The Battle for Sally and the Pasture Stake
In a Pennsylvania German community, Sephenijah Baumgartner Jr. risks a dowry marriage to Sally Pressel to gain a pasture between Baumgartner and the railroad. A mock auction seeds rival suitors Sam Fritz and Leffy as public weddings loom, betrayal and public shaming follow, and the old guardian father pushes for action.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Old Baumgartner
Weadow
Baumgartner
Sarah Pressel
Sephenijah
Seffy
Sephenijah P. Baumgartner, Jr
Sarah
Fowe
Lehr
Leffy
Sally
Sam Fritz
Ehereh
The Huge Fist of the Farmer
Leffy withdraws from public places and men, sinking into disrepute after abandoning Sally. He hides in cotton woods and Poison springs while Sally coldly ignores him. Rumors spread that Seffy deserted her at the church, fueling gossip as her father seeks happiness amid turmoil.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sally
Leffy
Sam
Hilary Groff
Seffy
Mr. Baumgartner
Churen
Moses
Sey
Lost Art of Letter Writing
A humorous meditation on modern letter writing from an 19th century voice. The piece contrasts the decline of earnest correspondence with minimal notes and postal habits, citing social etiquette and vanity while joking about unread letters from absent relatives.
Bank Director Fakes Heist and Steals 2 Million Rubles
A St. Petersburg Union Bank director, disguised with a pistol, infiltrates the bank vault and absconds with 2,000,000 rubles while bank police observe passively. The director vanishes, leaving investigators puzzled about the trustworthiness of the bank’s police force.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Union Bank of
The Lawyer’s Grip on Politics in a Local Scene
ERNEST McGAFFEY details how lawyers dominate political life from the bar to the ballot box. He notes how judges and corporation counsels rely on legal talents, how ward workers mingle with elites, and how the profession wields influence in elections and governance.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Justices of the Peace
Shelley
Law Colleges
Springfield
Hercules
Bar Association
Corporation Counsel’s
Supreme Courts
McHugh
Also Mentioned on This Page
Pennsylvania
John Luther Long
Don Wilson
Yassir
Keer
Pappy
Politics Lawyers
Ernest McGaffey
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!