Fragments of Anecdotes and Oddities From a Century Ago
A string of humorous vignettes and learned quips span cultures and eras. The piece mentions Franklin, Vivekananda, Muller's Sanskrit remark, a Danish Hamlet, a Southern rail yard tale, Stuart West and an American informant, catechism jokes, the Constitution, an obstinate recumbent posture misunderstanding, Vanderbilt and Coquelin on a Constantinople yacht, and peculiar dietary habits. The tone is a collage of playful anecdotes, misheard phrases, and curiosities reflecting a bygone press era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Franklin
Prytel
Larry Jerome
Sid
Tayda
Taurrender
Oxford
Max Muller
Vivekananda
Muller
Siam
Denmark
Frederick
Helsingfors
Hamlet
Reno
Darky
Ren
Tor Johnson
Benjamin West
Scotland
Jack
Coquelin the Clier
Constantinople
Anioe
Bosphorus
Coquelin
A Wife Wanted The Predicament of a College Professor
A satirical tale follows a Vassar tradition that an unmarried man may only join the faculty if he marries within two weeks. The piece uses the legend to argue matrimony isn’t discouraged by women’s colleges, then shifts to a Philadelphia street scene of a two‑handed tandem pair and ends with glimpses of royal cats and Texas Capitol facts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cesar
Vassar
Weuwan
Ume
Vasner
Broad Street
Promeandera
Broad Street 28
Who Is Tompkins Indorsed On a Check
A Cleveland Plain Dealer item notes confusion over who Tompkins is when a check is indorsed at the wrong end. The exchange confirms Tompkins is a woman. The brief showcases a domestic humor moment about naming and indorsement direction.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Emily
Tompkins
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Molasses used as horse feed and new tech notes
The article reports on molasses feeding horses in Germany and Austria as partial substitute for corn and oats, with claims of a sleek coat when properly mixed. It also describes a water pipe prison concept, a hood mechanism for coaches, ancient copper tools, new asbestos filters, a cheap Eureka gas rival to acetylene, and Prof. Walter Scheele’s mosquito control using permanganate of potash to kill eggs on water.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Germany
Austria
Egypt
Monsieur Berthelot
Hoetor de Faz
Montefascone
Italy
Eureka
Walter T Scheele
Tnadway
J Tas
New Jersey
Fand
Russian Censoralip and the Cucumber Postscript
A student in Russia faced government scrutiny after a shy postscript mentioning cucumber season was intercepted. The tale echoes Mr Pickwick as censors misinterpret innocent humor, illustrating dangers of writing letters under imperial rule.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Russia
Pickwick
Cucumber Letter Sparks University Conspiracy Claim
A student was arrested after a bizarre cucumber related note led authorities to suspect conspiracy with the Department of the Interior. Despite protests that the line arose from a cucumber thought after signing, police treated him as a conspirator and sent him home with orders to transfer to another university.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Department of the Interior
Hir
Late New Inventions from Patented Devices
A survey of fresh patents shows a bike with springs in the saddle post crank hanger front fork and handlebars to damp blows over rough roads. The theater seat bracket folds a shelf to support a lady, the mop tub uses a flat side and roller frame to wring cloths, and more innovations include pneumatic shop masts a water motor wave motor and three other devices.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gietdrring-rhmuiber
The Deacons Prayer for Rain
The Chicago News recalls a drought era where farmers prayed for a sustained downpour. A simple prayer meeting gathers at the church as rain-seeking spirits ask for a long lingering deluge not a brief shower. Deacon Rogers leads with earnest plea for Providence and a steady rain to save crops.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago News
Eheda
Iitthe
Deacon Rogers
den Nogere
Egg Service at St Johns Streatham Raises Eggs for Charity
A novel egg service at St Johns Church Streatham drew a poor congregation to donate new laid eggs for hospitals. Over 5,000 eggs arrived including gifts from the Duchess of York Duchess of Fife and Princess Christian. 4,072 were stacked in the chancel before repacking for medical charities.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St John’s Church
Streatham
Duchess of York
Duchess of Fife
Princess Christian
Lloyd’s Weekly
Temperance Talks and the Basle Good Templars Lodge
Dangers of drink, temperance pledges, and reform stories from Basle Switzerland. A former alcoholic turned agent for a wine merchant is reformed after joining the Good Templars, quitting his job, and rising in business. A veteran praises abstinence, linking it to military discipline and loss from drunken leadership. Mrs Greever proclaims she is the mother of prohibition in Kansas, while General Neal Dow, a prohibition patriarch, dies at 84 after decades in the temperance fight. The piece advocates moral suasion backed by legislation and condemns alcohol as the devil's agent.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lodge of Good Templars
Basle
Switzerland
Good Templars
Jan
Nat
Kanana
Greever
Kansas
Satan
St Petersburg
Faure
Luetgert Trial Highlights Debate On Expert Testimony
A chorus of newspapers cites the Luetgert case to question reliance on expert testimony. Jurors faced with circumstantial evidence resisted a verdict, with many papers criticizing trial laxity and demanding stricter judicial standards to prevent miscarriage of justice.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston Herald
United States
Boston Transcript
Ludgert
Indianapolis Journal
Gerprist
New Orleans Picayune
Philadelphia Times
Cleveland Pisin Center
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Republic
Pullman Will Leaves Vast Estate to Daughters and Charities
Probate court in Chicago records the will of George Ah Pullman totaling over 7 million dollars. Daughters Mrs Frank Lowden of Chicago and Mrs Frank Carolan of San Francisco each receive 1 million dollars and a residuary share, while the widow gets the Prairie avenue homestead and annual income of 1.25 million. The will provides millions to charitable institutions, a university training school in Pullman, bonds paying 3,000 dollars yearly to each of heirs, and various smaller bequests to relatives and servants.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Palace Car
George Ah Pullman
Chicago
Frank Lowden
Frank Carolan
San Francisco
Prairie Avenue
St. Lawrence
Florence
Mra
Lowden
Hmit
Roya Henry Pullman
John M. Pullman
Helen Philioan West
Emma Cullman Plubrer
Uni
Pullman
Grover Jr Born At White Mansion In Princeton
A fine baby boy was born at noon Thursday to Mr and Mrs Grover Cleveland in Princeton New Jersey inside the white mansion under the oaks. The infant has blue eyes and weighs twelve pounds. Telegrams of congratulations arrived from Joseph Jefferson E C Benedict Secretary Thurber and J G Carlisle.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cleveland
Prigeeton
Grover Cleveland
Princeton
N J
Colonia
Marion
Joseph Jefferson
E. C. Benedict
Thurber
J. G. Carlisle
Also Mentioned on This Page
Onuelin
Ford
Ohio
Mirsua Violen
Ringiand
Philadelphia
Record
Persia
Windsor Castle
Osborne
Capitol of
Texas
State Capitol
Temperance
Neal Dow
Prohibition
Luetgert
Nico Om
Milwaukee
New York Journal
Grover, JR
Tigeons
Penitentiary
Jefferson City
Gordon
Vontiet
Mandan
N. D
Andrew Johnson
Oscar Peterson