Men in the towers craft thrilling railroad signal tale
Chicago Chronicle recounts a tale from the old American Railway Union era in which a lone billy goat strays between tracks near Wells Street station. Signal tower men describe fear of wrecks, strikes, and the dangers of switch levers as they explain semaphore signals and track codes used to avert disaster.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Old American Railway Union
Northwestern
Wells Street
Chicago Chronicle
Goat on the rails and the Chicago tower tale
A goat strides onto a railroad pilot causing a near disaster as a train roars past. The tower man and two boys recall the incident and the goat’s odd escape, then a longer account reveals the busy interlocking switches at Northwestern Station and the dangers of fog and crowded tracks.
Cigar Tips as Clues to Criminals Say Berlin Professor
Professor Ilaas Gross of Berlin argues cigar tips reveal much about a person's social position and personality. He suggests examining how the tip was cut or bitten to infer tools or teeth used, aiding detectives in profiling criminals from discarded cigars.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ilaas Gross
Berlin
Weather talk as icebreaker in social graces
The excerpt discusses Mrs. Burton Singsland on starting conversations to banish silence. It notes weather chat as a perennial opener and offers a witty anecdote about a New York woman and the ritual of dinner pairings, highlighting gender roles in initiating dialogue.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Fish Eggs Hatched by Hens Sting of China Labor
A colonial-era tale claims Chinese laborers hatch fish eggs by placing spawn in empty shells wax sealed under hens. The shells are later removed and the young fish are raised briefly in a pool before being released to a lake or stream. The hens purportedly then hunt the grown fish if possible.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
China
Women Friends Clash Sparks Fear Among Men
A fragment notes that some women who appear to be friends abuse each other in a way that frightens men, reflecting social tension or anxiety in the community.
Cyclists Guard England Aims From War Bike Tactics
An English general, veteran in warfare, advocates deploying bicycles for defense. He joins officials who have so far ridiculed military use of the bicycle, arguing for its practical strategic value in protecting England.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
War on English shores hinges on bicycles
Gen. Frederick Maurice, commandant of the military arsenal and training ground, conceived a plan to repel an invading force using bicycles. His distinguished career began with Ashanti campaigns, continued through the Zulu wars, and culminated in notable active service with the Son.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
England
Frederick Maurice
Sir Frederick Maurice
Ashanti
Scouts Use Rifle Cyclists to Maneuver and Delay Invaders
The account describes scouts and detailed reports tracking enemy movements toward an inland gathering force. It explains placing obstacles and removing supplies like cattle to test how the invader could be surprised and delayed by well trained rifle cyclist corps.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Woolwich
Brighton
England
London
Carrying a cane as umbrella habit tale
A Philadelphia man explains his habit of always carrying a cane to avoid losing umbrellas. He recalls a Chicago acquaintance who advised keeping a cane day and night so one is used to having something in hand, making it easier to remember the umbrella when rain ends.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
Philadelphia Inquirer
Bicycle corps and religious river travel headline page items
An article outlines a British plan for an unofficial defensive force of armed cyclists to supplement military units, with demonstrations planned in Brighton and potential club adoption. Other items describe Jericho’s river steamer for pilgrims and pleasure seekers and a Bristol church built with a street running through it near Avon gateway.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dan
Egypt
Lim
Inngland
Bisley
Brighton
Woolwich
Jericho
Kleine Zeitung
Jordan
St. John the Baptist
Pachomius
St. John
Dead Sea
Glasgow Herald
St. John the Baptist’s
Bristol
England
Avon
Parisian Superstition Card Sales Reflect Local Beliefs
In Paris superstition thrives with cards bearing lists of hours to avoid widely sold. The remark that honesty contributes nothing to the white man's burden hints at contemporary attitudes toward colonialism and ethics.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Paris
Spying on Ghosts in Cambridge House Tale
A Cambridge mansion once famed as a haunted house is tied to John Hyde. Samuel S. Kingdon notes the late owner spoke with materialized spirits and warned away earthly visitors. One night an intruder glimpsed Hyde with two sheeted figures, a lightning flash, and a thunder crash, after which he never eavesdropped again.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge
Mass
Mount Auburn Cemetery
John Hyde
Samuel S. Kingdon
Ladies’ Home Journal
Mr. Hyde
New Yorker Designs Lamps Capturing Orient Interest
A Chicago Tribune correspondent reports a New Yorker selling lamps to Bagdad and other eastern capitals. The lamps burn kerosene with no chimney, using a mechanical air device to produce a bright white light, and feature gaudy globe pictures that boost appeal among princes and potentates.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Newcastle
Chicago Tribune
Bagdad
Orient
Siam
Bangkok
Morocco
Damascus
Capitol Police Officer Receives Parade Rose of Admiration
A Virginia traveler pinned a rose to a Capitol police officer’s lapel praising him as a defender of the country. The young officer, surprised, retreated after the admirer declared his bravery in Santiago.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Capitol
Virginia
Santiago
New York Tribune
Freshman Sled Crash Prompts Grin from Varsity Halfback
An incident in a freshman sled ride ends with a seven girl and one man crash over a hill. The victim, identified as the varsity football halfback, recovers and quips that any man would have fallen to such superior tackling, eliciting humor among onlookers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ladies’ Home Journal
The Circassian Peach Rumor Sparks Market Talk
A rumor spreads on the bourse about the Circassian peach crop being destroyed by a hard winter. The chamberlain cites potential price inflation while the Sultan retorts that someone is inflating the price of wives in Constantinople as business dictates in both East and West.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Constantinople
Detroit Journal
Constant Cold Mirrors Heat in Siberian Travel Observers
Travelers observe in Siberia that constant cold produces a similar effect to constant heat with people losing willingness to work and becoming strangers to ambition.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Siberia
Family Power Plays Spark Courtship Question
Dialogue from the Philadelphia North American shows a suitor noting a mother’s consent could ease marriage. The young man asks if women rule in the family, highlighting domestic dynamics and family approval as the obstacle to nuptials.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Too Much Talker for Him Teaches a Lesson in Love
A Pennsylvania youth ends his engagement after the fiancée wins the oratorical prize at graduation. He values immediate gain over future prospects, joking that better an ounce today than a pound tomorrow.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pennsylvania
Also Mentioned on This Page
Jim
Billy
Tim
Homewood
Englewood
Northwestern Station
Chicago News
Maurice
British Cycle Corps
South Africa
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