Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-19
GLEANINGS.

reputed to be over 100 years old.
Sunday theatricals are tolerated by
law in five of the principal cities of the
United States. They are San Francisco,
Cincinnati, St. Louis, New Orleans and
Chicago.
Workers in bleacheries where chic
rine is largely used are singularly ex-
empt from all germ diseases, but SUI
fer from special ailments induced BY in
haling the gas.
The looms used in the State of New
Jersey for the manufacture of home
made silk are almost fac-similes of those
employed in China and India for the
same purpose.
The Boston Commonwealth saws that
there are now a larger number of young
persons from all parts of the country
studying music in that city than has
ever been known before.
English papers are wanting to know,
you know, who is responsible for the
waste of S2,500,000 on the war ship
Thunder, which has turned out nearly
worthless and clumsy.
Professor Mach, a scientific investi-
gator of Prague, is reported to have
carried the art Of instantaneous photo
graphy to the point of securing photo
graphs of a bullet in its flight.
Roswell Smith, editor of the Century,
says he doesn't know who wrote ''The
Bread-winners. The man paid for it
says he didn't write it. The atlantic
had first chance at the story and reject
ed it.
The clam is gradually propagating
himself all along the California shore.
1t is only ten years since this shell-fish
became common on the shores of San
Francisco Bay, and now it is heard of
as far down the coast Of Santa Barbara.
AS an illustration of the numerous
difficulties attending the making of
large lenses it is stated there have thus
far been nineteen failures to cast the
thirty-six-inch glass for the great Lick
telescope to be mounted in California.
What is said to be the largest stock
ranch in the world is located at the
head of the Red River in Texas, and is
owned by Charles Goodnight 1t COM
prises 700, 900 acres, and has 256 miles
of fence, which incloses 1000 head of
cattle.
A Brooklyn brewer makes 'temper-
ance beer" which is Misunderstanding,
but cannot be distinguished from ordin-
airy lager in color, taste, body, bead, or
smell. 1t is largely sold in towns where
no licenses are granted by Excise Com
missioners.
The highest price ever paid for a
work of art, previous to the recentpur-
chase of the Blenheim Madonna" by
Raphael, which sold for S350,000, was
1926, 900, which was given in 1852 for
picture Of the Virgin, from the hand OF
the great Spanish artist, Murillo.
A wonderful chasm has recently been
discovered in San Luis, Obispo County,
California. An adventurous explorer
was lowered into it to the depth of
1000 feet without finding any bottom.
The sides of the chasm are covered with
magnificent cream-cOlOred stalactites.
Richard Hoodum, a poor man
who resides in Westmoreland County,
on the line of the Pennsylvania Rail
road, found a package of money three
years ago. He advertised it, but it was
never called for, and few days since
he opened and appropriated it. The
amount is said to be about $4,000
In the rotunda at Raleigh, n. c., is
located a stone called Center Rock,
upon which, if man squarely stands,
his words, become inarticulate to those
about him. This is upon the authority
OF the Raleigh NeaUs, which adds that
several gentlemen, in experimenting re-
Gently with this peculiar stone, all ex-
perienced its curious effect.
Natural gas has no odor, and that pc
culiar quality makes it dangerous for
household use In Pittsburg it is pro-
posed to use double sets of pipes for
safety-one pipe within another. West
inghouse, who got rich out of the auto
matte brake, is working on a burner de-
signed to make the natural gas useful
as an illuminant as well as fuel.
Mr.. Morrison tells this incident in the
late Mark Pattison's life: ''On one oc-
casion, when I was speaking of the
mistakes we are apt to commit in esti-
mating our Importance in the world,
he answered with his characteristic en-
phasis, Yes! Take your worst opinion
of yourself when you are in most de-
pressed mood. Extract the cube roo5
of that, and you will be getting near
the common opinion Of your merits. !"
Mr.. Hamerton says of Emerson in
his forthcoming volume: ITO me he
taught two great lessons. The first
was to rely confidently in that order of
the universe which makes it really
worth while to do our best, even though
the reward may not be visible; and the
second was to have self-reliance enough
to trust our own convictions and our
own gifts, such as they are, or such as
they may become, without echoing the
opinions or desiring the more brilliant
gifts of others
The sad refrain of The Song of the
Shirt is still echoed to-day with all the
dreary sadness that it had in the days
OF Hood. A working girl in this city
was recently paid 10 cents for making
one dozen undershirts at cost Of four
hours labor. At that rate, the simple