davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1885-10-31

The following is an extract from the
repor: of the committee recently APP
pointed by the st Mary Police Jury to
ascertain the causes operating to the
commission of crime in that parish /:
:" In .s~certainiug the causes leading to
the commission of crimes, misdemea.
nnrs, aud infraetinns of the law, we
have searched the criminal records OF
the District Court, the rttnras of in
quests held by the Coroner, aud have
gathered from private reliable sour
ces such facts as bear upon the sub
ject, and regret to report that in at
least 80 per cent. of the criminal cases
coming under official purvieW OF the
court the prime canse may be directly
., Indirectly traced tn the excessive
and free use of Intoxicating liquors"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
THE ENEMY OF THE BEE.
Little Birds that Help the African
HOney-Hunter

In Africa, says the October number
OF ST. Nicholas, the bees nave q verv
hard time; for there man has a sharn.
eyed, active little friend TO HELM hin,
hnd The carefully hidden honey. This
little friend is bird a rascaljy shift
less fellow, hat not only fails 10 build
home for It's little ones, but even
goes so far as to make ether birds
have all the trouble and worry of
bringing up and feeding them. Like
the cuckoo, 1t puts lis, eggs in the nests
Of other birds.
The honey guide" as it is called
is exceedingly fond of honey. or II i
can not have that, is very well salts
lied with young bees. 1t is only about
the SIZE OF ark, and so is not es-
peclally fitted for encounterinp a
swarm of bees fighting in defense of
their hens. OAce in a while. it tries
to rob nest, but ii is usually we'll
punished for doing so. The little bees
seem to know that their stinos can
not lnJure the feather covered kodv of
the bird, and accordingly they direct
their attacks at the eyes of the robher.
and If the bird does not escape in time
it will be blinded, and so perish Of
starvation.
However, the honey guide is seldom
so foolish as TO run any such risk. It
prefers TO have some one else steal the
honey, and is content with q small
portion for its share. 1t is said some.
umes to guide the ratel, an animal of
the weasel family, to the nest; and it
certainly often does wait near by.
while the ratel, which is very fond of
both bees and honey, rifles the nest.
Before the honey is all gone the little
heney guide usually contrives to have
taste.
Whether the bird guides the ratel
or not, 1t questionably does guide
men to the bees nests When il has
fovnd q nest, it darts awav in search
of man. AS soon as it sees one, it
hovers over him, flies about his head.
perches near him, Or fiutters here and
there IN front of him, all the time
chattering vigorously. The natives
know IN a moment what the little bird
means; and as ne loves honey as a
child does candy; only something
that IS very important will prevent
MS 1SoSPtlnS tE6 money puld6'S IN
vltation. When he is ready to follow
he whistles; and the bird seems to un-
derstand the signal, for it at oRce flies
on for short distance and waits till
the man is near, and then flies on a
few yards father. In this way the
bird leads the man until the nest is
reached. Then it suddenly changes
lis twitter for a peculiar note, and
either hOves over the nest for a mo-
ment or complacently sits down, and
let's the man find the nest as best he
can.
When it is found, the bees are
smoked out with torch Or with fire
Of leaves, according to the height of
the nest from the ground, A small
portion Of the honey is given to the
bird as its share of the plumber. If
the little fellow has had honey enough
1t disappears, but if, as is usually the
case, IL receives only enough to whet
its appetite, it will lead 10 another
nest, and sometimes even to a third.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
A Strange Cattle Disease in Dubuque
County, Iowa.
Dubuque Telegraph.

Mr.. John Garrigan recently sited
hisited his brother Matt, who resides
on a, farm two miles from Farley.
He learned that during the previous
week Matt had lost six head of cattle
from a new and strange disease, and
that one, which took sick in the
morning was hopelessly afflicted.
The symptoms are first a hiccough,
followed by frothing at the mouth.
Next the nose becomes itchy, and the
itch spreads all over the face, stopping
at the neck. Then the forward legs
are attacked. This itching is intense,
and causes the animal to scratch it's
hide off in an effort to obtain relief.
The disease proves fatal in twelve
hours, ana during that time the ami
nal acts exactly as a horse acts when
afflicted with the collie. With two
exceptions all the cattle were attacked
in the same way. In the exceptional
cases the itching affected the hind
quarters, and was equally severe and
fatal as IN the other cases Mr.. Gare
Higan's herd is ore of the finest i'll the
country.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
A REPORTERS NERVE
The Remarkable Document LEFT by
w. M. Wood, the Quincy Suicide

Oct. LIST NJ NJ Wood, a young Jour-
nalist of steady habits, committed sui
eide at the Fay house, Ia Quincy, III.
When found the body was IN an up
right postum on a chair by table.
In his hand was a pen al d on the table
lay finely written manuscript, the
most important part of which read:
Brother reporters; when you come
to sift this matter and sum it up, your
articles will be about: Shortly after
supper last evening the report of
pistol was keard 10 issue FROM 8 room
at the Fay house, near Fight and
Hampshire streets. Those who heard
the noise thought little of it at first,
but investigation revea ed the fact
that Mr.. M NJ Wood, a boarder at the
above named house had seized revolt
yer and deliberately shot himself
through the brain, the ball entering
near the right temple and tearing
away large portion of the skull pre-
sume0. The pistol was fve>cham>
bered 80 caliber, and was held so close
to the head that the face was much
burned. The cause for the rash act
is not well understood, but it is sup
y
perpetrator of such a deed is never
supposed to be In his right mind, AT
although Mr.. Wood never gave any
evidence to the contrary, this must
have been the cause, either dire CITY or
indirectly. The mystery surrounding
the case however, is all the greater
when it is known that up to the very
last act of his life, Mr.. Wood never
gave the first intimation of suicide or
even the first evidence of having
diseased mind.
''He srent yesterday with various
friends about the city chatting, laugh
ing and joking as usual. He spent a
portion of the afternoon with his
friend, George Stahl. They left the
Fay house together at noon and drove
place of bushes on Third street. After
putting up the horse they visited the
dime museum. They then separated,
Mr.. Stahl going to his store and Mr..
Wood to his clearinghouse; he spent
the rest Of the afternoon sleeping in
his room. Tuesday night Mr. Wood
stayed with his friend, Bert Woillard
at the fremont house. They attended
the concert together at the opera house
and upon going to Mr.. WIS. room
spent an hour or so playing cards;
but never during all this time did Mr..
Wood give the slightest evidence of
being a little off, as the boys say"
Then the writer continues, giving
his history at some length, relating
that he was born IN 1864, was son Of
Charles Wood, of Ellington township,
graduated at the high school in this
and served as reporter or local editor
on several papers, including The Her.
aid and Journal in this city. and ha
written for The Herald as Ellington
correspondent. He detailed his service
in this line, and stated that ''Iately he
accepted the place of city editor for
The Optic, the new weekly, but being
placed at soliciting, and finding him>
self not made for that business, he re-
signed the day before, or on the day of
his suicide"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
NOTES OF SILVERSMITHS.
New York Graphic.

The knife edge bracelets are often
set around with small gems.
The story of Red Riding Hood told
OF set of silver tea spoons is a nov
city.
Shells and seaweeds in all their
beauty of of form are copied in silver
for table service.
The Hungarian knot continues to
find a place on wire bracelets ard on
lace and scarf pins.
4 very Curious parlor clock is made
In gold, enriched with enamel or prec-
ious stones.
An artistic pin is that of a lattice
work of gold or silver, through the
openings of which appears blooms Of
wild rose vine.
There is a bracelet set round with
rose diamonds, the glittering circlet
terminating with q clover leaf Of diff
erent colored pearls.
Ladies and salad forks, with hand
les of wood decorated with silver
trimmings, are fashionable in the
drawing room Of the house beautiful.
A huge butterfly of jewels makes a
popular pin; SO does half moon of
diamonds with colored pearl or ruby
swinging from the center.
A beautiful spray for the hair or
low bodice consists piece of acacia
fowes, in pink translucent enamel,
with leaf in diamonds set in silver.
A gold spoon with pearl in it's
bowl, a gold shovel heaped full of
small diamonds, fan on which app
pears japanese figures, are numbered
with other designs to be founnd IN
pins.
"One exquisite trinket." says a
Paris correspondent, lis worth de.
scriptlop, and the watch it contained
is of sufficient size to render some
service. It is formed in the shape Of
a bell-like flower, with calyx of
wrought GOLD, by which it may be
worn pendant to-the neck ribbon o
chatelain; the under side is crystal
bottle or vinaigrette. The outer is
covered with curved rows of stones
rubies and misunderstanding, as it
were, the edges Of the folded petal,
and set upon a convex gold case
which opens ia the center on spripg
being touched and aiscloses a watch
face to view.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
Costly Calves.

A Waterloo, Iowa, telegram say;t
A law suit known as the Jones county
calf case was concluded in the circuit
court in the city to-day. It was an
action brought by Robert Johnson
against E. Y. Miller and six other de-
PENDANTS for SO, 00c for malicious
prosecution. Eleven years ago John
Foreman of Jones' county had four
calves stolen, and about the same
time Robert Johnson, a neighboring
farmer, bought some calves for S. D.
Potter of Green county. These calves
proved to be the ones stolen from
Foreman. and johnson gave his note
for $45 in payment for them. Soon
after Johnson was prosecuted by the
aati-horse thief association of Jones
county for the theft of the calves.
He was tried twice and acquitted, and
ia 1877 brought a suit against seven
members of the association for NAL
icious prosecution alleging that
they did not have probable cause
for commencing action. The case
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15

has been before the courts ever since
and has seen tried I've times-once at
Clinton, twice at Vinton and twice st
Waterloo-and such time except one
the plaintiff received verdict run
ming from s. 900 TO 81, 800, but each
time the verdict has been set aside.
The jury to day awarded him $1,000.
The costs, attorneys fees and expens~
es entailed upon all parties to the lit
igation growing out of the theft of
the calVe sis estimated at over $40, 600,
and several prosperous farmers have
been rendered bankrupt, while the
calves in the first place were not
worth over $50.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
A New COmpIication-$5O Per Hea q
Charged by Canada for the Rea d.
I'M isstOn OF the Chinese,

A New COmplication-$5O Per Head
Charged by Canada tor the Rea d.
I'M isstOn OF the Chinese.
A Washington special to the New
York Post says: ga new complication
has arisen in connection with the
Chinese question. It appears that
the British Government refuses to per-
nit its possessions to be made dump
ing ground for the rejected Chinese
of the United States except upon pay
ment of q fee which it is quite impos>
sible for the United States to pay, and
which, perhaps, is an exorFitant meas
ure of the worthlessness Of the Chin
es e. s. This discovery has been made by
one of the custom officers on the
North western boundary. He report
ed to the department that while
stupendiously endeavoring TO carry
out the instructions of the famous
Chinese circular and put back upon
British soil Chinese who had come
pto the United States in violation of
the provisions Of the restriction act,
he -Vas met with Canadian statute
whether new or old does not appear
which required the payment to the
Treasury of the Canadian Government
of $50 for each Ch1naman a condition
precedent of readmission to British
soil. The officer suggests to the
Treasury Department that he has no
money at his disposal to pay for such
readmissions and he asks the Treas
ury Department what he is to do about
it. The existence of this Canadian
statute-if, in fact it does exist, and
has been rightly construed-was not
known to our authorities, and they
certainly have no appropriation from
which they can pay $50 per head for
every Chinaman TO be exported. The
situation is a novel one, and raises an
question ofgpeculiar per-
plexity.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
A VERY EARMY MEMORY.
why the Baby Screamed and Fright
ened the Passengers.
New York Herald.

She was slight and girlish looking
with comical aft ction of mothers
Ihess which made her dart after her
blue eyed year old girl whenever
the little thing came within even ten
feet OF the edge of the deck. He was
evidently not far past his ma iority,
and divided his time between tightly
twisting 2 slight mustache and proud~
Iy Watching the frolics of his child
and his girl wife.
They were on the upper forward
deck of one of the iron steamboats,
going down the bay to Coney Island
IN the afternoon, and the other pass
engers near them forgot to read the
afternoons latest papers or the tips
On the races while they listened TO the
prattle of the child.
As the boat was passing Robbins
Ref the little girl, who had been
dancing around on enc foot and call
ing 10 the sea gulls that were floating
overhead, suddenly uttered pierce>
ing scream that made her mothers
face grow pale. Then she turned,
buried her head in the maternal lap
and began to weep as if her heart was
already broken. All the ladies on the
deck gathered around her and helped
the frighteded mother try to find the
wicked pin that must have buried it.
self to the head somewhere IN the
chlld's body, while the father forgot
to twist his mustache and looked on
helplessly.
But no pin was to be found.
Not for several minutes could the
little one be induced to raise her head
but finally she showed her flush ed
and tear streaked countenance.
All the ladies asked at once what
was the matter.
II was-only thinking" said she
between her sobs, how it hurt-me
when l wac horned aud fell-alI the
way NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
Pocket Money for the Young.

Mrs. Ellen Bliss Hooker, in Good Housekeeping.
Teach your children the proper use
of money. Begin with small allow
ance of pCcket>m oney, which they
shall feel is their own, and let an &C
count of IFS expenditure be made to
you. Carefully guard against any
rldlcule if there have been foolish pur-
chases, for that will soon beget dis
trust, then follows deceit, ard very
soon you wild never know what has
become of the money. Kindly advise,
so that if your boy is tempted to spend
his money IN way be knows is
wrong, he will freely come to you
and tell you of it. Until you feel
positively compelled to it. do not
withdraw your allowance. It may be
that you will find no other way to
stop career Of wasteful and sinful
extravance, but let all efforts be made
in other ways first. Teach your boys
to earn little for themselves. Many
little ways will suggest themselves.
1t is so much more helpful to them as
well as an enjoyable pride, that it's
always well TO encourage all such
endeavor. We know mother who
prizes, above all her other possessions.
pair of gold sleeve buttons purchas~
ed with the first money her boy ever
earned, ard though he is in business
for himself, we fancy he never invest
ed any money more cheerfully than
that.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
Why ROumeIia ReyOIted.

A correspondent of the New York
Times says that the revolution in
Roumelia was in consequence of the
oppression and misruie. Before the
treaty OF Berlin, Roumelia had a
fourishing trade and agriculture.
''That treaty." says the correspondent,
ruined them. When the powers had
turned their backs, when the philan~
trophist and distributors of relief
funds had withdrawn, then the swarm
of 1.-THE fan mers descended upon the
district. All the inisuities of the old
system were revived. Crops were re-
served to the government, farmers
were narrowed and prosecuted. Oar
own agents, sent to buy tobacco in the
most favored regions. have seen the
agriculturaIists scamper from their
fields, bar themselves in their houses,
conceal their bales of finer quality in
the cellar, ard only consent to make
terms after prolonged parley from
the window. A year ago, ia the Pail
Mall Gazette, an account was given
of the terrorism prevailing among the
R9umelia farmers; but, though it at
tracted attention in England, no
active measure YVES taken for their
relief. Is IL surprising, then, that
these men should be anxious to free
themselves from the oppression of
their task masters? In the sardjack of
Philippopolis the Christians are twice
as numerous as the Mussulmans. By
race, as by religion, they have no
sympathy with the Turks. They
were bitterly indignant when the
powers unceremonjously delivered
them into the bands of their hereditary
foes. In all the cofee-houses of the
city, in every circle that gathered
round the hubble bubble, were utter
ed curses of the Osmanlis Every
merchant who has traded with them
has heard the complaint Ct the Rsu-
melians. Prince Edward, of Bulgaria,
heard it, too, and perhaps it is well
that he needed it. The 'rosewater
revolution which came to pass may
possibly have prevented rising and
a massacre which would have appall-
the world
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
Seventy Years OF Married Life,

Mr.. and Mrs. Aron E Randall cele-
brated the SEVENTEEN anniversary of
their wedding at their home in Mon
roe, Wisconsin. last Monday, having
lived continuously with each other as
man and wife for three scdre years
and ten. A large number of children
grand children were present. Mr..
Randall was native of Rhode Island
and was married in 1916. His wife
was Miss Sutherland, and was res
siding in Western New York, where
she became acquainted with her nus
band. They have both passed their
Goth year.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15

The authorities of the Federal Gov
ernmeAt and Of the States Immediate
ly interested have established q thor
ough inspection service IN Vermont
and Northern New York to guard
against smallpox, and Surgeon Gen,
eral Hamilton thinks the disease will
be kept from spreading IN New Eng
land and New York. This inspection
service will be continued during the
Winter, or as long as the disease ex>
lists IN Montreal Smallpox spreads
rapidly in Winter, when people are
confined to heated rooms and closed
railway cars.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15

Do you know old Wiggings of our
town? That's he sitting across the
aisle there"
Very stingy, isn't be?'
''Sdngy is no name for it. He keeps
a coffin with a false bottom, and
whenever he buries a wife the coffin
is pulled out and saved for the next
one. In that way he has made one
coffin do for four wives, and It's good
coffin yet"
The anti-vaccination disturbances
have ceased at Montreal, owing to the
fact that the priests have taken hold
of the matter and advised their people
as TO the efficacy of 6ori71e Uirus.
Had they done this when the first
storm Of opposition arose among the
stupidity ignorant Preach Canadians,
serious trouble would have been avoid
ed.
Crime, according to the statistics
recently published, is increasing in
this country with remarkable speed,
as there was but one criminal in every
8. 432 inhabitants IN 1850, while in
1870 there was one in every $50; mean
while crime is decreasing Ia Great
Britain.
Said Bloomington police Judge to
a darkey witness, "Do you know the
nature of an oath2" "You mean cuss
word, sah2" NO." said the justice,
DO you understand what you are to
swear here in court2' Eyes sab, our
lawyer told nae what to swear to,
sah."
Mrs. George Dawson Coleman, of
Lebanon, Pa, as current item says,
towns portrait painted on a cobweb.
The colors are beautifully laid on and
simply perfect as to harmony. It is
said to have cost Sc, 00O."
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15

The Chinese farm house is curious
looking abode. Usually it is sheltered
with groves of feathery bamboo and
thick spreading banyans. The walls
are of clay or wood, and the interior
of the house consists of one main
room, extending from the floor to tie
tiled roof. with closet-looking apart
ments Ia the corners for sleeping
rooms. There is sliding window in
the roof, made Of cut oyster shells ar
ranged in rows, while the side win
dows are mere wooden shutters The
floor is the bare earth, where at night
fall there often gather together mis-,
cellaneous family of dirty children,
fowls, ducks, pigeons, and litter of
pigs, all living together in delightful
harmony.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15

FRosTs IN August in Manitoba and
the British Northwest territories,
when wheat was IN the milk, so MUIR
ed the crop that but little was saved.
The settler in those regions is very
fortunate if he can get one crop in
five. The winter season commences
the first of November and closes the
first Of June, with snow from three to
ten feet deep all the time, and the
thermometer ranging from TO- below
to So below. What inducements
there are for any person to remain in
Manitoba and the Northwest terri
tories, is a mystery, Tt is certain,
despite that the most strenuous efforts
of the Canadian government and the
Canadian Pacific railway, settlements
there are not rapid, and is not endur-
ing, for every year there is consider
able southern exodus across the bor-
der into Montana, Dakota and other
United States border territories. The
climate is altogether too rigorous for
farming, and cattle raising meets
with many practical difficulties.