The King's Old Courter a Mock Legal Tale
A humorous court scene recounts John Smith defending Joseph Scroggs, charged with horse theft in 1877. Smith uses forty six hypotheses and quotes many authors, yet the jury convicts. Scroggs receives three years in prison plus a heavy fine, while the prisoner jokes about escaping by more hypotheses.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tawen Russel
John Smith
Shelley
Smith
Joseph Scroggs
Hesekiah Hess
Scroggs
Plague in London and lessons on words and virtue
In a New York Observer reader, a father guides two boys through a parlor discussion on the London plague of 1605. He explains the disease, its spread, and the cruel humor of those who fled, urging care in speech and consequences of swearing. A separate note describes Duboisia hopwoodii as a potential intoxicant with martial uses and medical promise.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charles
Wit
London
Clarence
Megro
Willie
God
Baron von Mueler
Australia
Darling River
Barcoo
Duboisia
Sydney
Cape York
New Caledonia
New Guinea
Mueller
A Speech on Christ’s Unity with Lion and Lamb
Jonathan Edwards extols the equal excellences of the lion and the lamb as symbols, noting the lion’s strength and majesty alongside the lamb’s meekness and sacrificial usefulness. He argues that Christ unites these qualities in perfect harmony, illustrating divine perfection through contrasting creatures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Christ Jesus
Jonathan Hdwards
Lord's Day Revered as Sabbath by Cheyne Quote
The first day of the week is called the Lord's day and is kept as a Sabbath by God’s people. Cheyne notes it rests Jesus from agony and humiliation and links it to God’s rest after creation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
God
Jesus
M Cheyne
Sabbath Salvation Rallies Against Sabbath Breakers
A religious appeal urges Christian countrymen to resist perceived Sabbath breaking, warning that disobedience invites divine judgment as in ancient Israel and urging vigilance against the perceived moral decline threatening the nation.
Fireflies in a sultry swamp glow with living fire
A July Atlantic poem excerpt by Edgar Fawcett captures a sultry night scene where fireflies pulse above a swamp. The observer describes their golden pomp, dizzy dance, and bright chaos, suggesting a fervent, mysterious passion amid tropical life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Edgar Fawcett
Atlantic
The Russians in Camp War Correspondence from Roumania
A wartime observer compares Russian troops near Dimboritza to Confederate soldiers on the Rappahannock, noting rough bivouacs, gray wool uniforms, and improvised tents. He describes disciplined officers, enduring rank and file, and a reserve but intelligent demeanor with dignified command presence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Roumania
Dimboritza
Rappahannock
Sea Serpent Reported by Royal Yacht off Sicily
Official report to the Admiralty from The Osborne describes a sea monster sighted on June 2 while near Sicily. A long ridge of six foot fins was seen moving eastward, followed by a large, smooth, seal-like body with a bullet shaped head. One officer described its features as resembling a seal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Osborne, Paddle Royal Yacht
Hugh IL. Pearson
Portsmouth
Mediterranean
Sir George Elliot
Sicily
Cape Vito
Osborne
Monster in the Gulf of Tunis sighted after submarine eruption
The Portsmouth Times reports a sea monster seen north of Galita in the Gulf of Tunis. The creature had a narrow neck with a piglike body and two fifteen foot fins used to paddle like a turtle. The sighting followed a mid May submarine volcano eruption noted by a steamer struck by rock fragments.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Galita
Gulf of Tunis
Portsmouth
Riddles and Wordplay Jokes From An Era
A collection of light hearted conundrums and pun lines asking why a spider differs from a seagull or why a Hansom cab is dangerous. It pairs jokes about lawyers doctors sailors hungry men and more with playful answers and moral quips reflecting the era's humor.
Sunstroke warns after sudden heat increase
The article warns that sudden heat and rapid temperature rises can cause sunstroke even when readings seem moderate. It notes the danger of overheating from exertion on first warm days, explains how heat affects the body, and urges caution for those with weak health or heart issues.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lanecet
Detecting Cotton in Woolen Fabrics by Burn Test and Microscopy
The guide explains separating cotton from wool by burning the cotton fibre to observe a flash and wool curling and carbonizing with a foul odor. It notes cotton fibers as flattened twisted bands resembling hair, while wool shows zigzag transverse markings of 2,000 to 4,000 lines per inch. A chemical test with dilute nitric acid turns wool yellow due to picrate formation.
Missouri judge Questions Woman Holding Snubnosed Boy
A Missouri judge asks a woman if the snubnosed boy she holds is her child. She replies that the boy is not hers and that he is her oldest son. The exchange unfolds as the courtroom scene reveals family connections and social dynamics.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Missouri
A Stag's Fury in the Ruby Range
Dr Bailey relates a desperate hunt after a wounded stag that charged his party in Cal. An Indian hunter was killed when antlers pierced his abdomen and spine while Bailey, armed only with a knife and improvised weapon, fought the animal and escaped. A second Indian died shortly after from injuries.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bailey
Ruby Range
Cal
Table Rock Collapse at Niagara Destroys Historic Monument
A Niagara rock formation known as Table Rock broke off on May 24, weighing about sixty tons. Since 1876 more than four thousand visitors carved names into it. The May 24 piece was half the original mass, with the rest already fallen.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Niagara
Maiden Walk
Choosing Fowls for Table and Skin Color Taste
A Rural New Yorker piece notes regional tastes in fowl flesh color. Pink skinned birds like Games and Dorkings are valued for flavor, while yellow skinned birds are preferred in New York. It suggests reasons include perceived quality and ease of dressing, with commentary on pink skins’ tenderness and transport damage.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
New York
New Yorker
Minister Washburne and the Old Settlers Reunion Reply
Mr Norton forwarded an invitation to Hon E B Washburne American Minister to France for the Old Settlers of Buffalo Grove reunion. In a Paris legation note dated June 27 1877 Washburne declines attendance but says he is honored by the invitation and would have valued meeting old friends.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Polo Press
N. Norton
E. B.wi
Old Settlers’ Association of
Buffalo Grove
E B Wasupurys Bids Farewell to Public Life in Letter
A veteran congressman from the old First District announces plans to retire after September and return to private life. He thanks Ogle County supporters for nine consecutive electoral victories and expresses gratitude for public service and kindness from the People of the county.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Congress
First
Ogle County
Patent growth through the American Inventive Era
A historical summary notes rapid invention momentum from early sewing machine patents to broad patent activity. It cites 116 patents in a single year for improvements, 2 910 patents issued in 1875 with many in cotton gins, steam engines, and rail rolling stock, and totals reaching 181 015 by the present. It also records 61 062 patent applications via Scientific American Patent Agency, averaging nearly ten per day.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Scientific American
Scientific American Patent Agency
United States
A Scotch Rain and the Highlands’ Damp Lament
From Appletons Journal August issue, a vivid reflection on Scottish rain and moorland gloom. The narrator contrasts brisk Vermont tempests with Wester Scotland’s miasmal dampness, lamenting strants and dreariness while pondering poets who left home for foreign skies.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jock
Ben Oig
Vermont
Erebus
Wester
Scotland
Morta
Appletons
Clover as a soil improver and farm staple
The article extols clover as a soil renovator and crop booster, arguing it prospers with minimal cultivation, acts as mulch, and can yield two tons or more when grown thriftily. It recommends gypsum and manure for soil protection and notes risks from winter thaw and improper cover. It also includes a brief anecdote about a self made man and his son.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Faniy Circe
Joseph
Mr. Smith
Josie Keen
The
New York Observer
Mr Cooper
Will
Father
Israel
Conundrums
Mendelssohn
Washburne
Old Settlers
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!