Mark Twain’s Reporter on Farmers Club Proceedings
The January 7 1871 issue records Mark Twain's account of the Farmer's Club meeting in New Harmony Indiana. Ex Constable Quinn seeks guidance on hogs rooting while Dr Slow critiques hogs root as a possible fraud. Greeley’s pumpkin and a New Hampshire farmer’s letter frame a lively agricultural discussion with local color and humorous digressions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mark Twain
Farmer’s Club
Quinn
Dr. Slow
Mr. Quinn
Moker
Mr. Greeley
Gurney
Tribune
Champagna
Sixhammers
Thomas Dodd
New Hampshire
Greeley Colony
Layman
Texas
Florida
Sumble
Alaska
Inia Little Finger
Heyy
Marets
Buffalo, Express
The Moment of Desiring Power and Peace
A reflective line contrasts the unrest of the covetous with the quiet of the humble, noting that disquiet and torment spring from unchecked desire, while humble spirit leads to peace and fulfilled aims.
Horse Express to Boston In 1829 Thirteen Hours Shorter Than Rail
A New Haven paper quotes a slip from 1829 noting an express rider covered Stratford to New Haven in 41 minutes and Hartford to Worcester in 3 hours 35 minutes, Worcester to Boston in 2 hours 33 minutes, totaling 7 hours 59 minutes New Haven to Boston. It compares with the railroad 161 miles in 54 hours, and notes wet roads then. The Worcester Spy remarks on changes in locomotion and news transport over forty years.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dreceuber
Jackson
New York
New Haven
Stratford
Hartford
Worcester
Boston
Words in Use and a Grand New York Docks Plan
A minister cites parish laborers using fewer than 300 words while ancient Egyptian and biblical vocabularies show far wider ranges. Shakespeare reportedly used about 15 000 words, Milton 8 000, and the Old Testament 5 642. New York plans a vast waterfront public works program for docks and warehouses, praised as magnificent and costly, with McClellan tapped to map the project.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Egypt
England
Mudie
Shakspeare
Milton
To Train a Child Rules for Gentle Parenting
A 19th century guide lists ten core principles for child rearing. It admonishes giving without harm, avoiding false promises and threats, speaking truthfully, controlling temper, limiting unclear or excessive commands, balancing pity with kindness, avoiding worry, and teaching self-reliance. It warns against coercive discipline and urges clear, reasonable expectations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bosse
The Mocking Bird of Florida Describes Dissipation
The mocking bird of Florida is described as a dissipated character foraging in neighbors vineyards during the year and then frolicking intoxicated when Pride of China berries ripen. A flock is seen tipsy and comical flying about hiccoughing and staggering while intermixing songs. They then pretend reform and join temperance societies until next season when berries ripen again.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Florida
Creation
Temperance Society
Bonner Reader Snubbed By Anxious Suitor
An anecdote recalls a brisk visitor to Robert Bonner who tried using social rank to press acceptance of a work. He claimed the editor should value merit over lineage, noting the daughter of a clergyman may write poorly and the daughter of the devil could still earn pay if the writing is good.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bonner
Robert Bonner
Mr. Bonner
Diverse religious presence in a growing Greek Church
The text notes a regularly constituted Greek Church alongside Jews, Greeks, Romans, Episcopalians, and Dissenters. It suggests possible representations of Chinese religions, East Indian beliefs, and even one Moslem, reflecting broad religious diversity in the country.
Circus Performers Pay Scale In 19th Century News
A writer notes gymnasts earn 30 to 125 dollars weekly in pairs, contortionists 20 to 60 dollars, and clowns 20 to 100 dollars based on skill and fame. The piece contrasts Grant and yellow fever as providential dispensations, citing the Boston and Louisville papers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sey
Grant
Boston
Providence
New Orleans
Louisville ‘Courier-Journal
A Scroogins Receipt Mixup Sparks Caper in Trade
A merchant with damaged goods sells to Scroogins for 100 dollars and writes a receipt on a note to the consignor. Forgetting the note, he later hands a second receipt, only to learn Scroogins now has private information from the back of the first letter. The mixup shows risks in clerical writing and handling orders and messages.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cook
Scroogina
Scroogins
Colt and Porter land dispute ends with bank ultimatum
Anecdote recounts Col. Colt pressuring Porter to sell the Porter land by repeatedly offering $50,000 in bank notes and demanding specie daily. Porter, then president of the State bank, resigns rather than yield yet retains property. the Colt estate now adjoins Porter’s on the north.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Porter Place
Col. Porter
Col
Porter
Col. Colt
State Bank
Colt
Solomon Porter
Grog Versus Newsprint On The Table
A writer contrasts cheap whisky made from grains with a newspaper laid nearby. The glass costs a dime and is consumed quickly, while the paper brings distant intelligence at a lower price but is valued by some more highly than the alcohol. The image links intoxication to access to news.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Globe
Agassiz On Coastline Changes Over Ancient Time
The scientist Agassiz notes it is reasonably certain that in the last 200000 to 300000 years the coast has eroded a strip five to twelve miles wide from Cape Hatteras to the British provinces. If this proceeds for another 200000 to 300000 years, areas 10 miles inland from the shoreline may face troubling changes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Par Agassiz
Cape Hatteras
Four currents on one wire solve messaging puzzle
The London Atheneum reports a method to send two messages simultaneously along a single wire by using four currents at once. John Bordon of Perry NY recently died leaving about $50,000 split among the American Tract Society and allied organizations. A Rhode Island Works locomotive design places the bell at the engine front. An Ohio gentleman’s hen sat on a July eggs until November, then abandoned them. Horace Greeley, in a temperance talk, claims New York has 6,000 ruin shops.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Bordon
Perry
New York
The
American: Tract Society
Boston
American Home Missionary Society
American Bible. Society
Rhode Island
Great Western Railway of Canada
Also Mentioned on This Page
James H.laird
Public Square
Mount Vernon
Indiana
Bes
WT. C., Duclos
New Harmony
C.duclos
Thrall & Mumford’s
Twin Brothers
Dooley
Hudcut
Liebig's
Burnett's
London Club
Thrall & Mumford
Florence Sewing Machines
James P. Swift
John R. Hugo
John McConnell
General South Western
Florence Sewing Machine
Fourth St
Louisville
Eight & Davis
Cash Store
Right & Davis
Florence
John J. Hugo
Will. H. Hugo
South Second Street
Evansville
Drewes
J. D
Jones, Jones & Drewes
Ainters
Keene
Harry Truscott
Bet
Wm. Crow
J. Beal
New Harmony Drug-atore
Hornbrook & CO
R. S. Hornbrook
the Register
W. Slater
J.P. Bennets
Slater & Bennett
Ind
Kentucky
Harper's Magazine
Baptist
the Baptist
Israel
Main and
South Sta
mylBy BR
the Horse Express
General McClellan
City of
Metropolia
McClellan
America
Burnside
Brehange
the Mocking Bird
Genoa
Ohio
Horace Greeley
New ‘York
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!