Who Held the Pen for the Declaration of Independence
Timothy Matlack, a trusted clerk in Charles Thomson’s office, is celebrated as the chief penman of the Declaration’s engrossing and the Washington commission. He copied the July 4 1776 broadside, and his distinctive hand, with notable letter forms, helps identify the penman of the signature document.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Thomas Jefferson
Continental Congress
Charles Thomson
New Castle
Del
Congress
Journal of the Congress
Thomson
Hunt
Timothy Matlack
Matlack
George Washington
Thomsom
George Bond
Thomas Edison
General Washington
Richard Varick
Alexander Hamilton
Library of Congress
New Hampshire
Holmesbury
Gaillard Hunt
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
John Dunlap
Omnia
Journal
John Hancock
John Quincy Adams
William Jo Stone
Order of Congress
Stone
Ways of Summer Boarders
Summer boarders stay weeks in the country and tell farmers witty jokes about cows pigs and horses. The farmer records these quips in a book and sells them to comic weeklies, earning a tidy sum while providing country vegetables for guests.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
The
Philadelphia Star
Lights on Life Buoys Spark New Safety Feature
Submarine warfare spurs life saving device upgrades. New life buoy models include an attached electric flash lamp that activates on contact with water, signaling rescuers to the wearer in icy Atlantic waters and aiding night recoveries.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Atlantic
Mother's Joke at Juvenile Court Belittles Judge Addams
In a Cleveland Plain Dealer item a Quaker mother teases Judge Addams of the juvenile court about his bald head. The judge replies that he keeps his gray matter inside the head and his mother quips there is room for it inside.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Addams
George
Cleve and Plain Dealer
Seems Strange Innuendo and Banter Shuffle
A playful exchange questions possibility of intoxication from water and humorously asks if bald men lose hair more often. The dialogue mimics a comic back-and-forth about everyday oddities and observations on a casual excursion boat scene.
The Wrong Place Memorial Day Eulogy
A traveling man ends hisLetter describing a town as rotten after Memorial day. He condemns the east side residents as living dead while noting Western graves are decorated. This harsh verdict appears in the Indianapolis News.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Indianapolis News
Key Found After Pantry Mixup Sparks Burglary Panic
Clarence and his wife argue over a missing wardrobe as she fears burglars. The husband insists the pantry key was misplaced in a crepe de chine pocket but confesses he burned the skirt pocket while searching.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Clarence
Lttle
Boston Globe
Frugal Living Sayings From The Times Union
A collection of thrifty maxims urging resourcefulness in daily life. Advice covers eating bread labels, cereal hacks with a whisk broom, watering gardens with tears, saving cans for roof repairs, and motivating a lazy spouse. The tone mimics a newspaper readers’ column of household tips.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Florida Times-Union
No Quarter for Him
Mrs. Jones and an elderly neighbor argue about a swindler who roams the village. She vows no quarter if he returns, while the old man loudly echoes the sentiment, refusing even ten cents for the man’s trouble.
A Girl Seeks Sweetness in Love and Chocolate
A girl favors a blend of youthful romance and chocolates as her idea of sweetness. A brass band reflects on each musician believing their instrument creates the finest music.
Man sows rare flower seeds for own gardens
A North Alabama street man boasts of planting many vegetables in a yard the size of a tablecloth to beat the greengrocer. He notes brassica campestris yields yellow blossoms now called turnips and jokes that a future crop will reveal more “something doing” when a friend returns from a trip.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
North Alabama
Indianapolis News
City artist ponders Holstein naming riddle
A New York artist visiting a former friend admired his Holstein stock. He noted a black and white Holstein, then asked, if a Holstein is half black is it Halfstein when fully black.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
John
Their Wishes on a New Arrival in a Family
The two younger siblings debate the latest addition, with Betty wishing for twins and Bobby insisting he would prefer a triangle if possible. Their playful banter reveals a lighthearted family moment about the new baby.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Betty
Bobby
Pay day comes slowly to the man who watches the clock
A succinct aphorism notes that diligent waiting and steady patience define reward. The line reflects a work ethic theme common in late 19th and early 20th century journalism and culture.
Life After All Is a Bundle of Little Things
The phrase highlights how daily small details shape existence, suggesting a broader view of life as a sum of minor events and choices rather than a single grand arc. It emphasizes ordinary moments, routines, and quiet experiences as meaningful.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Clerk
Charlies Thomson
Ways OF
Cholly
Holly
Castoria
Ork City
vuRcom
Eid Tak Canaing
Boston Woven Hose & Rubber CO
Dge
Mase
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!