davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
Bridge-Mak1ng and MuIe-Driving.

In our regular marching order follow
ing the scouts and the color guard comes
the pioneer company, with a wagon full
of spades, shOvels, picks, axes, scythes
and other tools. Reaching place that
has to be bridged the General selects the
most available point, and with a shovel
in his hand he directs and assists at the
work himself. The m0dltS Opera1ldi of
bridging is somewhat novel. If cobble-
stone and sod or willow branches will
not make a road-bed the train-master
cries poles" and every teamster brings
the extra wagon tongue he always carries
with him and lays it devotedly down at
the Generals feet. These poles are then
placed CrOSSWiSe-tWO or three LAYERS of
them dollhouse fashion, and the Crevices
are filled up with brush, sod, mown
rushes, and every available substance
three or four hundred bridge-builders
can lay their hands on The bridge done.
the artillery and ambulances are sent
across, being of the lightest tonnage. and
when they cut through repairs are made :;
then the mule teams are sent across; and
did YOU ever see a lot of six-mule teams
cross one of these bridges? 1t is an
event in a lifetime.
The animals are driven by single
line and long snake-Whip, especially
the whip The line is attached to the
left-hand bit of the " nigh leader" and
he may be considered the rudder of the
outfit. The helmSman sits astride of
the nigh wheeler" and if he wants the
team to gee" he jerks at the line saw
agely, and it is a moral certainty that the
mule will turn his head away from it and
go gee" If he wants to "haw' he
pulls steadily on the line, drawing the
mules head around, and he goes ''haw."
There's nothing more easy in all the phi
losophy of life. The position of mule
whacker in an army train is about that
of rOustabout on river steamer or a
marine in the naval service. His CHIEF
requirements are to crack a black-snake
whip and swear. Well, the mule-whack
er "haws" and "gees," swears and
cracks his whip, jerks the line, and digs
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
How Statues Are Made.

The bronze statuary just now so pop
ular is manufactured by simple enough
process. Over the clay model is poured
a coating of plaster Of Paris, which, hav-
ing been allowed to set, is taken off in
sections, thus affOrding a hollow mold
Of the figure. From such mold is pro-
duced a stuCcO duplicate, either of the
entire statue or Of such portion thereof
as is intended to be cast at a time, and
on this again is formed second mold
of greater thickness and solidity for the
reception of molten metal. The material
used for the final mold is a composition
of stuCcO and brick-dust This is applied
in plastic state to the stucco model,
from which it's inner surface takes the
form of the figure. Were statues cast
solid, it would now only be necessary to
separate mold from model. and run
metal into the former till its interior was
filled. This, however, would involve alb
surd waste, and IN order to economic
material a solid core is placed inside the
mold, leaving only such space all round
as will receive the thickness of metal
deemed necessary for the work in hand.
The mold with its core, having been
thus completed and firmly hoped round
with bands of iron, is placed in a kiln to
bake to perfect dryness. This precau-
ton is necessary from the circumstance
that even trace Of moisture might on
the application of molten metal occasion
a dangerous explosion. In the case of
the casting now in question the drying
Of the mold occupies some weeks On
the removal from the kiln the mold is
buried in dry earth below the floor Of the
foundry, only the aperture for receiving
the metal and the vent-hOle for the es-
cape Of air remaining visible.-Er.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27

The size, finish and expense Will be gov
erned by the means at command. Plan
trees, both forest and fruit, in such
way as to break the sweep of the winter
winds. Donate a reasonable patch OF
ground to small fruits and vegetables,
sufficient to supply your table with
abundance of all desirable kinds the
year round. Make an acre or more OF
lawn in front and around the dwelling,
interspersed here and there with some
ornamental shade trees, evergreens ana
Towering shrubs. Train an ivy over the
porch, hOneysuckle on the window.
Hide the sheds and out-buildings with a
clump OF trees or climbing vine.
Your wife and daughters will have
some artistic flower beds cut in the lawn
and rose bush by the door, while sing
ing birds will build nests in the trees.
Make the inside Of the house attractive
| a pleasant place to sit. with inducements
SUFFICIENT to keep your sons from sa-
looms and your daughters from the
streets. Among the absolute necessaries
OF life most decidedly and emphatical-
ly place amusements, sports, fun. A
| good, ringing laugh is worth more 10
| stir the liver and promote digestion than
dose of calOmel, and a deal pleasantey
| to take. If you ever come across q per
| son, old or young who cannot, on proper
| prOvocatiOn, give out a good, ringing,
| hearty laugh, watch him! He is either
| after your pOCket-bOOk or the under
| taker. Joy, fun, laughter, good, healthy,
wide-awake happiness are among the
most noble and desirable of human at
| tributes Nothing but men can laugh
! Do not smother, but cultivate this dis
| tinCtiVe feature Of humanity
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27

his spurs into the animal he is riding till
he has got the team in position, then
with a dart, few jumps, and a final tug,
under a frightful torrent of oaths and
whip-lashes over the poor animals
heads, the other side is reached. The
mules hop around a moment under the
smarting cuts they have just received,
and with bray of relief tug on patient
ly just as good, meek people do when
they have met one of the trials of life,
passed through it, and come out purified.
4 wagon train crossing creek or a gully
is as good as a Fourth of July Celebra-
ton, and reminds me strangely OF
one when I stand at a distance-the
cracking and shouting and hurrahlng
that is always done, l suppose, is abso-
Iutely necessary; but it's very disagree
able to the "Offwheeler." The destiny
of an off-wheeler" is absolutely terri
BILE. IF fifty whacks are given to a team
of mules in crossing bridge, ind by a
mathematical calculation that the off
wheeler gets fOrty-three Of them. Half
a dozen gentlemen with long black whips
ALWAYS stand at a crossing to assist the
principal whacker. Their duty is some
what the same as his, only they stand
still have the free use Of both hands,
ana nave d bClICI poASIAtoS III CAASAA
feet than saddle-stirrups, so they can
wback harder and more frequently than
he-and the majority of their blows fall
on the " off-wheeler." III was an g off
wheeler" [ should memorialize Congress
to have the position of assist ant-mule-
whacker abolished You see these men
these assistants-stand in the middle Of
the gulch and the wagons go down so
quickly that the leading mules run under
While their whips are in the air, but the
off-wheeler" gets along just in time to
catch the downward stroke; and as the
tug comes in going up the other side the
assistants generally get time to whack
him again before he is out of trouble.
While the wagons are waiting at one of
these gulches-waiting for their turn to
cross-you hear an occasional bray, about
one-sixth as many brays as there are
mules in the wagons. 1t is the off
wheeler. It is simply short, subdued
bray, but it means great deal.-Blacb
Hills Cor. Inter- Ocean.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
Intelligent Agriculture.

In one of our Eastern experimental
farming institutions a Professor of Agri-
culture has given the world some expert
ments on various fertilizers tested at the
institution. We have great admiration
for this class Of intelligent men. They
know very little, practically, of soil or
soil culture, it is true; but every attempt
to connect brain work with hand-labor-
though the brain be in one body and the
hands on another-is so much gained to
the cause of agriculture. Still it often
seems that there is lack of judgment
about their proceedings that is remarka-
BILE. In the experiments reported by the
professor aforesaid, the figures are all in
French. He tells US that so many lilo
gidn2D1eS Of this and so many grGmmeS of
that were employed, and the seeds put
so many c6lltGnletreS apart, and so forth;
that no one but the few who have been
to " Paree" will know what the professor
is talking about. OF course it looks like
being strikingly accurate, and it is well
to see such strictness in a prOfessedly-
scientific man; but one need not entirely
overlook the needs of the average man
in experiments of this kind, especially as
it is to be supposed that for these aver
age men the experiments were instituted.
Pounds, ounces, feet and inches are good
enough for American farmers, though TO
a college professor they may not have
so learned look.-F0rney'S Press.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
The Truth of History INDICATED.

1T is astonishing what a fund of in
formation some young men acquire, de
spite their misfortune of being born rich
and boosted through life on the end of a
long rent-roll. Sometimes we see a
young blood who has been TO school, or
at least has been sent to school, all his
life, who can tell you the name of every
billiard expert and trottlng-hOrse in the
country. But such young men are eX-
ceptionaI The average young blood
can't tell you much Of anything. The
two bloods We are about to introduce be-
long to the exceptional few, whose fund
Of information is vast.
The other day the two learned bloods
under discussion were seated in the midst
Of throng of kindred spirits in one OF
the heightened saloons Of our city, and
the subject Of the Indian war came up
for discussion.
Blood No. / said the Indians were a
race Of catawampuses that ought to be
acknowledgement off the face Of the
earth
Blood No. ? said the Indians had been
sadly abused When they were fairly
treated they dealt fairly in return.
Look 1T William Penn" said he.
"Didn't old William bug the great State
Of Pennsylvania from tue InuldnS, anu
didn't he always use them well, and
didn't they always live in peace with
him."
ooh, well, now" reioined Blood No |;
tie indians used old William pretty
rough in the face Of all his kindness to
Blood No. 2-WeI, what did the In
dians do to William Penn, I'd like to
know?
Blood No. Why, you don't know
anything about the history Of your coun-
try. Didn't the Indians make old William
stand up one day and shoot an apple off
his little boys head with bow and az
row?
Blood No. 2-Thats 50! l forgot all
about that
Blood No triumphant We'll,
what DO you think about the Indians
now?
Blood No.2 (crcstfallen)-I expect
you're right. They ought to be wiped
out.
They all take a little sugar in theirn.
The truth of history IS yindicated.-St.
L0uiS Republican.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
Lots Of Stuff in the Cellar.

HEARD a young wife boasting to her
mother one time, and among other things
she said: ooh, we have lots of stuff in
our cellar!-turnips potatoes, apples,
squashes, cabbages, onions, parsnips,
soap, pork, sausages, tallOw, milk, butter,
lard, candles, soap grease, and [ don't
know what we haven't got there!" The
mother smiled approvingly, as though she
thought, "Oh, what an excellent prOvider
my son-in-law isl"
1t is no trouble to heap things into a
cellar in the fall of the year but it is a
great trouble to carry out the filth and
decay in the spring, and it is very often
neglected, and the result is serious if not
fatal. An illy-ventilated cellar, stored
with prOmisCuous edibles, is almost as
dangerous as powder magazine. Think
Of the steamy dungeon whose foul airs
permeate the living rooms above, whose
poison is inhaled by every breath that
goes into the lungs, and from thence into
the red life-current. We only wonder
that people live as long and as comfort
ably and happily as they do.
We hope that cellars with lots of stuff
in them" are not common; that men bury
in the ground their surplus vegetables,
bringing into the cellar only a limited
supply at time. Soap, tallow, pork,
lard and soap grease should none of them
be kept where milk and butter are, for
they are wonderful absorbents Of foul
odors.
If barrels must stand in the cellar,
sweep them often and let no cobwebs or
mold accumulate let them be placed on
trestles up off the ground-sweep the
walls thoroughly, move every decaying
vegetable, and pour water about it in
which has been dissolved copperas Have
chloride of lime standing about in plates,
secure thorough ventilation-whitewas
if you want to, and there will be no ty-
phoid fever or chills rising up out of your
cellars to seize you for its victim.-Oh5o
E07,q1e1.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
LOVES CHOICE.
BY KATE HILLARD.

BY KATE HILLARD.
Do YOU remember, dear, my love,
Our parting in the twilight lane,
When brighter than the stars above
Your eyes shOne through their dewy rain,
And made me say good-by again,
And held me, that [ could not move?
Too fond to grieve, too sad to smile,
| yielded to their silent power;
And was it but a breathing-while,
Or was it through a spell-bOund hour,
kissed your face. an upturned flower,
Whose sweetness did my soul beguile?
And then l said, " Farewell, my sweet
The hour has come, and we must part;
But through the long years ere we meet,
Which will You bear within your heart
To comfort you when l depart
Remembrance, or oblivion fleet?
A memory of all the bliss
That made the flying hours so bright,
From the first timid, trembling kiss
l dared to give you one dear night,
Lost in a vision of delight,
Down to the perfect JOY OF this?
''-Forgetfulness of all the pain
That happiest lovers learn to know
The doubts that come and come again,
The haunting fears that will not go,
The vague faint chill presaging woe,
Unconquered by love S proud disdain?
Which would you have. sweet? Now decide
Forgotten pain, remembered jOy?"
All, dearest!' then you said, and sighed,
Loves pain is but brief annoy,
But rich delights that never ClOy
Are to his memories allied.
'Then bid my heart loves Joy retain,
And sum felicity in this,
That all its treasures still remain;
And till we meet and live again
on shall forget loves passing pain,
And IL remember all its Bliss"
-LippincOHf for august.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27

the ground and lodged her safely and Sc
curely between two branches, at the
point where they join the trunk of a tree
which stood about thirty feet from the
I tree to which the rope was attached.
The fright and terror of the party be
low can be better imagined than de-
scribed as the swing came Keeling back
ward, while its former occupant was
/ living apparently lifeless in the branches
Of the tree 1t required only a few min
utes' deliberation for the gentlemen to
realize the situation and determine what
to do. It was fully twenty feet from the
ground to the first limb above, and the
| trunk of the tree about three feet in di-
amcter. They backed the wagon with
its canvas cover directly under the tree
so that in case she would drop her fall
would be partially broken. The swing
was hurriedly taken down and in an in
slant one end Of the rope was thrown
over the limbs of the other tree and Sc
cured below. BY this means two gen
tlemen of the party hurriedly went up
the rope and in few minutes were at
the side Of the unfortunate girl. She
was Just returning to consciousness. and
the force Of her fall had so securely
wedged her between the trunk and the
limbs rs to require no little eff
fort to eXtricate her. Miss johnson
at once realized her fearful situation.
She was pale and weak, but still had the
good sense to do as the gentlemen de-
sired. The rope was pulled up. slip
knot was made and then passed around
her body under her arms, the other end
passed around the limb, and in this man
ner she was lowered to the ground in
safety. With the aid of the wagon
cushions and several shawls a couch was
arranged, upon which the young lady
was placed and soon regained her
strength and composure.- (PG.)
EnnIo
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27

said the brawny Texan, who said he was
beginning to be impatient. Here's
a paper that pitches into Texas. and 81
to speak, bullrags the Texans, and when
call to see about it there's no one in
Where L live things are different. If a
paper makes any unpleasant remarks
ABOUT gentleman we always know what
to do. We just walk around to the Office
and the editors there, ready to give it to
US any way we want it. But here Won
have other fashions. You go for Texas
like blaZes IN the morning; and when T
call-belng the only Texan in the town
to chaw up the editor little and swan
bullets with him in a genteel wav 7
can't lind my man. | don't like it. If a
paper banterS fellows this sort of way If
ought 10 have responsible man-5
Pardon me" says Reeder. stepping
daintily into the middle of the room
with one hand thrust into his bosom and
face literally beaming with good ma
tUre. Pardon me, a thousand times. 7
quite misunderstood you | sunDospd
you wanted to see the chief editor only
II 1t is responsible man you're seeking.
that's another thing"
" Certainly. That's all I want; a re-
sponsible man-somebody l can rassel
about this article. That's what I've been
saying all the time"
Behold him! George Washington
Reeder, at your service, sir. Tn the re-
sponsible man of this paper, sir"
The astonished giant looked at Reed
er, and then at his pistol, which was
nearly as large as Reeder, and his face
became a battle-ground where surprise,
disappointment, disgust and amusement
struggled for predominance. Then he
stuck the pistol back into the case,
picked up his carpet-bag, and, ewing
Reeder all over with disparaging regard,
blurted out one short, profane expletive,
and then left, swindled and an injured
man.-NelO Orleans Picay,tll6.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
Tastes in Suicide.

IHE Saturday ReCielc gives the follow
ing very calm and philosophic paragraph
on tastes in suicide, subject which has
Its cheerful side, apparently, as well as
others: The popularity of different
forms OF suicide is not a proof that the
form adopted is really the most painless,
but 1t is proof that it is the least terri
flying to the Imagination. The question
as to the best mode of performing the
operation Is often discussed, but, un-
luckily, the results are rather ambiguous.
Few persons who commit suicide, in
fact, are cool enough to set about their
end in business-like manner. A sol
dier naturally shoots himself because he
has the materials always at hand.
Women, it is said incline in a general
way to hanging because they have con-
tracted an aversion to firearms which
remains with them-though it must be
admitted that the logical process is not
very sOund-even when the dangerous
character of an implement should be its
chief recommendation. Drowning, again,
has recommendations to many people,
not on account of its intrinsic merits,
but because rivers are always handy,
and because in many cases a voluntary
performance may be easily mistaken for
an accident The choice would appear
to depend generally upon the popularity
of temperament which makes it pleas
ATTEST for one person to plunge at once
into cold water, and for another to stink
in by degrees A man with vigorous
nerves likes to take the shock and have
done with it. A more excitable person
generally Strings from the shock even
more than from the change which it in
PRODUCES, and breads nothing which can
be brought about by slow degrees. The
French school of suicide has distin-
guished itself by it's fondness for the
charcoal process, which to EngIishmen
generally suggests associations, unpleas-
ant even at the moment of death, of
STIFFNESS, headache and discomfort"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
A Singular and FrightfuI Swing Ad-
venture.

on Wednesday Of the present week n
lively and Joyous party of ladies and
gentlemen started out from the neigh
borhood of Guthrieville, Chester County,
for the purpose of spending day on the
summit of the romantic Welsh Noun
tain, about two miles and half from
Morgantown. The party consisted of
six ladies and five gentlemen. Two of
the ladies were sisters from Baltimore,
Misses s. Y. and Annie r. Johnson,
daughters of a prominent salesman OF
that city The sisters were spending q
few days with their friends, who made
up the excursion to the mountain for the
benefit of the visiting ladies prior to
their departure from home. They left
the farmhouse on the above morning at
five o'clock in a large covered wagon,
containing provisions, ropes for swings,
Croquet sets and a parlor organ. They
reached the summit of the mountain at
half-past seven O'clock, and Immediately
commenced arranging for the day. In a
few minutes the blue smoke of their
camp fire curled above the trGe-tOpS, and
breakfast was duly prepared. The en-
tire forenoon was very pleasantly passed
with the various games and festivities
incident TO such occasions; delightful
songs were sung, accompanied on the
organ, and for a time the mountain rocks
and glens gave back beautiful echoes to
the pleasant and enchanting music.
1t was three o'clock in the afternoon
when Miss Annie Johnson expressed a
wish to engage in swinging. \ swing
had been put up in the morning, SuS-
pended from tree sixty feet high.
About halfway up the solid oak huge
limb branched out to the left, upon which
both ends of the rope were fastened
thus making the swing thirty feet, re-
QuiTing rope over sixty feet long, one
used for well-digging. The swing had
been used during the day without acct
dent. Miss Johnson, who is a lady OF
daring disposition, insisted on being
swung as high as could be done by the
aid of the gentlemen, and to crafty heI
wishes they consented. The young lady
is between eighteen and nineteen wears
old, pretty brunette, dark eyes, and
was dressed in a gray linen suit. She
sat on the seat-board of the swing and
grasped the rope tightly and babe them
go ahead. The swing commenced its
motion and gradually rose higher and
higher. until an altitude Of about twenty
feet had been reached She still insisted
upon being pushed, and up went the
swing higher and higher, until fully
thirty feet had been reached. She had
been cheerful and lively up to this point.
but all of a sudden she became Quiet
and the rest of the ladies were awe
stricken, and when the swing, with Its
precious burden, made one swift sweep
in the air, her head was noticed to drop
to one side. her muscles to relax, hel
arms to let 60 their hold and drop, and
away the unfortunate girl was hurled
through the air and only saved from d
frightful and terrible death by one of the
most miraculous interventions ever heard
of. The momentum of the swings mo-
ton carried the apparently lifeless form
of the girl up fully thirty-fve feet from
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
The Farmers Home.

The Hon. Dudley W Adams, Master
of the National Grange of the Patrons of
Husbandry, in closing the Fourth OF uly
Grafton at Ottumwa, Iowa, gave the fol-
lowing as his idea Of what the farmers
home should be:
Select the handsomest spot of all, and
erect house of neat and tasteful pro-
portions and convenient arrangements.