davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
Stained and Polished Floors.

A correspondent of the Country Gentle
man, who thinks that carpets are too ex.
pensive for daily use and that something
which is cheaper and at the same time
more easily kept clean is needed, says
that a friends hall and kitchen were
hoored, as he supposed, with strips of
black. walnut and pine; but he was in
formed that the owner had caused the
floors to be smoothly laid and with his
own hands had stained each alternate
board a dark color and then with shellac
had finished the whole to a fine polish.
He says: :" shall have my hall and din
ingroom floors planed smoothly and
evenly by a carpenter, and then myself
rub carefully with a sponge or brush,
avoiding any daubs over the seam, into
each alternate board stain prepared as
follows: One-quarter of pound Of as
phaltum and half pound of beeswaX to
one gallon Of turpentine. If too thin,
add beeSwaX; if too light in color, add
asphaltum, though that must be done
with caution, as very little will graduate
the shade, and black walnut is not what
its name indicates, but a rich, dark
brown; or burned lumber in alcohol, to
the proper consistency of easy application,
may be used without the beeswaX; and,
after thin coat of shellac has been laid
over the whole and the surface smoothed
over with sand-paper, coat of common
varnish will give it splendid finish. A
breadth of carpet or mating, or piece
of oilcloth laid down, will protect it
where the greatest wear comes. The
narrower the floor the finer will be the
effect; but in any case it will excite your
own and your neighbours admiration and
prove iOy forever"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
What is the Most Healthful Drink {?

WATER is the only drink A diseased
appetite or pernicious habit may add 10
it tea, coffee, acid, sugar, or drugs more
or less injurious, still the fact remains,
as stated, that the water part of the mix
ture is the only part that is drink The
question then resolves itself into this ::
Can any foreign element be added to
water to better adapt it to the purpose
for which God intended it? To this we
unhesitatingly answer, No. Pure water
is perfect; no improvement is possible
none is needed. A drink is needed to
quench thirst; pure water will do it. To
cool a fever pure water is all that is
needed. If we have taken into the sys-
tenn an undue quantity of salt, soda, or
any of the neutral salts formed from
soda by the process of modern cookery,
drink is called for. Pure water is read
lily mingled with the blood, and passing
off by natural channels, it washes the i'm
purity from the blood. No additional
impurity can make it better for this pur-
pose.
But" says one, without coffee I
have no appetite for my breakfast"
Then don't eat If the system really
demands food there will be a natural APP
petite for it. Food that is forced
down." or taken at the call Of stimuIat-
ed appetite, does no good. Far better
fast.
but without food [ feel faint and
weak"
Then rest; wait until the system de-
mands food-until you can eat without
forcing, without stimulants. Then you
can eat without drinking; and, if you use
plain food, with very little or no salt, you
will probably need no drink until the
food is digested; then drink of pure
water is quickly absorbed and mingled
with the blood, cooling and refreshing it.
". j. Young, in Science Of Health for
AnnMSt
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

The daily saving of sums intermediate
between those named in the above table
would, of course, yield similar proper
tionate results. We invite our readers
to study this table with care. There is
no man, woman or child living to whom
it would not convey very important
practical lesson. The fact is, the miser-
les, poverty, beggary and want that pre-
vail among men, especially in this coun-
try, spring very largely from their prodi-
gality. They manage to consume as they
go along all their income, whether from
business or wages; and, hence, they are
always poor, thousands of them never
being worth enough to pay their funeral
charges. A great many fortunes that
might have been saved are lost in this
way. If the entire body of society were
to act on their principle it would be in
the state of permanent pauperism, con-
Stunning as it goes along all the products
of its industry, and, hence, living from
hand to mouth. The only reason why
this is not true of all is that a portion of
the people do not consume all they earn
or produce; and, hence, they have a sur
plus, which goes to make up the aggre
gate Of the general wealth.-Neo0 York
IDdPDendeUt
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
Human Relies on the Ocean Bed.

THE dream that afflicted the wretched
Clarence, after due allowance is made
for poetic eXaggGration, probably gives
a fair though sOmber representation of
what was till lately supposed to be the
condition of the ocean bed. 1t were
easy to show by abundant quotations
that the bounding seas were supposed
to wash beneath their surface the
bones of unnumbered hapless mariners,
and that the highway of nations was
believed to be paved with the relics of
disaster. To this picture there was
afterward added a yet more weird feat
ure. The notion, derived from eXper-
lments on the compressibility Of air,
gained acceptance that water at great
depths was rendered so dense by pres
sure that nothing could sink to the bot
tom IN the ocean. According to this the
DRY, each substance would descend only
to certain depth, determined in each
case by its specific gravity Thus, while
the victims OF shipwreck might rest at
a rev hundred feet below the surface.
the heavier articles of the cargo would
remain at various distances below them:
out, IN the greatest depths, even the
| anchor itself would never reach the ocean
| floor. And thus the sea became a mau-
solemn more strangely occupied than
that in which Mohammed's coffin hung
suspended, mid-water being substituted
| for mid-air.
Each of these conceptions is exactly
the reverse of fact. Water is not com
pressible, and does not at any depth hold
heavy substances suspended in it. Relics
| of humanity of any sort whatever ore
among the very rarest curiosities OBJ
tanned in deep-sea dredging. Prof
E. S. Morse, in the course Of a discussion
on the evolution theory, has cited two
| good illustrations in proof of the latter
! statement. When the Lake of HARLEM
was drained, on whose surface the com
merce of ten centuries had floated and
several naval battles had taken place
no trace of man and his works was
found in the land redeemed from the
ocean. In the course of twelve years
dredging of the coast of New England
right in the track where sailing vessels
constantly piled, one iron spike was the
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
Agricultural Statistics.

Mr.. Samuel B. Ruggles has just pub
lished pamphlet containing the agricul-
tural statistics of this country. From it
are gathered the following items of inter
est: Of the whole area Of the States and
Territories, viz, 1897, 055, 220 acres,
more than 1SS,912, 1873 are improved The
growth of agricultural production has
more than kept pace with the growth of
population in the last thirty years. In
1910 the population Of the United States
was II, 069, 453; in 1870 it was 50, 55S, 371
The wheat grown in 1910 amounted to
1866 bushels. The manufacture of
butter and cheese was represented in the
former year by POP ,410, 40 pounds; in
the latter by 677,017,091. Between the
year 1910 and the year 1870 the yield of
hay was almost trebled. In 1850 the cash
value of farms, including live stock, i'm
plements, machinery, was $3,967,-
343,560; in 1870 it was 81, 1874, 95S, TAI.
The production of hay was twice as great.
The value of animals slaughtered in
creased from Sill, 703, 142 to 1898 $50, 376;
the yield of tobacco from S199, 1852, 500 to
$500, 735, 341; Of wheat, from 800, 468, 574
to $267, 1886. The yield of the cotton
crop in bales was 2,469,093 in 1850. In
1870 it was 3,011, 1896. The rice and
sugar crops show falling off The for
mer fell from 215, 313, 497 to 70, $50, 021
pounds. The value of the prod
ucts Of our manufactures rose from
$1,019, 106,616 to $4,232, 325, 493. In 1870
the agricultural population amounted to
1929, All persons. Of these, 5,303, 1868
were natives of the United States.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
Ny CUP.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.


SAT beside a darkened sea-
The bloOd-red sunset over me,
And heard the tides roll heavily.
Then from cloud of purple slid the moon,
And flooded that WIDE sea with silver noon,
Whereat the surf grew white, as IN a swoon.
And on the path of rippled shine
Came unto me shape divine,
Bearing chalice of clear wine,
And saying: Drink! thy life is past and gone
But God returns it, for He hath not done
His use of thee nor heard thy coward moan.
Drink, and arsel thy lips shall speak
Low words OF comfort TO the meek,
And strength TO souls afraid and weak.
Thou shalt not suffer idly or in Yain
Array thee from the armOry of pain,
And do brave battle with the world again
But l. dismayed as SHOWS in spring,
Cried out: The lips that drink must sing;
Ask thou from me some other thing!
If see sorrow. and interpret it.
The rude world crieth shame that [ should quit
The grief feel and speak to ears unfit.
& Better TO die and pass away
From the wide eyes OF mortal day,
Than be a lutte for all to play.
Better TO hide my lips in grass and mold,
Where the wild blossoms pour their cups Of GOLD
Than sing of tropics to this wintry cold"
But TRANQUILITY the angel said:
Thou Invest not to die of dread
For any words the world hath said.
Thou art a cup held in another hand,
And if He pour thy life out on the sand,
Shall it not waste, if so He give command?
What if thy heart be barred to sec
If thy pain serves one misery
To patient hope, why. let il bel
One whom thou darest not liken to thy dust
Groaned in His death with anguish and mistrust
For the whole world to hear; art thou more just
He made his soul sacrifice
To human pangs, and paid their price
In open day; art thou more nice?
If. from the millions born and dead in pain,
Thine inmOst sacred sorrow wept one stain,
Couldst thou dare veil it, suffer it ii vain!
g If this were Fame's immortal drink,
What instant wOuldst thou pause and think
Before thy lips assailed the brink?
But thy poor service is no longer thine,
If He shall use it for his ends divine
Who turned mere water into festal wine.
. Arise, and put thy fears aside,
Obey. and let the end abide,
Thou hast a legion on thy side"
SO from the sand rose and took the draught,
And, while my lips the bitter bubbles quatfed,
Low at my feet the soft gray pillows laughed.
christian Union.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
Burning a Hen Out.

RECENTLY terrible affair occurred in
Lower Wakefield Township, Bucks Co.,
Pa, by which two children of Mr..
John Bennett, who is in the employ of
Mr.. Haines, were burned to death in a
barn. 1t appears that a certain hen had
made its nest on the threshing floor of
the barn, and was there sitting in oppo-
sltlon TO the desires of its owners. Sew
eral attempts had been made toforce the
hen to leave the nest, bnt without avail;
and on Saturday, in discussing the mat
ter at dinner, one of the members of the
family jestingly remarked that the only
way to cure the hen would be to burn it
out. Two of Mr.. Benefits children, one
three and the other five years Old were
at the dinner-table when this remark
was made. 1t is supposed they took the
suggestion for truth, and acted upon it,
for as soon as they had finished their
dinner, unknown to the family, they
procured matches, went to the barn, and
| set fire to the nest upon which the hen
was sitting The fire spread so rapidly
that the children became frightened and
began to scream. Mrs. Bennett, the
mother of the children, hearing their
cries, fastened to the barn to ascertain
the cause. When she reached it she
found the children standing in the mid
die OF the threshing floor, with sheet of
1ame separating them from her Rush
ing to another part of the building in the
hope of gaining access to them, the
agonized mother found them completely
surrounded with raging flames, and was
utterly powerless to render them any
assistance. While the terror-stricken
mother was looking at her children, one
OF them climbed upon a threshing-
chine and piteously called for help, and
| IN another instant was lost to view in the
flames. No assistance whatever could be
given, and the entire barn, with its hui
man contents, was destrOyed.-FOrney'S
| Press.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

ed you by the fruit would he small, the
injury to the growth and future product
iveness of the plants will be great we
practice going over the vines and pinch
ing off the blossoms as fast as they make
their appearance In all perennlals let
the strength of the soil and the energies
of the plant be directed, the first year,
to laying the foundation for future pro-
ductiyeness.-America Rural Home.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

A RATHER unique wedding occurred at
Camp Brown. Wyoming, lately, young
man named Gibson marrying a squaw
twelve years old. The marriage was
solemnized 4" amid an extraordinary exu@
berance of spirits"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

THERE is new hat Tor rainy days
a simple frame with a handkerchief
stretched over it.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

A BoRE-A man who persists in talk
ing about himself when you wish to talk
about yourself.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

On his death-bed, Terre Haute com
positor confessed to having maliciously
substituted those" for these" IN no
less than seven hundred paragraphs He
had accomplished his fell work through
a conspiracy with the proof-reader.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

REASON enough there was for his doing
it-George Falkenstein, we mean, who
committed suicide at Pittsburgh, Pa,
the other day; for he is described as "a
foreigner, unmarried, respondent, home
sick and full of drink" Poor fellow!
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

IT was considered a deed of magnan-
unity for a San Francisco street crowd to
allow Chinaman to depart with his life,
after having killed two immense dogs
that had been set upon him by some Of
its members.
The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07

IRoN-Flat bar 1910 to 8 7-lOc horse shoe $40;
heavy bands 3 $40 TO 50 hoops $40 to s-I0c
light hands 80 TO SO; rounds and squares $40
to 8 9IOc oval 8 9-10 to 91Oc; half oval and half
round 2-lO to 9-lO railroad iron $40 TO $40.
SHEET IRON No 10 TO a. boiled $40; Char
coal, BIO; Juniata, S Sl0c. No. Is TO 90 boiled
8: charcoal $40; Jdniata. o. No. q To "a boiled
210c charcoal, 40; juniata, 2-lO. No Is and
26 boiled, 40; charcoal 9lO; Juniata, 4l0 No.
81 boiled $40; charcoal, 10; Juniata. Q 8 10.
All sheets 2s inches wide, cent per pound eN ra
STEEL-Best quality refined tool steel square Hat
and octagon from 3-S to inch, lie per ID Z and
IS to inch, zoe; 516 and is TO inch, "a Win
lay plates tn g., IL SAC; machinery steel 5
to inch round. IL l4c solid east. pow steel to 10
BY 316 IL &c spring steel, east IA TO a. lie spring
stool rs to lSxlS to 316, l4c; German SPRING best
refined, IL TO 4, &c agricultural cast reaper and
seythe Is 2c agricultural hoe 10 . fork, lie rail
road, cast, Lowm0t aXles Is lee car axes Is I2c
slide bars, plain, 10 IL forged lee crankpns plain
IA IL forged Ice piston rods, II l-2c frog points
IL lee side bars, IL lie.
STEEL TIRE to l l.2x IA and 10 '4ch, tire
lengths, "a; 10 and 1x3-16 and 7-sxl-4 ich tire
lengths, 10 IA 34x3-l6 and rs and 1x1-s inch tire
lengths, IL 81 "a and 5-Sx1s inch tire lengths 10 "a
cast steel tire. 2 cents extra.
TIN PLATE.-IC. 10xI4, Sl2 80 TX 10x14 sl4 so
&C. Roofing l4x2O so 80; Bar Tin, 4Oc per h.; Pm
Tin, Ale per h.. Lead, &c per h.. Solder 24c per h.
MISCELLANEOUS-Pick. l2A spindle and roller
The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07
FaOM MICHIGAN.
I3y Fourth street
SAGINAW CITY, FEB. /, 1874

SAGINAW CITY, Feb. |, 1874.
r. the Editor Of the woRKlNssAN's ADVOCATE.
Through the columns of your noble pa
per, ! take pleasure to inform your many
readers that, at last, the farmers Of this Vi
cinity have reached the age of understand
ing, and are forming clubs and oranges for
their protection Your humble servant
had the pleasure Of visiting one Of their
clubs last night, in Saginaw town, school
district No 7, and found them wide awake;
only a few faint ones are tagging behind to
see las they say what it will amount to.
They are buying all their goods and gro
ceries at wholesale and they found, in a
purchase amounting to forty dollars, that
they saved seventeen dollars
The retail dealers Of Saginaw nave about
six wrinkles between their eyebrows if
they happen to meet one Of them old moss
backs (as ti.cy are pleased to call them,
looking cheerful and happy with the
thought that he had saved one hundred
per cent, but the moss-back merely shuts
one eye and passes him BY.
The object Of market, for the purpose
of selling their farm produce direct to the
consumer, is being freely discussed, and
The workingmon of this city are determin-
ed to do all in their power to have a public
market established next summer but we
have got to put a chalk-mark on the backs
of some Of our council men before it can
be done and the chalk is ready.
Yours in the fight,
l.. 5. JOHNSON
The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07
The New Investment Plan.

Money, like every other commodity, has
its price, and whoever has it to sell desires to
get the highest price he can for it. II the
holder or owner of it docs not understand the
market peculiar to money, OF has not suffi-
cient amount to guarantee him in taking his
stand In the money mar ket, he places his sur
plus funds in the hands of other parties for
investment, and is satisfied with the lowest
prices the market allows for money. Thus
people having meanS, or having a small sur
plus over and above their actual expenses. de-
post it in a Savings Bank, where they receive
interest at the rate Of from to per cent per
ey at.
The class Of society which are generally
the most numerous depOsitors, are the frugal
portion of our working people, who, from
their small earnings, are able to save but a
moiety, and are, therefore, forever debarred
from participating in the benefits accruing
from high rate of interest.
This defect, or inequality, working so dis
advantageously to our working people, has
for number of years, occupied the mind Of
one of the ablest financiers in the country,
and he has originated plan whereby the
small depositors can avail themselves of the
money market, ard reap the advantages of a
high rate OF interest
The new method is simple, safe, and prac
tically it is as follows: The Directors sci
apart, tirst-mortgage notes to the face value
Of 500, 900, secured by real estate valued al
$500, 600 Upon these notes the bank will
issue certificates amounting to 800, 600, of the
following value: 500, $500 and 81, 900, tn,
interest $40 per cent, being payable on th'
first days Of February, May, August ant
November. The investment department be
ing thus started, money received from sale o
certificates is loaned on mortgage, and tn,
! system is extended as the dem and for invest
The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07

SCHENECTADY, Feb. 3, 1874 Louis Cohen
has made Application for membership, to this
taion EDWARD A. SMITH, Cor Sec,
Union Sc, Box 37S
FIsHKILL-oN- HUDsoN, January %, 1874 -
Union No l3l, formerly located at Newburgh,
will hereafter meet on the first Wednesday Of
each month at the o. s. Club Room, Fishkill-
on Hudson. john A. Morn,
Cor. sec. Union 1871
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Jan. 30, lS74.-Local
Unions Will please take notice of change of
corresponding secretary of Evansville Union
no. -. and address future communications
to Mack SAMuELs, 23l Main street,
Cor. sec. Union No. "a
HoRNELLSvILLE. n ", Jan. 26.-The
post office address Of the International See
rotary of the Cigar Makers International
Union of America, will hereafter be at Hor-
nellsville, \. y. f. j. Cox, Int. Sec.
ALBANY. a. ~, Jan %, 1874 William
Buls)n has made application for a travelling
card to this Union, he claims to have lost the
one be had Any Union having charges will
prefer them according to law
NJ. +. HOGAN, Sec No. s.
SYRACUSE. Jan. 81, 1874 At the last reg
ular meeting Union No. elected the follow
ing officers President, Adolph Henry Fl
nancial Secretary, Michael Mitus Recording
Secretary. Thomas Kendall Presidents adj
dress No. 26S Lodi street
JACOB GEBHARDT,
Cor sec Union No 8, p o. box So
SPRINGFIELD. Mass, Feb. /, 1874, Her
man Sanders made application for member
ship to this Union, all Unions having charges
against hun will please prefer them. He
hailes from New York city
JACOB ARENs,
Cor Sec. Union 49,
NEW HAYES. Feb. ,, 1874. Abraham Mi
das applied for membership. lie has just
served his apprenticeship in this city.
ISAAC HAYES,
Cor Sec'y, Union 80
NEW YORK. Feb 4, 1874 Samuel Abra-
hams and Godfrey Abrahams have applied for
membership. +. SAQUI, Cor. Sec
Union 10, Ill Columbia st.
BrFFALo, Jan. p. 74-Joseph Lambert,
hailng from Warren, Pa, has made applca-
tion Tor membership in this Union.
JAMES BURKE
Cor. See. Union ,.
The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-02-07
FROM CALIFORNIA.
SAN FRANcIsco, Jan. %, Il

san FRANcIsco, Jan. %, 1874.
TO the Editor II the WoRSINsNAS's ADVOCATE.
am pleased to see in your issue OF the
10th, likeness Of the man who has secur-
ed for his name the enviable immortality
that rewards good deeds. The protector
Of these organizations now best known as
Oranges.
notice that Mr. 5. is engaged in organ
izing a plan Of insurance. The Oranges
afford an excellent opportunity to put in
operation cooperative system of insur-
ance. and from the specimen we have al
ready had of the gentleman's ability in de-
vising benevolent projects to benefit his
fellow-men We may expect that new
era will shortly dawn upon our present sys
TEN of insurance.
The lyceum for self culture had under
discussion, to-day, the question
Resolred, That our present money sys
TEN Is impoverishing the nation and de
grading and enslaviug the people.
The ignorance Of THE question displayed