The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts

In Short

This volume serves as a curated archive of "literary curiosities," primarily gathered from Boston and Salem newspapers. It presents a miscellany of marriage announcements, satirical poetry, local legends, and bewildered commentary on early American customs. Rather than a cohesive narrative, the book functions as a time capsule, preserving the mundane and the marvelous from a bygone era. It remains a valuable resource for historians and a delightful diversion for readers interested in the quirks of New England’s social evolution.

The Story

The "story" of this book is the evolution of a culture as seen through its own public announcements. It begins with the formal, often repetitive language of the colonial era, where marriage notices strictly adhere to set formulas—describing every bride as "amiable" and every groom as a "merchant." From these polite society pages, the book moves into the eccentric personal histories of characters like the self-proclaimed "Lord" Timothy Dexter, whose peculiar business ventures—such as shipping warming pans to the West Indies—and ostentatious displays of wealth capture the chaotic spirit of a young nation finding its economic footing.

As the text progresses, the tone shifts from the formal to the polemical. We encounter the fierce, sometimes humorous debates of the era: arguments over "Federal liquors" like beer and cider versus the "anti-federal" vices of spirituous liquors, and the defensive, often comical attempts by American writers to correct European misconceptions about their geography and government. The reader is invited to witness the transition from colonial dependency to a distinct, if occasionally defensive, American identity.

The latter portions of the collection delve into the anxieties of the time. There is a deep, almost obsessive fascination with longevity; the newspapers of the day frequently published lists of centenarians, documenting the lives of those who reached 120 or 150 years as if to prove the vitality of the American air. This gives way to a final, lighter section featuring linguistic tricks—the "curious" letters written to lovers that only make sense if every other line is read, and the unintentional comedy caused by typographical errors that turned serious news reports into farces. The book concludes by reminding the reader that history is not just the record of great men and battles, but the sum of these small, often absurd, and always human details.

How It Unfolds

The Formal Announcement The collection opens with the rigid etiquette of colonial marriage notices, where every bride is "amiable" and every groom holds a respectable status. These entries establish the predictable, highly structured nature of early New England social reporting.

The Rise of the Eccentric The focus shifts to individuals like Timothy Dexter, whose rise from a leather-dresser to a wealthy "lord" provides a glimpse into the unpredictable economic opportunities of the post-Revolutionary period. His story highlights the era's obsession with status, public perception, and the strange manifestations of newfound wealth.

The Clash of Cultures A series of entries documents the friction between the young United States and European observers, who frequently published blatant falsehoods about American geography and political conduct. These excerpts show a young nation struggling to establish its own narrative while battling misinformed foreign accounts.

The Obsession with Vitality The middle section is dominated by lists of centenarians, reflecting a cultural preoccupation with longevity and health. These statistical curiosities serve as a testament to the period’s belief in the restorative power of a simple, moral life.

The Humor of Errors and Tricks The book concludes with linguistic play, ranging from clever letters designed to circumvent parental oversight to the unintended humor of printers' errors. This final beat leaves the reader with a sense of the humanity, fallibility, and wit that existed behind the stern facade of the early republic.

The People

The figures populating these pages are often defined by their public roles rather than private depths. Timothy Dexter stands out as the most vivid character—a man of immense, irrational self-belief who turns a series of bizarre business decisions into a fortune. He represents the restless, self-made ambition of the new nation. In contrast, the "amiable" brides and merchants of the early marriage notices represent the desire for social stability and the importance of public reputation in a tight-knit colonial community. Dr. Holyoke, whose long life is celebrated, serves as a symbol of the ideal New Englander: temperate, disciplined, and enduring. Finally, the anonymous editors and correspondents provide the voice of the book; they are the gatekeepers of gossip and the champions of local pride, always ready to defend their town against outside slights or to poke fun at the absurdities of their neighbors.

In Its Own Voice

"If they swear the moon was cheese, / We never should dispute them."

(From a satirical poem in a Salem paper, capturing the dismissive attitude of the local press toward political grumblers.)

"In 'old times' almost all the young ladies upon their marriage were 'amiable' and 'agreeable'; at least they are so represented in most of the announcements."

(An editorial note observing the repetitive and formulaic nature of society reporting.)

"Love loveth most, when love most secret is."

(A line from a poem that encapsulates the era’s penchant for hidden meanings and romantic gamesmanship.)

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an exploration of the American character as it was being forged in the public square. It asks how a society defines itself through the triviality of its daily records. The arguments within—whether regarding the virtue of cider over spirits, the definition of a "distinguished" citizen, or the truth behind local longevity—all point to a single question: what makes a community "civilized"? The book suggests that civilization is not just the great laws passed by government, but the collective, often contradictory, and deeply human habits of the people who live under them.

Why Read It Today

This book is a treasure for those who enjoy the "dusty corners" of history. It feels less like a formal text and more like browsing a physical stack of yellowed, brittle newspapers in an old attic. The experience is fragmented and often dry, reflecting the formal and sometimes repetitive style of the period’s journalism. Readers may find the sheer volume of marriage notices or the lists of centenarians monotonous, but they provide a rare, unvarnished look at what people actually read over their morning coffee two centuries ago.

You will love this if you appreciate the intersection of social history and human absurdity. It requires patience, as the prose is often constrained by the rigid social conventions of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the reward is a vivid, authentic picture of a time when the world seemed both larger and more intimate. What stays with you is not a grand lesson, but the realization that our ancestors were as prone to typographical errors, petty squabbles, and bizarre fascinations as we are today. It is a humble, warming reminder of our connection to the past.