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!
This newspaper page contains 31 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Bristol Phoenix
Location
Bristol, Rhode Island, United States of America
Date
Aug 07, 1903
Page
4
The text traces beard shaving origins to Genesis and Leviticus, noting Egypt as the sole ancient region with this practice. Herodotus mentions mourning customs allowing beards, while shaving signified social status. Artifacts from burial monuments show long-standing associations with beards and depictions of slovenly appearance.
A traveler notes crowds in Paris, Rome, Madrid and Seville observing races, picnics, and social rituals. In Paris 100,000 attend Grand Prix, 500,000 line roads. Rome sees 5,000 at a Campagna picnic and 50,000 on the Appian Way. Madrid and Seville show a pattern of spectators and idle leisure, with both classes watching each other.
A historical note estimates reading speeds for the Bible. At 100 wpm understanding, 60 wpm careful, or 160 wpm fast, one hour daily yields about 108000 words a month, finishing the Old Testament in under six months and the New Testament in under two months.
A fragment from "Forty five Years of Sport" describes bog snipe shooting on an Irish bog as a test of skill and enthusiasm. It notes a bog shooter’s reaction when sinking, the gun tossed to a helper, and the peat’s grip offering support though bogging is uncomfortable.
A fragmented report notes that the average weight of a horse is one pound and its strength equates to five men. It mentions a horse moving at three feet per second, a track with twenty one feet diameter, and machine exertions with the power of four and a half horses. The greatest downward pull of a horse on a horizontal line is noted as well, but only momentary. Continuous exertion is roughly half of that value.
The Druids held many plants sacred including vervain mistletoe and oak associated trees. The text notes uncertainty about the plant identifications especially selize a club moss and rare mistletoe suggesting its special sacred status.
A Chicago Tribune snippet captures a citizen apologizing for a dirty town and praising a street cleaning bureau while a stranger derides it as a poor supplement for cleaning streets. The exchange reflects urban bluntness about municipal services.
A humorous quarrel over child discipline features Grandpa rejecting new methods and preferring a traditional wood shed with a hickory switch, as recounted in Chicago News.
A humorous exchange where a wife recalls her husband’s collar size of 15 and seeks a hat size of 18 or 20. The hatter confirms typical hat sizing may align with the collar hint, illustrating a playful miscalculation in dress measurements.
The article notes multiple species disappearing in the 19th century. Great auk vanished from America by 1840 and Europe by 1844, quagga by 1870, Galapagos land tortoise by 1875, black emu by early 1800s, and great cormorant by 1839. Danish West Indies lists decline from fourteen to six species.
Shelley favored bread as his chief sustenance amid austere living. He enjoyed solitary rambles and could live on bread alone, claiming Mr G did not like bread. He sometimes ate bread with raisins bought from small grocers, a detail noted by a friend.
Like other serpents the sea serpents though sea dwellers are air breathers. Their tails flatten laterally to swim in any direction and rise to surface to breathe. Nostrils at the end of the muzzle have valves to prevent water entry. They shed skin in small pieces. Eyes poor out of water limit aiming. They feed on small fishes paralyzing them with venom.
A naturalist recalls a huge caterpillar in the Amazon that resembled a small snake. The first three segments behind the head could expand, each with a large black pupil like eyes, and keeled scales on the crown formed by its recumbent feet as it curled. The creature was poisonous, not harmless, and the observer demonstrated its mimicry to villagers.
The piece recounts two tales from The Pleasures of the Table. Abbe Morelet and the archbishop of Sanzai are portrayed as turkey lovers who debate truffles and payments. The archbishop defends the truffles and dismisses rumors as false.
Cats of all sizes keep clean with a careful toilet, akin to lions and tigers. They wet the rubbery toe pad and pass it over the face and behind the ears. The paw serves as a sponge and brush while the rough tongue combs the body.
A frightened passenger on a steamer implores the captain to speak to the wheelman who keeps turning the helm erratically. The old lady insists the man cannot steady the vessel, signaling a moment of maritime unease and concern aboard the ship.
A Boston Transcript note reports that Holden-Burgess, famed for blunt talk, remained mute at a club gathering last night, prompting speculation about his uncharacteristic restraint and the reason behind the quiet. Belden comments that this aligns with Holden-Burgess’s habit of speaking his mind.
A playful note suggests Mrs Saint Nell holds sway in eighteen societies aimed at suppressing many things, reflecting social roles and expectations in Philadelphia society.
A schoolmaster asserts that the genius of American civilization rests on each citizen's individual thought, character, and action, highlighting the value of personal responsibility and civic virtue.
A Century essay reflects on Emerson as a guiding voice for the new world. It argues the American inheritance enriches as it is spent for the republic and urges pursuit of noble national accomplishments beyond present failures. The piece frames Emerson as a beacon on the pathway to true ideals.
The text describes the war between white blood cells and microbes as first described by Russian pathologist Stetchnikoff. It notes white cells in blood in subnormal numbers and their internal microbes, suggesting white cells ingest pathogens until overwhelmed, leading to patient death.
An elder Dumas, newly made a commandant, wears a ribbon of a certain order. An envious friend jeers that the cordon clashes with his woolen vest. Dumas replies with a wry joke that the color is not sour grapes, but the intended shade from the fable.
The article notes that ancient Egyptians wore wigs and early Christians from AD 27 to 917 saw false head coverings as a badge of distinction. Tertullian argued they were devices of the devil, while Clement of Alexandria warned that sacred blessings could not penetrate false hair.
A doctor’s wife reports asking if a patient at Huxley’s home had been called for. The reply suggests the patient is seriously ill, but the physician expects recovery after a few visits. The Philadelphia Ledger notes the exchange.
A husband recalls a tale of woe after marriage. His wife gives him half the clothes cupboard and within three weeks all his clothes hang on nails driven into the wall. Exchange.
A professor from an allopathic college reportedly stated in the Homeopathic Envoy that there are two approaches to rheumatism grin and bear it or bear it without grinning. The remark reflects a humorous take on managing chronic pain.
A soldier reports his voice rasping after a morning of roughing it with a file of soldiers. The commanding officer notes the rasp and the saluting subordinate replies with obedience.
The Atlanta Journal counsels caution in hopeful times, urging readers to secure dependable soap before chasing attainable dreams, a metaphor for practical preparations before optimism.
In Town Topics a patient tells a doctor she cannot sleep on her right side because her husband talks in his sleep and she can’t hear with her left ear. The exchange highlights concerns about sleep position and hearing during rest.
Washington Post notes a paradox where debt grows as it is contracted, expressing puzzlement over how debts expand despite attempts to limit them.
Amos Gorham announces acceptance of trust as executor for Lemuel C Richmond of Bristol whose will was admitted to probate. Creditors must present claims within six months from the first advertisement. The notice appears with an advertising line and an unrelated medical ad for Kodol Dyspepsia Cure.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.