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This newspaper page contains 21 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Comet
Location
Johnson City, Tennessee, United States of America
Date
May 17, 1884
Page
1
Fragmentary item notes Francis Murphey in Chicago temperance event, Sherman family ties in Washington, Gen Gordon’s vow to raise funds in Richmond, Providence Journal stake, and Republican media figures. Also mentions Tennessee tariff debate, New York walking prize totals, Emory Henry preaching, Hoffen dingers in Pennsylvania, and various curiosities from Rome to Paris and Cape May.
A garbled schoolroom exchange shows a teacher questioning Robe blo about last Sunday. The student answers that his mother kept him home and explains the class activity involved “fiehin’,” revealing a playful but muddled attempt to improvise an excuse during a Sunday lesson.
A South Bastion Tree Works contract for the United States Government marks the creation of the largest gun in the nation. The thirty foot long twelve inch rifle bore weapon weighs 212,000 pounds and costs 28,000 dollars, with capability to project nineteen miles.
A mine shaft incident near Scranton Pennsylvania fatally injured three men when a hoisted empty car detached from a grappling hook and sprinted down the slope 1200 feet long at 83 degrees. David Owens Evan Davies and Thomas Bertier were struck. Davies and Owens died instantly. Sterlit suffered a severe head wound and loss of consciousness as rocks fell and support structures were damaged. Several workers escaped by sheltering behind the track bed.
Fragmented excerpt discusses plans for caring for a baby and a kitten, including placing the kitten in the crib, walking with the baby, and the dangers of affecting a child’s morals. The text cites objections about cruelty and unaffordable sleep arrangements.
Private letter from a leading Michigan politician claims Butler’s influence within the state party is shifting from Nationals to Democrats. The note predicts Butler will gain delegates at the Chicago Democratic Convention, with few papers opposing him and some declining. The Detroit Evening News notes Butler could rally support if in the White House, referencing star routers and lawyers.
A New Jersey man seeks a Newark lawyer to challenge a will by claiming insanity or undue influence. The attorney counters, planning to prove the testator sane and of sound mind to defeat the rival heirs. The man insists on finding a lawyer who will rule in his favor.
Fragmented OCR offers a humorous health guide with satirical maxims on debt, honesty, outdoor exercise, restraint, marriage, bragging, anger, diet, kindness, hospitality, drinking, lending, bathing, and self-control. The garbled text hints at a list of cautions and behaviors presented in a dated, folksy tone.
Benjamin, aged about seventy three, former United States senator for Louisiana, later Attorney General and Secretary of State for the Confederacy, died in Paris after a long illness. Born to English Jewish parents in the West Indies, he was educated in Connecticut and practiced in New Orleans before joining the Confederate government and later retiring in England.
The piece argues Randall’s popularity threatens party unity beyond Pennsylvania. It compares Randall and Kelly as sharing patriotic sentiment, warns Democrats that Randall could wreck the national party, and fears the Independent voter may swing a closely contested election.
The Philadelphia Times reports a deed that a young lawyer in Concord New Hampshire starved to death, marking a startling first in recorded history. The piece argues urban decadence in New England, noting the scarcity of resilient local lawyers versus those who leave the region for prominence elsewhere.
A merchant questions his head book keeper Migg about drinking. Migg insists he drank nothing yesterday and avoids accusation by noting he would poison any drink with strong rye whiskey, claiming he is selective and consumes only pure rye whiskey.
A fragmented text describes an odd ritual where people kneel daily facing east and recite a prayer. The garbled lines mention Molamencnes, Forolaugh, and crows, suggesting a chaotic scene or mythic confrontation with a figure named Satan.
Narrative recounts the life of Hadj Ahmed of Constantine, a ruthless ruler who terrorized his harem and ordered terrible punishments. Tales claim he nailed an orange picker’s hand to a tree and had executions by a long box over a cliff, while one wife, Aicha, endured losses and later wed a French officer after occupation.
A private from an Ohio regiment marched to interview his captain after the Second Bull Run and Chantilly defeats. He claimed a plan to crush the rebellion, wanted to lay it before Pope, and after delays was brought to the battlefield chief. The punch line: his plan involved John Pope and Bob Lee, and the army booted him instead.
A fragment from a New Haven colony record describes a 1669 tariff penalizing relationships with servants without parental consent. It outlines fines of 40 shillings for the first offense and corporal punishment or imprisonment for subsequent offenses. The text references a May court with names like Joseph Mortingain and Sarah Tate and mentions public shaming and penalties of various sorts.
The Young Men's Democratic League of Cleveland endorses Hon. 8.0 Tilden, urging it is just to the American people, the Democratic party, and the gentleman himself. The group cites prior sentiment and hopes to bring about his nomination in the providential campaign.
On a Fort Wayne to Chicago train a copper colored Native American, returning from Carlisle, confronts a young man who taunts him with stereotyping. The native speaks with clear diction, rebukes the insult, and advises returning to his people in Montana after years away. The incident ends with the youth retreating to the sleeping car amid laughter.
A damaged OCR fragment describes standardized whistle signals on a western railroad. It lists seven down-brake whistles, thirty-two up-brake whistles, forty additional whistles and two snorts. Instructions advise whistle timing at crossings and dinner, with fireman valve use and water squirting before continuing.
Two women discuss a recent divorce affecting behavior of a man named in a Woodward Avenue area encounter. They note his reluctance to offer fare or assistance to a woman, saying the split occurred two weeks earlier and implying lingering resentment despite separation.
A damaged OCR passage depicts musical chatter during a choir rehearsal with muffled lines about chants, singing parts, a soprano, contralto and tenor. The garbled text includes lines about waking a nun, a bay, a violin, and various fragments referencing singing and chatter.
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