Tricks in Smuggling Through the Mail Unveiled by a Gleeful Informant
A New York Tribune report reveals how smugglers use the United States mail to hide dutiable goods. Practice includes concealing watches in cakes, sending one glove at a time, and shipping half corsets. Post office customs officials recount catching several schemes and growing wiser each day.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Uncle Sam
United States Mail
Custom House
England
Germany
Fritz
America
Europe
New York Tribune
Face Toward the Sun to Keep Shadows Behind You
An encouraging maxim urges steady forward focus as a way to keep fear or doubt at bay. It emphasizes optimism and resilience through simple, memorable imagery.
Luminous Halo Observed Around Suffering Woman
In Paris at Saltpetrie, a woman tortured by psychic and occult experiments displayed a fluctuating orange halo around her head. Dr Frere of Bicêtre noted neurotic patients sometimes show a twenty-centimeter aureole during headaches or religious ecstasy, suggesting a natural yet occult energy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Paris
Frere
Bicetre
Vance Thompson
Hampton’s Magazine
Land of Big Game and Desert in Africa Feature
A vivid portrait contrasts Uganda’s Kongo jungle with East Africa’s vast desert uplands. The piece notes tropical heat, pressed forest life, and a white trader outpost, then shifts to the highland plains where Africa’s greatest big game draws hunters, praising British East Africa as the hunter knows it.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Uganda
Kongoland
Mombasa
Victoria
Nyanza
Africa
British East Africa
O. B. Taylor
Revenge in Prison Ends in Death in The Count of Monte Cristo Tale
A historical recounting parallels Alexandre Dumas with Francois Picaud, a Paris cobbler imprisoned in 1807. He inherits 7,000,000 francs from a Milanese priest and 3 million in jewels after release in 1814. He seeks vengeance by infiltrating Paris society, killing several conspirators, but is finally slain when his captor, Antoine Allut, exacts payment with a brutal knife attack.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Alexandre Dumas
Monte Cristo
France
Napoleon
Francois Picaud
Paris
Marguerite Vigoureux
Amsterdam
Picaud
Italy
Louvain
Loupain
Guilhem Solari
Gervais Chaubard
Chaubard
Seine
Tuileries Gardens
Solari
Baldini
Hell
Perdition
Antoine Allut
An Alibi Milkman Minnow Tale
An Alibi. The milkman nervously twirls his hat before a stern woman who asks if he has arrived. He reveals he found a minnow in the milk yesterday morning. The reply jokes that cows drinking from the brook cause the issue, as published in Harper's Weekly.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harper’s Weekly
A Queer Dish at Egyptian Harem Feasts
A vivid description details a lamb roasted whole styled as a nest of Chinese boxes. The lamb is stuffed with a turkey, which holds a chicken, then a pigeon, a quail, and finally a becafico, the smallest bird aside from a hummingbird, all roasted until nearly falling apart.
Quick Pendulum Trick With a Key and Hands
A London Express note explains a simple demonstration: tie a key to a string and suspend it from the thumb and finger to swing like a pendulum. If a helper places a hand underneath, it circles. A third person on the shoulder stops the motion.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London Express
Man Who Would Rather Be Right Than President
A brief Washington-era note from the Philadelphia Record reflects a cynic’s take on political ambition, suggesting a man prioritizes moral principle over ultimate office and finds his own preference unexpectedly satisfied.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Record
Thackeray Anecdote on Constituents and Cardwell
A London Notes and Queries contributor recalls Thackeray's quip on courting Ox ford MPs. After a canvass he asked Cardwell if any constituents had heard of him or his writings, prefacing with a strong adjective. The tale notes the perceived hunger in plenty.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Thackeray
London
Cardwell
M. P
Oxford
Grandson Meets Grandmother in Candid Exchange
A playful exchange unfolds as Johnnie greets a visitor who claims to be his grandmother. The grandmother confirms lineage on his father’s side, prompting a sharp retort about sides, set in a Philadelphia Bulletin style cartoon panel.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Johnnie
Philadelphia Bulletin
Phrase from Cleveland Leader mocks disaster response
A trimmed Cleveland Leader quote laments a disaster with one survivor and derisive criticism of a fearful, dull figure. The snippet captures editorial voice criticizing character and events with sharp tone.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cleveland
Do You Believe in the Superhuman Question
A fragment from the Chicago Record Herald hints at doubt about belief in superhuman powers. A short dialogue asks if faith in the extraordinary remains, noting a shift from past belief to present disbelief.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Record Herald
No Man Knows the Weight of Another Man's Burden
A reflective line attributed to Pliny about unseen burdens carried by others, noting the private struggles that accompany every person.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pliny
Driver ants invade Nigerian camp in fierce marching columns
Charles Partridge recalls driver ants in Cross River natives. The ants march in long black snake like columns carrying supplies and children, leave a four inch wide road, and bite fiercely when not sunlit. People stamp, tear clothing, and burn items to expel them, as fires or hot ashes drive the invaders away.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nigeria
Charles Partridge
Bob
A Hotel Dinner Sparks Dinner Menu Debate
A midnight train discussion reveals a suburban doctor and his wife arguing over hotel dining choices. He laments the $15 dinner and poor cooking while blaming the selection, insisting men seize menus despite wives guiding meals most days. The exchange critiques gender roles in restaurant decisions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Virginia
Farmer Brags of Son Defying Wealth for Heaven
An Atlanta Constitution excerpt recaps a Billville farmer boasting that his son outpaced him in daily labor. The farmer quoted Scripture, and the boy replied he does not seek earthly gold but treasure in heaven, turning the farm tale into a moral about spiritual wealth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Billville
Scripter
Atlanta Constitution
Farmer vows to tide the express on Saturday
A patient old farmer amid years of train rumble finally stops plowing and, shaking his fist, declares he will ride the express Saturday. The line captures rural grit and a humorous stubborn resolve in the period tone.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Williams
Wright Seeeee
Cor Mille & Church
The Zories teach about six zones debate
A cartoon dialogue shows a boy and teacher debating climate zones. The boy offers six zones: torrid north temperate south temperate north frigid south frigid and ozone, while the teacher asserts there are five unless a name is added. The exchange appears in the Chicago News.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago News
His Genius and the Mystery of Understanding
Exchange quotes suggest confusion over a man's claimed genius. Critics debate whether his ideas are truly understandable or merely convincing others of clarity. The fragment hints at public perception and manipulation without clear context or names.
The Care of the Skin and Its Attractiveness
An old advertisement describes Hay’s Care of the Skin products for rough dry and chapped skin. It promotes bottles at druggists for 25 cents and mentions Newark New Jersey and a Druggist W Sparks. The copy hints at a general skincare claim and a patented treatment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ares
Philo Hay Pet. Co
Newark
N. J
W. Sparks
Quote about mistakes and self discovery from Boston Tran
A brief, paraphrased thought reflecting on misjudgments and self insight. The speaker compares feeling like a square peg to being a round one and describes learning through getting into a hole. The fragment conveys introspection without concrete event details.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston Transcript
The Drummer Quips On Theater Orchestra Roles
A regular patron quips that the snare drum player may be the theatre orchestra's best musician. The drummer replies that he usually is, reflecting light humor from a Chicago Tribune item about stage musicians.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Tribune
Jenkins Says Zero Degrees Live Up To Swiss Nights
A terse exchange notes that in Switzerland the temperature often falls to zero at night, prompting a quip that “zero” is nothing compared to other hardships discussed. The remark frames an air of stoic endurance amid cold conditions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jenkins
Switzerland
Giving Advice Paroxysmal Inflammation of the Vermiform
A dialogue from a dramatic exchange shows a professor noting Mr. is seriously afflicted with appendicitis a learned student adds medical severity a voice from the rear quips cut it out revealing a comic wit in a period theater tone.
Caustic Constituent Probes Congress Entertaining
A caustic constituent questions a representative in Congress about entertaining guests. The reply is sharp, noting the official does not entertain much but only some partial activity. The exchange captures a tone of dissent and scrutiny in a political setting.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Congress
Washington Star
His Definition Cook Or Decorator Question
A humorous exchange quotes a boy Wilfred asking what an interior decorator is and the father guessing it might be a cook, illustrating a playful misunderstanding of job titles. The item reflects light domestic humor from the era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wilfred
New York Times
Unnamed People Highlighted as Marvels of Potential
A brief reflection notes that every person embodies unknown and unrealized possibilities, attributed to a quote by Jordan. The line emphasizes individual potential and hidden capacities within every person.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jordan
Hartford Electric Car Service In Effect May 27 1909
The Hartford electric car service becomes effective on May 27 1909 on weekdays. The notice lists operating days and general availability for riders in the city transit system.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hartford
Electric Car Service
Also Mentioned on This Page
Land
Fair
Dorchester Mutual Fire Ins. Co
Boston
E.l.watson &Co
Industrial Trust Co
Buffington
Bristol
W. H. Buffington
Rks
Althea
The
James Dixon Carpenter
Church Street
Ofive
R.I
Simmons Undertakers and Funeral Directors
Emma E.carrey
Constitution:street
Bristol Construction. Co
Carpenters
Marine Hardware
E. J. Prest
Prov
Bristol Ar
Rov
Newport & Providence Railway Company
Newport
G M. Wilbur
M. CO. SA
Hope Street
Church St
John Temple Drury
William G. Murphy Mason
Wamsety Ave
Warren, R.I
ALW
Orgelman
Iso Harade
State Street
C.jam
Foot Church St
Waldron-Brownell CO
Plumbun
Boves and
Johen Furiture
Bradford Street
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!