Just for fun…
I ran across news from 1894 — 130 years ago — and read just one page of that paper to learn how little things change in a century. Of course, the events seemed to be more catastrophic because ways to handle them were primitive compared to 2025.
However, the following will give you snippets of life then. Let’s look at “Chronicling Life” in 1894, according to The Star Newspaper, Reynoldsville, PA. Cost $1.50 per year. Editor and Publisher, CA Stephenson. In case you want to read more, click here.
Truly, The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
I am pasting an actual article here so you can see I’m not making this stuff up.
While alive much later than 1894, I also remember drying my freshly washed hair in the sun. Never tried drying it over the gas stove, unless you count the morning my flannel pajamas caught fire, but that is a tale for another time.
Every day snippets of news in 1894
· Drifting with the Tied. (Publisher’s clever title)
· John Anderson and Miss Nancy Barry, of West Reynoldsville, were married at the home of the bride’s mother, Mrs. Nancy Berry, last Wednesday evening in the presence of about 20 relatives and friends. Rev. P.J. Slattery, pastor of the Methodist/Episcopal Church, performed the ceremony. After the marriage, an excellent supper was served. The Keystone Band serenaded the happy couple. After the Keystone left, a calithumpian band made a hiddeous noise. The young couple have gone to housekeeping in West Reynoldsville.
· Notice: All parties known to be indebted to me will please call and make immediate settlement. F. Schwartz (Note from CT: I’m sure his phone lines blew up with people confessing their indebtedness. Mr. Schwartz needs a better bookkeeping system!)
· Guy, three month old son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Johnston at Rathmel, died of cholera infantum on Wednesday, July 25th, and was buried in Prospect Cemetery Thursday. (Note from CT: Little Guy died from the cholera pandemic (1881–1896), which was the fifth major international outbreak of cholera in the 19th century. Cholera started in other countries, but sadly with steamship travel increasing, the pandemic spread around the world.)
· One of the most uncivilized acts perpetrated in this section of the country for some time was that of some young people of DuBois who danced in Rumburger Cemetery last week.
· And Finally: A woman who is dangerously ill at Dutchtown, a little place between Prescottville and Rathmel, died on Sunday morning, at least she was pronounced dead by the attending doctor. The woman is still living. The doctor must have mistaken a swoon for death. (Note from CT: Ohhhh, that doctor probably never lived that down!)
Summing It All Up
There you have it – what made news a century ago isn’t all that different from today.
If you want to know more about 1894, here is a place to start. I did not research this, so enter at your own risk:
Until next time…