Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-15

A Dakota farmer holds that the
failure of the wheat crop is largely
due to the work of gophers.
The expectation of petroleum last
year was the largest ever known,
amounting to 612, 000.00 gallons. It
was worth S45. 420,S17.
A lecturer in San Francisco, treating
OF the lower forms of animal life, said
that 1.-The oyster is capable of being
educated in limited way"
A new varnish has just been brought
out in England. 1t is called arden
brits, and is said to be proof against
water, steam,- smoke, sea air and sea
water.
The ''Monstuart' mansion of Lord
Butte. near Rochester, is said to have
cost no less than $4,000, 900, and is be-
lleved to be the largest and costliest
private palace in existence.
An Australian who was hanging to
the beam of a bridge aud realized that
he must fall. made a verbal will dis
posing of $4,000 worth of property,
which was sustained by the courts.
The Parisians, it is said, are shortly
TO have the opera and drama laid on
to their houses, like gas and water, by
the theatrophOne. The cables, it is
stated, will pass through the Partisan
sewers.
a girl of fifteen at Remove, Pa, be-
came insane Immediately after drink
ing glass of ice water, and died soon
after. The doctor attributed the re-
suit to the effect of the ice water on
her brain.
Jerusalem seems now to be rapid
ly growing city. This is due to the
great number of Jews who are flock
ing there yearly. They now number
$4,000 more than the moslem and
christian population combined.
A citizen of Virginia is seeking to
have the sulphur springs of that state
indicted as nuisances injurious to
health. He has lived near one for
three years, and he says that strawber-
ries and dead dogs now smell alike to
him.
The tallest chimney in this country
is the new stack of the Clark Thread
Company, at Kearney, near Newark,
n. j. 1t is a circular shaft $50 feet
high and 2S9 feet in diameter at the
base. This chimney cost $50, 900, and
contains 1867 ZOO brick.
In the Dutch portion of Borneo the
natives used to adorn their huts with
human heads, and they were not par
ticular whose head it was. Over two
thousand of them have had to be killed
in order to put stop to the practice,
which is now obsolete.
Realism in art will have an extraor-
binary revelation in New York when
a lion painted by a Boston artist, is
placed in position. The owner of the
picture, a hotel man, will illuminate
the lion with electricity and place it
behind row of real bars.
New York physicians say that the
mild weather of the year has caused
more nervous prostration during the
past three months than in the eighteen
months preceding them. People who
live under tremendous pressure re-
quire an invigorating climate.
The making of tramway from
Cairo to the pyramids is likely to be-
come a completed fact before long.
The money paid for the government
concession has been actually handed
over to the official concerned, and it is
said that the preliminary operations
have already commenced.
News comes from Tounga, Burmah,
that Koh Pal Sab, timber merchant
there, has founded new religion,
which is described as sort of mixture
of buddhism and christianity. The
4 L IL.
ands, keep the christian Sunday and
abstain from strong drink.
M artha Cobble, of Greensboro, KY,
a colored woman formerly slave, has
searched forty years for her two sons,
who were sold to Anew Orleans trader
when they were eight and ten years of
age. Recently she learned the where
abouts of both and was made happy by
visit from one of them.
1t does not pay to be a hog. Two
thieves appeared at house near Mon
treal, where a peddler was spending
the night: and demanded money. The
peddler gave them his pocketb0ok and
contents, but they said this was not
enough to pay them for their trouble,
whereupon he shot them both dead.
In Brooklyn Mr.. Ziegler owned 40
per cent of baking powder business.
Not agreeing with his partner he sold
out his share for $2,500,000. This was
considered low; but as he had already
made IS, 0O0.000 he could stand it. Mr..
Ziegler landed in Brooklyn twenty
years ago with a moderate capital,
amounting to $3.50.
An Oklahoma hack driver purchased
two lots on the day after the opening
from men who decided that there
would never be city, and who were
going away in disgust. For one he
paid SO and for the other he traded
well-worn six-shooter. One of the
lots he has sold since for 100, and
he is holding the six-shooter lot for
$1,000.
There were numerous casualties
during the erection of the Paris Expo
sition building. 1t is estimated that
300 workmen hurt their legs, 200 re-
ceived injuries in the eyes from pro-
jecting timbers or bars of iron, la
were scalded or severely burned and
fifty had their fingers cut off. The
deaths from falls are put down at
twenty-four.
The Times of India says that ga
former secretary of the American
legation at Pekin is now travelling
Eating Raw Fish in Japan.
A correspondent who dined in Japan
describes ViVidlV rhe sensation pro-