Lightning Rod Dispute Spurs Royal Backlash and Franklin's Fame
The London Chronicle recounts how King George II opposed pointed lightning conductors, ordering blunt ends for Kew Palace devices. Sir John Pringle defended the science, saying natural laws cannot bow to royalty. Franklin’s experiments, from Boston to Philadelphia, helped popularize the lightning conductor despite royal resistance.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
France
Academie Des Sciences
Benjamin Franklin
Boston
Doctor Spence
Scotland
Collinson
London
Royal Society
George II
Franklin
Kew Palace
John Pringie
John
John dii
Sou
Great George
Blunt
London Chronicle
Penny as Token Origin Story from Panel to Pawn
The piece traces the penny from token and pledge roots to its coin meaning. It links penny to panel and pane through pledge cloth and pawn origins, explains shilling as a division, and notes sterling tracing to the Hanseatic Easterlings and their money.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
Blue Parka Man Story Retold by Bishop Rowe
Bishop Rowe recalls the tale of a robber known as the blue parka man who held travelers at gunpoint between Fairbanks and a distant stop. The bishop, posing as a church member in disguise, confronts the crook and confesses his own near miss with danger during the months of his travels.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bishop Rowe
Bairbanks
Ring
Fairbanks
Episcopal Church
Heroes with Victoria Crosses Struggle After War
Victoria Cross winners face unemployment and poverty after WWI. Some pawn their medals for money, while others seek diverse work. A 1918 storming of Titeval VC holder tours villages with a traveling picture show, two become advertising agents, and one returns to mining work. Captain Towse, the blind hero, serves at St Dunstan's in London.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Elegal
Jonn
Titepval
Midlands
Captain Towse
St. Dunstan's
London
Sir Arthur Pearson
Boob the Bookman Porter in a Store Fluster
In a humorous tale a bookshop porter named Boob runs the shop briefly when the proprietor and clerks are away. He greets a customer with a mistaken idea of the place and quips about “The Spealers.” A man enters, Boob responds politely and notes the next door’s offerings, while the customer reacts with surprise at his misread of the shop’s purpose.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boob
Ima Boob
Why Roses Grow Thorns According to Fairy Tale
In a long ago garden five sleeping fairies lose their wands when goblins pull petals from their rose bush. The fairy queen retrieves the wands and places thorns on all rose stems to deter goblins. The tale concludes that thorns exist to protect fairies from mischief if they sleep in a rose bed.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nce
Jong
Ami
Farry
McClure Newspaper Syndicate
Watch of Maj Andre Owned by New York Historical Society
The sliver watch once carried by Maj John Andre has come under the ownership of the New York Historical Society. A 1766 bull's eye silver watch with an inscription tied to James Oglethorpe is noted, but the gold watch Andre referenced remains missing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Maj
John Andre
New York Historical Society
Major Andre
Isaacc van Wart
John Paulding
Andre
Samuel Bowman
Massachusetts Mne
James Oglethorpe
Philadelphia
Dinner Party Confusion At Table Causes Pea Mixup
An overburdened coachman at a social dinner misreads signals and inquires about peas to a deaf guest. The guest uses an ear trumpet to respond, while a waiter, mistaking the trumpet’s large end for a handling gesture, imitates the scene, leading to a humorous misunderstanding.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hind
Juan
Safety First Photographing Odd Stunt
A woman visits four photographers for a portrait. While the camera is adjusted she wraps a clothesline around her skirt and refuses to remove it, insisting the photographer sees her upside down in the lens. The comic misunderstanding leads to a playful clash over real and perceived orientations.
Wanamaker on Salesmanship and English Courtesy
A Boston Globe anecdote recalls John Wanamaker praising English shop staff for patient courtesy. He cites a tale of a fussy middle aged woman and a young underwear clerk, who finally reveals he has not shown what he is wearing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Wanamaker
London
Boston Globe
Auctioneer Puffs Up Cigar Sale With Overblown Claims
The auctioneer extols a stack of cigars claiming they are without equal in the country. White counters that he smoked one last week and hasn’t recovered, undermining the pitch. Irving samples a cigar and disagrees with the recital of virtues.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
White
Irving
The Clocks We Wear Indicates Old Glove and Stocking Marks
The article explains that the glove marks on the back and the clocks on stockings arise from historical sewing practices. Braiding concealed seams between fingers and along the hand, and stockings used cloth seams at the back of the leg. The bow on the hat bracelet survives from leather hat making with holes and string.
The Pork Barrel Term in U S Congressional Slang
The article traces the pork barrel phrase through American parliamentary slang, explaining how a work-barrel bill would enrich certain districts at public expense. It recalls early republic days when farmers relied on salt pork, using the metaphor to show how Congress seeks private gain under public spending.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harbors Hill
Republic
Wheeler Syndicate, Inc
First to Try Vaccination in Belgrade Century Ago
The first smallpox inoculation occurred in Belgrade, Serbia, about 205 years ago when Lady Mary Wortley Montagu had her infant son inoculated to prevent disease. Her husband Lord Montagu was British ambassador at Constantinople, and after initial clergy and doctors opposed it, four condemned criminals were inoculated as a test before medical adoption spread.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Belgrade
Serbia
Mary Wortley Montagu
Lord Montagu
Constantinople
Mary
England
Scales Reveal Fish Ages and Growth Patterns
The scales of fishes show growth rings that indicate age and growth rate. Studies on Atlantic salmon in Scotland and Pacific salmon species reveal yearly ridges. whitefish scales in Great Lakes likewise indicate age and growth. Tagging young Pacific salmon shows returning to the same spawning streams.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Scotland
Charles Haskins Townsend
National Geographic Magazine
Great Lakes
New York Aquarium
Prescription for His Bride by McClure Syndicate note
Fragmentary text references a Wall Street man in offices and a nostalgic theme about devotion and home life. The passage mentions Love and a quiet rhe, upholstery of an easy chair, and contrasts with theater seats, hinting at domestic priorities and social commentary from a syndicated column.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wall Street
McClure Newspaper Syndicate
Tough talk on docks at Brest from American Legion Weekly
Two men describe a supposed labor battalion on the Brest docks with boastful claims about toughness. One says Alt is a tough breed whose father cut nails with an ax and filed teeth. The other counters that Mal is no plumber and shaves with a blow torch.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brest
American Legion Weekly
Also Mentioned on This Page
Denton Journal
Melvin Benj. H. Johnson
Kvin & Johnson “Bublicomesr
King George
Pspaperan
Ays
Ral Ora Aliya
McClure Syndicate
Mr. Horner
Beauchamp
W. Horner
Rossville
C. Benkchie
Edward Thompson
Brooklyn, Md
W. M. Beauchamp
E. Baltimore St
Baltimore, Md
Caroline County
Orphans’ Court
Maryland
Garey H. Hubbard
Hubbard
Margaret Pastorfield
Register of Wills
P. Wall
Anan
Lucas
Thomas & Messer CO
W. Balto
Baltimore
Pepper Constable
Maryland Trust
Elkton
ST. Paul
W. A. Smith
Marker St
Denton, MD
By E. R. Peyser
Wall Street Journal
Eam Sa Atte Aud Urs Bain Bem
the Peoples Bank
Henry T. Nuttle
Prest
T. F. Johnson
Elmer Bowdle
Marydel, Md
R. C. Jackson
Greensboro
Cecil
Kent
The
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company
Easton, Md
Goldsboro Bank
Goldsboro
Robert Jarrell, JR
Eivenybuing
Baby Shop
Easton
Samuel G. Nuttle
H. Earle Smith
American Corner
Hickman
Vernon
Del
Denton
Sixth St
Main St
Nuttle & Smith
James J. Ross
WM. Denny
Sec’y-Treas
Kent County Mutual Insurance Co
Dover, Delaware
L. Irving Jones
John W. Payne
Eico Agt
John T. Carter
Greessbero, Md
Preston, Md
the County News
Arcrive
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!