First Auto in America A Chicago man's steam vehicle
The first automobile in America was built in 1884 by Edwin S Brown, a Chicago bicycle rider. He created a steam propelled road vehicle using a tandem tricycle gear then evolved a four wheeled design with weight below the wheel shafts. The early steam car operated but with the boiler in front it blew smoke into the driver's face, limiting speed and visibility.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
America
Chicago
Edwin S. Brown
Fish eye band and surface swimming described in natural history note
A natural history discussion explains how some fish keep part of their eye at the surface to spot food, forming a blurred band on the eye over centuries. It contrasts this with a later note on vehicle design by Mr. Brown in 1889, who rebuilt a carriage using bicycle parts and pneumatic tires to reach twenty miles an hour.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brown
Alps
Matterhorn
Arkansan Urges Cordial Welcome For Davis
J B Rutherford just back from Little Rock declares Jeff Davis the biggest man in the state. The State House buzzed with congratulations as Davis greeted visitors in shirt sleeves saying no card is needed when visiting him, just walk in, hang your hat, and unpack.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Arkansas
J. B. Rutherford
Little Rock
Jeff Davis
State House
Mr. Rutherford
Davis
Jim
Arkansas Gazette
Don't burn bridges behind you say secrets worth keeping
A compact reflection on caution in actions and the belief that thoughts or plans may hold hidden value. The piece contrasts reckless certainty with the idea that discretion can preserve opportunities and relationships.
Four eyed fish and pear lore across curious notes
The excerpt discusses a band across a fish eye forming with aging, debates on whether the fish is truly four eyed, and then shifts to the pear’s enduring popularity due to horticultural science. It closes with a note on Lithuanian village customs where the mayor uses a wand of office called a krywul or crook, a symbol of authority carried at ceremonies.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Central America
Moern
Syria
Egypt
Greece
Italy
Germany
Holland
United States
New York News
Debate on corporal punishment in schools prompts sharp talk
A public education meeting tackled whether spanking is permissible in schools. Mrs. A J George of Brookline cited state law gaps, Brookline’s limited revival of the practice, and stressed home school cooperation. Critics warned of harm, while supporters urged moderation. The discussion touched salaries for teachers and social ties for city educators.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
The
Public Education Association
A. J. George
Brookline
Mass
New York
George
Ife
Art of Blacking Shoes Described by Master Bootblack
A Philadelphia bootblack outlines the refined process of shoe blacking. He notes that true artistry requires selecting multiple ingredients and tailored steps for calfskin, enamel, patent, russet, and tan shoes to achieve the highest lustre.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Eeord
Soldier’s witty reply saves life over five pence pay
A tale from Boys of the Empire recalls a soldier in Marshal Saxe’s army condemned for stealing a value of five shillings. As he faced execution, the marshal rebuked him for risking his life for so little. The soldier’s reply that he risked it daily for five pence kept him alive.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marshal Saxe
Curious Facts From A Far Flung Notice In A Village Gate
A missive affixed to a church gate in a German village notes cyclists and hens must not roam the gate yard. Engineers claim the Mississippi near Vicksburg carries enough solid matter to build a mile long earth block 300 feet high and a river of earth five feet deep. An London advert seeks fifty pounds for charity investments via Aristides. Berlin reports a man with a bullet in his heart after a 31st congress, later found in his left ventricle. Miamisburg Ohio uses a speed watchman on rails as six mph limit enforced by a man walking the tracks. A Mexican tree named chijol grows vast, petrifies after cutting and may yield fireproof timber for lasting structures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mississippi
Vicksburg
Royal Confessions and Court Life Reflections
A collection of witty royal answers on happiness and manners from Greece Sweden and Edward VII, followed by notes on Athenian society and court invitations. The piece also cites Hannis Taylor on the first Supreme Court gown worn by John Jay and the Trinity College connection.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Supreme Court of the
United States
Hannis Taylor
Spain
John Jay
Suupreme
University of Dublin
Trinity College
Washington Post
Origin of the term infantry traced to Spanish royal guard
The Boston Globe notes the word infantry originated with Spaniards who used it for the royal prince or infanta’s bodyguard, then extended to all foot soldiers and spread across Europe.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Europe
Boston Globe
Capturing a Python Moros of Mindanao Methods
A Far East traveler recounts how Moros in Mindanao trap pythons using house walls as serpent snares. They lure with pigs placed near a hole, watch as the snake swallows one pig, then blind and collar the python to force disgorging the second pig, leaving both pigs unharmed.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Far East
Mindanao
Desirable Royal Jobs at Windsor Castle Revealed
A Chicago Record Herald correspondent describes royal posts at Windsor Castle. The king's imitator of scripts, the clockmaker, historiographer, master of music, surveyor of pictures, librarian, examiner of plays, keeper of the swans, and bargemaster receive salaries from 300 to 2500 dollars annually.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Windsor Castle
Chicago Record-Herald
Iimner
A Mixed Recipe and a Dyslexic Menu Tale
A humorous mix of a fashionable visitor copying a recipe to please her mother and a Southland colonel tale. The recipe text includes garbled items like plaiting, trims, and topaz, while the second anecdote features a clever negro servant correcting the colonel’s grand yarn.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Michigan Badger
Smallest bacillus found in Buenos Ayres and other notes
A surveyed snippet reports a miniscule bacillus seen at 1500x magnification from Buenos Ayres linked to Manduea cattle disease. It also covers twilight duration at Vincocya, lighthouse luminous power changes from 1873 to present, animal aiming in apes versus humans, long bird migrations from Bering Sea to Hawaii, and dangers of wired safety gear on the Matterhorn.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Buenos Ayres
Labial Movement In Reading Observed By A Red Moustache Man
A New York Times letter notes how many readers move their lips while reading. The author, aging and observant, questions explanations that lip movement signals illiteracy or foreignness and calls for a more plausible theory.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Times
Stamps Sent From All Lands International issue flow
The Postoffice Department keeps a locked book with stamps from every country. Berne, Switzerland houses the world set while 750 sets of each U S issue are sent there for distribution to post offices globally. When a new stamp is issued, the International Postal Union assigns sets to Berne for onward dispatch.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Postoffice
Berne
Switzerland
United States
Internaional Postal Union
Washington Star
Also Mentioned on This Page
Trate
Lithuania
London
Clerman
Chareh Yare
Aristides
Council
Miamisburg
Oho
Mexico
Royal Confessions
Sweden
Edward VII
White House
Washington
Massa
New Orleans Times-Democrat
Tropics
8. I. Bailey
Vincocya
F. H. Knowlton
United States National Museum
Bering Sea
Hawaii
Fanning Island
Dr. Knowlton
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!