The Scuttled Ship Told by a Probationary Cabin Boy
In June 1860 the brig Polly Deems sails from Boston for a Turkish port with cotton goods. Cabin boy Dan, on trial aboard, uncovers Doctor Farnall's dangerous hold inspection and a plan to wreck the ship. Dan's quick wit and his mother's counsel save the vessel and crew, earning him praise from Captain Payson.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Polly Deems
Job Payson
Boston
Turkey
Payson
New England
West
Dan
Ife
Europe
Daniel
Lhatboy
Captain Payson
Farnalls
Springfield
Briges
Farnall
Jeb
Jan
Doctor Farnall
Itf Pd
Job
Jem
Dr. Farnall
Ile
Madmau
Styx
Mr. Briggs
Capt. Payson
Home and Reform Amid Gentle Advice and Daring Rescue
A miscellany piece blends moral maxims with a Charleston tale of a disciplined youth, a Nashville rescue of William Selves, and old world police etiquette. It contrasts pious duty with daily virtue, recounting a fatal well cave-in and a hero’s 40 hour survival, then closes with 1766 policing table manners rules and social proprieties.
Tink A Moment Boys Trust Worthy Character Message
A moralizing piece warns boys against thoughtless tricks and theft. It argues sneaky acts harm reputation, emphasizes that dishonesty is eventually exposed, and urges developing trustworthiness so others find you manly, honest, and worthy of confidence.
Do Not Find Fault to Pay for Harmony at Home
A cautionary essay urges wisekeepers of houses and hearts to avoid fault-finding. It argues constant criticism harms home harmony more than occasional errors, advocating calm, private correction after daily toil, and cherishing children with kindness rather than nagging. The piece ends by stressing that praise should not be postponed and that peace at home outweighs displeasure.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dors
Course of Study in Overcrowded High Schools
From the National Journal of Education published in Boston and Chicago, the piece argues against crowded high school curricula. It urges boards to trim superfluous work, cautioning about ambitious parents and endless topics. It stresses shortening courses to emphasize true knowledge over breadth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
National Journal of Education
Boston
Chicago
Pacific Coast
Story of a French satirist in Germany witty coin trick
A great French satirist, traveling in Germany, mastered local currency and language poorly. He paid drivers with small change, watching each recipient’s face for a smile. When a smile appeared he kept nothing, returning the last coin and pocketing the rest, realizing he had not overpaid.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Germany
Aving
It is always safe to learn from enemies
It asserts that learning from adversaries is prudent while giving caution about guiding friends. The speaker contrasts safety in study with risk in instruction, implying value in observing rival perspectives but warning against overconfidence in aiding allies.
Agassiz and His Father A Turning Point in Science
A tale of Louis Agassiz and his father who planned a commercial life for him. The boy's zeal for frogs and fishes led to Europe field study. A London Royal Society meeting with Sir Roderick Murchison ends with Agassiz sketching a perfect extinct fish skeleton, earning his mentor’s praise and his father’s consent to pursue science.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Agassiz
Ilis
Europe
England
Roderick Murchison
Royal Society
Roderick
Switzerland
Sir Roderick
DressinG THE Harm A HUNDRED Years AGO
A historical glimpse describes Milan hair dressing a century past. Men and women wore elaborate styles, powder was universal, and artisans built powder rooms where dust showers settled on curls. Patrons entered fully covered and emerged with powdered artistry intact.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
T. A. Trellope
Milan
Preacher Seeks Holiness Shown by Quiet Charity
A preacher urged a holiness that shows in action. He described carrying a basket of aid to the home of the poor and placing something inside as tangible proof of piety, not merely spoken words.
Boy Tries Fancy Melon Stunt at Park
A young boy attempted to balance a large melon on a park railing last evening. When it slipped to the sidewalk he muttered that the fruit looked sickly but that his trouble would be worse once he got home without it.
Contentment over riches and a patient beast
The saying favors simple contentment over wealth and cautions that a steady burden bearer is better than a risky high prize. It compares a loyal ass to a horse that may cause your downfall, stressing value in reliable humility.
Word Girl in Bible Test Brings Lodgers to Faith
An English town lodging house baffled a town missionary with a challenge about the word girl in scripture. The minister answered that girl appears once in Joel and used the moment to read and talk, leading to the conversion of the man, his wife, and two lodgers. The incident, recounted by American Wesleyan, highlights providence guiding faith outreach.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Joel
Sheep Herd Runs Amok In Schoolyard Chaos
A herdsman guiding a hundred sheep along Mineral Spring avenue causes a herd to flood a nearby schoolyard. Pupils and lambs mix in confusion as the umbrella-wielding man is knocked aside, surmounted by woolly chaos before the flock finally passes. The old shepherd limps off, muttering that his own business is best.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mineral Spring Avenue
Pellmell
Nestor
A Ready Man Shoulder Straps Earned in Siege
During the Wagner siege a sergeant pace counted a demanding opening under heavy fire and, after a near miss, the captain and sergeant joked about the distance being a hundred seventy one paces. That shot of luck earned the sergeant his shoulder straps.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wagner
Shopping Season Brings Thrift Talk to Shopkeepers
A shopper revels in the season of bargains and tells shopkeepers she knows of a similar piece of fabric priced six cents a yard lower at another store. The remark highlights frugal shopping habits during a peak period.
Repose of the Grave on a Ship and a Mountain Joke
Excerpts from Burdette’s Ocean travels depict a sailor’s futile longing for rest amid rough seas and a ship’s endless motion. A university professor endures a tiresome engineering presentation until a biting line about boring individuals ends the tale.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tarr
Tarnd
Sam
Strangers Reunited at Pittsburg Wedding After Slavery Divide
At a Pittsburg wedding a dramatic scene unfolded as two brothers, born in Maryland and separated by slavery, were unexpectedly reunited. Sold to different masters and raised apart in Texas and Virginia, they believed the other to be dead. After emancipation they both moved North to seek business, and at the wedding they learned their kinship, sharing their life stories.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pittsburg
Maryland
Texas
Locomotive Run On Air Power Wins Wager
A New York paper recounts A L Holley engineering tale in which he rode a cold locomotive to a distant track after a wager. Towed by another engine, the empty locomotive drew air into its boilers, storing power that let him complete a mile without fire water or steam and win the bet.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
A. L. Holley
New York
Holley
Silent debate on prayer and science’s reach
A fragment contemplates whether prayer has grounds when science finds no path to the divine. It questions who can forbid the instinct to seek God and the unseen, even as evidence remains elusive.
Caution in Speech Sparks Mutual Suspicion
The text warns that harboring suspicions without proof makes others wary of you. It argues that questioning others’ honesty can backfire, inviting scrutiny on yourself and reducing trust in conversations. It emphasizes careful, measured communication to avoid fueling distrust.
No man realizes how rapidly he is passing through this world
This line reflects on life's fleeting nature and the moment one encounters a metaphorical open gate in darkness, signaling an abrupt shift or mortality. The quote emphasizes awareness of time and the fragility of human existence.
Almost Young Again Hop Bitters Claims Real Youthful Effect
A Providence woman over 70 says neuralgia and general illness left her helpless until three months of Hop Bitters usage. She reports feeling young again and praises the remedy as uniquely effective for her family.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Providence
Also Mentioned on This Page
Che Hristof Obeniz
Marais
Cc. A. Greene
Olce
Phenix Building
Hope Street
Piper
FLINT
ARF
Fornteore
Flint & Gos
Vrluel
Cor
Broad and Eddy
Hiram
Mver Spring Dung Hall
Eddy and
Fulton Streets
New City Trail
Silver Spring
Gill
E &E
Edger
Thram D. Maxpield
Reyarin
Fr. A. Geisler
Tereris
Aristel
Ohl Stand von Falliver
Eatisfacion Oral
C. Henry Alexander
Prof
E. Toffman
Ceres
J. Hi. Young & Cos
Hoje Tod Bradford Streets
A. Franklin
Wis
Stite Street
Tno
Alcock
M.A. Franklin
Jell State Street
Rod
God
Jess
Hinaven
Litrce
Papa
Charleston
SCU
Nashville
Miss
Republican
Fair Grounds
William Selves
Selves
Burdette
Burlington
Charles Francis Adams
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