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Believe it or not…
May 4, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
While posting an October 31, 1804 issue of THOMAS’S MASSACHUSETTS SPY, OR WORCESTER GAZETTE, Massachusetts, onto the Rare Newspapers website due to the presence of two letters from George Washington (written before 1800) and another from Thomas Jefferson, another item caught our interest. Under “Deaths” we found an obituary which seems unbelievable. Which is harder to believe, that newspapers from 1804 containing 3 Presidential letters are still available, or, that the details within the shown obituary are true? Fact or fiction? You decide.
If at first you don’t succeed…
April 13, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
A post-Civil War issue of the New York Herald, October 2, 1865, had an interesting article regarding a young lady who was determined to elope… and the lengths her parents undertook to retrieve her… on more than one occasion. Perhaps the 3rd time will be the charm. Please enjoy:
Marriage ceremony etiquette infraction?
March 31, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I thought the groom was not supposed to “see” the bride on her wedding day until she walked down the isle? The groom apparently had other pressing concerns he felt trumped proper wedding etiquette. His behavior is quite revealing as to his true intentions (New York American, December 18, 1827):
The Traveler… it does what?… make them stop!!!
March 19, 2012 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I made a return trip to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, via the Valley Sentinel from March 19, 1912, where I found Frank Coffyn had an aeroplane which was able to not only fly, but swim and crawl! It had also been used to take aerial photographs of the islands and shipping harbors of New York City. With the fitting of aluminum pontoons, it enabled the plane to float on the 
water and power along the ice floes in the Hudson. In researching Mr. Coffyn, I found that Wilbur Wright invited him to Dayton, Ohio, where he began flight instruction in 1910.
Another article is one in which Mr. Bentz had instantly killed Mr. Rozuski out of a fit of jealousy over an engagement. After the shooting, Mr. Bentz threw the revolver away. However, a group of small boys saw him running away… and a 12-year-old, acting as the head of the young “posse”, picked up the revolver and pursued Mr. Bentz for over a mile while firing the remaining bullets at him. Finally, the fatigued Mr. Bentz fell to his knees and begged them for no harm. They turned him over to the police. This almost sounds like a scene from the “Lil’ Rascals”!
~The Traveler
Here… take the shirt off my back…
March 10, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
While preparing to place a newspaper announcing the death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (USA Today, May 20, 1994), we discovered another unrelated item which provided a bit of comic relief. Please enjoy:
Presenting the case for going green militarily…
March 3, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
For those whom are conflicted over their desire to “go green”, but are not ready to pull back on the protection that a well-equipped military provides, perhaps the following invention shown in the February 8, 1896 issue of Scientific American will make a comeback and relieve your distress… as well as the distress of a similar minded buddy…
Human ingenuity… not always successful…
February 25, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
The editors of the June 13, 1885 issue of Scientific American thought the following “invention” was worthy of both an image and supporting text. Interesting to note that the preceding (lengthy) article on the same page was titled, “How the Sewage of Paris is Disposed of”. Perhaps they should have ended this article with the words, “and with this in mind…”. My advance apologies to the distant relatives of this inventor who may still be receiving royalties.
Perhaps the precursor to the shell game?
February 18, 2012 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The following “invention” appeared in the Scientific American dated November 23, 1878. Perhaps the “shell game” was developed to take advantage of the abundance of this unsold product?
The Traveler… on the rails… one more time…
February 6, 2012 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
I traveled today to the Valley Sentinel in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (February 6, 1912) where I encountered an interesting article entitled “Hobos In Convention” which was being presided by “Millionaire Hobo” James Eads How. This intrigued me to see if there was further information about Mr. How. I found that he truly was a 
millionaire who dedicated his life to the homeless and migrant workers, published the Hobo News, organized the International Brotherhood Welfare Association, hobo colleges and hobo conventions.
Another article is of a man who had died at the Homeopathic hospital and then taken to the city morgue. As he was about to be embalmed, he emitted a groan and tried to turn on his side. Every effort was taken to keep him alive, but signs of life faded away again. Now the dispute is going on between the police and the hospital as to when he really died.
~The Traveler
“Snake oil” advertisements…
January 28, 2012 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Various patent medicine advertisements were all the rage in the late 19th century, and it seems they were more prevalent in Western rather than Eastern newspapers. This one (below) appears in the July 7, 1880 issue of “The Deseret News” from Salt Lake City: