Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-01

Q That he had done the same wicked
thing in criminal case Inc jury went
ont and having thought over the matter
came back and upon their oaths declared
that Brown ought to pay Rood ten cents
and that Rood ought to pay Brown ten
cents. If that wasn't an equitable verdict
we should like to know what would have
been.-Neac Yoak Tribune
A HINT TO GRUMLERs.-"What NOISY
world this isr' croaked an old frog, as he
souatted on the margin OF the pool. DO
YOU hear those geese, how they scream ana
hiss. What do they do it for:' "Oh,
lust to amuse themselves" answered a
little feld-mouse. "Presentiy we shall
have the owls hooting; what is that for"
ats the music they like the BEST" said
the mouse "And those grasshoppers;
they can't 90 home without grinding and
chirping; why do they do that?" ooh
they are so happy they can't help It,, sad
the mouse. you find excuses for all; L
believe you don't understand music, SO
YOU like the hideOus noises" 'Well, friend,
to be honest with YOU" said the mouse, Il
don't greatly admire any OF them; but
they are all sweet in my ears compared
with the constant croaking Of frog. =
AppJes Of Gold.
FOUNTAIN County, Ind, furnishes the
latest ghost story. Last summer, a farmer
living on Shawnee prairie, near Attica,
was struck by lightning and killed. Re
Gently the widow married very respect
able citizen, and now, whenever the WOr
thy couple 90 out for an evening drive, the
ghost Of the man who was killed by light
ming makes his appearance and silently
follows the wagon, never asking to ride.
He made his first appearance on the occa-
sion when they were removing some chat
tells from the house formerly occupied by
the widow to that Of her new husband.
While going along the road two Of his old
neighbOrs met and saluted him, and he an
swcred. In a state of wonderment they
turned and followed the apparition, but
before they could oyertake it it disap-
peared.
AN honest old Pennsylvania farmer had
a tree on his premises he wanted to cut
down. but being weak in the back and
having a dull AK, he hit upon the follow
ing plan: Knowing the passion among
his neighbOrs for coon hunting, he made
a cOOns foot out of a potato, and
proceeded to imprint numerous tracks to
and up the tree. When all was ready, he
informed his ncighbors that the tree must
be filled with coons, pointing to the exter-
nal evidence made with his potato foot.
The bait took, and in a short time half
dozen fellows with sharp axes were chop
ping at the base of the tree, each taking
their regular turn. The party also brought
dogs and shot guns, and were in ecStases
over the anticipated haul of fat cOOns. The
tree finally fell, but nary a coon was seen
to "drap'
The legal meaning of the word either
was gravely argued in an English Court
of Chanccry the other day. A certain tes-
tator left property the disposition of which
was affected by the death of either of
two persons. One lawyer insisted that
"either" meant both; and in support of
this view he quoted Richardson, Webster,
Chaucer, Dryden, Southey, the story of the
CrucitiXiOn, and a passage from Revela
tons. The judge suggested that there was
an old song in The Beggar's Opera"
which took the other view: How happy
could | be with either, were tother dear
charmer away In pronouncing judg-
ment, the court ruled that 'either" meant
one Of two, and did not mean "both' 1t
might have that meaning occasionally in
poetry bat never in a Court of Chancery
-Neso York Tribune.
MAMMA IN CAIIFORNIA-The Oakland
(Cal) Transcript, commenting on state
ment made by a Mr.. Brannan,
before the California Academy of
Science, that honey-dew had fallen
twice in the last decade, viz, 1862 and
1872, says: "If Mr. Brannan was posted !
on what he was writing about, he would
not have confined the falling of honey
dew to the years mentioned 1t falls near
" every year in the Sacramento valley !
The Indians gather it in large quantities, |
and the honey-bees fill their hives with !
the rich mamma. We have seen balls of |
the mamma as large as apples gathered by |
the squaws, and not confined to any par
ticular years either-though it falls more /
extensively some years than others. We |
have seen the oak leaves dripping with |
the precious saccharine matter. In 1866 |
1t was very abundant in the Sacramento |
valley-more so than in 1862 In 1868 it |
also fell in abundance. Mr. Brannan was |
probably in the country only in the two |
years mentioned, and that accounts for |
his wonderful discovery"
DIVORCES FOR LIMITED PERIoDs.-The |
Binghamton On. " Republican recalls
to mind instances of divorces for limited |
periods in that State, the statute reading:
a separation from bed and board forever |
or for a limited time may be decreed bv
the Supreme Court on the complaint of a
married woman" The Republican says:
"A few years ago Judge Balloon, acting
under this statute, at a special term of the |
Supreme Court in Tioga County, made a
decree in divorce suit that the husband |
and wife should live separate for two
years the wife to have the custody of their
only child in the meantime He advised
them to consider the matter as husband
and wife. He thought separation during
two years would satisfy the husband the
best thing he could do would be to treat
his wife kindly and properly, and not
cruelty and inhumanly. The report is
that before the end of the two wears the
old love between this couple was revived
and they torgave each other, and are now
living together as happily and lovingly as
they did during their honeymoon. Judge
Balloon informs us, while practicing law
he obtained an absolute divorce for a wife
from her husband; but that they remar-
rled each other within ninety DAYS from
the time the wife Obtained her divorce
and thereafter lived happily as husband
and wife many years, until the wife died
Also, that the husband became his person
al friend, and SO remains
n