davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
THE MILLION-STAM MYTH.
Original of the Idea That Has Bothered
Many Good People.

Now and then some one announces him.
self as the victim of the one million post
age stamp hoax, says Good Housekeeping.
1t is firmly believed that if 1000, 1000
stamps are collected and forwarded to
some one a bed viii be provided for an
invalid boy IN some hospital or home for
an orphan. Christian churches have been
the special victims, and there Is hardly one
IN England, the United States, Australia.
India, or any other country that has not had
several members begging, borrowing,
and even stealing postage stamps In order
to make up the l ,000,000 that will go to
clothe and feed some orphan.
This swindle originated in the fertile
brain of a pOstage-stamp collector at Stet-
tin, Germany. He desired to get vast col
lections to sort out and sell again. and
hit upon plan to set the whole civilized
world to go to work for him free ofcharge.
He preyed on the sympathies of people an
nouclng that an orphan would be cared for
IN the Syrian orphan home for every ], :
100000 stamps sent to him. This worked
we'll and the next dodge was the starting
OF mythical mission IN China. the holy
sisters OF which agreed, for every .000,-
0O0 stamps sent to them, to save from the
jaws OF the crocodiles of the Yellow river
at least one Chinese baby, and then edu-
cate and christianize it. The stamps were
to be sent not to Jerusalem or China. but
to Munich or Stettin. The last claim on
the sympathy of the world that has been
made by this German is that for l, ZOO, 900
stamps home for an old lady or an old
gentlemand will be provided in one of
three homes in London, another in
New York, and the third In Cincinnatia.
For $780, 900 stamps bed will be endowed
in a hospital, and for 100000 home will
be found for an orphan for one year. There
are agencies in various cities to forward
stamps to Stettin. 1t is estimated that
this swindler has collected over 100000
900 stamps in the United States alone, and
that these were worth from 100000 to
three times that amount.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

is as severe as that of England The Bed
ouin system of warfare, which Is the pur-
pose to which they are put. accounts for
their enormous staying power. 1t con-
sists of long forced marches. often of as
much as 500 miles, where they would be
obliged to do as much as fifty to eighty
miles day. on no better food than chan
ces to come In their way, and often with
out water. Then at the end they must
have sufficient courage and spirit left to be
able to maneuver IN Arab lance-fghting
and to carry their masters back with the
booty they have secured.
''Why does one see so many gray Arabs ?
The reason Is that they have been purpose
ly bred to that color to satisfy the Moham-
medan prejudice founded on the tradition
that the prophet 5 mare was gray. 1t is
certain. however. that bay is the natural
color because nearly all foals are foaled of
that color, and because there Is a natural
tendency to reversion The Bedouins. as
contrasted to the townmen, prefer bay to
gray.
There Is no fixed price for mares In the
desert; everything depends ON the moods
and the necessities of the seller and on the
particular strain of blood. However, you
would probably pay twice as much as you
would In England | myself have paved
as much as e240 in the desert for mare. -
But what would Bedouin do with
8240?" Invest it in camels for breeding
stock He would be able to buy about fifty
camels for that sum. 1t Is every year be-
coming more difficult to get good horses in
the desert. To get the last two stations
we imported we were obliged to send an
Arab secretl " from Cairo. distance of 500
miles through the desert. Mr.. Blunt
measured the distance on one of made
maps on a screen, which is one of the feat
ures of the morning room. He spent two
months bargaining with the Bedouins. He
had to travel long distance back, having
to run the risk of encountering with part
les by day, thieves by night, and all the
accidents of a rough country. His whole
absence extended over six months, and he
had to pay In camp at least as much
as | should have had to do in England
However, during the last twenty-five
years great numbers of Arab brood mares
have left Arabia, the Bedouins having been
seduced from their ancient practice Of
never selling mare by the high prices of
fered by Araby Pasha when victor of
Egypt.
THE introduction of firearms into Bed
ouin warfare, too, has tended to diminish
the stock Whereas formerly weli-1nount-
cd Arab could ride into the enemy camp.
pillage, and retire with impunity, he now
at the mercy of any old woman who can
catch up rife The system of warfare is
yearly changing andeXpeditions on drome-
diaries are replacing those on horseback.
A feet horse is no longer a fortune to its
pOSCncCOr -
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
THE MAKING OF BEADS.
Where the Pretty Glittering BaubI
are Manufactured for the Market.

Where the Pretty GIittering BaubIes
are Manufactured for the Market.
Most Of the worlds beads are Venetian.
says Harper's Magazine. In the island
of Muran0 l 200 workmen are devoted to
this branch. The first process is to draw
the glass into tubes of the diameter of the
proposed bead For this purpose the glass
house at Murano has a kind of rope-walk
gallery $50 feet long. By gathering var
ious colors from ditfernt pots and twisting
them into one mass many combinations of
color are made The tubes are carefully
sorted by diameters and shaped into frag-
ements of uniform size. These pieces are
stirred in mixture of sand and ashes.
which fills the holes and prevents the sides
from closing together when they are heated
They are next placed in a kind of frying
pan and constantly stirred over fire until
the edges are rounded into a globular form
When cool they are shaken into one
set of sleeves until the ashes are separated
and In another series of sleeves until they
are perfectly sorted by sizes Then they are
threaded by children. tied in bundles, and
exported to the ends of the earth. France
has long produced the pearl beads. :
which In the finer forms are close imita-
tions of pearls. They are said to have been
invented by Joaquin In 1856. The common
variety. threaded for ornaments, Is blown
from glass tubes. An expert workman can
blow 5000 or 5000 globuIes in day They
are lined with powdered fsh-scales and
filed with wax 1t takes Is, 900 ish-scaleS
to make pound of the scaly essence of
pearl. Until recently the heirs of Joaquin
till carried on large factory of these mock
pearls. The best of them are blown irregu-
lar to counterfeit nature-some In pear
shape. others like olives, and they easily
pass for genuine.
Imitation gems formerly employed the
chief attention of the highest artifcers in
glass. They are still the chief idea of or
namental glass in China. In the ancient
and middle ages they circulated everywhere
without much danger of discovery, and the
formulas were held as precious secrets.
Blancourt first published their composition
IN 1896. Now they are common property,
and, with the growth of science in the last
century, an expert knowledge has become
widely disseminated which easily detects
the paste from the real jewel, particularly
as the modern false stones are less success
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
Was Glad to Hear From Him.

Years ago when the Boston Post was
under the management of Col. Greene. who
has now gone where all good editors hope
to go finally, an actor had been been Sc
verely criticised in the columns of the Post,
and he started out to get satisfaction for
the indignity that he fancied had been put
upon him. He got it. But, being natural
ly a little nervous over the prospect of
boarding the editor in his den, he braced
himself with generous rotations before
seeking the interview. In a glOriOusly
exuberant state of mind and beiligerant
withal he rolled into Col Greene's private
Office, and steadying himself against the
desk loudly proclaimed his grievance, and
with fire in his eye and in his voice de-
manded retraction. The Colonel got up
and quietly expostulated with the man,
took him by the arm and assisted him
toward the door, The fellow continued
vigorously protesting and as they neared
the door the Colonel gave him a push to
expedite his departure. The door opened
at the head Of a long and steep stairway,
and as the man was pushed out he missed
his footing In his drunken condition and
fell headlOng to the bottom of the stairs,
where he landed doubled up in a lump and
lnsenslble. Colonel Greene was frighten-
ed, and stood looking down the stairs In
blank dismay. Pretty soon there was a
movement in the heap below; the man was
recovering himself, and gradually pulled
himself into an upright position, appar-
emily uniniured Quite sober now, he
looked up to where Colonel Greene stood,
and shaking his fist at him theoretically,
shouted, You shall hear from me in the
police court for this outrage, you old scoun-
drel. - Il don't care a continental for
that, sir, shouted back the Colonel, but
you can be sure I am mighty glad to hear
from you now. New York Star.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
Lincoln as a Lawyer.
New York Tribune.

New I Ork Tribune.
As a lawyer, Lincoln had many defects
He was entirely unmethodical, seldom took
the trouble to read up for a case, trusted to
the chapter of accidents and his own fertil-
ity of resource before the jury. He was, if
it may be said without otfense to the bar,
too honest to be a good lawyer. He could
not argue effectively when he not believe In
the justice of his cause. Usually he refused
to take a case the equity of which ne could
not make out to his own satisfaction. The
following story gives a good idea Of his
ways of praeticing law. Itwas told by one
who happned to be in Lincoln s office and
heard what passed. He says, writing to
Mr. Harndon: "0ne morning, not long
before Lincoln's nomination. | was in your
Office and heard the following: Mr. Lincoln
seated at the baize-coyered table In the CEN
ter of the Office listened attentively to a
man who talked earnestly and in a low
tone. After being thus engaged for some
time, Lincoln at length broke in, and |
shall never forget his reply. Yes, he said,
we can doubtless gain your case for you;
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

The Milwaukee, Lake Shore h Western
Railway has been well named the Fishing
and Hunting Line of Wisconsin, passing,
as it does, through thousands of acres Of
but partially explore woods and within
easy reaching distance of lakes and
streams that have never been 6shed by
white men, all well stocked with the game
fish for which Northern Wisconsin waters
are noted. The woods ABOUND with game;
deer, bear, wolf, mink, beaver, pheasant,
and other game are quite plentiful.
THE ONLY LINE
From Milwaukee to the new Iron Mining
District in Wisconsin and Michigan that
reaches ALL Of the developed Mining
towns; GOGEBIC, WAKEFIELD, BEH
SEMER, IRONWOOD AND HURLEY.
Direct line to ASHLAND and DULUTH
Sleeping cars between L1HLAND and
CHICAGO.
The GUIDE Book, and other descri priv
matter, containing full information, maps
and engravings of the country traVersed
by the line, will be sent to any address or
application to the General Passenger
Agent.
GAS. l. RYDER. Gent Agt. ia Clark St..
T. VLIET. City ?. & T. Agt CHICAGO.
Milwaukee Office. 95 Wisconsin So.
H. F wHITCOMB, GEO. 8. MARSH.
GenI Manager. Geu1 Pass. & Tiki. Agt
MILWAUKEE, WIS.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
SHE GIVES UP $40, 100000.
Miss Kate DrexeI, an Enormously Tea Ithy
Heiress, RenOunces the World in
Elaborate Style.

PITTsBURG, PA SIC, 100000 heiress
has hidden farewell to the world. Miss
Kate Drexel the second daughter of tn e
late f. A. Drexel, of Philadelphia, has
taken the white veil of the novitiate at the
convent of the Sisters of Mercy in this city.
The ceremony was a partially exclusive
one, none but the nearest friends and Ella
tives being permitted to enter the place
where the ceremony was performed. The
ceremony was begun promptly at 10 a. M,
and was conducted by Archbishop Ryan
and Bishop Phelan, assisted by many
priests. Miss Drexel the postulent, was
attired in magnificent dress of cream
white satin. When she reached the altar
she kneeled and received the blessing of
the Superioress and asked that she be
know as Sister Catharine
The sermon was preached by Bishop
Phelan, at the conclusion Of which Miss
Drexel was led to the altar rail, where she
answered the usual questions, after which
she retired to change her dress, reappear-
ing in the coarse black garb of the noviti-
ate. After the services a breakfast was
partaken of by all, which was one of the
most elaborate ever prepared In this city.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
The First Taste of Blood.

A lion hunter named Conrad started
from Bremen some time ago for Africa to
procure animals for menagerie- While
In the depths Of the forest of the Dark
Continent he enjoyed the exciting but
highly dangerous sport of hunting the
king OF beasts. Upon his return to Bre-
men he brought with him small lion cub
"a pet-which he had captured when but
few days old. At first it was sickly and
looked as though it would not live long
but by careful nursing it outgrew its in
fantile weakness and began to build up a
strong constitution. The name Of the cub
was Belle, and she slept beside her mas
ters bed at night. Ia daytime she fol-
lowed him about, being as playful as a
kitten. Conrad one night lay down for a
nap on the lounge, and was soon asleep.
He was awakened by sharp pain in his
left hand. He attempted to move 1t, when
he heard d vicious growl. On inwestiga-
ton he found that Belle had his hand be-
tween her teeth, had bitten the member
through, and was eagerly tapping the
blood that flowed from the wound. The
cubs eyes were ablaze with a fierce light,
and it then dawned on him Belle was no
longer a pet-she had been transformed
from domestic animal into dangerous
brute.
Recognizing his desperate situation,
Conrad moved swiftly, so as not to disturb
the animal, and, drawing revolver, shot
her through the brain. With a blood
curdling scream she jumped in the air
and fell dead on the floor 1t appears
that while Conrad was sleeping the cub
began to lick his hand and the brute s
sharp, fle-like tongue had gradually torn
the flesh until blood came The first
taste of human blood had evidently dis
PEELED the nature of the pet, and Belle
had become a vicious brute, thirsting for
more.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

What is needed to-day is not theory, nor
government, nor any other foreign agency,
but the true education of the people. So
long as homes are wretched, and intemper-
ance and other vices prevail, no general
elevation of the people can be counted on.
We deplore poverty, and benevolent peo-
pie give time and money to alleviate indivd-
ual cases and lesson suffering in commune
ties, but they will lament that they are
not able to lessen the army of the poverty
stricken and the needy And they will
not be able to do so until people are so
educated and elevated that cities will no
longer pay more money to the grogshop
than to the bakery Poverty and squalo1s
wretchedness and vice, will sta abroad
SO long as wage-workers spend average
of 25 per cent. of their earnings in the
saloons.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
M0mEO from the diary Of tourists,
FIN commercial travellers, busi-
ness men and others hsn
revealed:

4 IL ~
NIL FIN commercial travellers, busi.
ness men and others -
revealed:
That the Wisconsin Centrvl has the
unqualified endorsement Of all;
That the Wisconsin Central has to-day
the most popular line between Chicago
and Milwaukee, and St Paul, Mime.
apolls and the Northwest;
That the Wisconsin Central is daily
adding to its admirers as the recoo.
nized Pullman line between Chicago
and Milwaukee and Ashland. Dulufk
and Lake Superior;
That TIE Wisconsin Central touches
the most prominent points in Wiscon.
SIN, and that it his more Important
business centers on its through line
than any other railway to and from
the Northwest;
That the Wisconsin Central has made
an envlaole reputation with its peer
less Dining Car Service;
That the Wisconsin Central runs faa
trains on which all classes of passen-
gers are carried with commodious and
distinct accommodation for all;
That the Wisconsin Central has repre-
sentatives distributed throughout ths
country, who will cheerfully give any
information that may be desired and
that Its terminal agents are specially
instructed to look after the comfort OF
passengers who may be routed via its
line.
For detailed information apply to yous
nearest Ticket Agent; or to represents.
tlyes of the Wisconsin Central.
VIM. s. MELLEN, JAMES BARKER,
General Manager Gen1 PaSSr. & Tkt An
LOUIS ECKSTEIN,
Asst GenH PaSSr. & Tiki. ACT )
MILWAUKEE, WIS.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

we can set whole neighborhooda at logger
heads; we can distress a widowed mother
and her six fatherless children. and thereby
get for you $500 by which you seem to have
legal claim, but which rightfully belongs.
itappears to me, as much to the woman
and her children as it does to you. You
must know some things legally right are not
morally right. We shall not take YOUR
case. but will give you little advice for
which we will charge you nothing. You
seem to be a sprightly. energetic man; we
we would advise you to try your hand at
making $500 in some other way" If this
little thing was dreadfully irregular, and
by no means calculated to enrich the firm
of Lincoln & Harndon, it furnished rem
iniscences the dissemination of which
enshrined the senior partner in the hearts
of the people.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

King KaIakaua, of the Sandwich Islands,
who could not borrow enough money this
summer to go to Paris, sent an interesting
display to the Exposition. One of the
features of his exhibit was a gigantic tu-
reen out of which he eats porridge. Kala-
kaua is brave trencherman, and can eat
and drink more than any individual in
his domain. He also sent to Paris a vol
ume of his poems and portrait of him
self The latter represents a large man
dressed in a tight-ftting European mill
tary uniform His breast is covered with
Orders
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
Making of Safe Pencils.

One of the most peculiar branches of
industry in this country is the manufacture
of slate pencils. There is only one slate
pencil factory in the United States. It
employs twenty-five hands, who turn out
10000 slate pencils every day. The meth
cd of manufacture is a good deal in add
vance of the primitive methods employed
some years back. Not long since the
blocks of soft slate from which pencils
are cut were sawed in lengths and distrib-
uted among the neighboriUg families to be
whitfield down to pencil shape. Those
working at them could earn about so cents
per thousand. Now the blocks are put in
to machine and cut into square lengths
by revolving knives, and the lengths are
afterward polished by emery belts, One
man car cut and finish about 5000 pencils
per day.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
The Bid Was withdrawn.

In Jacksonville, Fla, in the winter of
1913. an auction sale of the personal es-
tate of a deceased planter, comprising
some seventy or eighty slaves and other
"chattels, - was held IN the public market
place | was glad Of the opportunity to
see for myself how such things were done.
On beginning the sale the auctioneer an
nOunced that families would not be separ-
ated. but would be sold In lots After
a number Of lots had been duly brought
to the block and knocked down to the high
est bidders a brlght-looking boy was
brought forward and placed upon the stand.
The auctioneer at the same time called an
old colored man among the crowd to come
up and stand beside the boy. He did so,
and the aucti0neer then said:
Gentlemen, the old man is this boys
father; he lives In the West Indies, and is
a free man. He wants to buy the boy and
take him to his home and make him free.
He bids S400. which is all the money he
has. -
The intent of this statement was evi-
IDENTIFY to discourage any advance on that
bid, and it touched a sympathetic chord in
his audience. The crowd watched the pro-
ceedings for d minute or two In silence,
while the auctioneer dwelt upon the bid of
S4O0, and was calling it for the third and
last time. when from the outskirts of the
crowd. voice bid Fifty" Every eye
was at once turned in the direction of the
bidder, who was a rough, dissipated-look-
fellow, a typical slave trader In appearance.
The auctioneer paused a moment, looked
annoyed, and then repeated his previous
statement concerning the old man, en-
phasizing the remark that $400 was all the
money he had
And now, said he, Il am bid four
and fifty" From dozen voices came the
cry. Withdraw your bid!'1 The auc-
tioneer awaited the result. The bidder
growled a surly refusal, saying he want
ed that boy, and had as good a right to
bid as anybody" -Four hundred and
fifty came slowly from the lips of the
auctioneer. The shouts of withdraw
your bid!' were repeated in angry tones
on every side.
well, :" said the bidder, II Withdraw
it. -
The auctioneer quickly went back to
the original bid, on which he dwelt two or
three times, when down went his hammer
.'Sold at four hundred. Old man, the
boy is yours; take him down" The crowd
cheered, and the principal figure in this
little drama, who the moment before, had
been the picture of despair, hurried down
from the stand smiling and happy,
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28
Immortal Minds.

If we work upon marble it will perish;
if we work upon brass time will efface it;
if we rear temples they will crumble into
dust; but if we work upon immortal minds.
if we Undue them with the just fear of God
and love of our fellow-men, we engrave on
these tablets something which will bright
en- to eternity.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

full copies than the old glass-makers pro-
duced. More study is now given to artifi-
icial, which are true GENE, being composed
of the same material as the genuine ones.
bHt manufactured
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

One of the oldest men in the public SER
vice at Washington Is Mr. Lawrenson, of
the Post Office Department. He has sworn
into Office all the Postmaster Generals and
their subordinates since Jackson's Admin
istration. He is an octogenarian. Every
day he rides to and from his home in Bal
timore, eight miles In ALL He works from
9 a. N. to p. IN. He superintends the
annual publication of the bids rendered
the Post Office Department for postal SER
vice and postal supplies. He is vigorous
and cheerful.