{"id":11069,"date":"2015-07-16T12:08:06","date_gmt":"2015-07-16T16:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=11069"},"modified":"2015-07-16T12:08:06","modified_gmt":"2015-07-16T16:08:06","slug":"our-ancestors-age-old-sayings-from-100-years-ago-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/our-ancestors-age-old-sayings-from-100-years-ago-part-i.html","title":{"rendered":"Our Ancestors\u2019 Age-Old Sayings from 100 Years Ago, Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Introduction<\/em><\/strong><em>: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary presents some of the enlightening and entertaining sayings she found from 100 years ago while browsing through newspapers from the year 1915.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The allure of genealogy makes genealogists curious \u2013 or perhaps it is the desire to return to simpler days that keeps us avidly researching our family trees!<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the reason, family historians love to read historical news accounts of the past \u2013 and one of the most enjoyable discoveries is reading the old sayings and quotes of our ancestors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-smile-set-to-music.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11070\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-smile-set-to-music.png\" alt=\"&quot;Laughter is merely a smile set to music.&quot;\" width=\"536\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-smile-set-to-music.png 536w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-smile-set-to-music-300x273.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-smile-set-to-music-330x300.png 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>What were our ancestors reading about and saying 100 years ago? To find out, I explored the year 1915 in GenealogyBank\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/gbnk\/newspapers\/?utm_source=social&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=%20SM_Blog_txtlnk_2014_00&amp;s_referrer=social&amp;s_siteloc=blog&amp;s_trackval=%20SM_Blog_txtlnk_2014_00&amp;kbid=69919&amp;pq=1&amp;prebuy=no&amp;intver=&amp;CCPRODCODE=\">Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>. What I found were hundreds of wonderful old sayings and good time-tested advice in the newspapers read by our ancestors.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these old sayings were offered in jest. Some are inappropriate by today\u2019s standards, but others we truly should revive. The following are all from 1915, a mere 100 years ago!<\/p>\n<p>[search_box]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Good Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Blessed is he who keeps his troubles to himself. <em>&#8211;Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 10 March 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Do not fail to exercise your influence if you would keep it good and strong. <em>&#8211;Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida), 20 March 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t expect two favors in return for one. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 18 March 1915, page 14<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t force your advice upon people whose friendship you care to retain. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 28 March 1915, page 27<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Folly, as she flies, should be swatted. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 25 July 1915, page 67<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Hot pokers and heated arguments should be quickly dropped. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 1 January 1915, page 14<\/em><\/li>\n<li>If your friends annoy you, sick \u2019em on your enemies. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 25 July 1915, page 67<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Keen Observations<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A cozy corner is a handy place in which to sweep the dirt. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 18 March 1915, page 10<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A few short weeks and the house cleaning microbe will get busy again. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 11 March 1915, page 12<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Art is long, but spot cash is what the artist longs for. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 1 January 1915, page 14<\/em><\/li>\n<li>By covering up their tracks some men get credit for walking in the straight and narrow path. <em>&#8211;Rockford Republic (Rockford, Illinois), 11 February 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li>By the time the average man reaches the age of fifty he knows a lot of things he would like to get rid of at 99 percent less than cost. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 5 January 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Concealed knowledge is as useful as buried treasure. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 5 January 1915, page 12<\/em><\/li>\n<li>For our part, we would rather get up in the world than go down in history. <em>&#8211;Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida), 10 April 1915, page 8<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Haste makes some people waste a lot of other people\u2019s time. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 23 March 1915, page 11<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-haste-makes-waste.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11072\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-haste-makes-waste.png\" alt=\"&quot;Haste makes some people waste a lot of other people's time.&quot;\" width=\"494\" height=\"289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-haste-makes-waste.png 494w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-haste-makes-waste-300x176.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 494px) 100vw, 494px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good luck is but another name for common sense. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 25 July 1915, page 67<\/em><\/li>\n<li>If religions were good for the complexion men would seldom get their share of beauty. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 7 January 1915, page 16<\/em><\/li>\n<li>If you are looking for trouble, probably you began by finding fault. <em>&#8211;Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida), 29 May 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s a poor mirror that will not enable a man to see his best friend. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 3 January 1915, page 28<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Maybe you also have met men who favor a safe and sane Fourth of July because it promises not to cost them anything. <em>&#8211;Bridgeton Evening New (Bridgeton, New Jersey), 17 September 1915, page 5<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Most of us are overloaded with good intentions. <em>&#8211;Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida), 4 August 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>People who are always saying \u201cListen!\u201d never have anything of importance to say. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 27 November 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Genealogical Musings<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Goodness is only a relative term \u2013 and one that is always on the tongue of relatives. <em>&#8211;Bridgeton Evening News (Bridgeton, New Jersey), 17 September 1915, page 5<\/em><\/li>\n<li>If you fuss about the weather it may be a sign that you are getting old. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 7 January 1915, page 16<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Many a man charges his misdeeds up to his ancestors. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 22 April 1915, page 17<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Gossiping Hurts<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gossip is a deadly gas that is often fatal to friendships. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 12 February 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Eliminate politics, religion and the weather and there wouldn\u2019t be much to talk about. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 5 January 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Hankering for Happiness<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Be satisfied with the best you can get. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 27 November 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Few people are wise enough to know that ignorance is bliss. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 11 March 1915, page 9<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Bright people look upon the bright side of life. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 27 February 1915, page 8<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-bright-people.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11075\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-bright-people.png\" alt=\"&quot;Bright people look upon the bright side of life.&quot;\" width=\"503\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-bright-people.png 503w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-bright-people-300x197.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-bright-people-456x300.png 456w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Happy is the girl who thinks her father is the best man on earth. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 9 August 1915, page 4<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Laughter is merely a smile set to music. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 5 January 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Many a man is unhappy only because he believes himself so. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 9 August 1915, page 4<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>On Love, Courtship &amp; Marriage<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A man can get his wife\u2019s attention by talking in his sleep. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 14 October 1915, page 23<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A woman is seldom as fussy with her children as she is with her husband. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 28 March 1915, page 27<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A woman\u2019s accounts on how she spent the \u201chouse money\u201d are only equaled in inventive genius by a man\u2019s accounts of how he spent his time. <em>&#8211;Bridgeton Evening New (Bridgeton, New Jersey), 17 September 1915, page 5<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Diamonds are trumps in the game of love. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 11 March 1915, page 12<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A woman may not accept a proposal of marriage, but she always admires the good judgment of the man who made it. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 12 February 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-proposal-of-marriage.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-proposal-of-marriage.png\" alt=\"&quot;A woman may not accept a proposal of marriage, but she always admires the good judgment of the man who made it.&quot;\" width=\"505\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-proposal-of-marriage.png 505w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-proposal-of-marriage-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/photo-0716-2015-proposal-of-marriage-500x275.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Falling in love is easy, but falling out again \u2013 aye, that\u2019s what hurts. <em>&#8211;Greensboro Record (Greensboro, North Carolina), 6 August 1915, page 4<\/em><\/li>\n<li>It is easier to fall in love or into a river than it is to climb out. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 5 January 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li>True domestic happiness is founded on the rock of the cradle. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 5 January 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li>True love is always able to dispense with the valuable advice of outsiders. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 27 November 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>What most married men would rejoice to see is a war tax on old bachelors. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 5 January 1915, page 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Money Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A close friend is one who won\u2019t lend you money. <em>&#8211;Grand Forks Daily Herald (Grand Forks, North Dakota), 5 May 1915, page 3<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A man would rather have fortune smile on him than give him the laugh. <em>&#8211;Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 2 January 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>And it\u2019s surprising how many bargains we see in the shop windows when we are broke. <em>&#8211;Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 1 January 1915, page 14<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Fortune is said to knock at every man\u2019s door, but it\u2019s difficult to make a man believe it. <em>&#8211;Cleburne Morning Review (Cleburne, Texas), 21 September 1915, page 4<\/em><\/li>\n<li>He is a fortunate man who can catch up with his ambitions and his debts. <em>&#8211;Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 28 January 1915, page 6<\/em><\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s a strong friendship that can stand a loan. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 11 March 1915, page 9<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Parental Insight<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A crying shame \u2013 the neighbor\u2019s baby. <em>&#8211;Miami Herald (Miami, Florida), 6 March 1915, page 10<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11077\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11077\" style=\"width: 527px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11077\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon.png\" alt=\"cartoon about parenting, Times-Picayune newspaper cartoon 18 November 1915\" width=\"527\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon.png 527w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon-300x298.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon-144x144.png 144w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/times-picayune-newspaper-1118-1915-parenting-cartoon-302x300.png 302w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11077\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), 18 November 1915, page 16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Before asking children questions in public, be sure of their answers. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 15 February 1915, page 4<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Children need fewer critics and more good models. <em>&#8211;Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), 9 August 1915, page 4<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want to search for more of these old sayings spoken by our wise ancestors in historical newspapers, try some of these keywords \u2013 and don\u2019t forget to tell us in the comments section about some of the gems you find.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gathered Jests<\/li>\n<li>Good Advice<\/li>\n<li>Pellets of Thoughts<\/li>\n<li>Pointed Paragraphs<\/li>\n<li>Tips from Texas<\/li>\n<li>Waifs of Wisdom<\/li>\n<li>Week\u2019s Wit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Related Sayings Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/genealogy-humor-101-funny-quotes-sayings-for-genealogists.html\">Genealogy Humor: 101 Funny Quotes &amp; Sayings for Genealogists<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/more-genealogy-humor-funny-quotes-sayings-for-genealogists.html\">More Genealogy Humor: Funny Quotes &amp; Sayings for Genealogists<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/101-genealogy-proverbs-family-sayings-from-around-the-world.html\">101 Genealogy Proverbs: Family Sayings from around the World<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[bottom_post_ad]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this blog article, Mary presents some of the enlightening and entertaining sayings she found from 100 years ago while browsing through newspapers from the year 1915. The allure of genealogy makes genealogists curious \u2013 or perhaps it is the desire [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12713],"tags":[10148,1658,2233,12,465,2020,27,4818,10149],"class_list":["post-11069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-genealogy-research-tips","tag-ancestors-sayings","tag-family-history-2","tag-family-research","tag-genealogy","tag-historical-newspapers","tag-newspaper-archives","tag-newspapers","tag-newspapers-for-genealogy","tag-old-sayings"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}