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This newspaper page contains 33 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Oak Park Vindicator
Location
Oak Park, Illinois, United States of America
Date
Dec 24, 1897
Page
6
Verse reads of Santa’s arrival with toy drummer boy Number Two whistle and a young horn blower. The piece celebrates festive noise and boyish joy as Santa comes to town in a jubilant scene credited to Carl Currie.
A nostalgic recounting of a 40 years past Christmas in the country. The narrator recalls a sunny winter day with snow, sleigh rides to grandpa’s, a Christmas gift kiss, peppermint sticks, and a joyful gathering of aunts uncles and cousins. A coal fire, a large turkey roasting on a spit, a grand stove, and grandma’s snowy linen table cover set the scene for a shared meal after blessings and carving.
A narrator recalls a generous meal with waiting plates full of vegetables and desserts including rice pudding with raisins pumpkin pies and rosy apples. Afterward children played games in the kitchen by the fireplace while adults visited in the keepin room and everyone enjoyed a cozy, communal afternoon.
The article traces Puritan opposition to Christmas from Scotland and England through New England. It cites Knox, Bradford, and Judge Sewall, noting fines for observing Christmas, officials opposing church services, and limited local observances in Narragansett before the Revolution.
The piece traces carol singing from early church bishops on Christmas day to later secularized festal chants. It notes 1562 printing licenses for carols to glorify God and cites Scottish efforts to replace folk carols with godly songs during the Reformation.
Prince Victor Emmanuel of Naples is described as an expert electrician. He experiments with lighting, sound, motive power, and photography and was among Italy’s early researchers of Roentgeno rays.
Seasonal poem extols the feast season, autumn to winter, urging generosity and shared meals. It contrasts abundance with charity, urging rich and poor to share bread in Christ’s name as Advent nears, and to welcome all as guests at a common table.
Mary Diefendorf recounts the guardian saint’s role from Patara to Myra and Bari through Dutch and German legends. He shaped New Amsterdam’s culture, inspired St. Nicholas Eve stockings, and fused noble gift giving with playful fear in early American Christmas tradition.
The piece guides festive decor using holly and mistletoe, plus greens like pine and cedar, to brighten parlors and dining tables. It suggests holly berry centerpieces, plate accents, candy holly designs on cakes, and using chrysanthemums for color during Christmas meals.
Lady Jeune notes in Ladies' Home Journal that royal gifts vary in value, many being souvenirs rather than costly items. She emphasizes the Queen’s gifts to family are not expensive, reflecting sentiment, simplicity, and deep family affection rather than greed or expectation.
Ruth Ashmore suggests giving money as a Christmas gift when nailing down a suitable present. Folded in a tiny purse and placed in gold or a fresh bank note, the money becomes a chosen gift the recipient can spend herself.
A historical note describes an ancient device resembling a slot machine appearing in the third century B C. It notes a later invention a shower bath for infants, illustrating early scientific curiosity and household ingenuity.
The London Daily Mail cites Hero of Alexandria describing a sacrificial vessel that released liquid only after a coin was inserted. The vase shaped machine used a slit, a lever, and a plug to control flow until the coin dropped off and the mechanism reset.
The piece discusses whether using both hands equally implies higher intelligence or balance. It notes that practice builds dexterity, cites a right hand injury leading to improved left-hand use, and argues for teaching children to use both hands to gain symmetry, steadiness, and confidence.
A plan to lay a transatlantic style cable from northern Scotland to Iceland next summer includes a stop at the Faroe Islands. Scientists welcome the project as it could connect meteorological stations and enhance understanding of storms crossing the ocean.
A portable English designed shower device helps bathe babies in their own tub by releasing a fine spray when a finger lifts from a handle aperture. The device offers convenience in England where stationary wash-tubs are less common and is useful for both young and old.
A leading British science journal lauds the Smithsonian Institution report series as indispensable. It highlights broad coverage from diverse scientific branches and praises the compilation of the latest specialized results with cross references to Smithsonian reports.
fragments show scholars challenging authorities and calling for scrutiny of established power in early discussion of subjects, hinting at a broader debate about influence and control within academic and cultural institutions.
The Kew Botanical Gardens in London facilitated exchanges of fruit bearing plants between the eastern and western worlds. The tomato and two West Indian species were transplanted to India’s hill stations, boosting local food supplies. In return, the East Indies sent new banana and mango varieties to Western Hemisphere islands.
The Scientific American notes that reducing cotton picking to machinery remains unsolved. Despite investments and high costs, modern pickers earn per 100 pounds yet harvest about twice the daily amount a slave did, modern workers outperforming slave era yields.
A fragment of the granite used for Gen. Grant's sarcophagus in New York mausoleum has been chemically analyzed. The true granite shows dark red color, medium grain, close texture, and low decomposition tendency. Quarried in Marquette County, Wisconsin.
A French invention shows a cork that stays in place in the bottle neck except during decanting. Balanced to drop back when upright, it seals the bottle and protects the contents from air, but lifts away as the bottle is tilted to allow pouring.
The article estimates annual ivory billiard ball consumption at 110000 to 115000, with America and Africa using half and the rest split among England Germany and others. It notes a drop to 80000 to 85000 in hard times and warns freshly turned balls crack from sudden temperature change, requiring at least three months in a warm room to shrink and dry before finishing.
The London Lancet notes Italian doctors’ use of Dr Marigliano’s serum over the past year with reported success. Dr De Renzi of Naples University Hospital cites forty four treated cases, with strongest outcomes when tuberculosis is not advanced.
A curious electrical invention uses a clock mechanism switch that turns off electric lights when the clock hands reach a set hour. This device allows automatic lighting control without human intervention, showcasing early innovation in timed electrical systems.
A dialogue from the Indianapolis Journal shows Jake Pizen Bill discussing a proposed reward "dead or alive" for a man, with the sheriff noting he would not bill the county for board or a hanging fee if the person died, and that he acted with kindness in discouraging the reward.
An Indianapolis Journal excerpt recalls a wedding vow scene where a stubborn groom, after riding twenty miles on a dirt road with his eloping bride, answers “I do” despite fatigue and dust. The minister repeats the ceremonial question, framing a vow amid hardship.
A Caldwell man corrected by a neighbor over using the word kid for a child faced a $5 fine plus costs after a Webster reference was cited in court. The incident, noted by the Kansas City Journal, highlights linguistic disputes in legal settings.
A playful note from the Chicago Times Herald describes an autumn themed scene with a girl wandering a field mimicking a woodland elf. The piece uses light humor to depict her pretend leaf gathering and occasional self admiration.
Poem describes Christmas bells and the heart as an agent of divine meaning. The speaker urges the heart to follow the way of love and become an advent angel bringing Christmas Day to the world.
The article traces the legend of the three Magi as kings Melchior Balthazar and Jasper, notes their legendary gifts gold incense myrrh and the medieval pomp. It describes a silver relief plate titled The Offering of the Magi and traces the travel of the Magi relics from Helena to Constantinople Milan Cologne and their current reliquary display in Cologne.
The article extols Christmas spirit as a living fulfillment of the Golden Rule. It notes families planning gifts for others, churches aiding the poor, and charitable groups like the King's Daughters gathering donations. Even the stingy, like Scrooge, may awaken a warmer generosity during the season.
A 13th century hymn praising the birth of Christ. It describes angels announcing the nativity and shepherds witnessing the heavenly light. The refrain in excelsis gloria frames the devotion and invites reverent song.
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