davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
Quick Ears.

1T IS sometimes surprising to see how
animals learn to pick out the sound in
which they take an interest from the
thousand noises of the city. In Paris a
man who goes about with cheap meat for
the cats rings bell as he approaches the
house of customer. Long before the
members of the household detect the
sound pussy will spring to the door, and
with eager looks await the arrival of her
benefactor; for, as she has no ideas oftrads
she can only look on the oatmeal man.
as true philanthropist. She can always
pick out his voice and tone amidst the tur-
moil of the busy street.
A gentleman away in Western seaport
was down on the wharf one day, when he
saw dog spring up and prance about in
a very joyful manner. He could see no
reason for the excitement; but a BY
stander explained: THAT is Mr.. Fairv's
dog. He is mate on board the Alexan-
dria, and as soon as the dog hears the
whistle of that boat he knows it, and
goes for it.''
Sure enough, the dog started off at full
speed for the dock where the vessel stopped ;
and as soon as it touched the wharf
ne boarded it, and sprang to meet his be-
loved master. The owner of such a faith
full dog ought certainly to be a good mas
ter. To most people the whistle of one
steamboat was much like another, but
this shaggy fellow had learned the exact
tone o. the one tor which he watched and
waited.
It is still more wonderful that dogs, and
perhaps some other animals, seem to I'M
derstand conversation sometimes, and act
upon the hints they get in this way.
A clever little fellow, who always liked
to ride with folks, but was often shut up
at home, was sitting in the breakfast-room
one morning, when the family planned to
20 70 town that day.
"Shall you go with the single or the
double team, father?" asked one.
"With the double team" was the re-
ply.
Shortly after Dash disappeared, and
nothing was seen Of him until the party
had got some four miles on their way,
when he meekly crawled out from under
the back seat, and wagged his tail in a
way that seemed to say: {" You certainly
can't send me back, now have got SO
far" He seemed to know which sleigh
to hide in, and could only have learned
from the versation-L2Itberan o.
sp7.De7'
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
In a Lions Den.

Poor old Lee Belk, who lost his life
here on Saturday at ting hands of Beason
brothers, had been in numerous tight
places during his eventful and checkered
life. The younger Robinson, who was
managing the show which was here on
Saturday, related the particulars Of a
frightful scrape old Lee got into once dur
ing the term of several years he travelled
with his fathers show. 1t was in Texas.
Lee had got into trouble with a body of
Texas rufians who had come to the show
at, we think, Austin. Furious with anger
and whisky, they set upon him with re-
yolver and bowie-knife. The case was
hopeless but IN flight and successfully
Guiding pursuit. Luckily he escaped the
first onset and threw them off the track
for a moment. He could hear their bowls
and vengeful threats. Time was precious,
and desperate deed for safety had to be
done quickly. He approached the keeper
Of the lions cage, and, upon peril of his
life, babe him deliver him Instantly the
keys. Belk unlocked the door and en-
tered, seeking the safety inside the lions
den he well knew was not outside The
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

A CORRESPONDENT of the New York
Farmers Club gives an instance in which
Woman's arm was swelled to an enor
NOUS size and painfully inhamed. A
poultice was made of stewed pumpkins,
which was renewed every fifteen minutes,
anu In short time produced perfect
| cure The fever drawn out by the poul-
tices made them extremely offensive as
| they were taken OFF.
In choosing silk. especially of foreign
| manufacture, select soft fabric in pref
erence to one that may be heavier and
sitter; the former may not at first pre-
sent so elegant an appearance, but ii will
wear much the best. The stiff silks soon
crack, become " shiny and shabby, as
they owe their superior weight and body
to a fictitious substance (gum. tor exam
ple) introduced in the manufacture. A
good light is required for silk counter,
and the Intelligent purchaser looks at the
eyenness with which the silk is woven. as
well as its excellence of color. Imported
silks are more subject to stripes of un-
evenness in the weaving than those of
home make, because the former are woven
by hand, while the latter are wrought by
the unerring correctness of machinery
RuraE NeO Yorker - 9.
Do NOT forget the poultry on the farm
at butchering time. Save the offal and
scraps that are usually thrown away. Put
them into the big kettle, cover them with
water, and keep up fire beneath until
they are so thoroughly cooked that the
bones may be easily removed. These may
be dried and then broken up to feed to the
hens during the winter. The meat scraps
and gelatin left in the kettle will answer
to season many warm breakfast for the
poultry during the early part of winter.
Now. that the hens get no more insect
food, as during the summer, something
OF the kind is needed for them if they are
to keep US well supplied with eggs for the
breakfast table.-Prai7Te Farmer.
CHICKEN PIE.-Cut the chicken in
small pieces and put them on to cook with
just water enough to cover them When
about half done take out the chicken and
rub some pepper, salt and flour with suf-
hcient butter to make a rich gravy; when
cool, roll out your crust and put round
the sides of the dish, let it come over the
edge, then cut some narrow strips and put
round twice on the top of that; put in the
chicken and fill the dish about half full
of gravy; save out plenty to eat with the
pie. If there does not seem to be enough.
rub some butter with flour and seasoning,
and put in small pieces among the chick
en-, and put in some water. Then cover
the dish with thick crust, cut out a round
piece from the center of the pie, then roll
some crust little thicker than you would
for common pie, and cut eight loaves-
you can mark round a tablespoon to shape
them; mark them through the middle and
each side to resemble leaf, then lay on
four opposite each other, then the other
four between those; take a narrow strip
of the crust and cut it fine at one edge,
then roll it up and put it in the center If
properly done you have very handsome
pie. Bake it gradually until the crust is
done.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
Why and How to Drain Land.

| On flat lands, where the soil is clay and
subsoil of an impervious character, and
where the crops have been submerged
with stagnant water long enough to de-
stroy them, it will pay to underdrain the
land. Open bitches having the sides
| sloped to an angl not exceeding one foot
| to five are admissible as main drains, as
the slOping sides can be seeded to grass
and all the land can be utilized. This
done, underdrains of any material what
ever that will allow the water to filter
down through the subsoil and into the
drain will answer the purpose.
The object in having the rain-water per
colate through the soil is because it con
tains IN solution oxygen of the air and
carbonic acid-both being powerful dis
| integrators Of the particles composing the
soil. The oxygen of the air attacks and
oxidizes the iron; the carbonic acid, seiz-
ing the lime, potash and other alkaline
ingredients of the soil, produces further
disintegration and renders available the
locked-up ingredients of this magazine of
nutriment. Thus it is that when the rain
which falls is allowed to find its way
through the soil into the drains itenriches
and fertiliZes the land, rendering useful
the broad acres that would otherwise be
valueless. A little close observation after
heavy rainfall will enable one to de-
termine where the main drains and the
ones leading into them should be located.
The grade of the lateral or side drains
should not be less than one inch to every
100 feet; but two to three inches would be
better. A spirit-level and straight-edge
five or six feet in length will enable one,
with little calculation, to determine the
proper grade.
Ordinarily, common plow and two
horses will greatly expedite the digging,
as much Of the surface soil may
thus be thrown out. After this is
done, long doubletree six or seven
feet in length may be used this to
be of sufficient length for the horses to
walk each side Of the ditch To this
doubletree chain should be attached so
that small barshire plowmay be fastened
to it, which, by being drawn back and
forth in the furrow, Obyiates the use of the
pick entirely, and the soil can then be
readily and rapidly thrown to the right
or left with shovels, thus forming a ditch
as wide as desired and Of the necessary
depth.-RurdI World. ...
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
A Christmas Pardon.
SerD6r.

TWENTY FIVE years ago-Dack to the
time when most OF this generation were
children in years-back to almost the first
day of the telegraph-back, through Win
ter and summer, and war and peace, and
political changes until the mind is hardly
clear-Joseph Rabidieux, then a young
man under twenty years Of age, living in
Detroit, received the awful sentence of
solitary confinement tor life IN the State
Prison at Jackson. After a few weeks
the general public forgot him-after a
year his name was scarcely mentioned ex-
cept by those of his blood and the few
who had interested themselves in his be-
half.
You can remember back twenty-five
years? So can he, but how different his
memories! He remembers the day he
entered the prison, and he remembers
when the iron door closed out daylight
and left him in the midnight darkness for
hfe-left him to stand or sit or lie in a
cell whose iron walls and floors were to
hurl back his shouts for mercy-mercy
from the appalling darkness and from the
loneliness of never seeing human face or
hearing human voice. The days came
and went. Weeks made months and
months made years, and at times, per-
haps, he beat the iron walls with his fists
and raved and shouted and shrieked, but
the walls let no sound escape. One day
the long-closed door opened and Rabi-
dieux was called from his cell. Day
light blinded him, the human voice had
a strange, weird sound He had been in
that dark cell-in that awful solitude-for
seven long years.
Were you ever in a courtroom when a
prisoner was sentenced for life? Did YOU
realize that days would come and go,
years pass by, your own life change in a
dozen ways, and yet the prisoner would
live on, growing older every day. yet as
hopeless after a score Of years as the day
he gave his name to the warden? It is
terrible when one thinks of it. Rabidieux
thanked God for sunlight and air, and for
freedom to move about, but hope was al
most dead. Death would come some day
to release him, but he was never more to
walk the streets, never to see the green
meadows, the poisoning orchards and
sights which fill ones heart with graft
tude to nature. They gave him tools and
he went to work. Death Was one day
nearer every day and some day he would
60 outside the grim walls-in a coffin.
That was all he had to look forward to,
and what hope was that?
Twenty-Five years to day, and the
other day the warden sent for him and
told him he was free! Do you wonder
that ne stood amazed; that he grew death
~ white; that he sank down without even
strength enough to speak his great graft
tude? For quarter of century his feet
had pressed no earth except within prison
walls. His daily routine has been the
same, though new wardens and new
keepers came and went He had worn
prison stripes until he had almost forgot
ten that anything else was worn, and he
had kept step with convicts, eaten with
them and seen them around him until a
stranger passing through the shops had
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
The Yield of Wheat.

The wheat crop as the chief food grain
of the world ought certainly to be grown
with profit. If this staple crop is by uni
versal consent admitted to be an unproft-
able one, there must necessarily be some
thing wrong in its management. No
other crop can take its place under our
present system of farming, for it is in the
vast majority of cases made the vehicle
for bringing in grass and clover, and it's
place in the usual rotation cannot well be
flied by any substitute But there is a
universal complaint that there is no profit
in growing wheat. This is very generally
true, but it does not follow that the blame
belongs to the wheat, for with some farm
ers wheat is by far the best money crop
they raise. But these farmers raise far
more than the low average of twelve or
fifteen bushels per acre. 1t may be taken
as general rule that a yield of less than
twenty-five bushels Of wheat per acre is
grown at a loss, at least in those localities
where it is necessary to use manure to
produce the grain. Where the g virgin
soil'' is still unexhausted and manure is
left tc rot idly in the yards, or to be
washed into the streams, there may still
be some little profit in twenty bushels per
acre. But where ten to twenty loads Of
manure per acre is used every four years,
and lime, superphosphate or other fer
tilizers are applied periodically, in addi-
ton, crop of even twenty-five bushels
is hardly profitable. Still larger yield
than this is the exception rather than the
rule upon well-cultivated farms. An
elaborate effort has been made recently
by Mr.. Klippart, the Secretary of the
Board of Agriculture of Ohio, to
ascertain how frequently forty bushels
of wheat per acre has been grown by
farmers in that State. A circular was is
sued to the Secretaries Of the County Ag-
ricultural Societies requesting the names
OF those farmers who had within their
knowledge grown forty bushels of wheat
or over per acre. From Champaign
County five names were reported three of
these farmers had grown forty bushels,
one forty-fve, and one ifty-one bushels
per acre. In Hardin County two names
were obtained. Mercer County furnished
six names; Morgan County, one; Putnam
County, one; Shelby County, three; and
Sandusky County, three names, one of
which was that Of farmer who raised
sixty-one bushels per acre With these
few exceptions the yields reported were a
few OF thirty bushels Or more, many of
twenty-five bushels, and in many cases
the latter yield was mentioned as an ex-
crop In some cases the
yield was reported as being little more
than the quantity Of seed that had been
soWn. 1t IS largely the custom in Ohio
to SOW the wheat upon the corn stubble,
simply narrowing in the seed or covering
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06

Mr.. Bradish job nson, one of the
largest sugar planters in Louisiana, deter
mined to make an innovation upon the
old style of taking off his crops. He is
about to adopt the portable-railway sys-
TEN, whereby it is estimated that one mule
will do the work Of at least fifteen, and do
il better. Work will not have to be sus-
pended during bad weather, as is the case
where mules and carts are used, and after
the crop is off the track the cars can be
utilized for building AID repairing levees,
hauling wood, coal, supplies, etc.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
Steanling Food for Stock.

The conclusion we are inclined to adopt
after all our investigations of this subject
is that if one has considerable quantities
of coarse and inferior fodder to work up,
and wishes to make up for its inferioritv
by the use Of grain, and if the principal
object is selling milk by measure, without
special regard to quality, and if the mum
Der of COWS kept is large, say twenty or
more, and one expects these conditions to
exist several years, it viii pay to purchase
a good steam boiler and cook the feed for
his COWS; but if the number of animals
is small, the quality Of hay the very best,
as when good grass is cut before the bios
SONS, and the object of feeding is any
thing but making milk for market, he had
better make his stables as warm and com
Portable as possible, and feed his hay
whole and raw rather than incur the ex-
pense and extra labor necessary for steam
ing food. ~. ..E r..
We also believe that many who have
adopted steaming and have at the same
time made their barns warm and comfort
able by tighter covering, or by the fire
fir ON the furnace, or by both, and have
also warmed the water drank by the cows,
would find itnot little puzzling to decide
Just how much of the improvement in the
condition Of the animals, the increase in
the amount OF milk, and the saving Of
fodder is due to steaming or cooking the
food, and how much TO the general i'm
provement in the care and management Of
the animals whica usually accompanies
the introduction of steamer on the farm.
NJ e. FI7naeq
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
itching the Bessemer Process.

A CORRESPONDENT of the New York
World thus describes the method: A
staircase on level with the foundry
cupola furnaces, into. whose fiery maws
workmen continually toss big wooden
bowlfuls of coal, coke, iron and limestone.
These cupolas are circular, about six feet
in diameter, with six tuyeres of an aggre-
gafe area of 200 square inches. The
method OF CHARGING them is this: The
bed of the charge is formed vf some {, 400
tons of fuel, upon which is laid some
three and half tons of pig iron A sec
ond bed Of 1 400 pounds of fuel is then
laid and three more tons of pig iron
added. These alternate charges Of fuel
and pig iron continue until the cupola is
filled, and it is kept thus filled to the
charging door continually A small
quantity of limestone is added occasional
ly, acting as fux. The cupolas will
melt 100, 900 pounds Of iron in nine con-
secutive hours, and viii hold five tons
during the first few charges, but as the
hearth becomes filled with Stag the capac-
ity is decreased and the furnaces require
to be oftener tapped In the cupolas,
then, the first stage of the Bessemer
prOcess-the Decentralization of the pig
irOn-is accomplished Emptied now
from the cupolas into enormous ladies of
several tons capacity the liquef1ed mass
is from them poured into trenches which
lead to the mouth Of the huge converters
leach holding five tons), which swing like
kettles on axes just above their centers.
Brilliant pyrotechnics appear. Gaseous
explosions from the hot streams toss show
ers Of sparks high among the beams and
pillars. The kissing of these molten riv-
ulets is louder than that of a thousand
serpents. Decarbonized, the iron is use
less. The next step in the process is to
recarbonize it to an exact degree, thus
making steel of it. For this purpose
some smaller spiegeleisen furnaces have
been charged with highly iron
imported from Belgium, and certain pro-
portions of their contents are now emptied
into each Of the converters. Almost in
simultaneously the cOmmingling Of the
elements takes place and blast of air
from the fan completes the fusion as the
converters are turned upright with their
mouths under the projections Of neigh
boring chimneys. The flame and din
which issue from these nozzles for few
minutes are hideous enough for bells.
Suddenly the blast ceases. The fusion is
complete. The steel-broth is made. Each
condenser turns down its open nozzle and
pours out Vesuvian flood into ladies
waiting below, over what are called the
ingot-beds. These beds are sunken circles
in the earth. Around their rims are set
rows Of molds, shaped like long tin pals,
each intended to hold just about the
quantity of steel needed to make rail-.
The ladies, affixed to the ends of power
full cranes, swing around these circles, de-
posting in each mold its portion. Cool
ing, the several portions form the steel
ingots, which are transported to the roll
ing-mill hard by, reheated white and
passed between rollers after rollers until,
elongated and shaped, they become rails.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06

an unnatural look, and when the stripes
fell from him and be resumed an honest
dress and knew that he was to go out into
the world again, was it any wonder that
he hesitated, asked for one more look at
his cell, at the forbidding walls-around
him at the grim sights which had met his
eyes for SO many long, long years? He
forgets his age and reaches back to pick
up the thread OF life where the prison door
snapped it in twain.-Detroft Free Press.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
From the Missouri Republican (St LouistI
A Remarkable Professional Success.

Among the notable professional men OF
this country who have achieved extraor di-
nary success is Dr. r. V. Pierce, of Buffalo,
y 1. The prominence which he has attained
has been reached through strictly legitimate
means, and, so far, therefore, be deserves
the enyiable reputation which he enjoys
This large measure of success is the result
OF thorough and careful preparation for
his calling, and extensive reading during a
long and unusually large practice, which
have enabled him TO gain high commenda-
ton, even from his professional brethren.
Deyoting his attention to certain specialties
OF the science he has so carefully inyesti-
gated, he has been rewarded in remarkable
degree. In these specialties he has become
a recognized leader. Not few of the RENE
dies prescribed BY him have, it is said. benn
adopted and prescribed by physicians in
their private practice. His pamphlets and
larger works have been received as ,,sef,I
contributions to medical KNOWLEDGE He
has recently added mother, and parbsns
more ira lDortant, work, because of more oen.
eral application, to the list of his published
writings. This book, entitled ssTbe PeoDIe,s
Common Sense Medical Adviser is de-
signed 10 enter into general circulation. Dr.
Pierce has received Acknowledgements and
honors from many sources, and especially
scientific degrees from two of the first med
icai institutions in the land.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06

ruse successfully threw them off the scent.
He rode in the lions cage seventeen
miles, and the noble brute nobler than
the human brutes who pursued-trea&ed
him with kind indifference. 1t is doubt
less the only instance on record wherein
mortal man sought and obtained safety
from his infuriate fellows bytaking refuge
in a lions den.-Mertde,a( Mss. J Mercuru.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06

The Wonaon's Journal, in an article
on Masculine Physique" warns every
woman in search of a husband not to be-
stow glance on the lean" man, but to
"shun him IS she would a pestilence. A"
Comforting teaching this to lean men.
Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-10-11

especially reported for the ALPENA
WEEKLY ARGUS, by the Mechanic
and Inventors Association, Solic-
tor of American and Foreign Pa
tents. Thos. s. Sprague, Presi-
dent, Detroit, Mich.
Bung Cutter, John Brown, De-
troit.
Pontoons for raising suDken YES
sells, etc, William Foster, assignor
to self and William Travis, Detroit.
Heating Stoves, George w. Her
rick, assignor to Detroit Stove
Works.
Hoes, Edward Warren, assignor
to Geo. Ingersoll, Marshall.
Door Checks, S. o. Ball, Ypsi-
lanti.
Churns, William Marvin, Sum-
ner.
Medicine, William Turner, Grand
Rapids.
Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-10-11

took fire, and in very short time
was entirely consumed, together
with a goodly portion of the con-
tents. Loss about 81, 800: insur-
sured for 81, 900.
Ind a,lother.-About two o'clock
yesterday morning, the house of
Alexander Campbell took fire from
sparks blown from the ruins OF
Smiths house, and was only saved
from ruin by great exertions on
the part of the neighbors. Damage
about $500.