Quinby Plans Diamond Prospecting to Save Wakinna
In a Cracker-era tale Quinby, facing the closing sale and exodus of Wakinna, fixates on a dream of diamonds hidden beneath blue mud on his Sucker Plat Land. He imagines fortune in New York and battles jealousy toward rival Wiggins while pondering a risky, perhaps fanciful, plan to lure Colonel Brannon to stay.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Colonel Brannon
Wakima
East
Quinby
New York
Wiggins
Wakina
Miss Grannon
Plorence
Wakiona
Wakinna
Miss Brannon
Jenast
America
South Africa
Dimpelf
The Speed of a Car and Heavy Impacts
A discussion explains that a 2460 pound car at sixty mph carries 290000 foot pounds of energy, equivalent to a 1990 pound body falling 290 feet. If a 6600 pound resistance acted, the car would stop in 44 feet in one second, doing over 527 horsepower of work on average.
Remarkable Archery Through Historic Feats and Legends
A historical note recounts legendary archery by ancient peoples and notable marksmen. It cites the McRees of Gairloch hitting a man at 500 yards, a Turkish envoy in London shooting 415 yards against the wind, and other feats up to 972 yards observed by diplomatic figures in Constantinople and by British ambassadors in the late 18th century.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Acallop
McRees
Gairlock
Scotland
London
Amarsador
Bie Tinhert Amaile
Do Not Flaunt Poetry Nor Burst Upon the Stage
A long spoof critique extols prose over verse urging writers to avoid showy readings. It dismisses poets who read aloud as flashily overbearing and praises the knack of telling a story well. The piece advises restraint and emphasizes substance over performance.
Sarcastic Truths Fragment on Courtship and Dress
A fragmentary sketch mocks courtship rituals noting a man’s careful grooming before meeting a partner yet an untidy appearance at table. It hints at social expectations and playful critique of male attire and manners.
Early American Tea Prohibition Sparks Patriot Pranks
A historical note recalls tea in colonial America as a luxury in England priced high and scarce in the colonies. Patriots forbade tea, turning to sassafras and Labrador or Liberty tea, while notable incidents include a Bel Tavern frog mystery and public teapot shenanigans at Boston. The Boston Tea Party and related acts sparked further tea parties in New England towns.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Plymouth
England
India
China
Hose Ton
Bel Tavern
Wilean
Perbody
Sons of Liberty
Isaac W Nm
Boston
New Ieiva
Salem
David Mason
New England
The Small Merchants’ Streetwise Trade Secret
A New York Sun note recounts a customer who learns how small shops on Broadway and uptown retail districts survive. A 12 cent article in Arenawiehestireel spurs a merchant to stock it, earning loyalty as the customer walks miles to buy from him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Arenawiehestireel
Iolaus
Enythiee
Tim
New York Sun
The English Thank You and Its Varied Uses
The piece contrasts American and Tasland usage of “thank you” with variants in apology and emphasis. It notes English insistence on a strong final sound and a rising inflection, while an American voice emphasizes a different cadence. A stray line mentions a meteoric train escape and a misperceived glare.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tasland
Amera
Ann and Joe Parsons a Rural Domestic Tragedy
Joe Parsons endures a weary life with his invalid wife Ann until a crisis sparks a night of reckless acts. He feigns illness to force whisky and heat, then feigns death to gain control, only to claim a moral victory when Ann summons help and he returns to church humbly, the event teased by onlookers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ann
Joe
Wilelmina Geraldine Montgomery
Pat Joe
Joey
Joe L’arsons
Sue Ransom
Mra Perry
Addition to the Scriptures Stetson as Theater Boss
The tale recounts Stetson the theater producer who loved to show off during rehearsals. He boasted to a stage manager about the twelve disciples on the big set and demanded twelve more actors to fill the stage. A second fable tells of a man who asks for money, only to fear his partner will receive double, choosing blindness in one eye instead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gothem
Kansan
Willise
Caruso
Tinhorn Mary Gardens
R Lauder
Pesecsa
Dy Walt Macon
Judge
Stetson
Holy City
Double Porson
Absent-minded professor sparks sharp classroom incident
A renowned science professor in a heated dispute with a fellow scholar is interrupted by his wife who bursts in claiming she swallowed a pin. The professor calmly jokes that a second pin will relieve the throat ailment, a line that underscores the odd tone of the episode. A separate note about a student returning with a severely wrapped throat hints at German language tensions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Vere
What She Saw in Snide Melnnis
Mrs Ollips and her husband discuss Sally Billinks and Snide Melnnis. Sally seeks stability and practical value over looks, while Snide’s fortunes and cleverness appeal. the couple muse on gender, marriage, and mating strategies with humorous metaphor and old time flavor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mrs. Ollips
Sally Billinks
Snide Melnnis
Ollips
Sally
Mac
McInnis
Lorelei
Melanis
Star Spangled Banner and Fort McHenry Bombardment
The excerpt recalls Francis Scott Key aboard a small vessel near Fort McHenry during the bombardment of September 13, detailing the cannon fire, flames, and anxiety as he watched the flag endure. It ends with Key scribbling the poem that would become the Star Spangled Banner.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key
Fort Mercury
Key
Relic hunter uses trees as bullet targets for Lookout Mountain illusion
A Chattanooga man meets an old acquaintance with a sling on his arm. The man claims he shoots bullets into trees to create relics of Lookout Mountain for sale to Northern customers, presenting himself as a harmless hunter rather than practicing target shooting.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chattanooga
Darky
Justin
Lookout Mountain
The Stories of Famous Novels by Albert Payson Terhune
Mercy Merrick faces a life of deception in the Prussian war village and a path from crime to service. Grace Roseberry’s survival unravels Mercy’s risky imposture as Lady Janet’s ward becomes a reformer, while Horace and Julian shape Mercy’s fate and a final vow with Julian. The piece then surveys William Wilkie Collins and his 19th century output.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Albert Payson
Terhune
Mercy Merrick
Red Cross
Mercy
Grace Roseberry
Rome
England
Janet Roy
Sig
Grace
Janet
Pilg
Ounce
Horace Holmcroft
France
Lady Janet
Horace
Julian Gray
Korace
Grage Roseberry
Bngland
Lady
Julian
Also Mentioned on This Page
Satan
Frank A. Munsey
L. L. Wittich
Nhat
Ta Efe
Leh
Frank A. Munsey Company
Harriet Gaylord
Joe Parsons
Ladies Sewing Society
Mrs
Waal
Darlin
Jes
Middlin
Sewin
Wattle
Willie
Theing Co
William Wilkie Collins
Tie Pe Wil
Antonina
United States
Collins
Dickens
Thackery
George Eliot
Trollope
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!