Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-02-22
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

erary, and literal, income of $50, 600 a
year.
The wife of Mormon Pratt has Just
come East to attend medical lectures and
fit herself to doctor the other wives.
IT is estimated that the snow along the
line of the New York Central has fur
nished temporary employment to no fewer
than s, 200 people.
SIG. BLITz, the great magician, who re-
Gently died in Philadelphia, was the father
of the celebrated opera singer, Nine. Van
Zandt, who is now in England.
Mr.. COURTNEY, the leading writer Of
the London Times, has been courteously
notified that Ire cannot continue TO hold
that position while serving as a Member
of Parliament.
WITH that keen discrimination which
is the glory of the age, the New Orleans
Republican remarks that The soul of
sergt Bates is marching on; but his body
is saving wood In Illinois, -
The large fall of snow in Texas this
winter deprived the herds of their graz
ing, and large numbers of cattle died of
starvation. The condition was unpre-
cedented in the history of the State
A GIGANTIC serpent, from India, the
Python 6i0ittdtus, which was on exhibi-
ton in Berlin few days, has been sold
by its owner to an Englishman for $3.50.
Its length is reported as twenty-five feet,
and it swallowed twelve large rabbits al
one meal
REV. ADIRONDACK MURRAY says: "Now
and then you run across man who is all
claws, who scratches you, who bristles at
you, and the old Adam rises as YOU see
him bristle, and it is really only by stern
endurance that you can tolerate doing busi-
ness with him even at arms length"
As AN evidence that the quality of rail-
road iron in market has deteriora,ed of
late years, it is sta ted that some very old
rails are in use on the Louisville New
Albany & Chicago Road, but they are
proof against the severity of this extraor.
dinary winter. In no instance has one of
these old rails broken, while the new ones
snap easily.
A FEMALE Justice of the Peace of
Wyoming Territory was married few
days ago, and previously notified her
friends to be present by a printed form as
follows: s. am about TO marry Mr.. j
D., of this county, and he will be quail
flied and sworn in at my office on Wednes-
day morning next at ten o'clock. You are
invited to attend.'
AN lrishman, to whom some wonderful
story was told on the authority of penny
newspaper, declined to believe it, saving
he distrusted all he saw in the "cheap
prints Why shouldn't you believe in
cheap papers," he was asked, cas- soon
as any other?'' Because" was his
ready answer, ''I don't think they can af.
ford to speak the truth for the money"
THERE is something refreshing in the
absolute astOnishment that visitors to a
printing g-otfice sometimes display at the
commonest things. What is that black
looking thing standing up in that corner ?''
is sometimes asked by an unSOphisticated
observer, and the nearest typo answers
THAT is the printing office towel. We
always stand it up in that corner "-Ez-
clld1aQe.
THERE is no need for coughing at every
little irritation of the throat. You will be
surprised, on making an effort to suppress
your cough, to see how little coughing
you can get along with. Were man to
stand threatening you with club or pis-
tol, and offering to blow your brains out
at the first cough, you would find that the
will-power is most efficaciouS Il sup
pressing these bronchial insure ions A
French surgeon used to say whenever he
entered the wards of the hospital, ''The
first patient who coughs will be deprived
of food today" And very few then
coughed. DR.. Brown -Sequard says that
coughing may be prevented by pressing on
the nerves of the lips in the neighborhood
Of the nose, by pressing in the neighbor-
hood of the ear, and by pressing very
hard on the top of the mouth.-N. Y.
Graphic
60 Velvet sermon covers" arc now to
be had in this city for the truly reason a
BILE sum of five dollars per cover. Whether
the people who offer them for sale mean
to provide cover for velvet sermon, or
a velvet cover for sermon, is little
dubious; but in either case the article,
gracefully carried into the pulpit, lends a
certain amount of style to the minister
who carries it. 1t is not generally known
that these elegant sermon covers are used
as cloak for blemishes in the preachers
manuscript, which, if seen by his congre-
cation, might provoke criticism. No
matter how yellow with age, or how dog
cared and crumpled by frequent use a
manuscript sermon may happen to be, the
daintily embroidered velvet covers these
defects, and the old sermon appears to its
hearers as good as new. "Velvet sermon
covers are gradually taking the place of
worsted slippers as presents from admir-
ing maidens to the clergymen of their
choice.-N. 7 Commercial AdDertiser
THE Russian Minister is credited with
the following story: When the young
Alexis was first assigned to duty as mid
shipman, his vessel was wrecked of the
coast of Denmark. The Admiral CON-
manding, resolved to save the young man,
ordered him to take charge of the first
boat which put off from the doomed ship.
The Grand Duke disdained safety thus
bought, and declined. my duty is here,''
he said to the Admiral, A." and l must be
the last to leave the ship" Do you not
understand, SIR" exclaimed the Admiral,
"that you are under my command? And
do you dare to refuse obedience to my or
ders ~ 81 know my duty" answered the
midshipman, tand will obey any orders
you may see fit to give me, except an or
der to leave the ship, where my duty now
commands me to remain The Admiral
gave up his point, and Alexis was, as he
said he would be, the last man to leave the
ship, and after landing was promptly or
dered under arrest for disobedience of or
ders. The Grand Duke submitted with
out murmur. The Admiral sent dis
patches to the Emperor detailing the af-
fair, and the Emperor wrote: Il ap-
prove your having placed the midshipman,
Alexis, under arrest for disobediencc, and
bless my boy for having disobeyed."
"A rather ludicrous accident took