Newspaper Scrapbook

[Huojin]

The pages of the past are filled with stories fantastical and horrifying. The pages for today and tomorrow still lie empty. What will you affix there, to be contained for history?

OOC: A newspaper collection thread for people without the dedication to write full newspaper threads, or who want to add in alternative perspectives, odds and ends relevant to news media, and so on.

[Smyg]

1897 IN AMERICA

And with this conclusion of the year 1897, we take another look back at the time that has passed, dear reader. God bless these United States!

_________

NEWS OF THE YEAR


PRESIDENT MCKINLEY INAUGURATED. March 4, 1897. Pictured: William McKinley carrying out his inauguration in Washington D.C., becoming the 25th President of the United States. This is the very first inauguration in American history to be recorded on moving film, a testament to our technological state. Chief Justice Melville Fuller administered the presidential oath, while President Grover Cleveland stood by. President McKinley defeated Mr. William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska in a vivid 1896 election campaign together with Vice President Garret Hobart, wooing the Republic with his "front porch campaign". His background includes service in the Union Army, a long run in the House of Representatives, and dutiful service as the Governor of Ohio.



DRAGOONS OF THE FUTURE. June 14, 1897. Pictured: Lieutenant James Moss and the bicycle corps of the 25th Infantry (Fort Missoula, Montana) travelling to St. Louis, Missouri, on a wagon trail. They arrived on July 16, with a travel time of 34 days with an average speed of over 6 miles per hour. Their speed even in this rugged terrain demonstrated the utility of the bicycle, a relatively new development of the velocipede. These bicycle-riding Colored "Buffalo Soldiers" are a prototype for a possible military style of the future, a replacement for the horse-mounted dragoon. Experiments with bicycle infantry are also being carried out across the world, in Britain, France, Transvaal, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Russia.



BOSTON SUBWAY OPENED. September 1, 1897. Pictured: The very first underground 'subway' in the Americas, the Tremont Street Subway in Boston Massachusetts, opening. This marvel of American engineering has five stations on its main line: Boylston, Park Street, Scollay Square, Adams Square and Haymarket, with branches to the Public Garden Portal and Pleasant Street Incline south of Boylston. It is, believe it or not, the third such tunnel system in the world that gains its traction entirely from the powers of electricity, preceded only by London and Budapest. With the expansion of such technology, and the constant development of new steam trains and trolleys on the surface, it seems unlikely that the American citizen of the approaching 20th century will ever need to travel anywhere other than through mechanized transport!


_________

OTHER MATTERS


INAUGURATION PAMPHLET. March 4, 1897. A pamphlet for the inauguration of President William McKinley and Vice President Garret Hobart, the new defenders of the American Republic and its values.



MARTIAN EXPLORERS. April 13, 1897. The Saint Paul Globe reported that some type of strange 'airship' had been sighted in the skies of Minnesota. Can it be... a visitor from Mars? Or, even worse, Germans?!



GRANDPA'S CHRISTMAS VISIT. December 25, 1897. An advertisement by the Philadelphia-based company Griffith & Griffith, picturing a typical Christmas morning in an American home.

[Smyg]

NEGRO LYNCHING HAS TO GO



COLORED RAPIST HANGED IN OHIO - MCKINLEY SPEAKS OUT

On June 5 1897, one of many "lynchings" this year took place in Urbana, Ohio. A male Negro, Mr. Charles Mitchell - commonly known as "Click" - had been convicted after his confession of the most heinous and vile physical assault upon Mrs. Eliza Gaumer. Although convicted to a sentence of 20 full years in a state penitentiary, and given the promise of protection from the vigilantes outside of the court house, Mr. Mitchell found no salvation at the hands of the law. In the early hoursof the 5th, unknown attackers fire upon the militiamen defending the convict. When firing back, the militia killed 3 men and injured many.

Despite the orders of Governor Bushnell, the deployment of a company of the Third Infantry could do little to stop what followed. The 36 men under the command of Captain Bradbury arrived at 7:10, and upon arrival at the local jail found that a mob of about 2,000 people had surrounded it. When both the Mayor and local law enforcement of Urbana informed them their services were not required, the 36 soldiers departed the scene, lest they all be killed. Within moments the jail had been stormed, all locks broken with sledges, and the 23-year old Negro hotel porter beaten to pieces. By 7:20, he swung from a rope attached to an iron fence in the courtyard, to the acclaim of the whole town.

President William McKinley, who served as Governor of Ohio until 1896, has now issued a formal statement regarding this lynching, which is only one of many dozens that have taken place across America (mainly in the South, of course) this part year. Using words of a most harsh character, President McKinley thoroughly condemned the practice of lynching, stating it to be merely one small part of a larger push to disenfranchise and persecute that part of the populace which was freed by President Lincoln all those years ago. Although calling for reconciliation within the former Confederate States, and the unity of the White man, the President issued - as part of this condemnation - a statement far stronger than he ever did during his own election campaign. He promised that federal anti-lynching legislation is will be introduced shortly. With Republican dominance in Congress, it is possible he will succeed in this monumental task. When asked regarding the possibility of military intervention by the federal authorities to quell racially motivated violence and ensure that the legal rulings of the nation's courts can be executed even for Colored criminals, the President stated: "Should the situation continue, this blight upon our American Republic, then the range of viable options rapidly decreases."

[Huojin]

April 1897

For our second election ever, il Partito Socialista Italiano has continued to triumph! The oppressive and hostile policies of the domineering right wing cliques has not succeeded in drowning out the spirit of the workers, nor will it ever! The crushing defeats of imperialism at the hands of the Ethiop armies continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of those failures; as well it should. Yet regrettably the fall of Crispi's government and the rise of Rudinì has not been reversed, as for all his losses in the Parliament, the King retains him as his prime minister. He may have offered pardons to some members of those valiant fasci siciliani who dared to fight for the rights of the poor and were brutalised for their presumption, but time will tell, miei amici, he shall prove just as oppressive as the others.

Until the day that we shall finally spread the words of truth to every man, woman, and child of Italia, we vow to continue the fight for democracy, for the workers, for freedom, and for equality.

Proletari di tutti i paesi, unitevi!

[Serenissima]

April 1898:


Mediterranean Fleet Shows the Flag

WAVED OFF BY cheering crowds of patriotic Maltese, ships of the Royal Navy under the command of Admiral Sir John Hopkins, Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean fleet, departed Grand Harbour this week. While the exact destination of the Mediterranean Fleet is unknown, sources aboard the flagship Ramillies have informed the Times that the exercises will take place in the central Mediterranean, and involve fleet maneuvering drills, as well as practice of a new and more efficient method of salvo-based gunnery innovated by the Admiral himself. The Admiralty has made no comment on if these maneuvers, announced within the last few days, have any connection to the recent Spanish-Italian War.

No true Briton could fail to be stirred by the sight of the battleships Ramillies, Hood, Nile, Trafalgar, Anson, Camperdown, Howe, Rodney, Sans Pareil, Collingwood, Dreadnought and their escorts leaving Valletta, or, indeed, to be inspired to great devotion to Queen and Country by those hallowed names, recalling British glory, both past and present. Nor could, indeed, any foreigner fail to be cowed by this display of the Royal Navy's power and might; as the Mediterranean Fleet is the single greatest concentrated force in the world, greater in size alone than the individual navies of the United States, Italy, and Germany.

But at the same time, despite our magnificent iron wall at sea, we cannot afford to be complacent, for as recent events show, the spectre of aggression and expansionism is not yet put entirely to rest, even in Europe and among the civilised nations of the world. Given the recent expansion of several navies, including the German and American fleets, the maintenance of the Two-Power Standard is more important to the Empire's continued safety and security than ever. Fortunately, the Government appears to agree with the Times' eminent assessment, and has continued with the annual increase of the Naval Estimates as planned, continuing construction on the new first-class battleships Vengeance, Implacable, London, Venerable and Bulwark. While storms may be gathering on the Continent, the safety and security of the British Empire is, for now, assured.

[Huojin]

JUNE 1898

DI RUDINI GOVERNMENT FALLS; GIOLITTI RETURNS TO PREMIERSHIP

The dust now settles in Milano, and in the aftermath of the events of May which cast that illustrious city into chaos and violence, the government of il Marchese di Rudinì has finally collapsed under the weight of public discontent. With the deaths of some hundreds of civilians and the injuries sustained by near one thousand more as a direct result of the actions of General Fiorenzo Bava-Beccaris after di Rudinì declared a state of siege, whatever political support remained has collapsed entirely. Having already led Italy into an unexpected and shocking war in Italy in support of the United States - an act justified by secret articles and protocols negotiated by the same government - the fall of this government seemed almost inevitable.

Meanwhile, after six years in the political wilderness, former Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti has returned to office after a collapse in support for the right wing deputies in Parliament! With a shift in the balance in favour of the left-wing representatives, Giolitti has quickly enacted a series of tax reforms, land reforms, and vowed to pioneer a new, united course in Italian politics. He has, however, vowed to see the war in Spain brought to "a speedy conclusion", indicating perhaps that he intends for negotiations in an attempt to end the war. Only time will tell how this develops.



Troops are deployed against protesters in Piazza del Duomo.

[Master of Oblivion]

Filiberto Makes Peace with Republicans!

July 1898

CARTAGENA — Claimant to the throne of Spain, Prince Manuel Filiberto has announced that his provisional government has negotiated a peace with republican elements in Spain, having unified behind the more liberal and egalitarian Constitution of 1869. As part of this deal for peace, which sees many republicans lay down their arms and others joining the cause of the Prince, former President of the Spanish Republic and liberal politician, Nicolás Salmerón, has joined his provisional government.

Moving rapidly towards Madrid ever since landing in Cartagena and making his vow to uphold the constitution before the assembled Cortes Generales, the claimed “King Filiberto I” has yet to truly make his mark on Spain - and only time will tell if his “reign” will truly deliver on all he has promised.

[Smyg]

NEW NATIONS OF THE WORLD

Excerpt of an addendum to a federally issued geography schoolbook, recently printed in the United States and already out of date.]

CANARIAN REPUBLIC

The CANARIAN REPUBLIC is not only one of the youngest nations on the world map of today, it is also only the third sovereign country on the African continent, after its sister-republic Liberia and the Empire of Abyssinia, if various tribal principalities and other savages are discounted. Although few, the Canarian people have a long history, dating back to their ancient Berber ancestors that hailed from the Dark Continent's mainland. The aboriginal "Guanches" intermarried with Spanish conquerors in the Dark Ages.

In the Year of the Lord 1481, the Guanche nobleman baptised as Fernando Guanarteme (widely known today as a national traitor) signed an agreement with King Ferdinand II of Aragon, rendering the Canary Islands an autonomous kingdom within Ferdinand's realm. Many Canarians resisted this, and the pacification lasted until 1495. The Spanish did not honor their pact, and it was followed by uprisings in 1502, 1770 and 1778. It was finally ended officially following the "Bourbon Restoration" of 1874. Throughout this time, the isles were attacked repeatedly by outside forces - Ottomans, Algerians, Dutchmen, the British, and others.

A geographically convenient spot for travelling to the New World, the Canary Islands have seen much emigration in this our 19th century. Many of its sons and daughters proved to be the most dedicated freedom fighters of the Americas. For example, between 1840 and 1890 as many as 40,000 Canary Islanders emigrated to Venezuela, and many thousands travelled to Puerto Rico. Today, descendants of these people live in places like Havana, Veracruz, Santo Domingo, San Antonio (Texas) and St. Bernard Parish (Louisiana). Other remained in their homeland, and many of them have proven resistant to Spanish rule, leading up to their independence in 1898.

GOVERNMENT: Republic (!)
CAPITAL: Santa Cruz de Tenerife
PRESIDENT: Secundino Delgado
PRIME MINISTER: Nicolás Estévanez
POPULATION: 350,000 people
SIZE: 2,893 square miles

REPUBLIC OF CUBA


GOVERNMENT: Republic (!)
CAPITAL: Havana
PRESIDENT: Tomás Estrada Palma
PRIME MINISTER: Alfredo Zayas y Alfonso
POPULATION: 4,000,000 people
SIZE: 42,426 square miles

PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC


GOVERNMENT: Republic (!)
CAPITAL: Manila
PRESIDENT: Emilio Aguinaldo
PRIME MINISTER: Apolinario Mabini
POPULATION: 7,500,000 people
SIZE: 115,120 square miles

REPUBLIC OF PUERTO RICO


GOVERNMENT: Republic (!)
CAPITAL: San Juan
PRESIDENT: José de Diego
PRIME MINISTER: Antonio Mattei Lluberas
POPULATION: 800,000 people
SIZE: 3,515 square miles

[Coin]

Russkiye Vedomosti, Moscow, 02.01.99
Ed: V. M. Sobolevsky

Supplement: The Chinese Civil War

As is usual, when our readers inquire - we answer. With discussion over the present state of affairs in China often suffering due to poor translation, communications, and misinformation, the Russkiye Vedemosti has been glad to provide detailed analysis of the military news of the civil war - from the siege of Nanjing, to the German intervention in Shandong.

However of late, the curiosity of your good selves, dear readers, has been piqued by the human faces behind the names. Names familiar to some are not familiar to many others - thus, the paper has provided this illustrated guide of the four key players in China Proper. This is by no means to discount the warlords, khans, generals and lamas of China's tributary territories, or to imply that these matters are not of import - but to ensure that our readership and Russia understands the situation on her eastern borders.

Yuan Shikai

Born: 16 September 1859, Xiangcheng, Henan Province

A scion of minor Chinese nobility and former soldier, Yuan Shikai leads the largest of the rebellions against the Qing Dynasty of China. Following the chaos of the Sino-Japanese War, and after his recalling from Korea, he along with his ally and noted reformer Li Hongzhang used their influence with the army to launch a rebellion against the Qing one year ago. Though much of the populace and army refused to back the revolt, they declared the end of monarchy and the Republic of China. Though Li Hongzhang is presumed to have been the initial leader of the rebellion, his present status is unknown, and Yuan is dictator in all but name.

The Boxers - a loose amalgamation of oriental conservatives, opposed to Christianity and modernisation in equal measure - took advantage of the chaos to seize areas of Shandong and Guangxi provinces. Under his rule of Peking, massacres of foreigners and Christians have escalated further, with the burning of the French legation and murder of European citizens by barbarous mobs. According to the latest estimates, Yuan's forces now control territory from Shanxi to Guizhou, but have suffered from the appearance of newer factions in the civil war, and a lack of popular support.

Guangxu Emperor

Born: 14 August 1871, Peking

The ninth Qing Emperor of China - or in Manchu, Zaitian Aisin-Goro, is a man few beyond his strange oriental court know. Raised in seclusion and with the domineering figure of the Empress Dowager Cixi keeping any reforming impetus in check, the Qing court is united only by a desire to keep the throne and Manchu monarchy over China intact. Reforming monarchists and conservatives both now fight for the Guangxu Emperor, but it is a fight they are losing, having lost much of their heartlands.

Now ruling from Xi'an with Peking lost, imperial troops have lost control of Outer Mongolia, Yunnan, Xinjiang, and all of the proper Chinese territories bar Sichuan, Shaanxi, and much of the south-east. Nanjing is still held by Manchu armies, but they are under siege. They do however command support among many of the Boxer societies, and for now at least, maintain a hold on much of the Muslim west.

Sun Yat-Sen

Born: 12 November 1866, Guangdong

With the Chinese Civil War threatening to become more brutal even than the Taiping Rebellion of the previous century, and Boxers brutally murdering Chinese and European Christians, disillusionment with the reforming faction of Yuan Shikai has grown. This has left a rival Republic of China to have recently been declared in Huizhou, led by Sun Yat-Sen, a revolutionary involved in failed plots in the past. Baptised a Christian, he has for the past few years been in exile in Japan - a fact that shall surely not have escaped the eye of Tokyo. Though small, the rival republic commands support locally.

Ming Emperor

Information from China is increasingly difficult to obtain, and so we at this newspaper must apologise for the lack even of a name or photograph for the former general of the Beiyang Clique who has declared himself Emperor. But he must be included, for the general's imperial ambitions are dangerous in such an unstable society as China.

Harking back to the days of the native Han Chinese Ming Dynasty, what is known is that much of southern China is under his control, and with the torch of Han nationalism, he seeks to reform that Empire as the Qing collapse seems imminent. In an area rife with Boxer, Qing, French, and rival republican forces, this has complicated the matter of China still further, and how the Emperor in Guilin will fare is unknown.

[Serenissima]

Ranjitsinhji Returns to England
Wisden Cricketer of the Year Ranjitsinhji, more commonly known to all as Ranji, has, much to the delight of cricket followers, returned to England following his 1898 tour of India as the guest of Sir Rajinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala. Ranji recieves an adoring welcome wherever he goes, in India or Britain alike, and this tour was no exception, as he played in several short demonstration cricket matches in aid of charity and good works.

Himself heir to the throne of Nawanagar, Ranji is well-known for his outspoken opinion on the necessity for Indian federation and continued membership of the British Empire, commonly being invited to speak at Cambridge and Oxford dinners. He is considered somewhat of an authority on the opinions of the educated Indian classes about Britain and the Empire, as well as an authority on England among the Indians, being considered foremost celebrity among the 'Imperial Citizens' movement begun by Dadabhai Naoroji MP, of the Royal Committee on Indian Expenditure.

It is hoped now that Ranji has returned that he will be, as one of the world's foremost cricketers, able to once again play for England's side in the upcoming Test series against newly federated Australia. His sportsmanship and gentlemanly qualities were much lauded by the Australian team during his 1897 tour of that continent, and as such his inclusion is called for strongly by both England's captain and that of Australia. The Times wishes him the best of luck - and while we question whether Mr. Ranjitsinhji may be called an Englishman, it is undoubtable that he is a fine subject of the British Empire.


Ranji at the bat on his last stay in England, summer 1897.

Illustrated London News

GORDON AVENGED! The charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman.

The Battle of Omdurman is indeed a stunning victory for British discipline and technology, in the face of vile Mahdist cultists intent on converting all of Africa to their twisted idea of religion, but it was not without its heroism, despite the minimal casualties suffered by our brave men in the Sudan. One particular incident, concerning which the Illustrated London News has recieved many letters requesting a full colour supplement, is recounted below, sure to stir the heart of any true patriot.

The three hundred and fifty cavalrymen of the 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers, scouting the battlefield, encountered what they believed to be a body of about seven hundred Dervishes. In fact, two thousand Dervishes, who had remained concealed in a deep gulley engaged the lancers in desperate hand-to-hand combat. Although the 21st Lancers had not seen battle before, they managed to rout the Dervishes with their elan, breaking them and forcing them to retreat to be cut down by the rifles of the Lincolnshire Regiment. The regiment suffered 70 men wounded and the loss of 119 horses, the highest casualty figures of any British regiment engaged at in the battle, while nearly 2,000 Dervish bodies were counted at the scene of the ambush after the battle. Three Victoria Crosses have been awarded to members of the 21st Lancers who gallantly risked their own lives to rescue wounded comrades during the action: Captain Paul Aloysius Kenna, Lieutenant Raymond de Montmorency, and Private Thomas Byrne.

One member of the 21st Lancers, the young Lieutenant Winston Churchill, now a journalist for the Morning Post after the 21st's return to England, recounts the moment at which his company was ambushed:
"A deep crease in the ground - a dry watercourse, a khor - appeared where all had seemed smooth, level plain; and from it there sprang, with the suddenness of a pantomime effect and a high-pitched yell, a dense white mass of men nearly as long as our front and about twelve deep. A score of horsemen and a dozen bright flags rose as if by magic from the earth!"

[Serenissima]

The Spectator
Editorial Cartoon

[Huojin]

FEBRUARY 1900

LIMANTOUR NAMED TO VICE-PRESIDENCY

Following his extensive work in the Ministry of Finance as its head, assisting President Díaz in leading the impoverished Mexican people to economic prosperity and success, José Yves Limantour has been named additionally to the ceremonial Vice Presidency of Mexico, further solidifying him as the right hand man of the President and a valuable ally in establishing Mexico as one of the world's foremost nations!

Responsible for the establishment of the gold standard in Mexico, the securing of the national debt, the first ever balanced budget and subsequent budget surplus, and soaring new infrastructure projects, Secretary of Finance Limantour has graciously accepted the appointment, vowing to continue to oversee and extend Mexico's modernisation and climb to prosperity and security.



Limantour, centre, leads a parade of politicians, military men, and dignitaries.

[Huojin]

In countries across the world, similar leaflets and posters can be found - from Italian to Russian, Spanish to Yiddish.

¡Bienvenido a Mexico!

The sunset land of opportunity

[/b]

From the farthest reaches of the past, when Columbus first set foot in the New World, the riches and wonders it held have called out to all. From far and wide, millions have come to make their fortunes and thrive in the land of opportunity that is the New World - and you too can do the same!

The promise of a land free from the tyranny and poverty of the Old World, Mexico stands as the true child of the New World and the happy home of your long-held aspirations! Whether an individual or a whole family, all are welcome to partake in the glories of this great and open country.

From the beautiful Sierra Madre Occidental mountains, to the endless beaches, farmland, and plantations of the Pacific coast…

From the stunning Central Highlands reminiscent of Spain herself, to the fertile valleys of central Mexico and the big cities themselves…

Come for yourselves and witness the wonders of Mexico; a cheaper life, a wonderful climate, unique foods, and your own land to own and live on comfortably - thanks to new grants of hundreds of thousands of acres for sale cheaply! Escape the dreary serfdom of the Old World and carve out a life of your own in the freedoms of the west!

When you arrive, the Migrant’s Services offered will make you feel at home - providing accommodation, employment, medical checks, disembarkation services, and more!

Simply make contact with your local embassy, consulate, or Mexican government representative for more information.

Now is the time!

MEXICO

[/b]



Published and Distributed by the National Immigration Office (est.1900)

((And yes, this is meant to not be wholly serious, it's more for fun, but related vaguely to something I'm doing in-game. So imagine a more serious, period-appropriate version of this ))

[Tellos]

As it is now a forgone conclusion that the late President Mckinley Will not be running for office again more support has surged into Theodore Roosevelt's candidacy. He recently spoke upon hearing who the VP candidate was in the democratic party noting. "Oh yes just what we need a buisness baron thinking he is a national one. mr Carnegie however good a businessman is no man of the people I can assure you that. If Bryant the Great Commoner wants to claim he is for the working man he ought not to side with a man who likely has no clue what a paycheck under five thousand dollars looks like."

[Tellos]

Mexican government sponsoring attacks within the United States

As word got out of the funding of and arming of Terrorists by Mexico anti mexican sentiment has grown as people stage protests near the embassy in Washington. Further Presidential hopeful Teddy Roosevelt has begun to speak out against this and claims it is unfortunately the result of the US being isolated and staying out of world events. "Unfortunately the Country has tried to remain uninvolved in these affairs but as seen lately it is the worlds preference that we not be allowed that peace. As such I believe it is vital that the united States begin to exercise her power abroad as needed to protect herself. under my administration we will do as required to protect our citizens from such nations who seek her harm."