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This newspaper page contains 15 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Pittsburgh Dispatch
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Date
Sep 29, 1889
Page
9
A Pittsburgh postman’s daily route reveals city life’s contrasts from aristocratic mansions to Irish tenements. The piece follows a letter carrier’s perilous rounds through rain and cold, noting delays, etiquette, and the curious letters from Miss Machiavelli to a boarding house crowd.
A reporter tracks the daily mail delivery to Irish neighbors living in dirty alleys. A carrier recalls letters for a felon's wife, who awaits news from her imprisoned husband, while residents persevere amid grime and hardship.
A carrier wanders the streets of a grim city delivering news of death ruin fortune and joy. He sees the sorrow in a wife’s room and a Dreary Promenade reveals his hidden kind heart beneath rough gray clothes as he carries the day’s truth.
A tailor explains discreet poker pockets sewn into suits for players who want extra cards. He describes a right leg pocket mid thigh with a hidden opening and a sleeve pocket near the shoulder, used to conceal and quickly deploy cards during games.
A New York drummer recalls a tavern encounter where locals mistook him for Christopher Columbus. The bored old innkeeper rewards the joke with hospitality, then learns the truth when asked what the man did. The exchange ends with a jest about extra charges and a poor opinion of the visitor.
New Orleans anglers stage pegged-down matches on a long bridge. Two sides of up to 20 anglers pick positions by drawn lots with sticks marked for each pile. Anglers may move no more than 30 feet from their spot as fishing lasts all day. Scores rank fish by numeric value, not quantity, with tarpon tops. The defeated side treats the winners to a supper. No tarpon has yet been caught with a rod by New Orleans fishers.
The essay argues that both country and city life share similar human flaws. It notes how morality blends in all communities and cautions that envy of urban life skews views of virtue. It warns that nagging temper and rigid manners ruin homes more than vice and urges sincerity and good motives as essential.
The writer argues that children should learn wholehearted sincerity and strict truthfulness, as morals develop over generations. She contends even the most educated can falter, but society should cultivate honesty and integrity in speech and promises for a higher standard.
The article reviews Tantallon Castle, famed Douglas stronghold on an exposed cliff by the sea. It covers its uncertain origin, strategic position, and sieges by James IV, Covenanters, and Cromwell, noting its transfer to Sir Walter Scott era figures and its residence in the Dalrymple family.
A Georgia report describes an odd encounter during a visit by a Legislative Committee to an asylum. Representative Reed from Putnam mingled with inmates, prompting a witty exchange as a resident flirtatiously claimed to recognize him, blurring lines between official visitors and inmates.
A six year old girl in Boston uses one th two th and three th instead of first second and third and argues it is just as proper to say one th as to say fourth. The piece notes a conservatism about language and a philological discussion among Boston residents.
A Detroit family tied a 30 foot clothes line from the front door bell to the child's waist to deter excursions. The plan rings the bell if the boy tries to wander, reducing parental anxiety despite seeming harsh on the bell.
A Boston guest recalls a coastal Maine hotel using a sly billing gimmick to dodge the Maine liquor law. The bill listed deep sea baths for a laret taken with meals, implying wines and liquors were served, though the guest did not partake in such luxury.
A commuter explains that a conductor struggles to remember the ticket, apologizing for the lapse and noting the tense moment at hand. The exchange highlights frustration and the challenge of verifying travel documents on the run.
A detailed scene on Elmwood Hill depicts O Rourke family squatters facing eviction, with Donnell O Rourke planning a better future as he courts Nora the New York colleen. Father Hanley and Mickey Begg drift between daily troubles, faith, and an offer of adoption by Lady Maud for Nora, amid illness and family strain.
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