History notes and planetary positions for December
In History section for December 5, notable events include the birth of Martin Van Buren in 1782 and the deaths of Dumas the elder in 1870 and General Sacharoff in 1905. Astronomical events show Jupiter near quadrature and Saturn opposite around December 25 with specific sunset and sunrise times.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Martin van Buren
United States
Dumas
General Sacharoff
Jupiter
Saturn
Bridger Returns to Scout Life After Missouri Move
The tale recounts Jim Bridger’s attempt to retire in Missouri only to crave scouting again. He laments poor air and living despite railroads and ranches, recalling nicer hunting and beaver tails of the plains.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jim Bridger
The
Plains
East
Missouri
Russell
Bridger
Cap’n
Old
Ancient Roman Cookery Book Recipes Revealed
The article notes Romans produced the first European cookery book likely by Caelius Apicus under Trajan, 114 A.D. It quotes two recipes: a sauce for polled fowl with aniseed mint dates vinegar wine and salam, and a second with rose leaves brains pork thrushes and egg yolk boiled, mixed with oil vinegar pepper and wine, stewed until perfume develops.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Caelius Apicus
Trajan
Chambers' Journal
Which Foot Walks Faster
A brief on walking deviation shows the faster foot pulls the body to one side as you walk. An experiment with sticks and blindfolds demonstrates difficulty staying on a straight line due to natural leg differences. A Notre Dame Lady’s Appeal offers free home remedies for rheumatism and related pains.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Notre Dame
A Hongkong Typhoon Described in a Night of Terror
Nan Peacock writes in Leslie's Weekly about a powerful typhoon that devastates a Hong Kong house. Winds from the north and southwest batter shutters, blow out panes, and threaten the roof while residents lash doors with furniture and guard against a collapse.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nan Peacock
Leslie's Weekly
Gambling Systems and the Myth of Gambling Success
The piece explores gambling systems across players, noting after extensive testing that no system guarantees wins at Monte Carlo. It quotes a correspondent who says odds favor the house heavily, with only rare luck cases yielding occasional wins. It also recalls a witty Bohemian Magazine anecdote about Weber and Fields.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Monte Carlo
Hiram Maxim
Cleveland Moffett
Success Magazine
Miased the Accessories Lights Romance in Parlour Plot
A Kansas City Journal snippet describes a plan where a suitor hints at proposing if a spotlight can be rigged in the parlor and the pianola arranged for a slow tune, signaling a melodramatic domestic intrigue.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kansas City Journal
Wonderful Effect At Niagara Sparks Conversation
A brief comic exchange between Mr. Howard and Mrs. Talk praises Niagara's power. Mrs. Talk remarks on the marvel, while Mr. Howard recalls the moment he first witnessed it and could not speak. Brooklyn Life captures intimate city life chatter.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mr. Howard
Too Small to Pray
A light humor item quotes a child named Johnny who can play cards bowl and use crude language yet cannot pray because he is too young. The anecdote ends with a quip about his religious instruction being postponed.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Johnny
Huckleberry Farming and Forest Fire Hazards
A Washington Post piece notes a rural belief that some tracts are burned to hasten huckleberry growth. A native warns that such fires ruin timber, risking large forest losses, injuries, and deaths, while benefiting patch cultivators who profit from the ash renewal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pennsylvania
Washington Post
Proved His Spelling An Incident in Stephen A. Douglas Career
In McLean County Illinois the young Stephen A. Douglas erred by spelling McLean as M Clean while drafting indictments at his first court session as prosecuting attorney. Judge Logan delayed ruling until the county statute spelling could be checked, and Douglas’s spelling was ultimately upheld, teaching him to demand proof for all assertions. John T. Stuart mocked him, but the indictments stood, and Douglas triumphed, learning a wary, evidence‑driven approach.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Stephen A. Douglas
McLean County
Allen Johnson
Douglas
McLean
John T. Stuart
Logan
Stuart
Curious Bath Trader Reads Bristol Letter for Gossip
A wealthy Wiltshire clothier travels from Bath to Bristol on a curiosity fueled by a doctor’s letter. He reads the note and learns a professional jab about his case, amid a quip about pelicans and flamingos and a brief comic exchange on engagements in Philadelphia.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bath
England
Bristol
Blank
Burglary Tale Warns Against Careful Sneaking at Night
A Home Magazine item recounts a judge questioning a burglar about entering a residence at night and whether shoes were removed, illustrating cautious, unintended intrusions and the need for prudent entry behavior.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Home Magazine
Force of Habit
A couple discusses church enlargement plans for the night and anticipates strong opposition to the pastor. The husband jokes about needing a tin horn cow bell and large rattle as they prepare. The scene ends with a hurried search for a hat and belongings.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John
VAGARIES OF SOUND Acoustic phenomena puzzled scientists
A Chicago News summary of strange acoustic phenomena along the English coast. Reports describe twilight sounds like distant signal shots and near shore cries for help heard by a guard, while ships hear or miss signals at varying distances. Wind direction does not fully explain the anomalies.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Roadstead
Spithead
Queen Victoria
Chicago News
Peggy's Advice Revealed as a Hoax in Quincy Household
In an era of baby books and magazines, Mrs. Quincy learns the so called Peggy column offered no real wisdom. She discovers Peggy is not a woman but a cigar smoking man, prompting a challenge to male authorship in advice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Quincy
Mr. Quincy
Peggy
Tom
Mrs. Quincy
Tom Quincy
One Way of Getting Out and a Dollar Value Quip
The piece recalls Gaston rushing in to ask Alphonse to witness a marriage rather than fight. A stern parent asks about the value of a dollar while a club dollar joke contrasts two estimations of Old man Titewad’s wealth, involving a humorous exchange.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gaston
Alphonse
Washington Star
A Human Bungalow in Newark News Quip
A comic jab from the Newark News compares Pitkson to a bungalow with no foundation, quipping he lacks substance and background. The exchange teases his credibility with a playful architectural metaphor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pitkson
Newark News
The Resemblance Airship Interest Sparks Odd Purchase
A fragmentary reminiscence notes a fascination with airships and flying machines. The speaker recalls buying a mysterious item described as a “thee ater” and a clipped exchange hints at wings and fittings, suggesting a curiosity-driven episode.
The Ungrateful Cuckoo and Humorous Parrot Jest
A Philadelphia Telegraph piece mocks the cuckoo as a cradle murderer and lists other birds as petty thieves. It recounts a West Philadelphia husband surprised to learn his wife removed a parrot to avoid a bad example, then reveals she paid dressmaking and millinery bills.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
West Philadelphia
Mary
Wifey
Philadelphia Telegraph
Also Mentioned on This Page
Lighart Review
Gambling Systems
Weber
Fields
New York
Weberfield Museum of Drama
Bohemian Magazine
Chellus
Mr. Boxley
Miss Pechis
Miss Pechia
Catcher
Philadelphia Press
Titewad
Chicago Post
London Saturday Review
Keene Bros
Elks’ Temple
Micks & Son, Jewelers
IOC
St. Joseph Valley Bank
Incorporated State Bank No
John W. Fieldhouse
T. T. Snell
Elkhart, Indiana
Herman Borneman
Walter S. Hazelton
Bank Building
Cashier
L. M. Simpson
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