bound brig tale recounts a shark swallowing beef and a doctor’s vow to avenge the loss. The crew hooks the beast, lands it on deck, and opens its stomach to reveal nothing digested, sparking debate about nourishment and marine odds.
Convalescent Couple Discuss Health and Hope
In a staged dialogue the convalescent husband asks about his recovery and plans to go downtown. His wife reassures him, credits the doctor, and they envision a return to normal life as weeks pass and the patient remains bedridden yet hopeful. The exchange covers illness, care, and anticipation of regained independence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Puck
John Smith
A Noble Arrangement
A solemn remark from a broken-hearted father blesses a betrothal while the bride elect protests that both will stay with the elder man, expressing deep affection and sorrow in a poignant scene. The exchange highlights familial duty and enduring bonds within a household.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Sun
Love's Growth and Autumn-Tide Verses in a Brass-Pressed Page
A collage of verse fragments and humorous skits from old newspapers and periodicals. The items span reflections on love and matchmaking, playful anecdotes, and light satire, featuring voices from Pittsburg Dispatch and Somerville Journal, among others. The pieces weave autumn imagery with social byplay and flirtatious scenes.
Soothe the Savage Areas Parody Remains in Print
A reader’s fragmentary excerpt from a Pittsburg Dispatch item presents a humorous scene as Mary hesitates to sing late at night to appease a debt collector. The text then quotes a parody poem about kissing, riffing on Josephine Stunt and a Sun-Day Globe piece with rhyming, period language and playful references to press interview behavior.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pittsburg
Mary
Charlie
Josephine Stunt
Sunx- Day Globe
Diana
Zephyr
Olver Twist
Wari
Also Mentioned on This Page
Bill Nye
Edwin Booth
Booth
Battle Ground
Lord Timothy
Pitman
Col Sellers
New Orleans
Fall River
Cape Carnyveral
Spark
Titter Tops
Dick Henderson
Jamieson
Mr. Shark
Reddy
Young Ian
Gallantry
Howard Pain
American Register
Norway
Eric-A-Brac
J. L. Jones
Pittsburg Dispatch
Thompson
Jones
Adelina
Carrie
George
Somerville Journal
South Lee
Mr. Lowell
Eve L
Ana I
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!