davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
Mrs. Burnett's Boy.

Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, the
well-known authoress, is one of these
exceptions, and her craze for the
picturesque extends not only to her in
animate surroundings, but to her two
boys. A lady who has recently paid
Mrs. Burnett long visit is the author
ity for the statement that they are very
handsome boys. Their proud mother
is quite aware of their beauty by keep
ing them dressed in most becoming
fashion. She taught them to pose in
an artistic manner. If bell rings and
visitor is announced, Mrs. Burnett
turns to her sons and says: s'Take
your positions Immediately the we'll
trained boys fall into the poses best
suited to their dress and beauty. The
older one will lean his elbow on the
corner of the mantlepiece and rest his
head upon his shapely hand, while the
younger will stretch himself in a grace
full attitude on the heavy fur rug in
front of the fire. The visitor enters
and cannot fail to be struck by the
picturesque beauty of the scene and
goes away, her mind full of admiration
for her friends children, and feels al
most ashamed of the general roughness
of her own boys at home, whom she is
much more likely to find gliding down
the banisters, sitting on the fence or
playing ball than in poses which would
gladden. an artists heart. Of course
the attitudes given above are only those
for winter use. For summer an en-
tirely different set prevail, but they are
all quite as effective, and. indeed, they
are the pride of Mrs. Burnett's heart.
What the result of this novel mode of
education viii be is question which
agitates many of the writer's friends,
but they will soon have the opportunity
of seeing, for boy who can lean an ell
bow on the mantle-piece cannot be so
very SmaH.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
SWEET SEVENTEEN DISCOUNTED,

"Sweet seventeen" is no longer the
ideal age, even with our modern poets,
says ''Madge" in London Truth. In
fact, the school girl is recognized as be-
ing with some honorable EXCEPTIONS
diSagreeable being self-conscious, raw,
and possessed of an enormous capacity
for devouring sweets. There is a de-
licious comparison between girl and
woman to be found in Besant and Rice's
novel, 'FAll in a Garden Fair a COM
parison that is wholly in favor of the
latter. So, my dear, remember that in
a couple of years / shall reach the sta
tionary age, "a, and that [ am going to
be as charming as [ ever can for the
whole time L remain at that age. Fort
unately, our circumstances do not emit
tie us to have the year of our birth re-
corded in the ''Peerage, "a very
doubtful privilege, so far as the femi-
nine portion of our aristocracy is con-
cerned. A little well meant fraud is,
therefore, possible to us, and the only
difficu ty is to continue to look the part
We are not all Ninon de rEnclos But
there are many devices available now
of which that wonderful woman knew
nothing. 1t is said, you know, that her
only cosmetic was rainwater. We have
besides that lawn-tennis, long walks,
and an immense repertory of soft tints
wherewith to clothe ourselves, and
make complexions dazzling that would
otherwise be scarcely noted. | am 90
ing to study myself, Amy, now that I
am getting on" and shall be most
careful about my dress. [ shall, how
ever, confide in you. Maud is no good,
she has no reciprocity in such matters,
for she would not descend to dissemble
a single wrinkle or gray hair, if she
possessed them.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
CLARA BARTON AT GENEVA.

want to be the first to speak to you
of Miss Barton, writes correspondent
of The Womdn'S Journal, whom we are
proud and happy to have again in our
old Europe, where she is as well-known
as if she had been born among us, and
where she is loved and appreciated by
many rulers and nations who saw her
at work after our great war of 1870.
The hearts of all her countrywomen
would have beaten with a noble pride,
as did mine, if they had been present at
the session of last Wednesday. Mr.
Sheldon had just spoken of the Red
Cross in America, and paid delicate
compliment to Miss Barton. After
speaking of her efforts to spread the
Red Cross in the United States, and of
the full success by which they had been
crowned, he alluded to Miss Nightin-
gale, and said with a voice of emotions:
''After our American war we used to
call her our Florence Nightingale; but
now we only need to call her our Clara
Barton, and we consider that this name
is enough. Upon this the whole au-
dience, who were less familiar with the
American work of your famous and be-
loved countrywoman than with her Eu-
ropean work, but who knew the latter
well applauded warmly, One of the
italian delegates, springing upon the
platform, proposed to the assemblage
to vote by reclamation that Miss Bar
ton has deserved well of humanity, !"
and actual thunders of applause broke
out at his proposition. Emotion and
enthusiasm were at the highest pitch.
The phrase, 'sbiefs naerste dc Truman
'te," is the expression OF the highest
appreciation, honor and esteem that the
French language can convey. Miss
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
A WOMAN'S HATE.

Mrs. Bladen, writing in TTaggarts
Sunday Times, says that when a wo-
man is Overheated and tired, 'sixino
her hair, which means letting it fail
loose, combing, and rearranging it. is a
more refreshing process than even bath
ing the face. When the hair is let
down some sort of interior weight seems
to pass off from the head. What is
strange, however, is that, when made
smooth and twisted, and again fastened
tightly. there is a still greater sensa-
ton of clearness and freedom inside the
brain. Tt is an illustration of blowing
hot and cold with the same breath
that is to say, two opposite processes
produce a similar result. Here is an
experiment the fair reader may try for
herself. If she takes down her hair
and lets it fall about her shoulders, the
first sensation is that of GOODNESS; butt
allowed to hang loose the heat of the
head increases very rapidly, and the
tighter the hair is twisted or plaited the
sooner this heat is relieved. If a wo-
mans hair is free from oils or pomades,
and she combs it on a winter night with
rubber comb, electric sparks will fly
out, and a cracking sound be emitted
Ii, with the hair hanging in this condi-
ton, she stands on chair, the fourlegs
Of which are placed in ordinary glass
tumblers, and points her finger at
gas-burner, she can light the gas with
her touch. There will be a slight re-
port and a sharp, tingling sensation in
the end of the finger from which the
electric spark passes. Now, if her hair
is dressed-that is to say, smoothed
with oils or pomades and tightly twist
ed-she can not light the gas by point
ing the tip of her finger at it unless
the electricity of her system is excited
by friction. If she wears silk dress
and has it rubbed with fur muff, she
can accomplish the feat, which would
be great saving of matches, but at the
expense of a great deal of trouble.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
Canada's Fur Trade Gone.

The Indians used only to kill such
bufaloeS as they could use, and did
what they could to protect the herds;
but ever since the prairies of the North
west have been crossed by railways
two causes have led to the extermina-
ton of the buffalo-the occupation of
their grazing-grounds for agricultural
or pasture and their indiscriminate
slaughter for their hides and bones
alone. There is now believed to be
not a single herd of wild buffaloes upon
the prairies of Dakota or Minnesota,
where they once wandered in thou
sands.
Last year there were but 1000 robes
handled in St. Paul, where in 1881 100,
900 robes were turned over, and this
year the entire trade has amounted to
four robes. 1t is believed that the only
remnants of these mighty herds and of
the thousands that once thronged the
Canadian Northwest are a few thou
sand animals, scattered about the vi
Northwest. In Montreal, where the
trade was of far greater Importance
and of more ancient date than in St.
Paul, the same thing has come to pass,
but under somewhat different circum-
stances.
Up to five or six years ago the trade
sales of the Hudson Bay Company were
held here, and from $4,000 to $4,000
robes were disposed of, but since that
period the population of the Northwest
has so increased that it requires all the
robes procured for its own use, and all
the robes which have been used in old
Canada for some years past have been,
comparatively speaking, obtained from
the more southerly prairies Of the
United States, where the buffalo is still
to be found in somewhat limited and
constantly decreasing numbers. In
fact, of late years Canada has entirely
ceased to be a fur exporting and has
become great fur importing country.
This is partially due to the fact that of
late Asiatic furs and sealskins have
been the favorites of fashion, for we
have an immense territory to the north
of US which will always produce certain
furs and but little else.
The buffalo and the buffalo-robe
have, however, particularly speaking,
as far as new supplies of the latter are
concerned, become thing of the past,
and their place has been taken by the
i exas steer and sole-leather. Montreal
used to appear in our Biographies as
''the chief seat of the>fur trade. E" 1t is
but few years since we had many
large wholesale houses. These have
gradually disappeared, and the former
retail dealers take the lead in the bust
ness, of which the volume is smaller
and the stocks far more precious. The
time was when a beaver-skin was the
unit OF exchange and might count for
81; now a good beaver skin will bring
$10.-M0ntredJ FITNESS.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
The Wretched Italian Peasant.

Life beneath an Italian sky is pOpu-
larly imagined to be pleasant form of
existence. Such, however, does not
appear to be invariably the case The.
account given by Mr. Beauclerk-in a,
ricultural condition of Italy-of peas
ant life in Piedmont, is not of a glow
ing character. Day laborers who pos
sess nothing are, he states, the ma or
ity of the population; they amount, in
Piedmont, to one-fifth of the rural pop
ulation. The landlords are habitually
absentees, taking no interest whatever
in their tenants, in return for which
they have excluded almost every man
of means from the list of councillors at
the communal elections. The towns
people deride and despise the country
folk, and are looked upon by them as
proud and selfish In Novara the farm
laborer is said ''to contend with every
species of privation, from the cradle to
the grave" His infancy is passed in
the care OF strangers, OF rolling in the
mud. AT seven years old he receives
few months per year of elementary
schooling, and passes the remainder in
tending goats; at ten he gains some
small wages; at twelve he sleeps away
from home, and is regularly employed;
and at fifteen he undertakes the hard,
est of farm work. The men rise in
summer at two a. M, in winter at four
a. m.-awakened by beating a stick on
an empty box. In the former season
they work from twelve to fifteen hours
per day. When i'll, the hospital re-
ceives him; when old and unfit for
work, they are forsaken and uncared
for; yet the peasants seldom take to
begging, even when deprived of all re-
sources. Girls take part in field work
at the age of fourteen or fifteen. At
night they catch frogs and fish in the
marshes. At thirty they are matured
women, old at forty, decrepit at fifty,
with bent backs and bronzed faces.
Many families lead nomadic life. Ev-
cry Michaelmas their household goods,
worth perhaps total of six pounds,
are packed on a bullock-cart, and
new home or situation is sought. In
the hill regions many of the villages
are notable for their excessive filth.
Throughout the plains, master and
wOrkmen live together for years with
out the change of a syllable of good
Will. In every hamlet class distinc-
tons are complete, down the entire
gamut of the social scale Laborers
usually have many children, land"
says the report of the Italian govern
ment commission that has been recent
ly inquiring into their condition. sin
deed they have nothing else. ST.
James, Gazette
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
Where Meteors Come From.

If, about 200 years ago, a witness
had stated that he had seen a witch at
night riding through the air on
broomstick, he would have been be-
heved; but if he had stated that he had
heard loud explosion, and found
hole in the ground, and, upon thrust
ing his hand in, had found a stone
which was warm, his veracitv would
have been doubted. Meteors must
have fallen in olden times, but it is only
in latter days that these cases have
been reported Until 1894 it was the
belief that meteors were visitations
from God. A Danish astronomer was
the first to write on the subject. Pal
las found a meteor, which the former
examined, and recognized its true
character, being a composition of iron
and nickel. In 1888 a large shower
fell in Normandy, which was of metc-
oric origin. A Hindoo claimed that
meteor followed him for two hours be-
fore it fell to the earth. The most cele-
brated one fell in 1892, in Alsace, and
it has hung for three centuries in a ca
thedral. 1t weighed $50 pounds, and
fell with a clap of thunder. 1t pene-
known meteor is one of 1874, which fell
in Wolverhampton, Eng. A farmer
saw hole in the ground, and an exam
ination showed the ground to be warm,
and meteor was finally unearthed
which weighed about 700 pounds. Be-
ing polished, it resembles solid iron,
and is now stored in the British Mu-
scum. In falling, meteors start from
above the atmosphere, where there is
little resistance, and come down with
velocity twenty times greater than that
of bullet. Coming in contact with
the atmosphere, great heat is generated
and the meteor is broken in pieces.
The most common meteOrs are stones,
and cannot be found because they re-
semble stones on the earth's surface.
In Siberia and South America the most
are found. Where they come from has
caused much discussion. One theory
is that meteors originally came from the
earth, and were due to stupendous
volcanic eruptions of ages gone, when
the meteOrs were thrown beyond the
attraction of the earth, and sent re-
volving around the sun. When the
earth in its orbit comes near one of
these wandering meteOrs it attracts it,
and it plunges into the earth. Any
stone thrown at the rate of six miles
second would not return to the earth
again, but would be thrown outside of
its attractive power. Every one must
in time enter the orbit of the earth and
must, of course, return to it.-Pr0f.
Bali before q Boston audience.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
A Collier Boys Night of Peril.

A strange story of an escape was re-
Gently told US. A collier lad, going
across a heath returning from his
turn one evening, suddenly slipped
into hole, but by some means man
aged to grasp the edge, and so held on
by his fingers to this treacherous but
only safeguard. The evening passed
into the dusk, star after star came out,
but no moon; hour after hour dragged
on, and still the hapless miner gripped
the edges of the shaft over which he
hung with the tenacity of despair. At
last dawn broke slowly, then gray light
stole over the heath, breaking through
the mornings mists, when he saw
party of his mates passing at a dis
lance. He called loudly for help.
Guided by the voice they came. Still
more nervousIy did he cling-in a few
moments he might be safe. Then, as
two strong arms grasp each of his
wrists firmly, he ventures to look down
the dreaded depths. One glance is
enough; that one look tells him that
his feet are within four inches of the
bottom. 1t is to be feared that in his
prisons the collier lad was not as thank
full to Providence as he should have
been.-Leeds Eng. Mercury.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
RICH LADIES OF AMERICA.

The United States contains a great
many wealthy women writes ''Carp'' in
the Cleveland Leader. Henry E. Pack
er's sister owns a life interest in 100, 900
shares Of the Lehigh Valley railroad,
the dividends of which amounts to
$760,000 annually. Mrs. A. r. Allen,
of St. Louis, pays taxes on S1,197, 900,
and Miss Bernice Morrison, of the same
city, is taxed at $964,OOO. There is
cattle queen named Rogers near Cor
pus Christi, Tex, who owns 10000 cat
tie, and is worth over 81, 100000. She
is the financial agent of the ranch,
keeps the pocketbook and oversees the
stock while she sends her second hus-
band to the Texas legislature. Cath
crime Wolfe, of New York, the daugh-
ter of old Peter Wolfe, who married
Lorillard's two sisters and got ST.
100000 with each of them, has an in
come of $560,000 a year, and she owns
real estate to the amount of about &c.
100000. Like Mrs. Rogers, of Texas,
she is about so years old, and plain in
all her habits. She is single, too, and
she lives all alone in a big house on
Madison avenue and Twenty-fourth
street, New York. It is said that she
was engaged to be married years ago,
but that her aff1anced died few days
before the day fixed for the wedding.
Mrs. William Astor is worth 81 900, 900,
and Mrs. Marshall o. Roberts, the wife
of mining king, who died some years
ago, is said to have assets which will
foot up $8,000,0O0. Mrs. A. I. Stewart
has princely income no doubt. Mrs.
Gammell is said to contest with Miss
Garrett the reputation of being the
richest unmarried woman in the coun-
try, and England's wealthiest heiress,
see, is Miss Hamilton, who has large
estates in Scotland, and an income of
somewhere near $500. 900 a wear.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
DEFENDING WOMEN.
Bride Gives Her Husband Some Points
in Male Gallantry.

/ hold 1T to be ruth constantly self
evident that every man will defend a
woman against all men except himself.
Ii you haven't noticed it already you
have only to look for it an hour or so
III any place of mixture of the sexes.
clap your eyes on a pretty woman with
out male escort, and two phenomena
Will become obvious. Firstly, there
Will be large amount of open and
covert staring at her, to all of which
her obhviousness is of course only as
sumed. Secondly, if one of the starers
happens to realize that others are at the
same game he will manifest plainly his
disgust at such treatment of an unpro-
tected beauty, utterly ignoring his own
ottense. A husband and wife got into
a street-car. The man was somewhat
dudlsh in dress. The woman was I'M
der 70, and as pretty as nature and art
are IN the habit of combining to pro-
duce. They were chatting on the very
subject that have here introduced.
''Percival, DEAR" said she. Il will
prove to you that [ am right, and take
only ten minutes to do it, if you will
promise not to get angry about it. "
He closed the contract. Then she
drew herself up, as though the husband
sitting beside her was an entire stran-
ger, and waited for the car to fill with
passengers at Union square.
''Now," she whispered behind her
fan, "obserye how | am ogled when
alone"
Within five minutes he saw that half
dozen masculine passengers, from
hoary age to callow youth, eyed his
! bride with more or less audacity and
| several manifestly would nothave need
ed the smallest beginning of wink on
her part to. seize upon her then and
there. That part of the exhibition was
a triumph for the wife, but the most
curious feature of her experiment re-
manned to be tried.
''You certainly do seem to attract a
great deal of admiration" said the
husband, supposing that the pretended
strangeness was at an end.
She lifted her eyebrows in simulated
surprise, as though an impertinent fell
low had unwarrantedly accosted her,
and pointedly turned her face away
from him. He understood her now,
and did not speak to her further. Next
she drew her shoulder away from con-
tact with his. By this time the spec
tators were believing that he was an
noying her dreadfully, and scornful
glances were aimed at him. Her fnal
trick was conclusive. 1t consisted in
suddenly pulling her skirts clear of his
trousers, and deliberately settling hel
feet as far in the other direction as the
end of the car would permit. Nobody
doubted that the dear, denlure creature
had been grossly insulted. A man
arose from the opposite side. CIVIL
you exchange seats with me?" he very
gallantly and politely said, lifting his
hat most deferentially.
Now, he had been foremost among
the original oglers- veriest simple
ton of them all.
Thank you, SIR" she replied, as
bland as white heifer, ''but l prefer
to sit beside my husband.
Thus with the same stone she killed
that vulture-bird and the dove-mate
whom she had undertaken to instruct
as to the philosophy of male gallantry
Ne9O York Letter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

1t has been proved beyond all doubt
that waters which circulate or stand in
leaden pipes OF. vessels not only take up
particles of lead through mechanical
action due to friction. but attack the
metal because of the affinity of several
of their constituents, the result being
generally lead carbonate. Minute par
ticles of lead introduced into the sys-
tenn must rank among the factors OF
anamia and defective nutrition in large
towns. Therefore, concludes M. A.
Hamon, pipes, cisterns, and utensils OF
lead ought entirely to disappear.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

John Connors of Split Rock delivers
himself of the following to the Syracuse
On. " Herald: ga few days ago Twas
hunting woodcock in the vicinity of
Mud Lake. On nearing clump of
bushes near the edge of the lake my
pointer dog Lulu came to a point on
what L thought was bird / told her
to go on and put the bird up, but she
could not start it. | walked on the
other side of the bushes and there sat a
boy. He had been fishing for bull
heads. The dog on coming near one of
the largest of the fish came again to a
point. i asked the boy to let me open
the largest of the fish. 1t weighed
about two pounds, and | found in it a
hen woodcock partly digested. That
is what my dog had been seeming.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

At the close of the war 174,22 pris-
or ers were surrendered by the Confed-
crates to the Union armies. The Fed
eral Government had at that time 9S,-
500 men confined in Northern prisons.
From 1861 to 1864. 225, 900 Union SOL
diers passed the doors of Libby Prison
at Richmond. At Andersonville there
were 80, 900 incarcerated at one time
During 1868 the Confederates held an
excess of prisoners. In 1868 there was
a general exchange of prisoners, the
United States Government giving up
121, 900, in return for 110,800 held by
the Confederates.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

the world who has ever received such
tribute, and that from the official repre-
SentatiYes of all the governments of
Europe, and from seven foreign coun-
tries, which gives this vote very great
Importance. May God send US many
Clara Bartons, and the triumph of our
cause will be near at hand.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

In the Colorado mountains miners
earn 81 per day, have a good, square
meal served on long tables, covered
with clean, white oil-cloth, and sleep
without the luxury of sheets, but with
plenty of blankets.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18
WOMAN GOSSIP.

Opposition in the Marriage of the Son or
the Gillian Minister and an American
Lady.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

Clara Barton Loved and Appreciated by
Many Rulers and Nations.-CombIng
and Rearranging the Hair.