Poem from 1870 Class Highlighted in Local School History
Readers share an old graduation poem written by Vira Kilgore of the class of 1870. The verse celebrates classmates Julia Dicken Cavender Alice Yearick Armstrong Charles Beard Kate Smith Robinson Jennie Wideman Lchantz Dora Conger Mitchell and Daniel W Lewis, longtime city schools superintendent, noting a custom of writing and passing poems among students.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Our City
C. ©. Schantz
Wayland
Vira Kilgore
Julia Dicken
Cavender
Alice Yearick
Armstrong
Charles W. Beard
Kate Smith
Robinson
Jennie Wideman
Lchantz
Dora Conger
Mitchell
Diary of a Hard-Luck Salesman Ends With Tiny Win
A quirky diary fragment shows a salesman recounting a busy day with repeated failed calls on prospects. He notes odd vignettes like a circus show, a messenger boy feeding pigeons, tire viewing, and a safe moving class, ending with a small victory and reflective fatigue. Harry Daniel.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bob
Prospect
Derrick
Guy
Harry Daniel
Thrift’ Magazine
Secret Lunch Behind Million Dollar Loan Tale
A Detroit era tale centers on Senator James Couzens of Michigan who carried Ford’s 33 million dollar check and sought a lunch from Senator William Borah of Idaho. Borah, reportedly poor by Senate standards, lent a dollar when he learned the Westerner planned only a sack of peanuts for his meal. The exact sequence of events remains largely concealed.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
James Couzens
Michigan
Henry Ford
William EB. Borah
Idaho
Senate
Borah
Couzens
Daily Lessons In English Word Study Deliberation
A compact note on misuse and pronunciation with guidance on spelling and a daily vocabulary goal. It highlights common mistakes and defines deliberation as calm thoughtful consideration after careful review.
Michigan Senator Couzens Finances Lunch With Two Dollars
A Frugal Washington lunch tale follows Senator Couzens who, short on cash after a train visit to Detroit, borrows a one dollar bill from Senator Borah to pay for a meal at a Capitol lunch counter. A friend from Detroit later recognizes him, prompting a humorous recall of Mark Hanna and Sir Thomas Lipton who also carried no money.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit
Washington
Couzens
Senate
Congress
Capitol
Senator Couzens
Michigan
King George
Senator Borah
Borah
Mark Hanna
Washington Street
Sir Thomas Lipton
The Stranger Child in the School Yard
A short poem traces a new girl’s arrival at a school as pupils whisper and parents question her mother’s name. The somber mood deepens with the teacher’s gaze and the room’s redolent scenes before normalcy returns to class. The narrator captures conflict between curiosity and acceptance through vivid imagery and a tense, observing voice.
Politics over Mississippi relief fuels public dismay
The Dearborn Independent notes that relief is urgently needed as half a million are homeless and deaths rise. It laments political credit seeking, party gains, and calls for a special session likely to waste time while victims endure camps awaiting the river's subsidence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mississippi River
Congress
Sesson
Ware
Smith
Mississippi Valley
Dearborn
Willie and wedding tale echo in Yale Record line
A Yale Record quip notes Willie must wed at once or face a bedtime story from his father. The fragment preserves a playful domestic line tied to a vow and humor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Willie
Yale Record
PARDONABLE RETICENCE MAN death by own action
A San Francisco paper reports a man who died by his own action and refused to give any reason. The incident is recorded with minimal detail and neutral wording. No motive is stated. Authorities provided a brief note on the case.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Daniel
San Francisco
Road Question Echoes in Wry Reader Exchange
A humorous column notes mixed voter sentiment on a road measure with a joke about forgetting elections. It then shifts to lighter topics including peony colors, electric Broadway signage, and a Londoner and Yankee banter about signage and bulbs. The piece closes with a caller’s alert about a husband being hit by a truck just before a theater night.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Broadway
Wrigley’s
A Modern Miss I Used to Know
A fragment notes a woman once known as a refined informal figure who began as a polite and genteel lady and has since altered her demeanor, becoming less dainty and sweet in character.
Witty Skits and Daily Quips From Brightneighborhood
A collage of humorous exchanges and reader contributions fills a city page. Jests range from reporters and neighbors trade barbs to cross river comments and comic captions. Names like C J L and侍 Whiz Bang appear amid light hearted petitions and brief anecdotes.
Forgetful Groom Seeks Answer To Last Night’s Proposal
A Rodng man asks for clarification of a yes or no to a marriage proposal after claiming to forget the night's conversation. A female correspondent replies by note she had likely refused someone, including the speaker, but cannot recall who.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bud
Nightful exchange over debts and threats in town
A terse dialogue reveals a tense dispute about payments for furniture. Crystal Gazer warns of a dangerous tall man who repeats visits, while Mrs Miges mentions threats to take the furniture if installments are not paid. The exchange hints at misunderstandings and strained relations.
Snyder-Gray verdict spurs more nutty wedding bets
In period slang, Con stable Plum mocks the Snyder-Gray verdict saying it changes nothing as men keep marrying plain women wearing silver helmets. He argues that more horse sense lowers bets on outcomes and actions remain unchanged.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Plum
Also Mentioned on This Page
the Evening Journal
Washington, Iowa
Hey
Inty Elder, Shannon & CO
Bruce Cowden
Publishers News
East Main Street
Iowa
United, Press
Alice
Charlie
Dora
Lewis
Julia
Kate
Wideman
Jen
History
Vira
Bill
Jim
Woodbine
Jay G. Sigmund
Peonies
Kyentioman
Mr. Boro
Miss Smart
Phillips & Hebner
Clarence
Bettie
W. E. Eldridge
Mrs. Hen
Mamma
Skinner
Patiert
Jam
Abe Martin
FISK
Ford, Star and
Chevrolet
Brown’s Tire Shop
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