davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
LEES 7
1t Was, According to Lord Wolseley, After
the Battle of fredericksburg.

L can not, however. pass on to the
Gettysburg campaign without calling
attention to the mistake in allowing
the federal army to escape across the
Rappahannock after the battle OF
Fredericksburg. To command in wal
for many campaigns and make nc
mistakes is impossible. Gen. Lee.
great in strategy and able in tactics,
is no exception to the wisdom of this
saying. Military history can only be
made of use to the student of war by
a close criticism to every operation
and the critic, no matter how humble
should not surink from pointing Out
what be conceives to be the errors and
mistakes made by even the most re-
nowned commanders. Gen. Lee made
some mistakes in his most brillian'
career, but the greatest was after th.
battle of Fredericksburg. The more
closely his conduct then is studied the
more i~nexplicabie it appears. The
reasons he gives in his published dis.
patches for having failed either to push
the federal army into the river or to
compel its surrender are most unsat
isfactory, most insufficient. When the
leQordI attack WAS Tepuloeu Ou LHdl
eventful 18th Of December, Burnside
army was at Lees mercy. 1t Is, how
ever, easy to be wise after the event.
and to point out what might OF ought
to nave been done. 1t has
always seemed to me that if Burn.
sides army had been destroyed, as il
ought to have been after its crushing
repulse at Fredericksburg, the strug,
Gle between north and south would
have assumed an entirely different
aspect, and subsequent events would
not have been as they were.
During the course of this long wal
some great opportunities were lost by
the confederacy for the delivery of 8
d~eathblow to the northern armies. But
upon no other occasion was the oppor.
tunity so apparent, or the results that
would have attended success so evil
dent, as at fredericksburg. That bat.
tie was a brilliant success. Lee ought
to have made it a crushing, if not q
final, victory.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
can moi torhear telling ron one

/ can not torbear telling you one
more anecdote about her, which seems
to me a very pathetic one. She is a
very good mimic, and loves to initiate
the motions and gestures of those
about her, and she can do so very
%cleverly. On ii certain Sunday, she
went to church with a lady named
Mrs. Hopkins, having been cautioned
beforehand by her teacher. hat she
must sit very quiet during the church
service. 1t is very hard to sit perfectly
still, however, when you can't hear one
word of what the minister is saying.
and little Helen presently began to
talk to Mrs. Hopkins, and ASK what
was going on. Mrs. H. told her. and
reminded her of Miss Sullivan's in
junction about keeping quiet. She
Immediately obeyed, and turned her
head in a listening attitude. she said,
Il listen.'-FtOrence HoWe Hall, an st.
Nicholas.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
Fun for the Conductors.

The gathering of the G. A. e. in
Milwaukee has thrown many trang-
ers in the city during the last few
DAYS. To the inland visitor there is
nothing in Chicago as interesting as
the cable cars. They board one of the
trains and go to the end of the line and
return.
They talk to us freely" said one of
the conductors on Mr.. Holmes Wa
bash and Cottage Grove line. 1--WE
are instructed to always answer the
questions of strangers, no matter what
they are-that is, as near as we can.
But there was an old soldier who went
down to Oakwoods with me this morn
ing who read that temperance card up
there a little different from what the
good folks who put it up would like
to have it read, l expect. He had
been looking at it for some time and
finally he says to me, DO you reckon
them figgers is right-that $26. 500. 600
was spent last year for beer in Chi
cago?' | told him 1 expected the fig-
ures were about right; that the peo-
pie who put them up were people who
didn't generally lie. He looked at
them again for a minute and tnen he
says, when | go back to Kansas Pm
going to sell everything l have and
come and start a brewery. That's the
best paying business I've hear'n of
yet. "-Ch'edqO Tribune.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26

WASHINGTON. Dec. 20.-Among the
combinations today were: Treasury, Asa
C.. Matthews, of Illinois, first comptroller;
BENZ. F. Golkeson, of Pennsylvania. sec
ond comptroller. Postofice department..
A. J. Whitaker. of Ilinos. deputy fourth
auditor; John r. Lynch, of Mississippi,
fourth auditor; Edward O. Leech. of the
District of Columbia, director of the
mint. Collectors of internal revenue,
Daniel Hogan, thirteen, of Illinois, julius
s.. Starr. fifth, Illinois.
John Little. of Ohio. commissioner to
settle the Venezuelan claims.
ConSuls-William n. Bradley. of Illi-
nois. at Nice; Irving J. Manatt, of Ne
braska, at Athens: Samuel G. Rubey. of
Iowa, at Belfast: Hiram J. Dunlaw. of IL
hnois, at Breslau: Roger C. SpooUer, of
Wisconsin, at Prague: Alexander ]. Reed,
of Wisconsin. at Dublin; Walter E. Gard
ner, of Wisconsin, at Rotterdam.
Collector of Customs-John Mahood. at
Galena, I'll.
Receivers of Public Moneys-James T..
Stokes, at Grand Forks, Neb.; Robert E.
Carpenter, at Waterton, S. D.
Registers of Land Offices James P.
Luse. Rapid City. S. D.; August Kirbusch,
Wausau, Wis; James Mcdowell, Huron,
S. D.
Charles P. Lincoln, of Michigan, second
deputy commissioner of pensions.
Thomas. C. Mendenhall, of Indiana, u
perintendent of the coast and geological
survey.
Also a large number of army and navy
promotions.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26

RAUM'S NEW ORDER.
Abolishing the Board of Review in the
Pension Bureau.

WASHINGTON, Dee. 20.-Commissioner
Raum today issued an order abolishing the
board of review in the pension bureau,
and distributing the forty members of
that board among the five a~djudicating
distributions of the office. Six of the
ablest men on the board of review will be
assigned to the duty of the board of review
as a committee to whom all the more i'm
portant and difficult questions will be re-
ferred for decision. The review board will
thus be increased from eighty-two to eighty
eight men. The remaining thirty-four re-
reviewers, together with forty special ex-
aminers, recently recalled from field work,
will be distributed among the ~adiudicat-
ing division, thus increasing their etfec-
tive working force by seventy-four men.
All the divisions of the office will be organ
lied on a corrected and simpliied basis
with a view to increasing to its utmost the
adjudicating capacity of the bureau.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
Land Transfer and Registration.

BY a law lately promulgated in Ja-
pan title-deeds of land are abolished
throughout the empire and their place
taken by a system of land registration.
The details contained in the deeds are
henceforth to be entered in a land
register, which is to be kept at the
head offices of the various administra-
tive districts. By this measure all
questions relating to taxation and to
the transfer of property are rendered
even more simple than they were be-
fore. Formerly title-deeds showed
the dimensions of the land, its locality,
the name of its owner, and its suppos-
ed market value. The last item was
recorded for purposes of taxation, and
large liberties were then taken with
respect to it, owners being generally
careful that only a fraction of the sum
actually paid or obtainable for their
property should be shown on the face
of the title deed. In the cases of
transfer there were no troublesome
formalities or heavy expense insepera-
BILE from such transactions in western
countries. All that was necessary was
that the old and new owners, or their
authorized representatives, should at
tend at the proper Office and on pay
ment of a small fee obtain official reg
istration of the change of proprietor
ship. The new system still further
simpiifes the matter, as all records
will be kept in one book, and an Off
cial entry there will satisfy every pur-
pose. 1t will also be recognized that
the values recorded IN the register are
taxable values, quite independent of
sales or purchases effected in the mar
ket. The safe custody of The registers
will be a matter of momen in a coun-
try where fires are SO frequent and so
destructive.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
APPROVED THE SUBSTITUTE.
Requirements to Which Bridge Builders
Must Comply.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. = Secretary
Proctor approved the substitute for senate
bill 493. Under It's terms certain bridges
in the future must be built according to
the following requirements. On the Mis-
souri, river above the mouth of the Platte
all bridges are to have a channel span of
not less than 300 feet long and head room
of fifty feet above high water; between the
Platte and Kaw rivers all spans over water
way to exceed 800 feet. channel span 400
feet, and head room fifty feet above high
water; between the Kaw river and the
mouth of the Missouri, all spans over the
waterway be 400 feet, so feet above high
water. That all bridges on the Missouri to
be high bridges; on the Mississippi river
above the mouth of the Missouri, and on
the Illinois and Desplaines rivers, all high
bridge spans over the waterways be not
less than $50 feet and 55 feet above high
water mark. That no structures be less
than 10 feet above high water mark;
all low bridges to have two
or more draw openings of not less than
200 feet of channel way ard one fixed
channel span of not less than $50 feet
(some slight local notifications of these
requirements are permitted on the Illinois
and Desplaines river. Pile and pontoon
bridges similar to the one at Prairie du
Chen, Wisconsin, may also be built. Be-
tween the mouth of the Missouri and st.
Louis the bridges shall be high, 400 feet
spans over the water way, 500 feet of chan
mel span and IS feet above high water.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
Frigid Phenomena.

The natives of tropical countries are
seldom so much astonished as when
they are first introduced to snow and
ice, says the n. Y. Sun. The CONCEAL
ing of water is a phenomenon they are
slow to comprehend. A few months
ago Sir William Macgregor enticed
several New Guinea natives to the hith-
erto unsealed summit of Mount Owen
Stanley, the loftiest peak in British
Australasia. On its barren summit.
nearly a thousand feet above the zone
of vegetation, big icicles were found,
greatly to the amazement of the
natives, who were much startled when
they touched them, and insisted that
their fingers had been burned.
A year ago when Mr.. Ehlers ascend
ed Mount Kilima-Niaro, in Africa, his
native porters, who had lived all their
lives near the base of the great mount
ain, pulled off their boots with which
they had been provided as they APP
preached the snow line and plunged
merrily into the snow in their bare
feet. They lost no time in plungine
out again, and lay writhing on the
ground, insisting that their feet had
Doon severely DuCneu.
Some of the central African natives
who have been introduced into Ser
many mistook last winter, the first
snow-storm they saw, for a flight Of
white butterflies. Lieut.. Won Francois
says the mistake was a very natural
one. One day as he was ascending a
tributary Of the Congo he saw for the
first time the air filled with a great
swarm of white butterflies, and he says
the spectacle closely resembled a gentle
fall of snow.
The seductive summer drink, so pop
ular in our latitude during the dog
days, produce upon the untutored saw
age when first brought to his notice as
unpleasant an effect as an unexpected
electric shock. King Dinah of west
Africa has been of the recent sight
seers in Paris. An attempt was made
one day to explain to him the nature OF
ice by Introducing him to an iced
drink. The unusual sensation greatly
startled his majesty and he dashed the
cooling draught on the floor as soon as
he had tasted it.
1t is said that our Alaskan Esquimos
think the weather is uncomfOrtably
sultry when the temperature is at the
freezing point. while the central Afri
can shiyers in great distress in Il tenn
Perature 80 degrees above zero.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
WANTS A RECEIVER.
Ditman's Counsel Bring Suit Against Mu-.
sic Publishers.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 19.-The counsel
for VIM. D. Brelstood, attorney in fact
for the missing bank president, Ditman,
brought suit in the court of common pleas
in the name of Joseph G. Ditman against
w. F. Shaw & Co., music publishers, ask
ing for the appointment of a receiver. The
bill says the capital stock of the company
is three hundred and fifty thousand dollars
of which Ditman holds S150,000, and Is
the indorser upon promissory notes out
standing to the amount of Sal 900; that
plaintiff believes company defendant and
defendent has outstanding debts due and
payable to the amount of SAL
900. The bill says further that
the company is without available
funds and assets to meet it's obligations,
and that the notes and drafts which have
become due, have not been paid and have
been protested for non-payment and the
company is insolvent. The court is asked
to order an account to be taken of the
business and continuation of the company
and to appoint a receiver to take charge
of its affairs.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
A WARNING.
Sun in Babies Eyes the Cause Cf so Much
Poor Sight Among Children.

AS the sun slid down the western
slope of the horizon last evening he
blushed rosy red for the mischief he
lad been doing. His rays had brought
premature near-sightedness or other
ocular trouble to hundreds of babies in
the public squares or along the streets.
The nurse-girl and the baby coach cir
culated through every part of the city,
and the sun was V e with them. The
youngsters reclining on their pillows
could do nothing else than gaze sky
ward. They squinted horribly, or
scowled furiously, or wept copiously,
but the wanton sungod still persisted
in aiming his shafts directly at their
innocent upturned orbs, and their
guardians seemed all oblivious of their
unhappiness. Some of them dropped
their tired eyelids upon tired eyes and
thus avoided the impudent suns glar-
ing stare; but most of them stared back
in the big flaming ball unremittingly.
In one of the public squares many
coaches were uncanopied, while others
were adorned with p~arasols of rare
sky-blue silk or filmy lace that slanted
over the protected cherub's optics in
such a wabbly fashion as to give a con-
slant alienation of dusk and glare
that was bewildering. In a corner of
the square a group of children of q
little larger growth were romping.
There were eleven of them all told, and
their ages lay somewhere between z
and IL. 1t was a melancholy fact that
the noses of five were bespectacled.
Six or eight years ago those little romps
were twisting and turning in their
diminutive coaches In a vain endeavor
to shirk the binding rays of the same
relentless sun. A gray-haired physician
passed through the square during the
afternoon and he heaved a sigh. 1.-THE
world, they say, is growing blind" he
murmured to a companion, land its
growth will be at a rapid rate If this
thing continues. Think you that the
infant seions of ~aristocracy can stare
uninterrnptedly through many a sum-
mer's day at the blazing heavens with
out having their eyeballs scorched9
Oh. for a thoughtful nurse and an old
fashioned common-sense baby ear.
riage!' And with these words the NJ.
d. passed on in northumberland
phiG Record.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
IN A FOG WITHOUT LIGHTS.
New York Inve1oped in a Dense Clammy
Fog.

New YORK, Dec. 20.-New York is en-
fogs to-day that the city has seen in many
years. 1t was a yeritable Scotch mist,
cold, clammy, and suggestive of pneu-
monia. During the day the city has been
in twilight, and tonight the entire alb
sence of electric lights, combined with the
denseness of the fog, makes the main
thoroughfares a disagreeable spectacle and
the side streets are almost as dark as pitch.
The impediments offered to travel are
greater than has been observed before
elevated trains are running far behind;
time while the entrance to Brooklyn
bridge has been In a state of blockade all
day. 1t is ON the north and east rivers,
howevers, most of the difficulty is ex-
perienced and the people going from this
city to Jersey, Brooklyn, ETC., are kept
and Brooklyn bridge trains were
at times badly mixed up
and passengers got one or two frights to-
day in consequence. Fortunately no ac-
cident of a serious nature is reported and
beyond a collision between two ferry boats
in the North river this afternoon which
caused great fright to passengers M more
damage was done than the detriment to
travel. Late tonight the fog was lifting.
Later while travel was at its height on
Brooklyn bridge tonight, a broken coup
ling caused a collision near the Brooklyn
terminus. A conductor on one of the
colliding trains received severe injuries.
The passengers became panic stricken, and
cavaroI 1a1Ioc faiD4o1
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
REVIVAL OF TESTIMONY.
Boston's Mou1ders of Intellects in a Judi
cial Court.

Sfdl NohIb
BosToN, Dec. ia large audience as-
sembled in the judicial court this morn
ing to hear the arguments in one of the
many issues of the celebrated Andoyer
heresy case. The evidence was all in on
the charge that Visitor Eustis who sat In
Judgment of Prof. Smythe was biased
against him, and had so expressed him
self. Prof. Dwight, of Columbia college,
summed up for Smythe. He claimed that
in the Eustic case there were a few
leaning toward the side of the prose-
and the utter want of decorum
out of court. A. H. Wellman, for the
visitors, said the charges of bias on 5he
part of DR.. Eustis were not made until
after the latter's death, and not until D
year and a half after the trial of the pro-
f~essors, an inexcusable delay which called
for severe criticism.
Barrows in behalf of Smythe confined
himself to the charge that Eustis had form
ed and repeatedly expressed to divers per-
sons that the professors were guilty of the
charged.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
Winston and the Shah.

The revival of the rage about the
Shah of Persia has led to a story on
the Hon. Fred Winston of Chicago,
United States at the Persian court.
When he arrived at Teheran he was
met outside of the city by the Cham.
berlain of the court, who, in the name
of the Shah, presented him with four
elephants. Winston. who had never
seen an elephant outside of a men
agerie, was paralyzed at his situation,
but managed to express his thanks for
the Shah's great kindness. After he
had been presented, and had assumed
the duties of his office, his greatest
official burden was the care of his ele-
plants. Relief came on the second
day, when the intimation was politely
conveyed that the Shah expected q
present from him.
Certainly" said Winston, as a smile
waiting to secure one worthy of so
great a ruler.
That afternoon he proceededin state
to the palace and presented the Shah
with five elephants. The chamberlain
seemed to regard the animals with
suspicion, but Oriental politeness pre-
vents the inspection of a gift horse in
the mouth, and, anyhow. the extra
elephant removed all doubt.
..That extra elephant cost me S100."
said Winston. in telling the story
~afterward. But | considered myself
getting out of a bad scrape cheap at
that.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
Held Up Passenger Train.

TEMPLE. Texas, Dec. 20.-The west
bound passenger train on the San Angelo
branch of the Santa Fe was held up this
morning at Bangs station, 132 miles west.
While the train was standing at the sta
ton the train guard, Al. Wolf, was
standing on the ground, when he was
approached by four men who drew pis-
tolls and ordered him to throw up his
hands. Brakeman Penn snatched the
guards pistol and fired into the gang.
The robbers returned the fire, m~ortally
wounding Penn. Then they compelled the
guard to uncouple the express car from the
1ext coach and ordered the engineer to
run ahead while the express car was being
robbed. Only about s42 was obtained by
the robbers. Pursuit Is being made.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
LONGENECkER Is CENSURED.
Juror Culver Publishes An Article
Defending His Position.
Censuring the States Attorney For
0verstepping His Duty.
Threatening Letters Which Culver
Has Received Published.

CHICAGO, Dec. 21.-John Culver, of
Cronin case ~notoriety, sends to the Daily
News a long statement In answer to the
published structures ON his conduct III the
case. He says, In part. that when he was
sworn to try the case according to law and
evidence, he had no idea he should be re-
quired to satisfy popular elamor, and he
thinks jury trials have become a farce If
it is true one must suit his verdict to the
demands of newspapers or public opinion
(lf, indeed, newspapers express instead of
manufacturing public opinion). or be ma
ligned and his action attributed to that
most detestable of all corruption-bribery-
his religion derided, and even his family
was dragged In to Eenhance the sensation.
Among the natural fruit of this passionate
and clamorous treatment on the part of the
newspapers he classes numerous publish
ed interviews of persons not sworn to try
the case and conduct of States Attorney
L~ongenecker In stepping out of the sphere
OF his duties as a prosecuting officer and
assuming that of censor of the Jurors
when their verdsct happens not to be In
accordance with his desires. The News
also publishes a number of obscene and
threatening letters which Culver has re-
ceived since the verdict was rendered.
CHICAGO, Dec. 21.-An Appleton paper
has looked up the record of Lawyer VIM.
Forrest, of Chicago, who in the Cronin
case charged the prosecution with cor
ruption and dishonesty of al! kinds. 1t
says that In 1868 he resided in Fon du Lac
county, in this state, and then publishes
an abstract from the record of the circuit
court of that county showing he was con-
victed of larceny Dec. Is, 1868 and SEN
fenced to three months Imprisonment In
the county jail. The indictment charges
the felonious taking a pair of boots and a
sum of money belonging to one Bemen G.
Reynolds. The copies of the Indictment,
verdict and sentence are certified to be
correct by the clerk of the court of Fon du-
Lac county.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-26
A Village Destroyed by Fire.

MASON CRY, Iowa, Dec. 20.-The bust
ness portion of Swaledale a prosperous
village sixteen miles from here was de-
stroyed by fire last night during
the prevalence of a severe snow
storm. A panic prevailed for a time
and many ome and children rushed
out into the snow In night clothes and
much suffering was experienced. Losses
aggregate S25, 900.