The Five Franc Coin Tale and a Hidden Fortune
A long, curious tale explains why many French people believed a 5 franc piece concealed a large fortune. Napoleon allegedly inserted a note for 1,000,000 francs in a silver coin, later split and scattered. Baron Rothschild supposedly collected or hidden the coins while pursuing the mythical stash, though many doubt the legend. The piece has sparked endless searches and speculative wealth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
France
Napoleon I
Duc de Feliie
Napoleon
Bank of
Switzerland
Belgium
Bank of France
Napoleon Til
Hortense
General Boulanger
d’Uzes
Ferdinand de Rothschild
Baron de Rothschild
Paris
Europe
Asia
Africa
America
Pearson'’s Weekly
Sharply Clever Exchange on Eldest Daughter’s Remark
The Cleveland Plain Dealer cites a tale showing how easy it is to omit details. A humorous exchange shows a professor misinterpreting a compliment as a mud fence joke. It recalls eighteenth century Germany where begging and paupers overwhelmed towns like Cologne with 40,000 people and 14,000 poor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Mindam
Bavaria
Cologne
Open Air Cure for Consumption Gains Ground
An English exchange notes Sir Andrew Clarke cured himself of consumption by living outdoors. The medical profession has largely embraced fresh air, abandoning warm crowded rooms. Davos and similar clinics use 14 hours daily outside in cold mountain air and sun to slow lung disease and bolster recovery.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sir Andrew Clarke
Davos
Express Train Thunders By Without Stopping
An English traveler in Maryland checks a timetable and finds an express due at four. The train speeds through the station without stopping, prompting the man to complain. A nearby African American bystander quips that he did not even hesitate to let it pass.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Maryland
What to Eat Ends With a Sweet Picture Tale
A playful exchange between a girl Christine and her father centers on a photo being taken. Christine recalls posing with arms crossed and her head in tongs, while her father jokes that she looked like sugar in sugar tongs as the photographer exclaims what a sweet little girl.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Christine
Papa
Lucky Cross Once Owned by Danish King Given to Princess
The Princess of Wales holds a cross believed to bring luck to its owner. Once owned by the King of Denmark, it was found in Queen Dagmar's grave. The piece is a fine work of art and was presented to the princess on her marriage day.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wales
Denmark
Dagmar
Two Rich Men Show Contrast Between Honest Work and Fraud
A dialog where a teacher and a boy discuss two wealthy men, one earning by honest industry and the other by fraud. Tommy asks which path is preferred, pondering whether wealth or integrity matters more. The exchange frames a moral choice in a simple narrative voice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tommy
Just Where He Was Wise
Solomon famed for wisdom, yet no record of him being questioned by a six year old child, notes the St. Louis Star as the source of this observation. The remark highlights how even legendary sages faced paradoxes of understanding from curious youth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Solomon
St. Louis Star
Birds Cause Sudden Fish Inhabit New Lakes
New lakes and canals fill with fish as birds feeding on spawn elsewhere perch in the new waters and drop spawn from their bills. Scientists suspect birds unintentionally seed these waters, leading to rapid colonization by aquatic life.
Snow eating snow habit tale from Klondike amid old notes
A returned Klondiker narrates a strange illness dubbed the snow habit, detailing how extreme cold turns snow into a dangerous mineral laden craving. He describes miner cases, mineral content theories, a Copper River death, and a 1896 97 winter near Dawson ending in withdrawal and resolve.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Klondike
Point Barrow
Copper River
Copper
Dawson
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Dynamics of dynamite force directions
A description explains that dynamite expends its energy toward the direction of least resistance. Placed on the ground it explodes downward, hung against a wall it strikes the wall, and hung beneath an object it pushes upward, illustrating how the explosive force acts along the line of pressure.
Plants Thrive In North South Row Spacing Says Doctor
Dr. Wolthy of Munich proved that corn, potatoes and other plants grow better in rows running north and south. The method reduces shading and yields more uniform light, heat, and moisture.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wolthy
Munich
Japanese college prank teaches humor to Americans
A Boston Transcript piece recalls Japanese American humor at Harvard. A Japanese student demonstrates a greeting by saying Good morning equals Ohio, prompting peers to shout state names instead. The joke highlights misinterpreted language and cultural humor in a campus classroom.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harvard
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Kentucky
Virginia
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Boston Transcript
Camel ride tale from Nachtigal visit in Hamburg
Dr Nachtigal the famed African explorer visits a wealthy Hamburg merchant. The merchant's hopeful son longs to ride a camel across the desert, and Nachtigal offers a stark joke: sit on a tall stool in a rough wagon in July after 24 hours without food or drink to grasp the camel's desert poetry.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dr. Nachtigal
Hamburg
Africa
Left Hand Drawing Practice in Japan
The article argues Japan favors left handed drawing by training children to paint and write without support and using both hands equally. It links right hand dominance to vein and nerve prominence, noting a minority naturally left handed.
Sea Sons book praised by Minto patron and gardener
When the first edition of the Sea Sons appeared the poet sent a bound copy to Sir Gilbert Elliott of Minto. He shared it with his gardener, a Thomson relative, who admires the work but doubts the lad’s ingenuity, calling it a neat bit of handicraft. Sir Gilbert predicts fame and immortality for Thomson.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gilbert Elliott
Minto
Gilbert
Thomson
David
James Thomson
Senator Morrill and the red tape habit
The Vermont senator was famed for careful handling of public property. He untied and saved each piece of red tape that surrounded his jail, making his room the only committee space never to request tape refunds or reissues.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Senator Morrill
Vermont
Speech and Silence in Public Discourse
A Boston Transcript quip argues speech serves not to reveal thoughts but to prevent others from speaking. It reframes communication as a tool for silencing rivals rather than truth telling. The remark critiques conversational power dynamics in social discourse.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston Transcript
Mated remark in Chicago Record quip about age marriage
A witty Chicago Record quip questions the idea of aging partners in marriage. The exchange contrasts an old man who marries a young woman with a young wife who marries an older husband, highlighting social stereotypes about age and matrimony.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
Artful Teeth of Porcelain A8nd Their Folklore
The article traces artificial dental progress from carved wooden isinglass teeth to porcelain teeth with platinum pins, noting how mass production lowers cost while quality varies. It explains processes, materials, and plate options, then asks what becomes of false teeth, revealing burial, theft myths, and rare secondhand markets.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nantucket
Boston Herald
No Extenuating Circumstances in Courtroom Remark
The Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph quotes a judge asking if there were extenuating circumstances in a case. The response cites attenuated circumstances, noting the defendant could not afford a competent attorney.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pittsburg
Quick Writing and Shorthand Debate in Fliezgende Blatter
In a brief exchange, Chief praises handwriting while Applicant confirms ability to write shorthand, noting it takes longer. The fragment ends with the term Fliezgende Blatter signaling a title or source.
Gerald Thompson Stuns Friends With Bicycle Lock Prank
Dotty Thimble reports Gerald Thompson used a bicycle lock tied to his shoe at Maria Eveson's library party to illustrate a point about the book Locked On the Human Understanding. Lucy Cleary, amused, notes the stunt revealed the meaning just before departure.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dotty Thimble
Lucy Cleary
Lucy
Gerald Thompson
Maria Eveson
A Bellicose Youth And Early School Fights
A Cleveland Plain Dealer anecdote about a prominent political figure who showed a combative streak from his first day of school. The story recalls repeated schoolyard battles, a bellicose posture, and an eventual expulsion as his mother and father react to his early aggression.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sammy
Sam
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Archery Nuisance by Military Students Shocks City
The North China Herald reports Tung-Chou military students use a main street for archery creating danger to pedestrians. A lad was taken to a hospital after being struck just below the eye while walking the highway. Authorities note such incidents risk public safety and convenience.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tung-Chou
North China Herald
Drides and Wet Weather Beliefs Across Cultures
The text notes that some cultures favor a wet wedding to symbolize shedding tears and ensuring happiness. It cites Breton brides, the Erza of Simbirsk, the Badagas of the Neilgherries, and certain Greek tribes. Each tradition uses water or tears as a omen of enduring joy and favorable married life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
British Isles
Erza
Simbirsk
Badagas
Saloon Witnesses Testify in Assault Case
In a Boston Courier report a lawyer questions a witness about being in a saloon during an assault referenced in a complaint. The witness notes others present and mentions recognizing the barkeeper by association, not by name.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston Courier
Good Use For Them She Singing Softly Hat Trim
A Detroit Free Press item presents a brief exchange where a woman muses about making a spring hat trim using birds’ wings and a man asks about the use. The dialogue captures a light fashion moment with a hint of whimsy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit Frea Press
Presentimens at Toledo Bee Wedding Note
Justice of the Peace speaks to the bride's mother as the bridegroom wavers. The scene captures the moment of consent with a light finish, reflecting local wedding customs reported by the Toledo Bee.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Toledo
Belgian workmen crowing contest amazes observers
Belgian workmen are fond of cock crowing competitions. The other day no well trained bird crowed no less than 463 times in the course of an hour. In ancient times many of the mountains of Palestine were terraced, and some of these terraces still remain.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Palestine
Also Mentioned on This Page
Sappreon
Youns
Younus
Hubby
Willis’ Cave
Versailles
Ind
Rider Haggard
Willis
New Amsterdam
Cornelius van Ruyven
New York
Francis Lovelace
Holland
Beaver
Ashes of Angels
W. L. Alden
Pearson
Magiazine
Detroit Free Press
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