Tick Lowndes the fakir king and world roamer
The ex king of the fakirs Tick Lowndes, rich and settled in Philadelphia after eighty years of globe trotting, recalls his gadabout life. He sold Russian axle grease for cub rubles, French perfumed beans, South American whitening tonics, and Finnish style goggles in the Pacific and Fiji, claiming only four days of work in eighty years and a knack for turning crowds with his ticking gold watches.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tick Lowndes
Philadelphia
Lowndes
Moses P. Handy
Tick
Russia
Russian Empire
France
Boston
Cologne
Panama
Patagonia
South America
Fiji Islands
Ieee Ork
Amusing Petersburg Mine Explosion Tale
General Horace Porter recounts a Petersburg mine explosion story from The Century. A rescued prisoner, eyes swollen and face bruised, jokes about becoming the most unpopular man in his regiment after appearing to depart early from a voyage with others aboard the “volcano.”
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Horace Porter
Petersburg
Days to Come Show Grandfather’s Feeble Decline
The New York Journal notes Grandfather grows very feeble and now relies on a cane, signaling advancing frailty in his days to come.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Scarcd
New York Journal
Georgia Mule Eats Fence Rails in Vineyard Tale
A Georgia laborer recalls a mule with a voracious appetite. The old man explains the mule once belonged to sea officers and now eats fence rails, oats, and grass, finally chewing a pew in Ebeneezer chapel before breaking toward the pulpit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Georgia
John
Quotations Spark Backstage Political Banter
A collage of witty lines from newspapers features a debate on a fishing party and a wife reciting poetry, mixing humor with political undercurrents. The Cleveland Plain Dealer quips, while the Princeton Tiger and Cincinnati Commercial Tribune tease readers about voting confidence and social roles.
How shall I dress tomorrow in two classes of women
A fragmentary quip mixes a Truth, How anecdote about women preoccupied with outfits and a sleeping car passenger, then a joking rooster and hen exchange about celebrating Washington's birthday. The text reflects a dated humorous voice from a period newspaper.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
Amy Little
New York Press
The Nature of the Creature in Tit Bits
A light quip captions a humor column noting a diner waiting long for turtle soup and the waiter blaming the slow reptile as a playful aside from Tit Bits.
Rector’s Speech Slips Ether Versus Eyther Debate
In a New York Journal quip, Willston asks if the new rector uses eyther or eether during sermons. The exchange features a sleepy quip about pronunciation contrasting ether and eyther.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Agnes
Willston
New York Journal
The Boy Who Mows Our Lawn Poem
A child helper who mows the lawn is praised as clever and skilled. He repairs the mower, sharpens edges, and shows the speaker techniques with tools while guarding the blade and avoiding interference. The poem celebrates his ingenuity and careful work.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sezzee
Reminiscences of Army Shoes and Boots by an Old Soldier
An aged veteran recalls his first army shoes two sizes too large, the fit from issued stock, and the comfort of brogans with flapped uppers. He contrasts boots and shoes, noting a preference for roomy shoes that stay snug on the foot and recounts drawing cavalry boots with equal feeling.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Sun
What Should We See by Forelith Ramsay
Poem pondering sight after death and the hereafter. The speaker asks what remains when life ends, envisioning sea mists, deserts, and the blue of the past, then imagines angels guiding souls to God’s throne. The verse blends natural imagery with a final eschatological vision.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ramsay
Pall Mall Magazine
Millionaire's Start: German Immigrant Secures $1500 Bank Loan
A penniless German immigrant arrived in America with no connections and earned a clerk job in a small town. He convinced a bank to lend $1500 by explaining his plan to buy a rival feed store, eventually securing the loan and a mortgage. Today he leads a $4 million corporation recognized among top business figures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Americas
New York
Avill
Germany
Vogether Whey
Jones
Main Street
Disman
Gorman
America
In Corporation
Chicago Times-Herald
Sunset Cox tale misattributed to Howells in Ohio lore
The Toledo Blade notes a circulating story claiming William Dean Howells penned a Cincinnati sun set description that inspired his journalism career and led to his retirement. The piece clarifies Howells was Columbus correspondent earlier, while the true Sunset Cox anecdote comes from Henry Howe Cox of the Ohio Statesman in 1864.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
William Dean Howells
Cincinnati
Columbus
Ohio
Howells
Old
Cincinnati Gazette
Ohio State Journal
Cox
Old Ohio Statesman
Statesman
Toledo Blade
Two Life Turning Points Inspire a Story of Fate and Faith
A Detroit Free Press fragment recalls a man who survived a Mississippi flood by clinging to a tree branch and later, after despair, met a woman who renewed his faith in humanity. The narrative links both near fatal acts as manifestations of destiny guiding his life forward.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mississippi Valley
Gulf
Cure for consumption promised by T A Slocum
Advert alleging a cure for consumption and bronchial diseases by three bottles of remedies sent free to readers. Promises thousands cured and asks afflicted readers to request by mail with address and reference to the paper.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eorror Tripans
T. A. Slocum
Pine Street
New York
Where the Pinch Came From the First Sign of Poverty
The piece recalls how misfortune hits through small details. A brave woman notes brown paper and twine as the first real trigger of deprivation when preparing parcels. Another recalls poverty beginning with riding a crowded streetcar strap and a third remembers bills from tradesmen.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Commercial
Chinese Soldiers Armament Varies Widely on Parade
Chinese soldiers march with diverse gear. one carries a rifle, another a sword, a third both rifle and sword, and a fourth a spear. Noncommissioned officers have revolvers and swords while officers are unarmed.
How to Mend Fine China with White Oil Paint
Instructions recommend using white oil paint in tubes to mend china. Apply cement to edges, press pieces together, and let dry at least six weeks to resist moisture heat or cold. Carefully remove excess paint after drying.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Itia
Doubting and ship talk in a breezy porch scene
An Indianapolis Journal aside notes a character dismissing a rumor of grasping habits while a maritime statistic debate outlines steam versus sail, claiming about half the world's tonnage is wind driven and Britain counts forty percent sailing tonnage amid mint penny production figures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Britain
Also Mentioned on This Page
le Tiege
Alln
Attons
Clever Jim
Jim
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ion
Princeton Tiger
Wanted
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune
COX and Howells
Chance
A. Blocum
Tribune Publishing CO
Montana
Tribune Pub. CO
Dillon, Mont
Philadelphia Truss CO
Locust St
Washington, D. C
Tun Trinung
Dilton, Montana
Mining and Scientific Press
Market St
San Francisco, Cal
China
Indianapolis Journal
Cusuman
Cushman
Cahmans
J. Lexsox Brown
F. RC
Genstal London Throat and Ear Hospital
L. J. Paroz
W. S. Barbour
District Court of the
Fifth Judicial District
State of Montana
Eaverhead
John Eger
Fanny Eger
Las
Ain D
Barbour
James
Howard
James Howard
Eaid
Burleigh & Willis
Dillon National Bank
Dillon
Beaverhead
Josh P Hus Rion
United States Land Office
Helena
Mont
Orpha Larives
Jackson
L. J. Price
Said
John A. Dizon
Peter la Blanc
Anton Jackson
Jank Carroll
Bach Es Mont
W.E. Cox
Register
Butte and
Anaconda
Butte
Anada
Batte
John Wedderban& CO
Tribune Pub .O
Dinton, Montana
Munn & Co
Scientific American
Broadway
York
Poins Exter & Orr
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!