Making a Ring of Costly Stones and Fancy Work
A Pittsburg jeweler showcases gold that looks like brass and is shaped into rings. The shop holds diamonds, rubies, pearls and other stones, plus imitations, with detailed processes for cutting, setting, gilding and polishing. The workshop features a diamond scale, lapidary lathe, stamping dies, and filtration of waste water to recover precious metals.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
K. W. Bartlett
Titteborg Dispatch
Mannufacturing
Pittsburg
California
Isic Coast
Jewery
Othes
Ory
Fish Story From Waukesha Reaches Second Street
A Baptist minister, returning from a vacation at Waukesha, boarded a crowded Second Street car and shared a fish tale. He claimed a fish in a lake near the area predicted thaw timing, claiming the water would warm and the ice would not form as previously expected.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Louisville
Waukesha
Os Ai
Air holes and a lake mystery described by minister
A minister presents a tale of large flat rocks hovering in a lake area where fish gather at air holes to keep water from freezing. The crowd remains silent as he explains the phenomenon observed, noting incredulity among listeners while detailing the winter lake behavior.
A Louisville Dude Tries a Letter Request at St James Hotel
A St James Hotel scene unfolds with Captain Connor’s repairs, a Louisville man and a girl typewriter clash over composing a letter. The man struggles with Narragansett and Newport spellings, while the typist sticks to dictation, ending with the narrator’s disbelief at the tale.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St. James
Captain Connor
Louisville
Narragansett Pier
Avell
Kentucky
Nansett Pier
Narragansett
Jane Morning
Newport
A Peculiar Insurance Lesson From a Lightning Fire
A Kingston resident recalls an eccentric old lady and a near miss with insurance. After her policy expired a renewal was discussed daily. When a thunderstorm struck a nearby house, she chased the agent and urged him to renew instantly, offering to pay whatever he asked. The tale underscores how impending loss spurs securing coverage.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kingston Freeman
Kingston
Fragmented Facts From Rehoboth Sunday Herald Listing Measurements
A digest of assorted facts including measures for acres and barrels, speeds of storms and hurricanes, historical dates for pens matches and machines, weights for coins and produce, and miscellaneous historical notes. Notable figures include a ton of silver value and several engineering milestones.
Last Chance Price Mixup at Philadelphia Dry Goods Store
An irate woman confronted a clerk after discovering a table spread advertised for one dollar on Saturday but offered at 60 cents on Monday. The clerk insisted the ad warned only a final chance at one dollar, noting the markdown to 60 cents on Monday morning. Mrs Ferguson’s involvement noted but not elaborated.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Mrs. Ferguson
He Saw a Quaker in Philadelphia Joke
A Detroit traveler recalls a Philadelphia Quaker exchange. The quip ends with a warning not to mess with Quakers, noting the speaker paid $2 despite later fare being 12 shillings. The anecdote plays on Quaker speech and a punchy, humorous miscue.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit Free Press
Philadelphia
His Compliment
A French resident of the city, shown a lady's photograph, asks how to proceed. A friend replies to compliment her, suggesting praise of beauty as rare. He then attempts to acknowledge by saying the beauty is very scarce, in a comical mispronunciation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Binghamton
Too Big a Pile New York Snow Laughing Exchange
A humorous exchange unfolds as Brown asks Dumsey for 407 dollars and Dumsey gasps at the sum. Dumsey quips that even forty dollars would leave him unable to count soberly, highlighting their lighthearted financial jab amid a snowy day.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Dumsey
Brown
Magical Delusions and Sympathetic Inks for Tricks
A Pittsburgh dispatch describes tricks using phosphorized ether to glow water and skin, cobalt ink that appears with heat, and elaborate chemical demonstrations. Methods include making fire and gas effects, color-changing birds and flowers, underwater explosions, and a range of luminous, illusionary experiments for stage magic.
Parlor Tricks With Birds and Feathers Draw Lively Mockery
A humorous guide describes tricks with a bird on a table. Touching hot tea melts in a fin ger, prompting merriment. Lifting a feather over a caged bird makes it seem dead, reviving when the feather is removed. The bird can grip the feather stem and twist about, or be rolled on the table for amusement.
Misplaced Confidence. New England Farmer Sees Couple Clash Over Jokes
A dialogue between John and Maz reveals marital friction sparked by a joke about Adam and Eve. Misunderstandings over bonanza and bone answers widen into accusations of lack of love as the couple parts with a rueful farewell and a late car arrival.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New England
Eve
Adam
John
Echomaker device tested for shipboard sonar use
Popular Science Monthly describes the echomaker a device that fires a rifle with a flaring funnel to probe for obstacles by emitting sound. If an object lies in the beam a return echo is detected, enabling distance estimation. Naval board tests show echoes from a fort half a mile away and from steamers a quarter mile off.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Popular Science Monthly
Naval Board
Handling Currency Shipments At Express Offices
A Chicago Herald observation details a novice sender at an express office who sputters through the process of mailing money. He must count bills, pick an envelope, seal with wax, and address it correctly while clerks admonish the wax seal. The piece notes the inefficiency and suggests hiring a staffer to guide strangers and spare clerks questions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Herald
He Knew the Countersign
A Washington Post piece recalls a veteran recounting how a colored regiment used a misheard countersign during war. The night code "Austerlitz" led to a sentry arrest and a colonel intervention after the provost questioned the sign. The anecdote ends with the joke that the original countersign had been altered to "Oyster shells."
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Post
Austerlitz
Austeritz
Darky
The Old Maid in Nineteenth Century Thought
A reflective piece arguing single blessedness is honorable and useful. It praises old maids as compassionate contributors to society and moral guides, urging women to contentment in any state. It notes many wives envy single life and emphasizes unselfish devotion over marital status.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Arol
Mai
Womes
Apostle
Simon Cameron speech and early rail line debates
The piece recalls Simon Cameron during a 1835 Philadelphia Harrisburg road charter debate. Enthusiasm rose as slogans misrepresented travel speed and breakfast in carriages. A friend quips that Cameron and another leader doubt such grand claims while both would later ride the line in little more than two hours.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Scribner’s Maganize
Philadelpha
Harrisburg
Penn
Simon Cameron
Errisbars
Philadelphia
Platform
Simon
Watches That Railroad Men Carry Across Major Roads
Official report lists shielded watches in use on the Chicago St Louis and Pittsburg route showing variations per day after new rules. Wabash line records around 400 watches with average daily variations from 1% to 10 seconds across first to third quarters. Chicago Northwestern reports about 1500 watches with roughly 1 second per day variation in the second quarter.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Indianapolis Journal
Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburg
Wabash
Remarkably Successful Man at Febreska Bank
A note from the Febreska State Journal highlights a young man nicknamed Oldboy whose ascent from bank collector to cashier astonishes onlookers. The paper jokes that his claim to fame lies as much in his unreadable signature as in his rapid promotion.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Febreska State Journal
Wilt Thou Be Mine How a Man Should Propose to a Woman
A long satire on marriage proposals advises men to clearly ask for marriage, avoid circumlocutions and digressions, and not rely on clever parables. It mocks cowardice and emphasizes directness, showing how to persuade without deception, while noting the risks of rejection and the awkwardness of modern dress.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Irving Bishop
Angela
Miles Standish
Billy
Miss Angela
Jos
St. Petersburg
Neva
Hereet
Peaeaneus
Mother Hubbard Parties in Philadelphia Pageant
A fragment from the Philadelphia Record shows a domestic scene with a wife telling Charley not to visit tomorrow afternoon as the girls enjoy a half holiday. The text hints at a farewell moment at the door, with references to a maiden and a last good night.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mother Hubbard
Philadelphia
Charley
The First Reader Lessons and Veiled Politics
A conversation in a reading lesson satirizes politics and commerce. It follows a boy and father as they discuss a ward politician, a boycott at a grocer, and a lady with a failing streetcar ride, ending with a mock parade of misfortune and arithmetic about coal and prices.
Old Farmer Treasures a Partial Cyclopedia Tale
An Iowa Dakota settler explains why he owns only volume one of a cyclopedia and has never finished it. A traveling agent promised the next volume years ago, but the man still reads slowly and his wife is just starting on the B’s. He quips that the book has dry stretches yet proves it took brains to create it.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Artemas Ward
Iowa
Essex
Blondin
Himse
Iris
Miss Klank
A Long Wedding Tour Ends in California
The Sigourneys finished a six year wedding tour begun in 1882 with cards reading at home Thursdays in Sacramento starting May 10, 1888. They traveled nearly the world at an estimated cost around 75000, had children abroad, and now host open house in California enjoying quieter days.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St. Posarebura, & Gury
China
Bow
California
The Coming Boarding House
Fragmentary Detroit Free Press passage shows Persone-Landlord dialogue about meal prep and kitchen duties with humorous tone. Characters discuss butter cheese chicken soup ham bone and porcelain dishes in a domestic boarding house scene.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit Free Press
Che Lee
When She Whisked From the Washington Critic
A woman in an avenue shop confronts a clerk who quips that stockings are “all wool and a yard wide.” She leaves in a huff after his slangy remark triggers her indignation and quick exit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
Avenue
Fragmented ad lib dialogue hints at money and names
A fragmentary exchange mentions money for a baby and names like Melinda. The odd phrasing and symbols resemble a distorted OCR reading of a dialogue or ad. Limited readable content references cash amounts and personal names, leaving the main event unclear.
Earnest Little Christians from New York Sun
The mother asks why Bobby is late from Sunday school and he explains that after class some boys went swimming, claiming the teacher taught that cleanliness is next to godliness. The exchange shows a humorous misunderstanding of the lesson.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Sun
Bobby
Children and Fools play scene tease
A playful quarrel unfolds as Mr Nicefellow teases Adored One's little sister about sharing an apple. The exchange hints at mischief, with a humorous note on a very large mouth and the implied consequence of taking a bite.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Mr. Nicefellow
Flirtation Rules and Courtship in Vanity Fair Style
A satirical guide on flirtation ethics and marriage aims, advising cautious seating and staged advances. It portrays a strict ideal wife, emphasizing domesticity, homely charm, and a quick witted but safe suitor, with social missteps illustrated by a cautionary tale of a dissembling bachelor.
Cork Toys Spark Curiosity in September Notes
In September observations C G Leland discusses curious cork based toys with J Nicholas. The cork figures include a well known small tumbler commonly built by pitch. Hollow cork may be crafted into similar playthings, highlighting simple materials and inventive use of cork.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
C. G. Leland
J. Nicholas
Poems and Lyrics from a 19th Century Newspaper Page
A collage of verse and verse-like prose from Chicago papers includes Leilla Higginson’s creed parody, a bachelor’s lament about seeking a suitable partner, immortal love odes, and a humorous cactus plant tale. Also features a romantic stroll interrupted by a pin strike, all in a late 1800s style.
Compromise at the Gate and Whimsical Verse Vignettes
A whimsical segment from St Nicholas and Time pairs a fable of two courteous gentlemen at a narrow gate with a comic poem about love crossing creeds. The gate tale ends in a shared, peaceful solution that lets both pass, while the verse pieces juxtapose charm and moral quirk with playful references to romance and satire.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St. Nicholas
Gland
Philosopher Wise
Stont
Also Mentioned on This Page
Kiladelphia Times
Rehoboth Sunday Herald
Odern
England
Hine
Eliasne
Albert Durer
Wince
Amogen
Old Maidhood
Ady
Fate
Abbard
National Committee
West
Melinda
Vanity Fair
My Creed
Lella Higginson
Chicago Journal
Harper's Bazar
Ocean Side
Bennett Bellman
Chicago Times
Mary
Journal of Education
Lady
A. W. Bellow
Sindre
Chicago Mail
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