davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
The Humming Bird.

Entirely peculiar to America are the
humming birds. Their only rivals in
the metallic brilliancy of color, the sun
birds, belong to East India. Thus
far about $50 species of humming birds
have been described, of which only fif-
teen species belong to the United States,
and only one single specie to Wiscon-
sin. Not knowing the difference be-
tween the sexes, people frequently say:
81 have seen them on my morning glo-
ries and honey-suckles, and | know [
have seen two species, one with fiery
red throat and the other without that
ornament" 1t is generally believed
that the humming birds live entirely on
the nectar of flowers. This is a pop
ular mistake. Their principal food is
examinations of stomachs of those birds;
yet many times bird-hunters have
squeezed out of the throats and bills of
humming-birds that were shot while
feeding several drops of the sweetest
fluid. The time when the humming-
birds arrive in the spring is generally
when the garden currants are in flower;
sometimes d little earlier. The males
arrive first. Its surprising how album
dant they sometimes are around the
currant bushes. The nest, an exceed
ingly neat little structure, is seldom
over an inch and a half in diameter,
ond is built on the upper side of a hori-
aontal branch of tree-carefully lined
IN the outside with pieces of lichen so
as to appear like natural Hchen-cov-
cred knot of the tree. We have OBJ
served several nests built close to one,
and sometimes between two very young
branchlets, whose leaves would, when
fully expanded, form natural umbrella
over the nest. There are always two
eggs IN the nest, and they are of
white color. The usual observer will
frequently take the sun birds to be hum
ming-birds, while the ornithologist can
point out marked differences between
these two beautiful families of passeres.
The Wisconsin readers vho would like
to see and compare specimens of them
Will lind dozen or more, mounted in
various positions, at the public museum
IN the Exposition building. Mi5aoaubee
Wisconsin.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
FACTS ABOUT OWLS.
A Poets Feast-A Queer Cure for Drunk.
enneSS.

As l was seated on the piazza of our
hotel one evening watching the moon
as it came up out of the sea, an owl
glided by, and only for moment was
seen as he passed a window through
which the light was streaming, intent,
no doubt, upon its mission, and appar-
emily undisturbed by the music, the
hum of voices, and the red and green
lights that flashed up from the lawns
on Ocean avenue. Owls may often sail
around the pier hotels at night, for
aught | know, but it is not often they
are seen. Back in the woods they
make their home, and there their boot
ING is as familiar sound as the croak-
ing of the frogs. The farmer has no
better friend than the owl, and he who
kills one does himself and the public an
injury. White, of SelbOrne, after tam
ing pair of owls, was convinced that
they brought a mouse to the nest on
an average, every five minutes from
sunset to daylight.
Owls were never an epicurean feast,
but there was formerly an eccentric ge-
MUS in Newport, Benjamin Baldwin,
who ate them, and, for that matter,
anything that had once had the breath
of life. Southey once had an owl roast
ed for dinner for himself and Mr.. and
Mrs. Wordsworth. | give the sequel in
his own words:
eve agreed there could be no pre-
text for making owls game and killing
them as delicacies; but if ever you eat
one, by all means try it boiled with on
ion sauce.
An omelet made of owls eggs is said
to be a cure for drunkenness. Owls
are sometimes stuffed-nOt for the Ia
bic, but to draw crows within the range
OF the spOrtsman's gun. No love is lost
between the crow and the owl, and
when the latter is seen perched upon a
limb the former goes for him with the
celebrity and disregard of all those pre-
cautlOnary measures that usually mark
the movements of crow. So eager is
he 10 reach the object of his aversion
that he does not see the gunner until it
is too late to beat a safe retreat. The
Italians use an owl to catch small birds,
only in their case the owl is tied to
perch in the open ground in broad sun
light, and the birds that gyrate around
him alight upon twigs smeared with
bird lime. In this way they become an
easy prey. An owls sight, clear
enough and sharp enough at night, is
none of the best by daylight, and his
foraging is done after dark, but story
is told of a colored fisherman some
where in North Carolina who, having
set his fish-lines, returned after brief
interval, to find that duck had taken
the bait, and that an owl which had
attempted to capture the duck had be-
come so entangled in the line that it
could not escape. Nor is this the only
instance | have heard of where an owl
meddled with line to its own destruc-
ton. At one time the workmen on the
Washington monument were a good
deal annoyed to find that plumb line
that reached from the top to the bottom
OF the shaft was frequently meddled
with. At last it was found that an owl
had taken up its abode in part of the
shaft that afforded it shelter, and in
passing in and out it had disturbed the
line. Providence Journal
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
"A Bad Business.

$50 you don want to canvas any
more for the Life of Andrew Jack
son, -" said the proprietor of a sub
scription book agency to young man
who had just returned from the cOun-
try.
INC; I believe not. The work is very
pleasant and all that. yet prefer to do
something else. Believe I'd rather dig
bitches OF clean out weeks"
Was your trip to the country sue
cessfui?'
''WelI, no; can't say that it was.
I'll give you a sample Of my experience.
One afternoon, while riding along a
lonely road, | came upon a field in
which an old fellow was blowing. [
waited until he got to the end of the
row, and then, approaching him, ask
ed if he would like to look at the Life
of Andrew Jackson
g wy, | looked at one of his lives
luther day. Must have had more lives
than cat. Stranger, I'd like power
full well to look at it, but the fact is, I
amt got the time. This cotton is
nightly in the grass. Whoa, Ball,
come around.
My friend, said l, If you would
like to look at the book, will pillow
while you examine it. This pleased
him very much, and taking the book,
he climbed the fence, went into the
woods and sat down in the shade. [
plOWed for some time, until got tired,
but, thinking that the old fellow would
soon make his appearance, continued
to pillow on. At last | went into the
woods and found him deeply interested
in the book.
Its too late for you to 90 much
furder tonight he said, so you bet
ter stay all night at my house
Il agreed, for houses in that section
of country were far apart. Well, when
we went to the house the old fellow
took my book and devoted himself to
it the entire evening. / knew that he
would buy it, for [ could see that he
was deeply interested. The next morn
ING, just before / was ready to start, [
turned to my host and said:
Have you made up your mind to
buy that book?'
g No. did low to buy it, but thar
amt no use'n buyin' it now
"'Why?'
case l Sot up last night and read
her through
THAT so? Well, in consideration
of the fact that I've staid all night
with you, I'll make you a present of
the book.
q Much obliged to you
Not at all. Well, L must be 60
ing.
Hold on. You hain't paid me yit.
[ charge you dollar and half for
your nights login'.'
Yes, sir, and he made me pay it, re-
CARELESS of the fact that [ had present
ed him with the book. No, [ don't care
to engage further in the book business. -
-Ar6dnSdaU IrGUeIer.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
Hadn't Been Introduced.

"D'you see that man Sitting by the
stove over there looking at a copy of
Pu1ach?" remarked a somewhat excited
gentleman to Times reporter yester-
day, in the hall of popular hotel.
Eyes. What of him?"
''He's a Bulgarian atrocity, he is.
An Internal stuck-up snob, blarsted
Englishman of the worst type. He is
a-but | will be calm. | will explain
all. That individual came to this no.
tel three weeks ago. He sat at the
same table with myself and frie1ds,
and as he seemed to be lonesome we
entered into conversation with him.
He was charmingly polite at the table,
and we enjoyed his society very much,
as also he appeared to do ours. 1t SO
happened that | never met him any
where else except at meal times, and
therefore had no opportunity to I'M
prove our acquaintance. This after
noon / saw hin sitting over there by
the window, smoking a cigarette and
reading his Punch. | went to him and
said: A very unpleasant afternoon,
sir He didn't take the slightest no
tice sat down in a chair opposite to
him and again remarked: DO you in
tend remaining long in the city?
D'you know what he did? He stuck
one of those id mean single-bar-
relied eyeglasses into his eye and scru-
tinized me from boot-soles to hat, and
then, yawning in my face, exclaimed:
Excuse me, sir; you certainly have the
advantage. I am not aware that you
were introduced to me-, and then he
got up and sat over there by the fire,
leaving me standing like fool, and
feeling like one, anyhow. What's the
use of an Engishman, anyway? George,
give us two whisky sours. ''-Ka'asos
City Times
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
A Painters Story.

The Figaro tells an amusing story of
the tricks of the trade in pictures. &
broker named D had signed a con-
tract with poor member of the brush
to take all the latter could produce,
the consideration being two francs an
hour! The line of the painter was mil
itary subjects. As soon as he had fin
ished painting the broker took it
away, changed the signature to that of
''E. A. Gaubault," and sold it at a
handsome profit. The consequence
was that while the poor artist Shaved
during ten hours of the day at the rate
of two francs an hour and remained I'M
known to anyone but the rascally brok-
er, the fame of ''Gaubaultn kept rising
apace, and his pictures fetched higher
prices every year.
The painter happening to stroll into
the Salon one day recognized his handi-
workout not the signatures append
ed. Consulting his catalogue he dis
covered ''Gaubault'sn address at the
rooms of M. Bernheim, the well-known
dealer in the Rue Laffite. fastening
there he introduced himself to the
dealer as ''Gaubault '.Ah," ex-
claimed M. Bernheim, Il congratulate
you; you have achieved wonderful
success. L have been wishing to make
your acquaintance for the last six
years" ''Oh," replied the artist, '.but
my name is not 'Gaubault,' but
Beauquesne;" and he forthwith ac-
quainted the dealer with his little
contract with D.. Since then
the latter has vanished; and Beau
quesne signs the canvases which made
his pseudonym famous, and which in
turn brought him to the notice of
those who had been admiring them at
the Salon for the last three years.
Paris GGIignGni.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12

of his career came to London. and, as
is proverbially the case with folk OF
his nationality, had remained in the
metropolis, was at the bedside of his
dying wife, who had originally come
from the Highlands, and had always
retained strong affection for the land
of her birth. Promise me, Angus"
said she, 'sthat you'll bury me in the
Hollands; | could Ger rest quiet down
here .Weel," replied the prudent
Angus, who did not relish he expense
of moving the body to Scotland; ''weel,
I'll Just see If | find that We Gamma
rest quiet here I'll haze We removed to
the Hollands. ''-Lond0ns TRUTH.
The South american JournaL says:
s.Let us hope that the country about
Sandy Point, in the Straits OF Magellan,
NAV turn out to be second California.
That the alluvial deposits there are au-
riferous is we'll known, and there is
every reason to believe that the prec-
ious metal is to be found distributed all
over that part Of the CHILEAN territory.
Washing is carried on by the country
people in the most primitive fashion.
and without the use of quicksilver, and
with the toughest appliances, they sue
ceeded last year in extracting $4,000
grammes of gold, which has been sold
on the spot for 81 cents per gramme,
representing 500 hard earned dollars.
The yield for the current year is ex-
pected to be much more important.
The gold is principally found in the
rivers as dust and in nuggets. A mug
oet of 80 orammes was lately extracted
and undoubtedly the future Of this re-
gion is full of promise. As announced
in our last, the Gillian Government
has determined to rent lands in the
Magellan territory.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
Preserving Prairie Chickens.

IF [ were to take my CHOICE" said a
St. Paul sportsman, ''between a coun-
try that would produce fruit and one
that would produce prairie chickens, [
would take the chicken country every
time. / don't shoot chickens for the
sport only, though that is the prime
fancy. But put down from 100 to $50
chickens every fall for the winter
How long will they keep? Ten years.
[ take my birds to some refrigerator
friend of mine, who wraps them in pa
per, twists under the heads, and freezes
them without drawing. There they lie
in the ice until | want them. The ex-
pense is simply cents bird for freez-
ing, and a cent a month on each bird
for storage. When you want a prairie
chicken in January, all that is necessa-
~ is to set a basket of frozen birds out
in the sun, and in few hours they are
ready for cooking. and you find them
in exactly the same condition they were
when shot. There is no trouble about
it at all. You bring your bag to the re-
frigerator people, and when you want
chickens go and get them. | shall shoot
500 ducks in the next three weeks, and
/ intend to put down 200 for the win
ter's use. st. Paul Pioneer-PreSS.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
Five Rather Unusual Things.

There is wonderful calf on private
exhibition at Tacoma, W. T. It is of
a dark brown color, with eight legs,
two heads, four eyes and four ears.
The body is all in one. The heads stand
throat to throat, and are entirely sep
arate to the shoulders, where they merge
into one body, although the body takes
on the semblance of being two animals,
as it has two backs and no breast The
legs and tail are separate, and well
formed for monstrosity.
Mr.. Norris, a farmer of Pleasant
Township, Kentucky, is in possession
of a curiosity in the shape of a colt
puppy, a beast half dog and half horse.
The head is that of greyhound de-
void of name; the body is long and
slender, covered with fine hair, and the
tail is that of dog, while the hoofs re-
semble those of a horse. Mr.. Norris
has been offered $3.50 for it.
Ell Dorado County, California has pro-
duced six cucumbers all rolled together
and looking like a huted pumpkin.
Mrs. Jane Patterson, of Ringgold,
Ga, has just died from a rattlesnake
bite received thirty years ago.
An industrious hen at San Jose, Cal,
recently Matched seven chickens, each
Of which had four legs.-SeUerdt Truth
tul Exchanges.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
Sensational Stories.

The weekly papers in the course OF a
year publish an immense number of
short stories and serials, and an mex
perlenced person would imagine that
there would be some demand for that
sort Of literary work. This is mis-
take. An unknown writer will nine
times out of ten meet with a rebuff
from the editors of the story papers,
and will be informed that the supply on
hand will last for years. The writers
of sensational stories are mainly jour
nalists, who pad out their incomes in
this way. They write with the utmost
rapidity, composing the lines and the
plot as they 60. The price paid for a
romance of 50, 900 or 10000 words is
about 800, and writer of fair ability
The men who do this work are not at
all sentimental, and they laugh heartily
at their heroes and heroines. Stories
running through eight or a dozen num-
bers of paper bring from 800 to $3.50
apiece, and are generally written by
women. Other serial stories bring
from $500 to 81, 900.
The writers whose names figure most
prominently before the public are paid
regular salaraies, some of them receiv-
ing as much as S12,O a year. Stories
of one or two columns are paid for at
the rate of So to $40 each, but there is
generally a full supply on hand. While
this class of literature is laughed at.
only writers of good judgment and
ability can produce it successfully and
proftably. 1t may be light reading,
but it is far from light work. 1t re-
quires some information, considerable
knowledge of human nature, fertile
invention, and the gift or habit of rap
id composition. The ambitious young
person who thinks that he can dash off
short story of surprising excellence
should sail in and see what the harvest
will be.-AtIGntG Constitution.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
That Familiar Face.

At ball the other day, 4 young med
ical student came suddenly face to face
with dear, kind, fatherly-looking gen.
tleman, with white hair. and OF highly
respectable appearance. They both
stood transixed. The same idea fash
ed across both of them.
Your face is familiar to me-very
familiar but l can't remember where
we have met so often.
However, the friendly impulse was
carried out. They shook hands warm
ly, partook of a friendly glass, and de-
parted, still ignorant OF each other S
name and occupation. But the young
man was determined to solve the prob
lem, and he seized on waiter and said
to him:
Tell me, waiter, who is that distin-
guished stranger with the long white
hair?"
And the waiter whispered slowly:
please, sir, that's the pawnbroker. "
-NeW York Star
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
English Beagles.

1t is a very pretty sight to see pack
of beagles working in cover. How they
try every tuft of grass or rushesi Soon
you notice that they are working more
eagerly, and soon begin to lash their
tails, and suddenly out bursts bunny
from his seat, sure to be saluted by a
hasty shot from some one, not the least
to its detriment, but very narrow es-
cape for the leading dogs. Away 90
the pack, making the woods ring with
their tongues. Excited individuals run
after them, often with their guns on
full cock and their fingers on the trig-
ger What their ideas may be in this
performance is difficult to say, but [
suppose it is the effect of that tempo
rary insanity that seizes many people
at the sight of rabbit. AS a rabbit
invariably runs a ring and returns to
its starting place, there is not the least
use except for the sake of exercise, in
trying to follow it; and the first one
put up is safe to run his ring, as the
good shots will pot fire at him, that the
youngsters may have chance, and the
Indifferent shots are sure to miss the
first through excitement. You hear
plenty of shots while the dogs are run
ming, as other rabbits. frightened by
their noise and passage, bolt from their
seats and scuttle ABOUT everywhere.
Besides these, few old cock pleas
ants, who have strayed from the pre-
serves, are sure to be found and shot.
You shortly hear a shot from the cover
the rabbit was found in, followed by
"Who-whoop!" showing that the hunted
one has been killed. London Society.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
Remarkable Ancient Ruins.

The Chihuahua (Mexico) Enterprise
reports the discovery of some remarka-
BILE ancient ruins on hill or mountain
four leagues south of Msgdalena, in
Sonora. The hill is about seven hun
dred feet high, and half way up there
is layer of gypsum, which is as white
as snow, and may be cut into any con-
ceivable shape, yet sufficiently hard to
retain its shape after being cut. In this
layer of stone are cut hundreds upon
hundreds of rooms from 6x10 to 16X1S
feet square. So even and true are the
walls, floor, and ceiling, so plumb and
level, as to defy variation. There are
no windows in the rooms, and but one
entrance. which is always from the top.
The rooms are but eight feet high from
floor to ceiling, the stone is so white
that it seems almost transparent, and
the rooms are not at all dark. On the
walls of these rooms are numerous
hieroglyphics and representations of
human beings cut in the stone in differ
ent places; but, strange to say, all the
hands have five fingers and thumbs,
and the feet have six toes. Charcoal
is found on the floors of many of the
rooms; implements of every description
are to be found. The houses or rooms
are one above the other to three or
more stories high, but upon each story
there is a jog or recess the full width
of the room below, so that they pre-
sent the appearance of large steps lead
ing up the mountain. This account
needs veritication, but if it is true,
very interesting addition has been made
to the list of North American antiqui--
ties
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
The Mission of Christian Ethics

From an article by Bishop Henry G..
Potter, in the November Century, VIC
quote the following: 1.-The mission OF
Christian ethics to our modern social
science is to speak not only word of
warning, but also word of encourage
ment. That branch of science has con-
cerned itself largely in our own gener-
alton with the relations of capital to
labor, with the improvement of mems
homes and streets, of prisons and aims
houses and hospitals. One of the most
encouraging features of the social pro-
gress of our time has been the hearty
and often generous interest which land
lords and capitalists. men of science
and men of the various professions,
have shown in bringing every latest
scientific discovery to bear upon the
practical elevation of the poor, and the
physical and intellectual Improvement
of the less favored. The immense sums
of money spent for placing educational
advantages within the reach of the
masses who spend their lives in daily
toll, and the sums, scarcely less vast,
which, in our mother country, if not in
our own, have been spent in building
model cottages and tenements, and ev~
en- factories, for the poor. is a demon
stration of this. But in all this eNpen-
diture of money and wealth there is Of
ten involved an experience of discour-
agement which it is idle to ignore. The
classes who are most benefited by these
reforms do not care for social science,
Model dwellings and rules of hygiene
are equally distasteful and uninterest-
ing to them. If YOU appeal to them to
conform their lives to wiser rules of
cleanliness, temperance, frugality, and
forecast, too often you appeal to them
in vain. Essays on light and drainage
and ventilation, which laboriously YOU
circulate among them, are left unread.
Even the most elaborate and costly
schemes for their advantage fail of any
practical effect. 1t is tolerably well as
certained, for instance, that the Pea
body lodging-houses have not reached,
or, at any rate, have not greatly bene-
fitted, the class for whom they were de-
signed. These have Stunned homes in
volving rules of decencv, cleanliness,
and self-restraint, which would have
been to them intolerable, rs they would
have Stunned a prison; and the Pea
body model tenements became the
homes of the better class OF skilled me-
chanics, and even of clcrgymen and
other professional men, by whom they
were in no sense needed. In other
words, no argument of the science of
sociology by itself was strong enough
efficiently to reach the class TO whom it
was addressed -