Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-23
SIXTY YEARS AGO.
How Our Grandfathers Lived and Acted.


There is. great deal that is odd and
curious about newspaper of fifty Or
sixty years ago. Several old copies of
The New Hampshire Spectator, published
at Newport, n. H., The Farmers Adyo-
cate and Political Adventurer, also of
Newport, n. H., and The Vermont Chron-
icle, II Windsor, VT, were left at this Of
flee yesterday, and were found to contain
many things of interest to the reader of
to-day.
Under the head of marriages" in The
Spectator of March %, 1926, appears the
following:
SIN Kingston, Mr.. Jacob Quimby to
Miss Doll1e Pollard, after a courtship of
twenty years"
What does the blushing young maiden
of II or Is summers who is "to be mar
ried this fall think of a courtship of
that length?
In the same number is printed letter
written by Gen. Andrew Jackson TO Sam
uel Swartwout. 1t is dated at Washing
ton City, Feb. %, 1926, and is of strong
political cast, being a reply to Mr.. Clay,
who had referred to Mr.. Jackson as a
military chieftian" in a depreciatory
way, as the latter was at the time candi-
date for the United States senate. Mr..
Jackson reviewed his war record with
considerable pride, and closing the letter
said: "Demagogues, I am pursuaded,
have in times past done more injury to
the cause of freedom than ever did a mill
tary chieftain."
copy of The Spectator, dated Dec.
4, 1880, shows a change of ownership and
size, and great improvement in appear
ance. In this issue of the paper, is the
funny column, several of the latest circus
and minstrel gags are 'now published for
the first time"
The returns of state election are
published, showing the election of Healey
| to congress. Several political tricks of
the campaign were shown up in the edi-
torial column in italics and small caps.
| In this copy Of The Spectator appears
an editorial Of considerable length com
menting upon the continued success of
the democratic party in Maine, and assert
ing positively that Andrew jackson would
be elected to the presidency at the cleo
ton soon to take place. In rehearsing a
| list of the states that would certainly
| give their electoral vote to Jackson the
name of Missouri is prominent. In this
| issue of the paper appears a poem
credited to The Albany Argus, the paper
now under the management of Secretary
Dan Manning's son.
The Spectator of March 10, 1882, gives
an account of the drowning of three
| boys in the canal at Newport, two of them
being brothers of Mr.. II. P. Mitchell, of
this city.
| Among the patent medicine advertise
ments are published remedies for cholera,
catarrh, consumption, and other stand
ard diseases.
The Vermont Chronicle, of April Is,
1881, publishes number of communica-
tions from which it appears that the pro-
hibition racket was being worked at that
time, and with every promise of ultimate
success.
In another part of the paper under the
head of Summary" is the following
clipping from The Baltimore American
on "Railroads," which would break the
heart of a railroad editor to-day:
''The experiment of the transportation
of two hundred barrrls of flour with a
! single horse was made on the railroad on
Saturday with the most triumphant sue
cess. The -four was deposited in a
train of eight cars, and made,
! together with the cars and the
passengers who rode on them, an en-
tire load of thirty tons, viz: two hundred
barrels flour, twenty tons; eight oars,