Shakespeare and a hidden letter change two neighbors
Walter Farrington borrows a battered Shakespeare from Marjorie Hayward, then discovers a dated letter tucked in a page. The note from Marjorie asks him to come tonight, hinting they still love each other after years apart. He wonders if she waits nearby and what the past means now.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marjorie Hayward
Farrington
Thomas
Marjorie
M. F
W.F
Walter
Walter Farrington
Long Lost Letter Reunites Lovers On Moving Train
Farrington follows Marjorie Hayward after a missed past and a faded letter. He surprises her at the ticket window with indecipherable handwriting and a message never mailed. They board a northbound train together, repeating their fate and choosing to be united.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Miss Hayward
Farrington
Playhouse
Marjorie
Providence
Thomas
Heavenly Twins Dolls Beat Rival by Hitting Popular Reformer
European publisher Heinemann recalls two peddlers selling toy dolls. A fat faced doll mimicking a famous woman reformer thrives, while a second doll lags. A vendor adopts selling two dolls together under the cry The Heavenly Twins and swiftly wins in a sensational street test during Sarah Grand’s rise to fame.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Heinemann
Sarah Grand
Heavenly Twins
Lorin F. Deland
Atlantic
The Supreme Gift
John Burroughs argues in Atlantic that humans surpass other species through reason not speed or natures tools. He claims man's intellect enables world changing feats and to bend mountains and seas despite humble natural gifts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Burroughs
Atlantic
The Spaniard and a Humble Aragonese Robbery Tale
Bavelock Ellis cites a Spaniard described as primitive yet hospitable. An unemployed laborer tries to rob a wagoner but returns most of the money and asks for food and a small amount instead. The wagoner gives aid, and the robber accepts only a token amount, illustrating charity amid distress.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bavelock Ellis
Chico
The Baby Crop
A Red Book excerpt extols babies as essential to national vitality and social temper, arguing that loss of babies would dull humor, weaken tenderness in parenting, and soften harsh dispositions. It contrasts baby welfare with other crops, warning of societal decline if babies vanished.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Red Book
Gloom Spread by Book Agents in Early Missouri
In Huntsville and Macon, residents remember a steamboat book agent bringing Agnes The Key to Her Coffin. The work, described as harrowing, flooded the community with doom and funerary imagery, dominating local reading and offering a grim consolation amid scarce books.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Huntsville
St. Louis
Agnes
Macon
The Scent of Books and their Odors
A publisher tests the smell of books to identify country of origin. He asserts English books smell best, French next, and American last, with local works smelling salty. Skeptical clubmen then try and distinguish books by odor, in a brief exchange.
Death Valley Describes Arid Basin and Water Scarcity
Death Valley is a desert valley in Inyo County California between the Panamint range to the west and the Funeral Amargosa and Grapevine ranges to the east. Much of the valley lies below sea level with few sources of drinkable water. It was once the bed of a salt lake along the valley's east side.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Death Valley
Inyo County
Cal
Ar Extinguished Flame
A fragment from the Houston Chronicle presents a literary exchange about a lock of hair found among old letters. The dialogue touches on memory and ownership, with a brief unresolved tension between the speakers.
His Mild Resistance
Chicago News records a magistrate questioning prisoner McNutty about resistance. The officer testifies McNutty offered only $2 as resistance in court.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
McNutty
Health tonic promises relief from thin blood disease
Advertisement urges women and girls to seek Dr Williams Pink Pills to cure pale, anemic blood and restore vigor. It claims thin blood causes many ailments and praises a testimonial from Miss Marie Dicinme of St Angele Quebec who recovered after using the pills. Pills priced 50 cents a box or six for $2.50 from The Dr Williams Medicine Co. Brockville Ontario.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Williams
Dr. Williams
Brockville, Ont
Ready for His Last Day in Apache Days
General Miles recalls a cor poral in the old Indian fighting era known for faith in fatality. Off duty the corporal straps a pair of pistols to his saddle and a private jokes them won’t save him if his time comes. An Apache’s last day is near.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Miles
Poral
Chicago Inter-Ocean
A Pill for Brain Workers
A brain worker suffers more digestive issues than a manual laborer. Nervous strain affects stomach and liver, and Parmelee's Vegetable Pills are advertised as the preferred remedy, with users claiming superior power.
Suffragette Quiz Sparks Chicago Tribune Banter
A brief exchange in the Chicago Tribune features a suffragette quip on women and men, noting the idea of a nation without women would stagnate. The joke centers on a stag party pun and party dynamics.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Tribune
Aladdin Mantle Lamp Promises Bright Economical Light
Advertisers hail the Aladdin Mantle Lamp for country homes and small towns. The mantle lamp uses coal oil to burn a brighter softer light than gas or electricity, at a lower cost, solving the artificial light problem locally.
Summer Hay Rake Involves Judge On The Highroad
Mand Muller on a summer day rakes hay when a judge in a fast touring car passes by. The encounter adds a dash of romance and humor to a rural scene as the highway hums with the modern speed of a forty mile an hour vehicle.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mand Muller
Minard's Strict School Rules Spark Twinning Illness Tale
A strict schoolmistress requires notes for absences and insists on knowing illness details. A pupil Janie explains her mother is ill. Asked to relay the condition, Janie then reveals the illness is twins, prompting the teacher to reconsider the line between concern and fear.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Janie
Beavers Build Multiroom Dwellings On Pond Edges
Beavers complete dams and form small compounds of oval, beehive like cabins along pond borders. Dwellings range five to ten feet in diameter and are two to four stories high with thick mud and sapling walls. Each hut has two doors one land side and one underwater to preserve pond communication.
Floating a Whale
A whaling writer describes bringing a whale to the surface and inflating it using a rope and pulley system. The process includes cutting the flukes, attaching a rubber hose and a steel spear, pumping air into the carcass, and finally setting the buoy and awaiting pickup at day's end.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Popular Mechanics
What He Wanted
A humorous London Mail snippet shows Mr Charles asking to see Miss Smith's father. The father reveals he lent the young man fourpence for his journey, prompting a playful moment as the couple bid farewell.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mr. Charles
Miss Smith
Origin of Surnames in Britain and Ireland
The article explains how surnames spread in Britain and Ireland, noting Norman introduction in England around 1100 and noble adoption. It cites Fitzherbert from Flitz as son, O and Mac prefixes in Irish and Scottish names, Ap Rhys as Welsh, and later combinations like Prys. It also mentions northern nations adding son, and Brabanters and Flemings naturalized in Henry VI's reign around 1435 adopting common names like Johnson and Wilson.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
Flitz
Fitzherbert
O’neal
O'Donnell
Mac
Macdonald
Donald
Ap Rhys
Rhys
Ap Richard
Prys
Pritchard
Son
Williamson
Johnson
Wilson
Dyson
Nicholson
Henry VI
The Egyptian fig tree in Scottish royal gardens
The sycamore, also called the Egyptian fig tree, was planted in England very early. Mary Queen of Scots brought a young sycamore from France and planted it in Holyrood gardens, giving rise to the groves of sycamores seen in Scotland.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
Mary
Queen of Scots
France
Holyrood
Scotland
St. James
His Dilemma in Love Debt
A note reflects a man’s trouble with romance as he fears his flattery may ruin his relationship. He worries stopping words will signal indifference while continuing may make his beloved feel superior.
Sarcasm Tears at Four Year Courtship in Boston Transcript
A dialogue from the Boston Transcript shows a heated exchange where a wife accuses her husband of sarcasm and changing intentions after years of marriage and four years of courtship. The issue centers on surprise at a sudden proposal.
A Heroine. Ells-Bella Faces Every Misrror
Stella Brave girl Slarper's Weekly celebrates Ells-Bella for inspecting each misrror she encounters, a tale of courage and keen eyes as she challenges dangers with resolve.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ells
Bella
Stella
Slarper’s Weekly
When Women Register at Hotels
Milwaukee Sentinel quotes a hotel lobbyist who observes women registering guests. A clerk uses a blotter to hide names and prevent nervous signatures from being copied or improved with flourishes. The piece notes the clerk’s claim that nervousness drives women to overstate handwriting, a test allegedly confirming the theory.
Leprosy in Molokai Compared With Hidden Outcasts
An essay by Jack Loo don in Contemporary Review argues leprosy progresses differently for the isolated Molokai patient versus a leper hidden away. It contends surgery can halt ravages in Molokai while those in hiding suffer unchecked bone necrosis and death.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Molokai
Jack Loodon
A Compositor's Blunder
A London weekly explains a printing error where the word elephant replaced pamphlet in John Stuart Mill's inaugural address notice. The misprint, missed despite multiple proofs, caused disbelief among readers about the pamphlet form of the republication.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
John Stuart Mill
University of St Andrews
Gretna Green and its unlicensed marriages
Gretna Green in Scotland became famous for its simple binding ceremonies. George Scott commenced an unlicensed ministry around 1756, officiating marriages registered by witnesses as couples declared themselves man and wife.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gretna Green
Scotland
George Scott
Our Neighbors Resist Cheaper Flat Move
In a Detroit Free Press blurb, a couple debates moving to a cheaper flat. The wife insists on staying, while the husband suggests relocation for $35 savings, worrying about how neighbors would view their finances.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit Free Press
Fragmentary Botanical Garden Encounter
In a terse scene a security attendant admonishes a girl for picking flowers inside a botanical garden. A whiplash of misquoted dialogue follows about rules and stones, echoing a satirical brief from the era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Botanical Gardens
Ginas
Success Magazine
Courage the Cowartice and the contagious crowd
A fragment reflecting on courage and contagion with names and phrases suggesting a humorous or satirical tone from G D Prentice. The readable text hints at a discussion of how some people are too Astle to catch it.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
G. D. Prentice
Miraculous Survival Tale From Messina Earthquake
Survivors recount a striking incident from Messina after the quake. A woman buried eight days in a sealed room reportedly gave birth to twins and was fed daily by an unseen visitor later identified by a Sicilian as the Madonna, while her assistants saw no one.
AllAN Line to Print Daily News From Wireless
Marconi wireless equipment is installed on the Allan Line steamers Victorian and Virginian so passengers between Canada and the U K will receive world news during voyages. A daily edition titled Aller Line Daily News will compile and print the latest events at voyage end.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marconi
Allan Line
Victorian
Canada
Aller Line Daily News
Dysentery Cordial Seen As Safe Baby Medicine
Indiscretion with green fruit in summer can cause cholera morbus in children. Irritating acids inflame the intestines, producing pains and dangerous purging. Dr J D Kelloggys Dysentery Cordial is urged as the safest remedy to check inflammation and save the child’s life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. D. Kelloggy
Kiss Germs Sayings in Ladies' Home Journal
A satirical note references concerns about germs in kisses and raises the idea of a cautious approach to affection. The line contrasts simplified gender roles with a playful question about what a girl could catch from a kiss.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ladies’ Home Journal
Murine Eye Remedy Promoted for City Eye Care Need
An advertisement promotes Murine Marine Eye Remedy for red tired eyes amid a New York City census showing 17 928 schoolchildren needing eye care. It claims soothing relief without injury and notes physicians' involvement, with a 50 cent price and free eye books from The Marine Eye Remedy Co Chicago.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York City
The
Marine Eye Remedy Co
Chicago
Christmas Gift Etiquette Clash Sparks Family Dispute
Father reminds to say thanks for presents while Tommy questions the need before identifying gifts. The exchange hints at holiday manners within a domestic scene.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Father
Tommy Tommie
Harper
Fistmongers Clash Over King Slogan In Town
Local row features two Jewish traders opposing signs about the king with one displaying We serve the King while the other reads God save the King. The rest of the text promotes Holloway's Corn Cure and a joke about a father at dinner.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Shakespeare
Rochefoucault
Presley
Europe
Parrington
Pittsburg
Houston Chronicle
Minard
Dodds
W. N. VU
Beavers’ Homes
What He
Wanted
London Mail
Boston Transcript
Heroine
e@ Britter
Milwaukee
Messina
Robert Hichens
Century Magazine
Wireless
Holloway
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!