davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
Gum Chewing As an Art.

The habit of chewing gum by men,
women, babies, young and old. in the
West is gradually working its way East.
1t is matter of common practice at
most health resorts, and strikin CIV
SO at the Hot Springs in Arkansas, and
nearly all the physicians in these sani-
tariums commend the exercise as
materially aiding digestion, cleaning
the stomach, and as help of break
ing off chewers from the use of to-
baccO.
A few years ago, and even now, in
staid Eastern cities, a young lady who
chewed gum would be stunned bv
other fair ones and held up as an ex-
ample of one on the direct route to
perdition. Whereas, in Chicago, Kan
sas City, st. Paul, Minneapolis, and all
the rest of the progressive West and
Northwest cities and towns, if one
can't chew at least Il nickePs worth of
gum per day one is not up to the
standard. 1t seems odd, but there is a
perfect dial to the thoughts in the way
the gum is chewed. Let any one chewing
gum become excited or enthusiastic,
say at horse racing or any other inter-
eSIlHS enjoy HenG, anu Ine mouth Will
work quickly aud with an automatic
regularity. Entire rows of men
and women watching a baseball con-
test will show on which. side the chew
ers are betting. When a good play is
made on one side the hackers of that
side chew ferociously; the losing side
chew and work the gums alphabetically.
A home run causes the masticating and
crunching to go on as though worked
By Keely motor.
A young lady visiting the East from
one of the Western cities neglected
to bring with her a stock of genuine
gum. Life seemed intolerable until a
thoughtful friend sent her bundle of
sweet scented chewing gum. To
watch another chewing gum very long
will make you hungry, and the young
lady's mother having watched her
Chew for long time and seeing the
evident relish with which she cheWed,
asked for paper. After chewing for
five minutes she suddenly threw the
gum Indignantly out of the window.
Later, when the young lady's mother
remarked that the habit of chewing
gum was pernicious, unladylike, and
vulgar. the daughter understood that
the neophyte in gum chewing had a
swollen tongue, chewed jaws, and a
bleeding lip There are slips even in
gum.-Galttnore american.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
No More q Mystery.

The murder of Mr.. Smell in Chica 20
recalls the murder of Mr.. Nathan in
New York. Both were men of solitary
habits, large real and larger reputed
wealth, and both were believed to
keep great sums in their houses. Mr..
Smell is known to have been killed by
burglars. whom first he tried to kill.
Mr.. Nathan was found dead at the
foot of his opened safe. He had been
Drained by the ugly short and heavy
iron weapon, which police and thieves
slang calls a ''dog" The character Of
the Smell murder is known. The
Nathan crime remained for long
time a mystery and bred cruel and
false suspicious against Washington
Nathan. a son of the murdered man,
at odds with his father and benefited
by his death. The son proved an
alibi which identified him with a viola
ton of the seventh commandment and
acquitted him of the charge of infract-
ing the eighth.
Probably the murderers of Mr.. Smell
Will be found. Putting the criminal
classes in a sieve and shaking them
through will very likely secure the
known by the public that the police
and law authorities have long been
aware who killed Mr.. Nathan. Billy
Forester killed him. He entered the
house by the basement, made a noise
on purpose to bring the old man down
stairs late at night to where he was,
killed him with ''dog" to get the
keys to open the safe, found nothing
in it worth speaking of, and left the
premises by the front door, which was
found open ats o'clock III the morning.
He was observed by an Irish woman
next door, who was being served by a
milkman.
The authorities learned these facts
in a queer way. The ''dog" was de-
scribed in the newspapers. 1t had
singular scratches on it. A convict in
Sing Sing knew it was Forrester's
''dog." He offered, for. pardon, to
identify it among any number CT
''dogs' the police might lay out on a
table, and to describe Forester as
well. The police painted large num-
Der of ''dogs" red so as to make them
all look alike. The convict at once
picked out Forrester's ''dog." The
country was secured for the criminal.
He gave himself up in New Orleans in
the hope of being taken to Joliet
prison, Illinois, from which he had
escaped, and of not being brought to
New York. He was brought there,
however, but he had grown thin; had
cut off his hair and beard; had dyed
his skin and the woman, though she
SAID that he looked very much like the
man she saw, could not positively
identify him. The charge was dis
missed for want of evidence. He went
to Joliet and died there of consump-
ton, but to his counsel in New York
he confessed the facts herein stated to
make their defense of him more in
telligent, and these facts have never
before been published.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

" the many welcome guests OF both
sexes who enjoy them in the spacious
drawing-room of his Fifth avenue
mansion, which stands under the
shadow Of a fashionable church. On
these occasions tie famous agnostic
lays aside the cares of his legal prac-
tice and becomes humorous, festive.
and sociable. His benignant wife and
two accomplished daughters give va
riety, grace, and charm to the passing
hours of genial intercourse.
Prof Blaisdell of Beloit College has
given to the Regents of Mount Vernon
a small volume entitled "A View
OF the Wal al, . which once belonged TO
George Washington. One of the fly
leaves bears the following insert ps;on
in Lord Erskine's handwriting, adj
dressed to Washington: 1T has been
my good fortune through life to be
associated with the most talented and
distinguished men Of Europe; but YOU.
sir, are the only human being for
whom l ever felt reverential awe,
totally unlike anything l ever felt for
any other of the human race
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
a Tricky Baboon.

Frank J. Thompson tells in Forest
and Stream funny story about a
chacma baboon ne bought at Port
Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, South Africa
When first seen it was leading n team
of oxen, walking on three legs and
holding with the fourth the reins at
tached to the horns of the oxen. At
the command of its driver it gave a
very good imitation of Kaffir dance
Mr.. Thompson soon found it necessary,
on account of its various tricks, to cage
it. On the passage the sailors gave
the cage wide berth, but an unf0rtu-
nate dog, coming too near one day,
was caught by the tail and kept ct
respectful distance ever after. On
arrival in New York harbor sailor
clearinghouse runner backed up with
in reach of Jacobs paw. He lost
part of his pantaloons, and in his
fright leaped overheard, much to the
amusement of the Captain and all
hands.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
Ancient Order of Snakes.

The dancing man, says the Apache
Critic, made four circuits around the
rock which stands near the center of
the plaza, hating to face the chorus,
where as on the day before, a song
was gone through with. The snake
men were formed into groups of three
each, and now an individual from each
group went into the cottonwood shade
and extracted a snake from one of the
bags, and, after putting it into his
mouth and firmly fixing it there by the
teeth, started on his round.
His companion, with an arm around
his neck, kept the tail of the snake in
position, while with the right, in which
was carried a stick with two long
feathers attached, he held the serpent
away from becoming entangled in the
hair of his friend. The snake, after
being carried around the circle, is
thrown from the mouth, when the
third member of the group gathers his
snakeship up and carries him the
balance of the dance, occasionally,
however, giving the dancing man some
to hold, which they do in rather a
modest manner.
|. Smiles are brought upon the visages
of many of the spectators at the sad
plight others are put in by the serpents
every once in q while making bold
dashes for liberty, scattering the
crowd in all directions, yet to be
brought back captives and be held
more securely by the singers. Two or
three instances were noticed of the
large bull snake being held by the
neck, but throwing his long, prehen-
siIe body around the leg, thus securin 9
himself from imaginative dangers.
One instance IN particular, where the
snake was longer by fully two feet
than the small boy who held it, and
twisted itself around first one leg and
then the other IN such manner that
to move was to fall. The predicament
of the urchin called forth a great burst
of merriment. Yet it looked anything
but funny to the boy. How many
snakes were on hand would be hard to
tell, yet serpents were plenty and
seemed to be in excellent condition, to
Judge from the manner in which they
resisted recapture after having been
| dropped from the mouth, but there
were at least 80.
Those who danced with the snakes
not infrequeutly had three or four at
the same time in the mouth, which, OF
all the performances, was the most re-
pulsive. To see a human being going
the rounds with his entire face hidden
behind the snakes, not feature visible,
was something to make the shudders
creep up ones back, which it did. Yet
there was sounds of applause from the
natives gathered around, urging the
dancers to attempt greater feats, such
as taking two of the larger rattlers in
the mouth at once, and in one instance
a dancer held many snakes in his
mouth, which twined around his face
in hideous mass, as if his head had
been transformed into that of the
tabled Gorgon.
That the performers are thoroughly
doctored or medicated prior to the
commencement of the ceremonies
there can be no doubt. The eyes and
the ecstatic bearing of the bodies at.
tract attention at once; there is q
peculiar lustre in the orbs and an
elasticity in the movement of the body.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
Horses With Red Boots.

They have a peculiar way of clip
ping the hunting-horses of Gloucester
Shire. They clip the horses body only,
and leave the legs covered with hair.
The country has a great deal of lime
stone, and it was found that where the
legs of the horse were clipped the grit
ty mud soon made their legs sore.
This fashion gave the horses, however,
a very peculiar appearance. The clip
ping OF a bright bay gives him in the
first place mouse-color. The leaving
of hair upon the horses legs gave
them the appearance of having on
high boots. To see "a mouse-colored
horse with high, reddish boots on,
bearing on his back vociferous rider,
coming at great stride across the
green downs, is certainly novelty to
stranger. THE Argofaut.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
The Sense of n Butcher Bird.

Of all the birds of Florida there is
one that will afford an idler lots of
amusement if he will spend an occa-
sional hour watching closely. 1t is
the shrike or butcher bird A few
days ago l was in an orange grove a
few rods from the house. where an old
darby, with the assistance of mule,
was blowing, and a butcher bird was
flying from tree to tree, following up
the newly plowed furrow looking for
insects. Every few minutes he would
90 to pick up beetle or insect, and
for some time he simply swallowed his
victim.
After little he seemed to have
had enough to eat, and just then a
little flock of Iarks were seen running
along in the newly-turned furrow, at
times almost touching the old darby 6
heels. Now and then they would
come across an insect too large for
them to easily manage, and then would
begin a little scuffle. Then the butcher
bird would swoop down in the center
of the little flock, snatch up the insect,
and fly off with it before the larks
knew what had happened. The
butcher bird had eaten all he wanted,
and so, with the beetle in his beak, he
flew to the nearest orange tree, and,
selecting a long, sharp, thorn, he i'm
paled the insect upon it. [ watched
this bird put at least ten insects on
different thorns. During an hour, be-
sides numerous large insects, the
butcher bird captured two snakes, the
largest of which was two feet long and
very lively. These snakes, although
they squirmed and twisted, were taken
with difficulty to an orange tree and,
after good bit of hard Juggling, they
were left with q thorn through their
bodies.
When the butcher bird is not looking
for food or for victims to stick on
thorns he is looking for other birds
for the purpose of fighting them, and
thus he keeps busy from daylight till
dark.-9He Nationalist.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
Keeping Cats Small.

Certain Brooklyn young ladies have
lately been seized with mild mania
for keeping cats small. One young
lady let the reporter into the secret,
and solemnly declared that it didn t
hurt the creatures even "a little bit"
You see" she said, sit is done very
easily. Now, here are three cats.
Yes. know they look like kittens, but
they are not all the same. Nellie, the
one with the blue ribbon around her
neck, is 4 years of age, but you
wouldn't think she was more than 6
months old. Here is old Tom, years
old on Washington's birthday. yet he
is no larger than Nellie. No, they
don't belong to the dwarf family"
well. how is this accomplished"
Il give them gin to drink. HowP
Why. hold their nostrils with one
hand, and pour a tablespoonful of the
spirits down their little throats with
the other. l repeat the dose three
times day for two weeks. 1t makes
them very frisky, and they cut up
some queer capers at times. Often.
however, they go to sleep and hug the
fire all day. They don't get any big
ger and that's all | know about the
matter. "-Net0 Yor5 Telegram.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
inside n Japanese Home.

was privileged, in company with
couple of friends, to visit the home of
a japanese lady in Yokohama, which
/ was assured was very much like all
the Japanese homes. The lady had
acquired fair knowledge of Euglish
and was able to make herself under
stood. The house was divided into
six or eight rooms by sliding partitions
of light wood and paper. There was
not Il swinging door about the estab-
lishmcnt, nor chair, nor table. Nor
did | see any of these wonderful Jap
anese curios that adorn many Ameri-
can homes, and | was subsequently, in
formed that they were not to be found
in the japanese homes, but were made
str city for export to England and
America. The walls were almost en-
tirely devoid of ornament and the
floors were covered with straw mat
ting, well padded underneath. Scrup-
ulous cleanliness was plainly apparent
everywhere. We were. uShered into
one of the rooms by very polite little
Jap woman with an exceedingly pretty
face who spread blanket on the floor
for US to sit upon, and who dropped
upon her knees and FRUSTRATED herself
before us until her forehead touched
the floor. Then the lady of the house
entered, Frustrated herself before us
and with her own hand served us with
tea in diminutive cups accompanied
by rice cakes. After we had chatted
for few minutes she proposed to
give us a special treat, inasmuch as
we were Americans, whom she al
WAYS admired. She called for a
stringed instrument which remotely
resembled q banjo with a long neck,
and played some native music for us
which made up in novelty what it
lacked in melody. Then her sister en-
tered and danced for us to the alleged
music of the stringed instrument. The
dancer was the personification of
grace and used her fan with marvel
yelous dexterity. She swayed to and
fro, swung around easily, moving her
head, and arms, and fan with bewitch-
ing grace, and occasionally sang a
few notes in a melancholy strain, in
tended to depict the heart-aches of
love. The dance was a pantomimic
illustration of a soul-harrowing nara
tive which was related by our hostess
as follows:
young musician, VINO worked z
flute very clearly, fell in love with q
young lady whose heart was in the
right place, but she didn't know it
that is, she was coquettish. and while
she hadn't the remotest idea of ever
marrying the fellow. she thought she'd
have little fun with him. When he
asked her if she would be hisn she
told him that she would upon condi-
ton that he would come and play the
flute under her window every night
for 100 nights. He accepted the con-
tract at once and went to work on the
Job. 1t looked to him as if he'd struck
soft snap and that he'd win his
charmer if the flute didn't break, but
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
CmciOuS "" PaDaS.

The st. Louis Crto,c relates the fol-
lowing true story of one of the most
effective rebukes that mild and lovely
woman ever administered to vain and
lOrdly man: Two young matrons
of them, II wish Charley wouldn't act
as if he thought at-that-because it
is my first baby | didn't know how to
take care of it. He never interfered
so with anything before. But now,
when be is starting off in the morning,
he begins: i wouldn't take baby out
if it turns cold; and don't put that
wool veil over her eyes again; and you
had better put the water in the bath
tub before you put her in, and so on,
and so on"
Yes, 1 know" rejoined the elder
lady philosophically, "they all do so
till the novelty wears off. To hear
the rooster crow one would think that
it was he who was doing the incu-
batting. l stood it as long as l could
was struggling into his overcoat and
leaving numberless charges about the
baby's food, and fannels, and medi-
cine, and wrappings, l said very sweet
ly and dutifully: You may rest easy
dear, while you are in town at your
business. l will take just as good
care of baby as though she were my
own child. Your own child! he re-
piled, gaspingly. He looked at me a
moment; then he saw the point. He
kissed me good-by in silence and then
went oft, but he has never since ten
dered me any gratuitous advice on that
subject"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
Men Are Bigger Than They Used to

L have measured a great many
Roman collins, and my average shows
that the Roman could not have greatly
exceeded five feet five inches. In tax
ing measurements of ancient armor
find that the English aristocracy have
decidedly increased in average height
within five hundred years.
l measured twenty-five mummies in
the British museum, as nearly as l
could through the cases, making esti-
mates for wrapping, and found the
average height of males sixty-one
inches, females fifty-five inches.
The mummy of the celebrated Cleo
patra measures about fifty-four inches,
about the height of the present Euro
pean girl of Is. The most ancient
mummy of an Egyptian king yet dis
covered measured fifty-two inches
Nature.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

on the ninety-ninth night he caught
cold and the next day he died. Then
the girl discovered that she really
loved him and his death almost broke
her up"
The dancer depicted all the princi-
pal points in the story, together with
the grief of the heroine, very effective
ly.-J0pdn Letter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
Gen. Butler Swore at Him.

sin September 81" said Mai. Os-
nun, Il used often to be sent over to
Gen. Butler at Bermuda Hundred. The
General had a great tick of swearing
at the messenger when the dispatches
did not happen to please him, and one
day he cursed me roundly. | was
little inclined to be saucy in those
DAYS. and this time l said to him:
s.There's no good in swearing at
me. l didn't write the Dispatch
81 spent three days in the guard
house for that speech, and when | got
back to headquarters [ came near hav-
ing tc suffer for being absent without
leave. "-DetroH Journal.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

Leap year is a great snap, isn't t?''
remarked Snobkins- Just why?'
queried Smith. "A girl proposed to
me last night" 'sNo; you don't say?'
Yes; and [ accepted. F." Worse and
more of it. How did it happen?"
simplest thing in the world. She
proposed to me to leave the house or
she would call her father. and l left.
That was all. > Washington Critic.
''Do you believe IN luck, nv good
man?" asked a superstitious old lady OF
tramp. i can't say that do. mum. +"
replied the tramp because | never
had any. '--Judqe.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

Barbed wire is not popular in Ken
lucky unless it is in the form of cork
scssw,--B0Ston Commercial Bulletin.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

Amateur actor (rehearsing in MS
room) = Approach thou like the
Hyrcan tiger. the rugged Russian
bear" Landlady (entering)-.'Mr.
CheSpus, | want To know once for all
when YOU intend to pay me the money
YOU owe me?" well, Ell, call-cail
Saturday" Continuing the rehearsaD
Take any shape but that, and my
firm nerves shall never tremble. =
Lincoln Journal.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

A ton of diamonds IS orth $50, OOO,-
IVY: Don't let the dealers come the
l,oOO-pound dodge on you.-PucE.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-07
Rie rlurrv in on cert,ficates.

New YORK, March 6-Althoueh the petro-
1eum dealings have not been published for a
week the Stock Exchange. the members of
that board experienced q corner to-day that
they will remember for mapv years. The mar
ket st the opening quiet. but certificates
were scarce for delivery, and brokers had some
premonition of the trouble. The price was
gradually bid up. and at 2 o'clock reached &c.
In the New York Stock Exchange at that time,
the corner eliminated on a demand by E. K.
Willard that all certificates sold to him yester-
day must be delivered. This sent the brokers
climbing for oil, but il could not be obtained in
time, and the certificates were bought in under
tho rule. Only "a. 600 barrels were involved in
the corner but these could not be secured ex-
cept at large advances. The first sales We're
made at 81. then it rapidly advanced to 1913, and
from there the price jumped to 145. The deal
ings were marked by the greatest excitement.
but the price for oil sold in the regular way. In
the Consolidated Exchange the exciteme ut was
even greater. and sales there were made at ST..
All the shorts tried to cover at about the sa me
time, but toward the close, the market obtained
a slight relief and prices fell of a shade. The
total sales were 6,504. 900 barrels. of which s.,
500 600 were transacted in the Consolidated and
935 900 ia the New York Stock Exchange. Az
ter the close Of the Consolidated Exchange, GER
tifcates loaned at $40 per 1000 barrels for use
until tomorrow.