Prize For an Honest Man

1901

With $1,000 in lieu of a lantern Mrs. Nancy B. Irving, a book publisher of Chicago, has started out to emulate Diogenes in his search for an honest man. She believes it an impossibility to live a strictly honest business or professional life under present conditions. She offers to deposit $1,000 in a Chicago bank, which will be paid to the first business or professional man who can conclusively prove that he has carried on his work for a month without lying.

A Sensational Runaway

1896

A runaway couple were married on a railway train near Shelbyville, Ind., last week. The girl's parents opposed the match, and watched her closely to prevent her giving them the slip and getting married. The young man learned that the squire was to travel by a certain tram one day last week, and arranged with the girl to meet him at the station. He went to Columbus and got the license, met the girl at the station as the train came in, and the pair boarded it and were married by the squire before the train had gone many miles and before any stop was made where they could be intercepted by a telegram from the girl's parents. — New York Sun.


Lee Ephraim's Sevens

Certainly the figure seven has marked the career of Lee Ephraim, of Roanoke, Va., to an extraordinary extent. He was born in the year 1877, on the seventh day of the month and on the seventh month of the year and seventh hour of the day. He has seven letters in his surname and it requires seven letters to spell the name of the State in which he was born. He has lived in four cities, and the name of each one contained seven letters. He has seven sisters and brothers, and one time drew a valuable prize on the number 77. Oddly enough this prize was not $777. — New York Press.


Great Antlers

At a recent exhibition of antlers at Berlin the Emperor took two prizes, one for the best collection and one for the best single head.

Henri Farman Builds New Aeroplane

1908

Frenchman to Contest for $10,000 Prize

Paris. — Henri Farman, the Frenchman, who recently achieved so successful a flight in his aeroplane, has formally entered to contest with Santos-Dumont for the Deutsch-Archdeacon Grand Aviation Prize. In order to win the prize, which is valued at about $10,000, the amateur must arise free from the ground and in clear flight from the line of departure determined by two posts about 166 feet apart, fly around a post erected at a distance of about 1,650 feet, returning to the point of departure.

On the first attempt made by M. Farman to gain the prize In the presence of the official commission of the Aero club of France he made several ineffectual trials to arise, but finally appeared to be in clear flight. Unfortunately some of the ropes connected with his aeroplane grazed the soil, and the commission found it impossible to make the award.

Another attempt was made after Santos-Dumont had a trial, when M. Farman succeeded in making numerous flights of from about 1,000 feet to about half a mile. However, on each occasion he failed to achieve the prize because he did not succeed in coming back to the point of departure. The consistency of his results, however, has been regarded as remarkable, putting him at once in the front rank of the few who have obtained even creditable flights with aeroplanes.

In order to dispute the prize with M. Farman, M. Santos-Dumont has constructed a new aeroplane, numbered 19, for in this way he distinguishes his airships and at the same time confesses his enormous interest in the sport, for probably no person before the time of Santos-Dumont has built so many aerial machines.

With this machine he succeeded in covering about 650 feet, or less than half the required distance, to say nothing of the demand that the contestant shall return to the point of departure. As the case now stands it is generally believed that Henri Farman has the better chance of winning the grand prize, which really means more than the acquisition of $10,000, for it will be an achievement which may have far reaching effects on the problem of aerial flight.

False Teeth Missed After "Tonic" Spree

Feb. 1920

"Must Have Swallowed 'Em," Loser Tells Jailer

EAST POINT, Georgia — Tom Williams, a pencil peddler, who imbibed too freely of hair tonic and landed in the police barracks, reports to the turnkey that he is short a set of false teeth and that during his uncertain wanderings he must have swallowed them.

A diligent search of the station house and surrounding territory failed to reveal the missing molars, and it was finally decided to take Tom over to the Grady Hospital, where an X-ray picture might be taken, to find out whether the liquor he drank was strong enough to pull the teeth on down with it.

Tom was somewhat skeptical about the X-ray, but anxiety as to the whereabouts of the teeth finally led him to consent to the experiment, which will be made when his nerves have become more settled.


Dime Chick Gets Prize

CROOKSTON, Minnesota — Several weeks ago Arthur Kirsch of Crookston bought a tiny chicken at a local five and ten cent store for a dime. Recently he entered the chicken at the Pennington County poultry show. It was adjudged to be a full-blooded white Leghorn and carried off a blue ribbon with a score of 92 points.

A Little Hostess at Her Seventh Birthday Party

Georgia, 1896

A Little Hostess

Josephine Davis Entertains Friends on Her Seventh Birthday

On the afternoon of Saturday, the 14th instant, from 3 to 6 o'clock, Josephine Davis, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allan P. Davis, entertained her little friends a "pink heart" party, in honor of her seventh birthday.

After playing many interesting games beneath the softened luster of light falling through delicate pink shades, refreshments were served to the guests from a table exquisite in every appointment. In the center a large mirror represented a lake, upon whose waveless surface a heart-shaped cake rested, and sustained seven lighted candles, while beautiful smilax fell in graceful folds to the water's edge. A fairy lamp shone on a large smilax heart, which depended from the chandelier. At one end of the table seven La France roses wafted their perfume to seven pink carnations at the other side.

One of the most enjoyable features was the cutting of the birthday cake, containing a beautiful diamond ring, the fortunate winner being George Everett. As each little guest departed, leaving many wishes and expressions of a most delightful time, he or she was presented with a souvenir basket of bon-bons, daintily tied with pink ribbons.

Miss Annie Louise Dennis delighted the company with a waltz, finely executed, while little Miss Wright, from Rome, reminded every one of a French marquise with her dainty little figure robed in filmy white, her hair like prisoned moonbeams in the light, and dark, shining eyes.

There were present: Athena Hill, Lillian Woodside, Claud Patterson, Nannelle Crawford, Alice Ormond, Laura Witham, Nellie Bell Catlett, Helen Ware, Annie Louise Dennis, Alberta Orr, Fannie Peck, Jennie Hutchins, May Robson, May Van Devender, Clara Hutchins, Minneta Hill, Josephine Davis, Jennie Butler, Mata Woodward, Addle Wright, Clarence Davis, Emerson Peck, Paul Orr, Harold Fuller, Fred Patterson, George Everett, Clayton Orr, Hoyt Peck, Wilson Sheldon, Stewart Witham, Starr Peck, Reid Ware, Johnny Woodside, Roger Gardien, Donald Fuller, Dan Woodward, Charley Randall, Alf Ford, Wayne McDonald, Dawson McDonald.

The little hostess was the recipient of many beautiful gifts.

—The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, March 22, 1896, p. 3, children's pages.