The Liberty Boys Roar in Boston and a Fourth of July Tale
A tale from the era centers on the Liberty Boys led by Robert Sallette challenging Tory power, with threats and bravado over heads for treason. Parallel scenes recount Louisa May Hatfield singing the Star Spangled Banner at a Fourth of July celebration, aided by her grandfather and a brave audience, ending in a gift piano.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Liberty Boys
Robert Sallette
Louisa May
Amanda Dane
Lucy Trent
Louisa Manny
Miss Hope
Louisa
the Grove
Grove
Louisa May Hatfield
Grand Army
Red Head
Grandpa
Sam
Grandpa Hatfield
Louisy
Hatfield
Ware
Loulay May
Unselfish Boy Tommy Cautious With Firecrackers
Mrs Glim cautions her son Tommy about igniting firecrackers indoors while he responds that he wants her to enjoy them too. Harlem Life reports a humane家庭 moment reflecting safe celebration.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tommy
The Buttermilk Cow and Graduation Essays
A comic vignette from Cincinnati Enquirer about a child asking which cow is the butter milk cow. A second joke from N Y Times and Puck contrasts graduation essays with everyday laborers, ending in a wary smile at social disparity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Roger
Grandma
Cincinnati Enquirer
Great Head for Business Sister Oh Bob Dr Scrimp Mean Fellow
A humorous exchange from Tit Bits about a doctor who pursued a patient then claimed his calls were professional visits. The piece contrasts with a child Charlie Horner’s joke about God scrubbing and moving tables, recounted by Ethel Horner in Little Chronicle.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bob
Scrimp
Charliey
Charlie Horner
Charlie
Ethel Horner
Little Chronicle
The Boy Guessed Right in a Home Lesson
In a Philadelphia Press excerpt, Tommy explains to his mother that washing hands and face is futile against the inevitability of dirt. His mother asks if he knows what that means, and he replies with a resigned, practical answer about dirt reappearing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tommy
Philadelphia Press
Progressive Euchre and engagements in Pearson’s Weekly
Dialogue excerpt from Pearson's Weekly shows Sybil and Kitty debating Harry Scribbler’s writing and engagement statuses. Sybil recalls an earlier summer engagement and wonders who he will marry, reflecting social rumors of romance within a literary circle.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sybil
Harry Scribbler
Kitty
Pearson's Weekly
Tailor joke prompts witty quip on man and gowns
A lighthearted quip from Catholic Standard and Times riffs on tailor made fashion. It plays with the classic line about nine tailors to make a man and twists it to question how many gowns would break him. The joke reflects period humor and wordplay.
Self-Centered. Young graduate seeks grand hat status
Philadelphia Press notes the boastful youth after graduation, joking that the diploma elevates him to diplomat status and critiques vanity over achievement.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Press
Misplaced Quotes and Jumbled Wordplay in Local Humor
Reading room puzzles reveal a collage of misheard lines and comic misidentifications. The clipping shows characters like Pug and Bella’s Piano with quirky banter and unfinished phrases suggesting a playful, tabloid style.
How Long Should a Suitor Know a Girl Before Names
A brief exchange between Creel and Miss Flyppe quoted from the Chicago Tribune. The youth asks how long to know a girl before calling her by her first name. Miss Flyppe answers six months is enough if he is the right man, then denies Mr Spoonamore as suitable.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Creel
Miss Flyppe
Susie
Spoonamore
Chicago Tribune
The Honeymoon Poem Moment on the River
A brief verse from Brooklyn Life depicts a newlywed couple drifting on a moonlit stream. The scene emphasizes calm surroundings as symbols of peaceful married days ahead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brooklyn
Pillow Price Cut Prompts Buyer Remarks
A reader notes a bargain pillow marked down prompting comments about its hardness. The exchange, recorded in a Philadelphia Press item, hints at shopper frustration and value concerns.
Must Touch It Superstitious Minds Inhabited
A reflective note on boys and superstition, observing that warnings like Do Not Touch and Fresh Paint may be ignored or doubted, revealing a tension between belief and curiosity. The piece muses on human behavior and caution versus impulse.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Wife Quarrel Over Substitutes Not Satisfied
A New York Times note reports Mrs Hoyle and Mrs Doyle arguing about a husband’s dissatisfaction. Mrs Hoyle says her husband is never satisfied, while Mrs Doyle notes he complains about a missing collar button and a wart on his neck.
Good Book to Own, Agent Here, a Universal Receipt
A Tongue in cheek boast claims a famed book contains receipts for everything including tailor bills. The quip frames the item as essential for every family, highlighting its all purpose utility and humorous sales pitch.
Dealing in Futures and What Johnny Thought
A pair of brief exchanges from 1920s Chicago papers. In Dealing in Futures Bess asks Nell if Simking offered himself last night and Nell confirms with an option on him for ten days. In What Johnny Thought a child asks about Gabriel Grubb, then confusion with Dickens and angel food cake is clarified.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bess
Young Simking
Nell
Chicago Daily News
Johnny
Gabriel Grubb
Chicago
Gruet Loses Leg In Railroad Accident
In Brooklyn Life a report notes Gruet’s severe injury after a railroad accident. Jewett remarks on the disappointment, recalling his habit of talking about “getting there with both feet.”
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hewittt
Gruet
Jewett
Brooklyn
Counting Them Joke Exchange From Washington Star
Mr Woodby Witte claims there are eight jokes in the world and Miss Cayenne answers with amused skepticism. The witty exchange captures lighthearted banter reflecting social humor in a Washington Star clipping style.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Woodby Witte
Miss Cayenne
Washington Star
Tongue Test Befuddles Yonkers Barber and Doctor
In Yonkers the barber, exhausted, visits a physician for help. The barber asks the doctor to examine his tongue while the doctor quips that he never shaves himself. The scene highlights a healthcare encounter framed with local humor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Yonkers
Miss Polly Wog Wog Turns Frog in Bog Tale
A cautionary fable about Polly Wog Wog living among the Bog Wogs. Polly, vain and comically plain, grows larger and uglier until she bursts into a common green frog, ending her tale with a moral from Churchman.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Phin
Polly
Bog
Aistera
Water From a Knife Trick Sponges the Audience
A party illusion describes hiding a moistened sponge behind the ear to make water appear to flow from a knife. The performer grips the blade and fakes drawing water, then reveals the sponge and releases droplets onto a plate amid staged mystique.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
N. Y. Herald
Birds That Can Talk and Speak Like Humans
A historical note on talking birds, highlighting parrots as the best imitators of human speech. It discusses other birds such as ravens and magpies, noting their ability to imitate sounds and utter words, and attributes parrot superiority to beak, tongue, and head structure and strong memory.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Darky
Robert Sallette
Olao
Fourth of July Luncheon with Red White Paper Maps
A Fourth of July luncheon featured decorative red and white paper maps, with numbered outlines on the tableware. Guests guessed the maps’ identities, with the best couple receiving a faux cannon firecracker filled with bonbons. The spread included fish, radishes, ham, chicken, rolls, olives, and ice cream, served in a patriotic theme.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Tories
Governor Wright
George the Third
Boston
Robert Salette
Robert Sallatter
Egypt
Laura E. Richards
St. Nicholas
Chicago Record-Herald
Waldo Wendyl
Chicago Evening Post
Tiamaysso
Jour
Warlbourne
N. Y
Puck
Scott
Bella
Yonkera Statesman
Nan
Pomieehinas
Brother Hour
Miss Polly
Raven
Jackdaw
Magpie
Jay
Parrot
Onny Lint
Cuvier
America
Turner
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!