Reminiscences of a Veteran Railroad Builder in Early Days
A. B. Guthrie recalls his surveying start in August 1845 on the Vermont Central line from Montpelier Junction to Richmond. He describes perilous hogbacks, rope-supported chainmen, and a humor from parodied creeds. He recalls Hart's tavern east of Waterbury, social gatherings, and the evolution from wood burners to modern railroads.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Vermont Central Railroad
Montpelier Junction
Richmond
Carpenter
Rodman
Waterbury
Hart's Tavern
Middlesex
Infalible signaling to end railroad horrors
An inventor reveals a central station control system that would run trains over vast tracks via a keyboard like a puppet master. A miniature model demonstrates instant train positioning and driver communication, promising safety gains and reduced need for signal crews.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
East River
Brooklyn
Arnold Sterns
Central Board
Couriers Across Sahara New Service Niger to Mediterranean
A new desert courier route covers about 1000 miles from Niger to the Mediterranean. The Sahara journey remains challenging, but French pacification of central regions has progressed rapidly over the last five years, reducing exposure to earlier upheaval.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Algeria
French West Africa
Dakar
Niger
Mediterranean
Gao
Timbuktu
Insalah
Tuat
Sudaranasis
Agades
Ahaggar
Sahara
France
Senegal
Dahomey
Morocco
Discipline on the Railroad Promotes Habit and Feeling
The author argues that railroad discipline should pair sensation with thought to quicken habit formation. He cites five to ten demerit marks as a corrective, condemning the lack of systematic training and the absence of feeling in American railroad discipline.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Webster
J. O. Fagan
Atlantic
Railway safety device at Broxbourn signals progress
The Great Eastern railway uses a rail contact 300 yards ahead of advanced starting signals at Broxbourne to alert the signalman when a train passes. On the engine reaching the contact a bell rings in the signal box and continues until the signal is set to danger.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Great Eastern Railway
Broxbourne
His Last Joke From The Death Watch
A humorous exchange from the Houston Post features a condemned man asked about his preferred exercise. He replies with a grin that he would like to skip rope, delivering a darkly funny line.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
The
Death Watch
Houston Post
Logical Eddie and the melting cream appeal
Eddie explains to his angry mother that the freezer tempts him to steal cream because it has a melting appeal. The lighthearted note reflects a playful crime of appetite and a humorous household dilemma.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eddie
Kansas City Times
Inconsistent beer use sparks winter warm and summer cool
The cartoon quips contrast beer as a summer refreshment and winter warmth. A retort notes the other’s attire, suggesting year round peekaboo wear while dismissing inconsistency.
Gamecocks and Game Hens in a Quip from Philadelphia Press
In a playful exchange, McJigger asks why roosters used in fights are called gamecocks and Thingumbob suggests a game hen lays bets. The Philadelphia Press captures a humorous etymology moment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
McJigger
Thingumbob
Philadelphia
Color of pants sparks paint debate in courtroom
In a humorous exchange a witness objects to sitting on green paint while a defense attorney questions why the color matters. The remark about dying pants to match the paint reveals a light moment amid formal proceedings.
Roommate at Yale Record Cartoon Quips About North Pole Talk
A Yale Record cartoon caption mocks a roommate at 2 a.m. as they confuse a wine list with a table of contents. The dialogue contrasts practical aims with a polar quest, joking about a thermometer rising as the imagined journey continues.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Yale Record
North Pole
True Baseball Spirit In A New Haven Barber Chair
A New Haven barber recalls Tad Jones, Yale’s famed catcher, dropping into his chair after Yale’s loss while asking for a throat cut, illustrating the quirky humor and stubborn spirit fans show after defeats.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Haven
Tad Jones
Yale
Washington Star
Progressive Cook Club Keeps Members Moving On
A café group describes a rotating system where a cook who quits is passed to the next member, repeating until she returns to the roster. The club notes a large membership and that cooks often forget their earlier stints.
By the Brave Groom
The wedding plans are finished and a surprising twist emerges as a photographer agrees to smash his camera as part of the couple's bold nuptial stunt.
Substantial Order in a Humble Dining Exchange
A patient requests a hearty meal from a waitress in a comic exchange. The doctor insists on something substantial and sensible, prompting a shift from beans to macaroons and mixed pickles as the offered fare.
Entertainer’s Rowdy Party Incident Cited by Courier Journal
The Louisville Courier Journal reports a paid entertainer disrupted a function. A tomato was thrown at the father, a platter broken over a banker’s head, and the crowd describes the scene as a knockabout comic moment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Louisville Courier-Journal
The Polonius Joke On Favor and Life Success
A witty exchange frames success as learning to confer a favor. The Polonius figure recalls changing from grudging, costly favors to offering them with a disarming smile. The quip suggests a moral about courtesy and self-preservation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Polonius
Stage row breaks as impresario assigns other prima donna
The calcium was out of order and a star complains she cannot do her best without a glare. The impresario answers by promising to station one of the other prima donnas in the wings to offset the issue.
Compromise Ends Rivalry Over Daughters Fate
A humorous scene shows Mr Millyans pleading for his daughter while a duke retorts he can secure her future with a job as a motor man on one of his railway lines.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mr. Millyans
Duke
Horseradish Bite Becomes Comic Death Rumor
A Chicago News item relays a grimly humorous tale where a man dies after excessive horseradish on his bologna is said to bite his tongue. The quip frames hydro phobia as a tongue injury, reflecting a macabre joke from the era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Smithers
Chicago News
Blithering Aims at Calling a Man an Idiot
In a conversational exchange, one speaker dismisses the term blithering as meaningless and urges choosing a different insult. The other notes it functions as a pejorative but offers no concrete definition. The dialogue centers on language and insult choice rather than a factual event.
Global population question in classroom humor
A teacher asks the class for the globe's total population. A boy answers one and a half billion, while a girl notes a new baby brother at home. The exchange appears in Life magazine style humor.
Definitions of a traveling medium labeled as easy money
The Cleveland Leader quotes a dialogue describing a cousin who travels to give exhibitions of supposed powers, labeling him a circulating medium and implying opportunistic, cash-driven activity. The exchange notes skepticism about spiritualist showmanship and income.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cleveland
Class Fashion Boldly Priced Dresses Spark Debate
In a graduation scene the gowns were capped at one dollar each while an observer mocked future careers. A student responds that every member of the CHR is now engaged to be married, indicating a surprising post graduation plan.
Struggling writer muses on publicity for contributions
A writer laments that publishers and politicians overlook broader publicity for all writings. He imagines how open exposure could help his and others’ work reach audiences, suggesting a public push for equal acknowledgment of contributions.
Also Mentioned on This Page
A. B. Guthrie
Choteau, Teton CO. Mont
Walter
Tatler
Golf
Willme
Mane
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