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!
This newspaper page contains 24 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
The Mobile Item
Location
Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Aug 31, 1912
Page
4
The Mobile Item Company announces seven papers published weekly at ten cents including Sunday editions. The firm lists address at Mobile Alabama and details subscriptions offered by mail or local delivery with rates for short terms.
The Item editor urges Democratic congressional committees to raise at least one million dollars for campaign and literature costs. He asks newspapers to solicit small and large donations from readers, citing successes in New Jersey and Southern states and urging widespread, public fund drives led by county leaders and business subscriptions.
The piece accuses Hartwell of conflicting interests in municipal affairs and his pledge to quit business links after election. It argues a law forbids commissioners from serving public franchises and claims his dock company biases his views.
The Port of Mont's towage is run by a monopoly with a tacit agreement dividing work to avoid competition. Critics argue this raises charges well above those in Mobile and other ports, causing hardship for the nation. Mr Hartwell, a major stockholder in the tow-boat company, denies the accusations and defends cheap facilities for commerce.
The Item questions a rumor that Mr Hartwell planned to transfer interests in Hartwell Docks Company to a brother to secure the city commission post. Hartwell reportedly refused comment, leading to an assumption the allegation is true and raising concern over public service conflicts.
The article ridicules Mr Hartwell's push to upgrade Mobile port with an expensive railroad, arguing a belt line suffices for city traffic and questioning private deal arrangements linked to port channel access. It notes comparisons with New Orleans line rates and criticizes public expense.
In a public letter Mr. Stewart Brooks accuses Mr. Hartwell of fighting a Joint Rivers and Harbor Committee on railroad bridge location and admitting influence by private east side interests. Hartwell denies the private interest charge but admits opposition as a committee member.
A Warren Pennsylvania doctor promotes buttermilk as healthful, noting its rising price compares to beer at 12 cents per quart. The article recalls nostalgic memories of consuming buttermilk and argues lactate acid from fermentation has medical value, while warning against overripe fermentation products. The piece also mentions Mobile’s belt line rail option and railroad commission oversight on rates and service.
The author argues September should mirror August in heat and dryness, predicting cotton and corn gains from recent rapid growth. If the month stays dry, crops should mature to farmers' satisfaction, and overall outcomes will balance in the long run.
Mrs Belmont prints "Vote for Women" on her personal checks to boost support for the suffrage cause. She aims to maximize endorsements and visibility for the movement.
The piece argues farm work as an aid to prison reform, praising open-air labor for inmates and citing Ontario Canada where a 900 acre Speed Farm with quarry and dairy operations supports inmates and central prison. It notes heavy support from officials and advocates for expanded reform efforts despite need for secure confinement for the most dangerous offenders.
A compact exhortation on initiative in business stresses that without initiative a person is dead weight. It argues only proactive leaders create lasting impact, while pretenders fail and fail to advance. The piece praises pushing forward with new, original, forceful actions as the key asset for success.
An eccentric travel reminiscence recounts a historic mud puddle once crossed by Elizabeth I with Raleigh. The narrator notes British politeness and humor, shares a hotel porter anecdote, and jokes about costs and money in a breezy colonial voice.
In The Item’s The People’s Forum a longshoreman from Mobile Alabama THOS L McMAHON writes that he did not speak at a Hartwell meeting and seeks no office. He emphasizes he is a voter who will cast his ballot in the upcoming Monday election.
A patriotic notice urges voters to guard ballot purity as essential to free government. It cites a Virginia case of vote selling, warns against bought ballots, and calls on parents to teach young voters the gravity of fair elections.
The Jackson Miss News argues Congress spoke 25,000,000 words in the recent session. Most were useless, with only a fraction possibly sensible, while Dr Eliot’s five feet of literature is praised for depth. The piece mocks the excess as padding that clogs halls and prints.
A speaker laments a hidden child formed in her body and destroyed, fearing death and judgment. She recalls weakness during pregnancy and mourns a baby never nursed, now awaiting at eternity and gate to Paradise. The piece explores motherhood, guilt, and mortality through a personal lament.
A lyrical snapshot of rural labor from dawn to dusk. The narrator describes farm life with mother canning, father and children making hay, feeding livestock, and enduring long days. The verse contrasts country toil with city life and praises the sunlit work ethic.
A Chicago News analysis credits German science driven industry for turning new inventions into commercial success. It highlights artificial indigo and rubber, the role of industrial education, and the need for trained middle rank technicians to implement ideas, urging the United States to improve vocational training to compete.
The passage argues that both production and distribution economies are essential for farmers. It praises cooperative methods to control marketing and working capital, warns against neglecting either policy, and notes the need to reduce costs in beef and cotton to avoid tolls taken by intermediaries.
The article tracks the lasting impact of Mary Elizabeth Braddon and her novel Lady Audley’s Secret from its 1862 fame through fifty years of readers and stage runs. It notes Stevenson’s admiration, Braddon’s vast output, and her sustained popularity across decades, contrasting with many writers who fade quickly.
A nostalgic vignette recalls a silvery summer moment between sweethearts under stars and a playful kiss. A courtroom anecdote features Judge William H. McSurely recounting Judge Gary prodding a restless attendee who jokes about losing his overcoat and suit amid a hearing.
The Baltimore jurist Gary, once a state legislator, was famed for sharp remarks. After a contentious bill, a frustrated dissenter declared he would rather shoot himself than back the measure. Gary retorted that the man overestimated his own aiming skills.
The death of Cincinnatus Leconte after the Port au Prince palace explosion highlights Haiti's volatile politics. The late president was seen as liberal and educated, representing a distinctly modern Haitian leadership in a period of ongoing instability and exile of Antoine Simon.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.