Oddities and anecdotes from a bygone day on sea and land
The page showcases a patchwork of miscellany including an oyster testing critique, a London photographer suit, Congo river progress, Otter the Sioux scholar, a long Wisconsin family tale, a mad dog bite rescue, pony wit versus horse, Spanish coins folklore, bob sleds, an artillery company anniversary plans, a Massachusetts Unitarian funding offer, a sea captain on birds, and a Georgia coffin theft tragedy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Americus
Waste to Wealth Through Tin Leather and Silver Remains
The Baltimore Sun cites home grown reuse of waste from tin scraps to sash weights and button stock, leather offcuts converted to buttons and fertilizer, and silvered paper waste recovered for nitrate of silver. Tar from coal gas is now a dye source.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
The
Baltimore Sun
Baltimore
Smith and Wick
Philadelphia
Lynn
Mass
New York
Boston
Farmer Wins County Payment for Damaged Sheep
In Crawford County Pennsylvania a farmer whose own dog killed seven of his sheep and injured one other successfully claimed the county must pay for the losses. He had paid the dog tax for the animal and argued the county should compensate him as it would for any neighbor’s sheep killed by a dog. The commissioners, initially amused, paid the eight sheep damages after lawyers said the claim had merit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Matinad
Tinister
Old
Hull
London
Eene
Congo
Anley
Alrtady
Boma
Banana
Crawford County
Meadville
Board of Commissioners
Winter Snow Dispute Between Neighbors
Neighbor exchange over snow blocking steps turns into a terse exchange. Brown confronts Jones as he complains about snow piled in front of his entry. Jones defends sharing snow and quips about neighborly fairness.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brown
Neighbor Jones
Jones
Denny’s Turn to Temperance Sparked by Wife’s Bold Act
A Madison Street resident known for heavy whisky drinking over 20 years abandoned alcohol after his wife, in a dramatic act, filled a bucket with whisky and urged him to drink his fill. He fled, never touched liquor again and became a leading churchgoer and Father Mathew Temperance Society member.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fourth Ward
Madison Street
New York
Denny
Childer
Father Mathew Temperance Society
Fire Proof Man Nathan Coker of Tuckahoe Neck
The article profiles Nathan Coker, an elderly fire eater from Denton’s Tuckahoe Neck, famed for surviving live coals and melted lead. It recounts his youth, daring stunts, and performances in Denton andBaltimore, noting his wealth from exhibitions and avoidance of alcohol after the local option era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tuckahoe Neck
Hades
Nathan Coker
Nathan
Denton
Purcell
Fred Lawrence
Lawrence
Easton
Judge Stump
Peninsular
Centreville
Church Hill
Hillsboro
Nathen
Front Street Theatre
Baltimore
Douglas Institute
The Man who Swore Off
A humorous exchange where John says he has no money saved after swearing off drinking and reveals he loaned his savings to old friends who did not swear off, highlighting the irony of abstinence without personal gain.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John
Omala World
The Christmas Tree Prank At Town Hall
A Christmas Eve town hall prank unfolds as a young woman climbs the tree to wake the crowd. A confederate attaches a name tag to her dress, and a staged fall reveals a named suitor who unexpectedly steps forward. The audience applauds as the surprise couple are reconciled.
The Lime Kiln Club At Detroit Free Press Evening
A Detroit audience at the Lime Kiln Club witnesses Brother Waterfall called to account for his views on social inequality. The President critiques wealth disparities and the audience then sees Waterfall lead with a changed, shaken stance after a brief, sharp public shock.
Marriages in Mexico Mean Quick Unhindered Unions
A historical reflection on Mexican marriages noting that people wed regardless of age or wealth, often without dowries or property. It contrasts pragmatic concerns with cultural attitudes, citing phrases like God will help us and the belief that love overcomes material considerations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mexico
Rio Grande
Boy Suffering Slate Pencil Injury Astonishes Doctor
Paul Faniscourt seven years old was struck by a slate pencil while running in a room. The pencil pierced his chest to three inches with half an inch exposed, and Dr W F Morrison removed it by hand. The boy remained unconscious until extraction and is expected to recover.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Busa Orren
United States
Otter
Ott
Hedgesville
W. Va
Geological Bureau
Martin Kroeger
Wisconsin
Prussia
Milwaukee
Candehildren
Tennision
Russia
Umscenccee
Iatarine Gre
Waverly
The
Providence Journal
Paul Faniscourt
W. F. Morrison
Broadway
Ardent wooer argues for money in tense exchange
A terse exchange centers on pursuit of money as a suitor pressure the recipient for funds. The dialogue hints at manipulation and an anxious dynamic between two unnamed speakers in a melodramatic tone.
Elder Barre Man, 102, Voted for Andrew Jackson
Trworezy Bacox, a Barre Massachusetts resident, is noted as aged 102 and recorded as having voted for Andrew Jackson.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Trworezy Bacox
Andrew Jackson
Barre
Mass
Also Mentioned on This Page
Rockland
Ipswich Neck
Albany
Burlington
Massachusetts
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of
England
Washington
Mount Vernon
Gettysburg
New York City
Hudson
West Point
Eli Fay
Unitarian Church
Leominster
Far West
Unitarian Female Seminary
the Lime-Kiln Club
Detroit Free Press
Pizarro
Brother Ganiner
Amateur Art Association
Bradder
Sartin
Kentry
Brother Waterfall
Brogan
Herress
Ranten
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!