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Snapshot 1858… A French flying machine…
August 13, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The following snapshot comes from The National Intelligencer, dated August 7, 1858. It’s a shame those in the article below this snapshot didn’t have access to such an invention.
The Traveler… must have been a slow news day…
August 7, 2017 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
I journeyed today to London, England via The Post Boy dated August 8, 1717. I found in the news from Paris that “On Wednesday last, about 
Nine o’Clock at Night, a small Accident befell the King, who being gone to be, tumbled off of it, upon the Floor… And tho’ he receiv’d no other Hurt, than rubbing the Skin off one of his little Fingers, the whole Court was put into a Fright… The Physicians were sent for, who could find no Hurt, but order’d him however, to be chased with Spirit of Wine…”
It must have been a slow news day if falling out a bed and receiving a skinned finger makes the big news! Hmmm, maybe the King had some of the “Spirit of Wine” prior to his going to bed as well? Food for thought!
~The Traveler
The Louisiana Purchase is useless to the United States…
May 23, 2016 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
It is always interesting to read criticisms of political decisions of centuries ago with the luxury of hindsight. Early newspapers allow today’s reader to recognize just how much thought was not just wrong, but laughably wrong.
One example is in the August 6, 1803 issue of the “Columbian Centinel” which contains a letter complaining about Presidents increasing the national debt: “…those very papers are now extolling the wisdom of Mr. Jefferson in adding eleven millions of dollars to the funded debt of the United States. Great clamour was raised against the administration of Mr. Adams because he did not effect a greater reduction of the national debt…Now in a time of profound tranquility the national debt is to be increased fifteen millions of dollars in one year, for the purchase of a country most of which is uninhabited and totally useless to the United States.”
From that purchase in 1803 would be carved fifteen future states as well as two Canadian provinces. Its value to the United States would be incalculable today, and in fact was considered an incredible bargain many years before the Civil War.
The Traveler… the defeat at Waterloo…
August 3, 2015 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today’s journey took me to Boston, Massachusetts, through the Independent Chronicle of August 3, 1815. There I found the lengthy report from the Duke of Wellington to the secretary of state for the war on the Battle of Waterloo. “…The position which I took up in front of Waterloo… and the Marshal had promised me, that in case we should be attacked, he would support me with one or more corps, as might be necessary… The enemy repeatedly charged our infantry with his cavalry, but these attacks were uniformly unsuccessful…”. This was the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, ending his rule in France.
~The Traveler