In Town and Out in Pioneer Days
A compact look at life in late December 1887: local goings on from Gatyon to Glencoe, hunting tales, New Year notices, incidents of theft and fire, and notes on weather and community events. Mentions Deputy Sheriff Waldrot, Jack Frost, Beaver Creek, Raynolds store fire, and local correspondents from Exeter and Camp Shields.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Waldrot
Jack Frost
Ohio
W. L. Yeater
Libbe Kurtz
Stella Edick
Bertha Packer
Lizzie Taipe
H. J. Connor
Exeter
Beaver Creek
Raynolds
Keeping Step to Music in Military Parades
Lawrence Hodges in Chicago Record-Herald explains why soldiers marching behind the band lose step. He notes sound travel delays cause staggered timing, outlines the 90 yard spacing where steps align, and observes many units fail to keep formation despite regulation and the eye appeal of perfect marching.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lawrence Hodges
Chicago Record-Herald
Tennyson’s famed use of birds in Memorial verse
London Chronicle notes Tennyson’s exact vocal renderings of birds in Memorial poetry. It lists croaks, whistles, and calls such as linnet robin thrush woodpecker jay parrot peacock and more, illustrating his ear for natural sound.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tennyson
London Chronicle
Farm investment lesson from a bar tale
A Philadelphia Times piece recalls a young sister who gained some bar success and bought a farm with $5,000. After a year an associate asks what she realized, and the man replies that he learned how a person is when they own a farm but do not know how to run it.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eall
Charlie
Philadelphia Times
Obeyed Orders The Bath Ready Amid Battle in India
A British diplomat recalls a daring incident in India where a general ordered a servant to prepare his bath at a set hour. During a fierce engagement the servant braved bullets to reach the commander and report, Sahib, your bath is ready. This vivid tale highlights strict obedience amid war.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
India
Sahib
Circumstances Alter Cases Quip on Marriage
A witty London Answers exchange jokes about marriage and love. One speaker recalls vowing to marry or none, then prefers none after learning more about the partner, ending with the line that he’s done well with none since.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Names that tempt jokes in the press
A London Chronicle note mocks parental humor in naming children. It cites Mineral Waters Frosty Winter Alfred Days Weeks, and a Canadian named Cumber who ends up as Quintus in papers, since he is always Mr Q Cumber. The piece suggests ordering names by arrival.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Somerset House
Alfred
Primus
Secundus
Cumber
Quintus
Q. Cumber
London Chronicle
The Secret of Influence in History
The passage argues that fervor and intensity empower great leaders across movements. Some figures left little record yet inspired devotion, implying they possessed a mysterious influence that shaped events, remaining a riddle of history noted by contemporaries.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Porce
Chambers’ Journal
He Was Game Speech Sparks Mild Banter
A Washington Star quip features a long winded man and a blunt friend. The friend explains he stayed to the end for a trace of sporting instinct after enduring the opening remarks.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Star
Neley Salesman Footwear Quip in Brief Exchange
A brief dialogue shows a salesman touting socks to a customer. The customer remarks on the loudness, and the salesman notes the socks keep feet from going to sleep.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Neley
Barbarossa Legend Of An Enchanted Slumber In Harz
A lore holds Frederick Barbarossa sleeps beneath the Harz mountains awaiting release to lead knights to victory. The tale claims his red beard grows tall during centuries of sleep and parts of his form remain visible at the caverns table.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Frederick Barbarossa
Harz
Punishment Word Puzzle in Reading Lesson
In a reading lesson Bobby struggles with the word punishment. After puzzling, he asks what his mother gives him when he has been a unusually “faulty” or “oil” moment, and the teacher responds to not let the puzzle bother him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bobby
Hawaiian Divers and the Firewood Rush on Hawaii’s Shore
The Philadelphia Record details native Hawaiians diving for drift timber from upland freshets. Logs sink in lava streams then ride breakers to shore where men dive for large pieces and women and children collect smaller fragments. The hazardous work yields sizable piles of wood despite danger.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Echge
Philadelphia
Everything Limited Limited Train Joke
An old farmer on a limited train complains of soap and water shortages, the porter jokes Everything abohol am limited, the farmer pays nine coppers and jokes about the porter on the other train.
Mushroom farming by wood boring beetle discovered
French entomologist Professor Bouyerie reports that the Bostrychide beetle practices mushroom cultivation. The insect bores holes in wood, half fills them with prepared fungus, spawns a garden, tends it, and eventually mushrooms appear for its food.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. Bouverie
Bouyerie
Erskine's Green Bag and the Old Courthouse Charm
The green bag once carried by lawyers in Erskine’s era is described as a vanished emblem of the profession. Anecdotes recall rivals hiring a boy to taunt him about selling old clothes, prompting Erskine to remark that his briefs were all new.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Erskine
Dickens
David Copperfield
Jarndyce
Rascal
Case
Deserved a Worse Fate Tale from London Tit Bits
A stage aspirant arranges a trial with a well known manager who warns that convicting him would be a grave miscarriage of justice if he were imprisoned for acting. The anecdote reflects on a dubious audition and the manager's cautious verdict.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Afghan Feuds and Blood Vengeance Across Tribes
The passage describes Afghan feuds where murder sparks retaliatory killings of relatives, triggering protracted cycles of violence. Families halt hostilities only during public assemblies when two stones are buried beside a mulla to symbolize feud end, then later reinterred and renewed conflict resumes. A village rule grants every moderate household a refuge tower.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Afghanistan
Temvik News: Holiday Activities and Social Debates
Peter Nelson dedicated his new house and hosted a dance attended by locals. Christmas visits unfold as Emil Gall travels from Herried, and families head to Aberdeen, Linton, and South Dakota for holidays. School notes report absences, a literary program Friday, January 2, and a Christmas program December 24 with Orthmeyer students. A Temvik schoolhouse debate on socialism is planned for December 27 with local participants Tim Vick announcing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Peter Nelson
Blacksmith Wanted at Temvik North Dakota
Local ad seeks a capable blacksmith to run a Temvik shop or buy the shop and tools. Short notice for immediate charge in Temvik North Dakota with reasonable terms. Mail inquiries to Martin Hicks Temvik N D dated November 21 to 28.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Temvik
N.D
Martin Hicks
Official Graft in Morocco Hints at Corruption
The Moorish officials, under threat of sudden dismissal and imprisonment by their overlord, exploit power as a safeguard against perilous days. A writer notes even honest pre-office conduct can tarnish once in office as officials prey on subordinates while peasants bear the squeeze.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morocco
The General Scapegoat Defends Himself in Court
The Cleveland Plain Dealer recounts a defendant claiming artistic temperament caused an assault. He describes striking the man in the mouth after being accused of whitewashing defense. The exchange emphasizes his denial of anger and attributes the trouble to temperament.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jedge
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Towers of Refuge in Afghan Towers and Culture
A traveler reports stone and mud towers in Afghanistan serving as refuges. Each tower stands twenty feet high with a loophole wall, a rope ascent, and a crawl space. The unwritten rule ensures no starvation while food and water are supplied by a woman. One occupant stayed inside ten years amid periodic skirmishes. Wives of towers’ occupants visit and maintain amicable relations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Afghanistan
A Good Big Job Involving a Webster's Dictionary Index
A New York World item describes several New York schoolteachers visiting Bloomingdale asylum. A guide boasted he spent five hours daily on his life work making an index to Webster's Dictionary, prompting a witty exchange about sanity and effort during their tour.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum
Etania
New York World
Napoleon's Letter and the M Mark in His Career
Literary expert J. Buckley notes how the letter M appears in Napoleon’s arc from Marengo to Moscow and in key moments of his life, highlighting coincidences that punctuate his rise and fall.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marengo
Moscow
Napoleon
J. Mr. Buckley
Notable Marshals and Moments in Napoleon's Rise
A fragment recalling Napoleon Bonaparte and his era reveals key figures and events. It lists marshals Massena Mortimer Marmont Macdonald Murat and others with M surnames, notes battles Montenotte Moscow Montmartre and Mount St Jean, and mentions Milan Moscow Egypt and Pius VII. It names ministers and his early allies and betrayals.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marboe
Napoleon
Melas
Italy
Mortier
Moreau
Murat
Marie Louise
Metternich
Massena
Mortimer
Marmont
Macdonald
Money
Duke of
Bassano
Montenotte
Mount St. Jean
Moscow
Montmirail
Montereau
Montmartre
Milan
Egypt
Menon
Miollis
Pius VII
Maret
Montalivet
Mollien
Montesquien
The Hearing of Ants Controversy in Naturalists
Harper's Weekly reports debate on whether ants perceive audible sounds. An American study tested four species and concluded ants may hear, though the mechanism—hearing organs or touch from atmospheric vibrations—remains unclear. Some ants showed direction sensitivity, others reacted to shrill tones. some were undisturbed by violent shaking.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harper's Weekly
Power Comparison: Niagara Falls vs Victoria Falls
Niagara Falls flows between 62 million and 104 million gallons per minute, demonstrating a far higher range of discharge than Victoria Falls which can be as low as about 5 million gallons per minute. The contrast highlights Niagara's consistently stronger flow and broader variability compared to Victoria Falls' smaller, steadier output.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Niagara
Victoria Falls
South Africa
Victoria
Flow rates compare Niagara and Victoria August data
The report notes Niagara River line mean available flow at 160 feet and Victoria at 380 feet, implying Niagara’s minimum flow corresponds to about 3,000,000 horsepower while Victoria’s August minimum equals about 580,000 horsepower. If Victoria’s November flow is 7,500,000 gallons per minute, its minimum horsepower is about one tenth of Niagara’s. The maximum Victoria figure is not stated.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Niagara
Victoria
Husband returns late and hides in nursery
The husband arrives home after dark from the office and, after removing his boots, creeps to the bedroom where his panic makes him rock the firstborn in the cradle. His wife asks what he is doing. he mutters he has been trying to get the baby to sleep for nearly two hours while she reveals the baby is already in bed with her.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Robert
Footless London’s Poor Compared With Abroad and Towns
A London Chronicle remark notes the extreme poverty in London households, contrasting with conditions in Newcastle Dublin and Glasgow where children are seen bare foot. The report highlights rarity of unshod adults in London yet widespread barefoot children in some districts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Newcastle
Dublin
Glasgow
Isles
London Chronicle
Buy One Anyway and a Self Gift Joke Dialogue
A brief comic exchange unfolds with a flower shop buyer and clerk trading lines about buying flowers for a wife or sweetheart, ending with the buyer admitting not having any present to give anyone. The snippet captures a humorous social moment and wordplay on romance purchases.
Braddock Briefs Highlight Local Post and Stores
Braddock briefs note a barber finds good locations in town. Postmaster I E Shepard has received the parcels post setup to take effect January 1. Two general stores L M Doerschlag Co and Vie Long will close at 8 PM and all day Sunday.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
I. E. Shepard
L. M. Doerschlag & Co
Vie & Long
Town Roles in County Ask for Help and News of Deaths
After the first Sunday of the year a right move gives Sam and ie more time to attend i f troubles. Benz anza cattle-king visits town. he winters 500 head at home. J C Cisco of Kintyre visits with daughters and recounts Civil War memories. Rev F B Sapp of Fargo preaches and solicits church funds. Mrs Frank Long dies after two weeks illness. funeral conducted by Rev B Sapp. Long family mourned by community.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sam
Benz
Emmons
Anza
F. B. Sapp
Fargo
Sapp
Braddock
Frank Long
Long
Albert Lea
Minn
Frank M. Lot
Lot
St i
Beil
Lum
Lady
Also Mentioned on This Page
Walker Robinson
Gatyon Township
Jack Robinson
Glencoe
Kildeer Mountains
Mrs. Herrick
Hoskins McIntosh County
Emmons County
Esquimaux
Burleigh
Robert McTavish
Bismarck
Will Gregory
Ashland
Roop
Ida
Bolton
Neaver Creek
A. J. Raynolds
W. E. Petrie
Linton
Bay Valley
Thomas Tighe
Buchanan Valley
Armstrong
Dakota
A. L. Raynolds
Williamsport
Dougherty
J. W. Wescott
Wescotts
Wescott
Tana
David Chapman
Danbury
Bentley
Henry Chapman
Sand Creek
J. A. Cotton
Fred
Towa
Katie Corcoran
Hendershot
Wm. Baxter
Hodgkinson
Dudley Walker
Avon
Great Britain
Canada
Saskatchewan
Barbarossa
Temvik, North Dakota
Emil Gall
Herried
Philip Schenkenberger
J. B. Davis
Owen Jones
Ben Gibbon
Rewey
Wis
Dave Calhoun
Aberdeen
M. D
F. A. Muckler
South Dakota
School Notes
John Heer
Oscar Tempel
Jennie Rudd
Julia Wohl
Marjorie Stedman
Katie
Jacob Weber
Ernest
Irwin Kuehl
Gladys Reich
Orthmeyer School
B. H. Gibbon
C. H. Smith
S. G. Stedman
H. Stedman
Tim Vick
Farmers’ Friend Milling Co
North Dakota
Niagara and Victoria
Tempelton State
Tempelton State Bank
ER. M. Larvici
Crean
Burlingame
Nok, Dak
Rober
Temvik, Nor
Fi Conners
J.C. Cisco
Kintyre Neihood
J.J. Ryan
M. T. Barton
Cisco
Visi
York Regiment
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