Curious Facts and Oddities Highlighted in Briefs
A collage of curiosities from around the world and U.S. towns notes turnip origins, a five year old polyglot, funeral feast customs in Lancaster, a massive 310 foot cut timber in Orting, a pink and white chicken in Huntsville, and reversible trousers from Akron. Other items include a 105 year old Decker town smoker, a deadly Ecuadoran disease, a Paris lion trainer, a charity park gift in Manchester, Norway reindeer imports, a butterfly swarm in Mott, Georgia and a county bridge with fifty seven local woods and vines. Also mentions the Mitre Hotel’s 1400 origin, a peculiar hair cut, a San Francisco swordfish fight, a penny-for-ice water cooler, 600000 kg terra alba for candy, Dawlish church fundraising by secured notes, ancient sieges of Azoth and Troy, and a giant spider web window display in New York with a lifelike spider model.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Monson
Lancaster
Penn
Orting
Washington
Huntsville
Ala
Akron
Ohio
Sidner
Deckertown
N. J
Guayaquil
Ecuador
Paris
Charles Williams
Manchester
N. H
Scotland
Norway
Mott
Cal
Houston County
Mitre
Oxford
England
James Bichannan
Ashtabula County
Capt
Haskell
San Francisco
New York
Dawlish
National Spoke Charmer in Washington Museum
A tale describes Professor A Zeno at the National Museum in Washington as the national charmer. He handles venomous snakes in a wooden cage for casts and drawings, with one bite by a Mexican snake leading to a long illness but no death.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Professor A. Zeno
National Museum
Washington
Shindler
Merico
Bhindler
Congo wartime outfit faces scrutiny in new report
A fragmented clipping notes concerns about a Congo war outfit described in unclear terms. The readable portions reference allegations of actions by a group or unit, with emphasis on accountability and potential investigations.
Weighed in the Balances by Talmage at Omaha Neb
Reverend Talmage preaches on Babylon’s grandeur and downfall, then shifts to divine judgment. He portrays God weighing souls, nations, churches, and individuals on a celestial balance, declaring many found wanting, and urging acceptance of Christ’s atonement for salvation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Daniel
Babylon
Euphrates
Nebuchadnezzar
Lebanon
Fern
Belus
Death
Belshazzar
Washington
Napoleon
Boulevards
Champs Elysees
Tuileries
Champs Ynces
Atene
Comig
Temple
Perdition
Pai
Anid
Brethen
Christ
Nces
Weill
Payson
Doddridge
Baxter
Jesus
Son
God
Heaven
Saya
Christ Jesus
John Smith
Ed Brown
From Sioux Massacre Tales to New York Telephone Life
Dr Mezzillicuddy learns from Sioux survivors details of Custer massacre with estimates of 8000 warriors and 500 cavalry. The piece recounts the battle, a rogue surgeon Lord, a Crow scout survivor, and a chilling note on survival myths. It then shifts to a street scene in a stationery store and a vivid tour of a New York telephone exchange with operators, central, and a stern supervisor. It ends with a description of Andrew Jackson’s tomb and Rachel Jackson’s epitaph in Nashville.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mezzillicuddy
Custer
Sittings Bull
Major Reno
Vic
McGilrcuddy
Reno
Meyer
Che Tie
Creter
Caster
Wis Wein
Chencelves
Dr. McGillicuddy
Lord
Crow Indian Agency
Andrew Jackson
Jackson Monument
Nashville
Tenn
Dorn
Electric progress across nations and fields of discovery
A collage of notes on advances from electric lighting to telegraphs and military trials. It mentions electric power cutting ore work, smokeless powder in exercise maneuvers, new lighting plants run by native labor, and a device to capture a cannonball’s wobble via a camera in its nose. Also notes on gorillas and chimps, ice thickness in Greenland, and natural mineral soaps in Nevada.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tiai-péi Fuin Porgy
France
Easton
Penn
William Paiser
England
Settingbourne
Esparto
Algeria
Spandautj
Francis Joseph
Austria
Failure of the Vienna Exposition of 1873
The Vienna Exposition failed as a grand project with Emperor Franz Joseph backing it. Subscriptions and parliamentary grants totaled over 11 million dollars, but the May 1 opening led to a catastrophic collapse. A Black Friday stock plunge caused 110 firms to go bankrupt, leaving workers jobless and merchants in distress. The event, poorly timed for international visitors, ended in a near 16 million dollar loss per the Chicago Times.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Vienna
Austria
Francia Joseph
Prater
Germany
Chicago Times
Over-Faithful Guard at Edisons Lab
An amused incident at Llewellyn Park Edison laboratory recalls a doorkeeper who refused entry without a card. A shabby man tried to enter. a clerk revealed the intruder was Edison, prompting the guard to collapse. Edison laughed, praising the guard for his zeal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Edison
Llewellyn Park
N. J
Mr. Edison
Also Mentioned on This Page
the Register
Romé
Per
Teper
Congo Wartise
DR. Talmage
THE
Brooklyn
Omaha, Neb
Jimmy
Saav Hte
Christian County
St. Louis Republic
Broadway
John
Joh Smith
Ed. Brown
iBpeak Tower
Preece
Central
Warren
General Jackson
Rachel
White House
Rachel Jackson
Jackson
Ker
Teutiean
Elliott
Mediterranean
Museum of the
Smithsonian Institution
New York’ World
Ealing
Harper
Popular Science
Nansen
Greenland
Nevada
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!