Unable to make the 1908 Pennsylvania German Society's annual gathering due to illness, their president-- businessman, religious leader, and politician, John Wanamaker--sent in a message he recorded "through this wonderful invention of Mr. Edison on the Edison phonograph." This recording recalls an anecdote of Leo Tolstoy's, in which the Russian writer stopped at the roadside and asked a farmer who was ploughing, "Friend, what would you do today if you knew positively you would die tomorrow...

In 'Little Visits with Great Americans: Anecdotes, Life Lessons and Interviews,' the compilation manifests a scholarly exploration into the lives, ideologies, and accomplishments of some of the late 19th and early 20th century's most influential American figures. The anthology spans a rich array of literary styles, from intimate interviews to reflective essays and lively anecdotes, embodying the spirit of an era marked by rapid technological progress and profound social change. This collec...

Little Visits with Great Americans assembles a revealing cross-section of public speech, reminiscence, interview, reflection, and visual culture from the United States and Canada at the turn of the twentieth century. Its governing theme is civic eminence: industrial expansion, democratic leadership, artistic achievement, social reform, technological invention, and moral aspiration appear as intertwined measures of national life. Varied in register from brisk anecdote and practical counsel ...