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The Traveler… spreading the word… named director…
May 16, 2016 by The Traveler · 2 Comments
Today I journeyed to New York City by the way of the New-York Spectator of May 15, 1816. There I found the announcement of the formation of “The American Bible Society” which still exist today. Some of the founding/early members include Elias Boudinot, who had been President of the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1783, John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen, Daniel Coit Gilman, Edwin Francis Hyde, and Francis Scott Key. The front page report announced the formation of the organization and the third page report contained their resolutions. “… The leading feature of the constitution limits the operations… to the distribution of the bible without note or comment…”.
Also in the issue is an article “Bank of the United States” in which “The President and Senate have appointed the following named, Directors of the Bank of the United States… John Jacob Astor, of the city of New-York…”. Mr. Astor was known as the first prominent member of the Astor family, the first multi-millionaire in the United States and the fifth-richest man in American history.
~The Traveler
Obtaining the Value of a Newspaper or Collection…
May 12, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We do not monitor requests concerning the value of newspapers through this venue – but we would be glad to assist. If you have a newspaper or a collection for which you are seeking an appraisal, please contact us directly at info@rarenewspapers.com. Please include as many details as possible. Thanks.
The horrors of Billiards and Baseball… Those were the days…
May 12, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
A few days ago we posted a blog concerning one of the most shocking events of the 20th century: The 1969 Tate Murders by Charles Manson and his followers. As we reflect back on the turbulent 1960’s, the tragic and bizarre murders seem to have been a somewhat appropriate ending to a very troubled era in American history. Perhaps ironically, nearly 100 years prior and on the opposite coast, the New York Times (October 26, 1860) was reporting about two other societal stressors: billiards and baseball. While we all can appreciate the horrors of billiards (who doesn’t identify with “Ya got trouble, right here in River City”), the article on baseball is what catches our attention. Apparently, young boys playing baseball in the park were creating a high degree of angst among the strollers of the day. Who among us would not trade the distractions and temptations of today’s youth for the youthful pastime activities of yesteryear?
Great Headlines Speak For Themselves… Yet others… The Manson Murders…
May 9, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Over the past few years we have listed a series of posts titled: “Great Headlines Speak For Themselves,” with the first line being: “The best headlines need no commentary.” However, in some instances history would prove other headlines to be grossly understated. Such is the case of the headline on one of the most desirable newspapers reporting the horrific murders which would eventually be attributed to Charles Manson and some of his followers. While still dramatic, the initial (false) implication of the house pool boy, relative to the actual truth regarding the murders, deflates the historical impact of many “1st-report” headlines as illustrated in The Herald Examiner, Los Angeles, August 10, 1969.
A May, 2016 stroll back thru time – 50, 100, 150, 200, & 250 years ago…
May 6, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
What news was reported in the month of May – 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 years ago (1966, 1916, 1866, 1816, 1766)? Such a walk back through time via the eyes of those who read the daily and weekly newspapers of the period can be quite revealing. This is why we often say, “History is never more fascinating than when it’s read from the day it was first reported.” The following links will take you back in time to show the available newspapers from the Rare & Early newspapers website. There’s no need to buy a thing. Simply enjoy the stroll.
The Traveler… the Irish uprising ends… Is Villa dead or alive?
May 2, 2016 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, by the way of The Atlanta Constitution dated May 2, 1916. I found that Easter had been anything but a time of peace and reflection in Ireland as the news of the surrender of the Sinn Fein rebels was being reported on the front page. “All the rebels in 
Dublin have surrendered… There were 1,000 prisoners in Dublin yesterday, of whom, 489 were sent to England last night… They were informed that the only terms that could be entertained were unconditional surrender. These terms were accepted by them at 6 o’clock this morning. It was reported later that the rebels were surrendering today on these terms…”
Also being reported was “Villa Is Eliminated, According to Mexicans”. “‘We are satisfied that Villa bandits are no longer to be looked upon as a menace to the peace of the country,’ he said. ‘The American troops should be withdrawn to restore tranquility among the people. It is believed that Villa has either been killed or driven to refuge where he will no longer molest either Americans of Mexicans’…”. The report of Pancho Villa’s death was false as he did not die until 1923.
~The Traveler
What would it cost today?
April 28, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I recently came across a large advertisement for a newly built home in a Helena, Montana newspaper from 1892 (see below). After viewing the sketch of the home and reading the details of the listing, I immediately wondered what it might cost in today’s dollars. Thanks to the internet I found an easy-to-use inflation calendar, entered the needed data, and voila! I couldn’t have been more wrong. Just for fun, respond to this post with your guess, and then give it a try. I hope you have a better sense of the impact of inflation on the value of the almighty dollar-over-time than I.
Don’t believe everything you read…
April 21, 2016 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The Pennsylvania Packet issue of November 22, 1785 contains a curious report which puzzled me, for although admitting my knowledge of American history is far from where it should be, I do not recall reading of Ben Franklin being captured by Barbary pirates upon his return from France as Ambassador.
Page 2 of this newspaper has a letter from Captain Thomas Truxtun, later of Constellation fame, dated August 20, 1785 from Algiers–with Ben Franklin as a passenger no less–mentions an encounter with Barbary pirates: “…Our being entirely unprepared for such an attack, put it out of our power to make resistance, & after sending sufficient men on board to navigate the ship they put the whole of the crew and myself in heavy irons & bore away for this place…to suffer the cruel infliction of slavery, and God only know whether I shall ever have an opportunity of seeing or writing to you again. Poor Doctor Franklin bears this reverse of fortune with more magnanimity than I could have imagined.”
Ben Franklin taken away in irons? Really??
I turned to our friend/long-term customer/naval expert George Emery for some explanation of this report. He relates that in Eugene Ferguson’s biography of Trustun, “Truxtun of the Constellation” (1956) he mentions this rumor while explaining Truxtun’s decision to arm the London Packet (to be renamed the Canton) for a forthcoming voyage to China. And the source of this rumor was this very newspaper: the Pa. Packet of Nov. 22, 1785. Apparently some enterprising reporter, “confusing ” Truxtun’s reasoning for arming the Canton to rewrite the “future” as a scary & perilous event of the past, all–perhaps–to sell more copies of the newspaper. Or perhaps Truxtun himself was responsible for this letter’s presence in the Pennsylvania Packet to bolster support for arming American merchant vessels then sailing to Europe, and particularly the Mediterranean.
Ferguson goes on to mention in his book: “…while he was yet bringing Franklin home during the last voyage, it was rumored in London that Captain Truxtun’s ship had been captured by the Barbary corsairs and that all aboard, including the great Franklin, were consigned to slavery in Algiers…”.
The capture never happened.
The Traveler… ah, this bloody weather…
April 18, 2016 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to England by The Post Boy dated April 17, 1716. I found a most intriguing report from Genoa, “On the 22d, about Eight in the Evening, we had a great Shower of Rain colour’d like Blood, which lasted above two Hours, and was follow’d with dreadful Thunder and Lightning, which struck People with a general Fright; and the more, because nine Persons were kill’d, and twelve wounded by it, in the Suburbs of San Pietrod’ Arena. It was very calm over Night; but the next Morning there arose such a furious Storm, that many Houses along the Sea-Coast were blown down…”.
I know for certain that I would not have wanted to experience those storms!
~The Traveler
What a pile of hooey… No seriously, what a pile of hooey…
April 14, 2016 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Every now and then, while browsing through rare and early newspapers, an article is discovered which causes one to take a second look – or 2nd read. Such is the case with a report in the New York Semi-Weekly Tribune of January 30, 1855. As I was scanning through slavery and Mormon related coverage, I discovered an inside report which described how Ecuador tricked the United States into signing a treaty in which the U.S. would provide protection for Ecuador’s ports and the Galapagos Islands (owned by them) in exchange for access to the supposed endless supply (by the ton) of guano on the Galapagos Islands. Apparently, Ecuador had produced samples of highly potent bird and bat dung which motivated the U.S. to sign the treaty. Later, upon investigation, it was found out that the tons upon tons of guano was simply a pile of hooey – that is, nowhere to be found – but the treaty had already been signed. Who signs such an agreement sight unseen? I must admit, the nature of the agreement stirs all of the middle-school boy sarcasm which I thought I had long-since put to rest. However, such is not the case. He’s in there.