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This newspaper page contains 23 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Pella Chronicle
Location
Pella, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Jan 21, 1909
Page
3
Harper's Magazine notes Salem's thrift culture when a visitor is charged ten cents for entering an antique shop. The stern shopkeeper insists on a store admission, highlighting the era's fin de siecle commerce and the uneasy feeling of being charged for browsing.
Dr Johnson doubted Lisbon quake and Parisians were skeptical of the giraffe now added to the Jardin des Plantes. The first reports appeared in 1787 by Levail lant who travelled to Hottentots and Kaffirs. Reputedly mocked, his veracity recovered when living specimens reached Paris, shocking society and science alike.
The Chinese government depends on provinces for revenue and assigns yearly sums. Provincial officers choose collection methods, allowing taxes on goods entering adjacent areas. This system extends to subdivisions, forcing payments in transit. Interior taxes, or likin, become a terror to importers and at times near prohibitive.
Edwin Stevens, Henry Sav age produce a scene where a patent feather shoe is worn on a cloven hoof. A teacher recalls a puzzle about endings that denote place making Afghanistan the place of Afghans and Hindoostan the place of Hindoos, asking for more examples.
Rich in recuperative power the northern Maine forests regrow after two centuries of axe work. Giants once fell to lumbermen and now a handful remain along No 1 with others reclaiming hillsides and valleys. The Macwahoc Molunecus and Mattawamkeag regions face continued logging as the forest slowly recovers.
The article notes a revival of directoire style with Mme Tallien leading the way. She reportedly wore toe rings, glove finger divisions on silk stockings, and jeweled sandals while ditching a flaxen wig for her natural hair. Under the empire, coiffures grew elaborate, requiring pre night preparations and support to protect headdresses at Napoleon's coronation.
In a tense moment Jackie worries that Jimmie may miss Christmas gifts if his mother does not share the joke. His mother tries to smooth the talk as Claus is said to come down the chimney, leaving anxiety rising in the room.
A brief editorial extols happiness as the best tonic, arguing hearty laughter expands the lungs, improves appearance, and boosts popularity. It warns against giggling, promotes a bright attitude, and advises women to sleep in fresh air, enjoy sunshine, and seek daily laughter as the sole path to beauty.
An epitaph collector shows a photograph of a marble tomb and proclaims a new epitaph as one of the best in his collection. He notes it was composed by clergyman W. W. Lord for a body of Indians slain in battle near Cooperstown. The inscription boasts a stark reversal of ownership and a conciliatory closing.
A Charleston West Virginia judge known for boorish manners is recalled. A finical lawyer before him faced a taunting retort as the judge sat with feet on the railing and hid his face. The lawyer asked which end of the bench to address and the judge replied Whichever you choose. The retort: there is as much law in one end as the other.
A guest recounts a banquet where the toastmaster called for a speech by Mr. Jones. Seized with panic, he signals a nearby talker, plants him on stage, and lets the impostor speak in his stead. The crowd enjoys the performance while the real narrator recovers quietly.
Two travelers overheard on a personally conducted tour remark from a Florence hotel window overlooking the Arno that it does not look like Venice. They note no gondolas and recall they were to be in Venice on Wednesday, as cited in Harper's Monthly.
A dialogue about marriage where Maybelle vows to love her fiancé after their wedding, despite questioning his affection now. He promises to shave his French beard on the morning of their wedding day.
A brief comedy exchange contrasts a benevolent old gent asking about the sailor’s risks with an old salt noting danger but rare port arrivals, reflecting maritime humor and port life.
Six year old Jackie, taught that truthfulness is the rock of character, grows uneasy as his mother notes his shift from belief in make believe. He returns home excited, asking if Jimmie Norton truly believes in fan peel and Santa Claus, highlighting a child’s struggle with belief and honesty.
An American author enjoying a New Hampshire summer receives word a distinguished English visitor wishes to call on him. The Englishman reveals he already knows the author well, learned from a porter on the train who described the best route to Niagara and a suitable hotel, leaving the author amused by the stranger’s prior knowledge.
A farm laborer visiting London declined a doctor after reading doorplate odds. He saw Dr X with 10 to 1 and, choosing risks, instead visited Dr Y marked 1 to 5 and felt the odds were better. The tale plays on betting language for a humorous misdirection.
In classrooms the life of Columbus was studied and one pupil answered the question Who was Columbus with the remark Columbus was the gem of the ocean. The moment showed how well the lesson had been understood.
The kitchen god sits over the cooking range and records each family member’s actions. At month’s end he reports to the gods, and yearly he travels to heaven to deliver a report. Families then prostrate, carry him in procession, and burn him amid crackers.
A dialogue contrasts cautions about speaking freely versus signing written statements. A contortionist quips about focus on business while a public figure warns a careful man should avoid words he may regret.
The passage contrasts the value of saying yes over no with staying amiable amid constraint. It argues a gifted dissent, noting even heroes hold positive, sometimes disreputable traits, while Thoreau embodies a single, foresightful life.
Advice on maintaining a flexible voice free of tension. Practice in private to develop natural register and tones. Emphasizes relaxed declamatory danger, breathing, chest expansion, and upright head position for a stronger speaking voice.
This excerpt notes that American women often adapt quickly to turf and political topics in London society, gaining familiarity by engaging with locals. It argues this adaptability helps them blend with Englishmen, who respect their openness to others' views. It also discusses Porto Rican English, noting the island’s blend of Spanish and English terms and a Puerto Rican paper’s use of “mitin” as a localized form of “meeting.”
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