Curve pitching origins claim by amateur Arthur Cummings
A Baltimore Sun retells an old tale of Arthur Cummings, a New York amateur who supposedly invented curve pitching in 1867. In a Washington exhibition with the Excelsior club, his pitches fooled Junior Nationals batters, then he joined the Athletics in New York and sparked others to imitate the curved ball. The story frames him as the origin of the curve ball.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Arthur Cummings
New York
Washington
Excelsior Club
National Club
Excelsiors
Washington Boys
New York Nine
Excelsior
Washington Nine
Nationals
Cummings
Washingtonians
Jewell
Mills
al Mills
Millis
Champion Athletics
Baltimore Sun
Pearson's Weekly
Invisible Snakes Hidden in New Jersey Culvert
A train stop in New Jersey reveals four snakes lurking in a culvert under a road. Passersby ignore the den while a new flagman notes the find, though crowds remain unalert to the danger beneath the wall.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Jersey
Ireland
Francis Metcalfe
Outing Magazine
Remembered Commodore Vanderbilt and a Humble Poultry Deal
A humorous Harper's Weekly reminiscence recalls Commodore Vanderbilt’s democratic spirit on a resort porch where a familiar poultry seller once approached. His wife and daughter remember the woman, while Vanderbilt notes their upbringing in New Jersey with root beer and oysters. The other piece jokes about a wooden horse and Troy weight in a Paris Hector exchange, reflecting playful antiquity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Commodore Vanderbilt
Commodore
New Jersey
Paris
Hector
Troy
Harper’s Weekly
A Window Verse Signals a Vow in Glass
A lady marked a window with lines professing intent to marry. A gentleman inscribed the note below declaring the authorship. The lines imply a playful bet on whether the window can withstand the etching.
NERVE OF THE HAUGHTY DON IN SEVILLE FEAST FIGHT
A review from Pearson's Weekly describes Valdes's Sister San Suplice scene where an Englishman defeats a Spanish count in a brutal duel of strength. Blood, bravado, and a dramatic table clash punctuate a wild picnic night in Seville with the crowd roaring at the conqueror.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Valdes
Nathan Haskell Dole
Seville
Don Jenaro
Woman Refutes the Weaker Vessel Stereotype
A dialogue on gender roles features a woman asserting that the phrase weaker vessel is outdated and that men are often the aggressors in conflict. The exchange highlights challenges to traditional expectations and power dynamics.
Be rich In patience if thou in goods be poor
The line urges enduring patience when material wealth is low, highlighting virtue over fortune. It reflects Dunbar's moral reflection on wealth and character in a concise, memorable moral verse.
Tyburn Tale of Lord Ferrers and the Hangings
The piece recalls Lord Ferrers subject to Tyburn’s gallows in 1760 and relays Walpole’s account of the procession from the Tower to Tyburn. It notes prison-to-execution etiquette banning drink and the crowd’s size shaping the march and the eventual death. It ends with a quip on hat lifting in social situations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lord Ferrers
Thackeray
London
Curious Day Change Between Philippines and Borneo
The Philippine Islanders kept Sunday on what neighbors call Monday, an anomaly caused by eastward Spanish exploration from Cape Horn and westward Portuguese discovery of Borneo. Sailors gained or lost a day when crossing the Pacific depending on travel direction.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Borneo
Philippines
Cape Horn
Pacific
Comic Opera Writer Confusion Spurs Plagiarist Label
In a playful exchange, a boy asks about a man who writes comic operas. The father replies that such a writer is usually called a plagiarist, hinting at humor about authorship and originality.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Littie James
Los Angeles Times
Brewer divorcees in Danville wedding amid local ads
Rewer daughter of Samuel Brewer of Gessie married at Danville Thursday of last week. We sell borders by the rol same price as for sidewall and ceiling. Van Dorn's Drug Store. Coleman and Coleman advertise closing out sale of shoes and dry goods. Now is the time to buy almost at your own price. Pay your taxes time allowed by law will soon be over.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Galveston
Pensacola
Sandpiper
China
Coco-De-Mer
Seychelles
Wichita
Kan
Beacon
Rewer
Samuel Brewer
Gessie
Danville
van Dorn’s
Coleman & Coleman
John F, Judy
Attica Visitors List Includes Local Names
The Attica entry lists visitors on Tuesday: John Weber, Ed Morgan, S. H. Arms, Late kin Coffing, T. R. Harbrough, James Beasley Sr., J. W. Whickar, George Beverly, W. B. Reet, Frank Martin, Zeke Marlatt and H. D. Purviance.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Attica
John Webber
Ed Morgan
S. H. Arms
Latekin Coffing
T. R. Harbrough
James Beasley, Sr
J. W. Whickcar
George Beverly
W. B. Reet
Frank Martin
Zeke Marlatt
H. D. Purviance
Also Mentioned on This Page
Washington Star
Loudon Render
Tyburn Tree
VanDorn’s Drug Store
GLASS
J. L. Townsley
Rainier’s Drug Store
M. Boord
Hoosier
Jandr
Mayer’s Hardware Store
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!