Pennsylvania library book checked out in 1904 is finally returned after 120 years
It's a good thing they cap the fines at $10.

Library book checked out in 1904 is finally returned
Just about everyone has had the misfortune of forgetting to return a library book. Some turn it in and pay whatever fine that's been assessed while others never find the book and decide to pay for the replacement. But there's a small group of people that don't return the missing book or pay the library to replace it. It's simply checked out forever for reasons no one knows.
Horace Short fell into the latter category. Back in 1904, Mr. Short checked out "The Cruise of the Esmeralda" by Harry Collingwood, a novel about adventures at sea, from the Carbondale Public Library. For some reason, Short never returned the book and librarians assumed it had been discarded according to Jessica Pratt, Adult Services Librarian at Carbondale Public Library.
Much to the delight and surprise of the librarians, the book was recently returned, 120 years late. Hawley Public Library found the antique book at their book sale and informed the Carbondale library of their discovery.
Pratt told Upworthy, "When we saw the date on the library card in it, we realized that it was likely borrowed and never returned. We were quite thrilled not only for having a book returned to us that late but because it also contained a Carbondale Public Library library card that was over 100 years old!"
The library shared about the book return on their social media account where they humored commenters with working out the late fee fines.
"If we go by the fines based of the date the item was checked out (2 cents per day), Mr. Short would owe us $872.82. If we go by the fines the library charges today (25 cents per day), he would owe $10,910.25. Mr. Short is very lucky we currently cap fines for books at $10," Carbondale Public Library writes.
"The Cruise of the Esmeralda" by Harry Collingwood
Courtesy of Carbondale Public Library
As for Mr. Short, the library did some sleuthing to see if they could locate his family to tell them about the extraordinary find.
Pratt tells us, "We’ve done some research on the card holder, Horace J. Short. He was born in or around 1877 near Prompton, PA. He moved to Carbondale and was working as a butcher. In 1899 he lost the fingers on his right hand to a sausage grinder! Sometime between 1904 and 1907 he moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA and spent many years as a messenger for the railroad. We know he died sometime between 1930 and 1940 but unfortunately, we lose track of him and his family after then. We know he had one daughter, Reta, but we don’t know if she ever married or had children."
The librarian says that anyone interested in reading the book can find it online on Project Gutenberg. But the library itself is working on some projects they're pretty excited about like the Family Place room to promote early literacy for families with children under three. They are also cultivating an outdoor space so it can become a certified pollinator garden according to Pratt.
So if you're near Carbondale, Pennsylvania and want to check out the century's late library book, stop by to take a look and maybe check out your own book. Just be sure to return it on time.
- A stranger found a lost library book and returned it with this heartwarming note. ›
- An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list. ›
- A closed Swedish library left its door open. The community reacted with pure goodness. ›
- 300 people create a human chain to help an independent bookstore move their entire inventory - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.