An Interesting Interview with Lady Clerk
A Chicago tale recounts a working girl named Liz and her friend Miss Whitelow sharing hard times in 1880s Chicago labor, with a focus on temptations faced by shop girls, the brittleness of wages, and a piano purchase that collapses into a warning about swindles and rough economic realities. The narrative shifts to personal reminiscence of relationships, class pressures, and a dramatic, morally charged episode involving two sisters and a failed marriage proposal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marshall Field & Co
Tian de Gram
Tor
Wesconsin
Janesville
Boston
Abe
Bob Fitch
Tin
Liz
Wittsburgh
William Simpson
Fitch
Gitaro
Chicago
Tonom
Carrie
Lucy
Jasat
Lacy
Soenes
St. Paul Herald
A Man of Many Tongues at State Department
Henry L. Thomas, translator for the State Department, is a linguistically gifted, well-traveled official who has served since 1866. He can fluently speak eight to nine languages and translates official correspondence, treaties, and letters from diplomats, presidents, and cabinet officers, sharing anecdotes about multilingual duties and extraordinary requests from abroad.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
West India Islands
State Department
Hamilton Fish
Italy
Germany
France
White House
Washington
Holland
Cleveland
Spunsler
Samoa
Arthur
Sleveland
Hisyés
Abe
Pittsburgh Chromiate
Popular styles of engravings in the Chicago market
An interview from the Chicago News surveys engraving trends among buyers. It notes mass appeal favors affordable watercolors, while wealthier customers prefer engravings from London and Paris, often priced from four to one hundred dollars. Subjects lean toward love and historical scenes, with minimal landscapes. Bronze frames dominate, with carved hard wood the anticipated high end.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Labould
London
London ‘Stationers’ Association
Paris
Prang
Chicago News
Evolution in Mushy
Dialog humor about marriage prompts Bromley to joke that a wife’s sweetness fades with time. One speaker praises a wife as angelic and harplike, while another quips she’ll resemble an accordion, making noise when silenced. Philadelphia Cal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bromley
Philadelphia Cal
Monument of General Grant Erected at Peabody Kansas
A description from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat details the first monument honoring General Grant, completed at Peabody in Kansas for the State Fair grounds. The 40 foot cenotaph features a corn motif, sorghum, pumpkins, and a portrait of the Appomattox hero, with wreaths of ears of corn and laurel. construction faced delays before completion.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ghangers
General Grant
Peabody
Kan
State Fair’ Association
Destestal
Appomattox
Local resident ends prank over wife’s age request
A comical municipal precinct argument centers on a man refusing to reveal his wife's age to authorities. The exchange turns on legal boundaries and social norms as officials question him about personal details during a public inquiry.
The Delicate Dude and Vacations in a Daily World
A jumble of overheard quips and classroom gags contrasts with everyday jokes about vacations, tan costs, cloaks, and a child’s sentence with toward. The snippets capture small town humor and the era’s casual wit through named publications and playful mispronunciations.
Our Boys and Girls Hats at Sea Ballads and Manners
A fragmentary pasted page features verses about voyage adventures and a long domestic essay on proper dining etiquette. It includes moralizing captions and scattered lines, with interwoven reflections on young people, cleanliness, and table manners. The piece mixes narrative stanzas with didactic guidance on proper dress and comportment.
Political Economy and a Curious Ticket Tale
A fragment from a traveler notes political economy and a questioning scene about a ticket fee. The dialogue mimics a courtly exchange in broken speech, debating whether a payment is legitimate. It reflects early 19th or 20th century typographic oddities and satire. Also mentioned is a bed of silvery earth found in Jefferson County Kentucky, identified as a valuable deposit outside New Hampshire with peculiar paligaging qualities.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Oli Harkney
Feline
Faber
Atriker
New Hampshire
Jefferson County
Palighing
Lowis Glebe
Also Mentioned on This Page
al Ey
Habla
Ogald
Seton Tre
Oeterownt
Eveene
He Howe
Watts
Canada
Bajar
Jonnie Whitlaw
la Salle
Beldee
State Strees
Cquid
State Street
Bette
Beatrice of England
Cincinnati Enquirer
Wobater
Kentucky
Mag
Tan Suite
Toston Courter
St. Lola
Tion
Delicate Dude
Capita
Andy
Alandotse
Cicely
Hartford Post
Alexander
Our Boys
Giria
Samuel
Walla
Taos
Xavier
Daag
Pate
Galiant
Bach
Biel
Ward
Entlo
Aura E. Richards
Fouth
Akave Welle
Company of Indies and Gentlemen
Pers
Jack
Mr. Pancks
Toca
Gun
Bel
Mabel
Leaner Kirk
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!