davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
Concerning Mountains.

At one time there can be little doubt
that the colossal system of ancient
peaks running right across the West
ern Continent from Nova Scotia and
Labrador to the Missouri river must
have equaled in magnitude the Hima-
layas. the Andes or the Rocky mount
aims. It forms the first rough sketch
and axis of America. But it belongs
to a period even earlier than the pri-
mary rocks of ordinary British geology
"A period inconceivably and incalcu-
lahiy remote-it has been exposed for
countless centuries to the wearing
effect Of rain, frost, snow and rivers.
In many places, therefore, the Lauren
tian range is reduced to a mere low
plain of very solid gneiss, much
scratched in strange hieroglyphics by
the vast glaciers of the great ice age,
and sometimes even followed out into
beds of lakes or traversed by the basins
Of existing streams.
Many parts of it, occupied by great
sheets of water actually fall below sea
level. Yes, even to this day, in its dis
honored age, the Laurentian country.
however fiat, preserves certain vague
mountain characteristics in the bare
ness OF its rocks, the picturesque detail
OF its sparse pine-clad slopes. and the
number and beauty of its wild torrent
cataractS. You feel instinctiyely YOU
are in mountain country, though you
stand in the midst of IA great UNMARRIED
plain. The Laurentian region is like
Scotland, pressed fiat. or like the Dol
omites of Auvergne, with the wrinkles
ironed out of them. 1t has nothing in
common with the great plains which
have always been plains. and nothing
more-alluvial silt of river deltas-like
Holland, Lombardy, or the fiat center
of Russia.
AS the oldest mountains are thus
most worn out, so. conversely, the
highest chains are those of most geo.
logically recent origin-the nouveaux
riches as it were, among the orograph-
ical aristocracy. From time to time
the earth makes itself new coat; but,
before long, as with other garments,
the nap gets worn off, the elbows
crack. and the seams become thread
bare. All the higher ranges now
known on earth are demonstrablv not
earlier in origin than the tertiary times.
Compared with venerable pensioners
like Mount Sorrel or the Thousand
Islands of the St. Lawrence basin, the
A ps and the Andes are but things of
yesterday. Auvergne we'll may look
down upon the Pvrenees. The tops of
some of the highest Swiss mountains
consist of miocene rocks; in other
words. as late as the miocene period,
the year before last of the geological
chronologist, the area occupied by the
rearing crags of the Jungfrau and the
Matterhorn slumbered at peace be-
meath IA deep sea and received there
the muddy or sandy deposits which
now figure as rocks on the jagged
Alpine SUBMITS. The upheaval of the
Alpine axis was very recent event.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
The American Nomad.

A curious outgrowth of the rivalries
of American cities is the practice that
obtains so generally of offering bonuses
and pecnniary inducements to manu-
facturers to move their plants. After
a lire that burned down part of
sewing machine factory the other dav
the owners received so many proposals
from aspiring cities that wanted to take
them in that they were obliged to
publish a notice to the effect that only
a small part of their works had been
burned. and that they were not open
to proposals for adoption. Any fac
tory or established business employing
labor can have its choice NOWADAYS
frcin long list of cities; new and old.
any of which will give it site for
factory, pay the expenses of moving.
and perhaps contribute substantially
toward the construction of new build
ing. People who own land or not en-
gagged in business in cities realize that
it pays them to have their cities grow,
and they are willing to hire desirable
Inhabitants to come to them. They
rely upon getting their money back in
the increased value of land or the
general increase in business The re-
suit is that the migratory disposition
already so pronounced in these days is
intensified. and it has become familiar
thing not merely for individuals to
move but for great aggregations of
workingmen to shift the scene of their
activities from one city to another,
sometimes thousands of miles away.
Time was when where the average
man found himself living there he con-
tinued to live. unless circumstances of
exceptional urgency impelled him to
change his residence. 1t is different
now. Transportation has become so
cheap, and travel SO easy. that the
ties of locality sit very lightly on the
average American, and the fact that
you find him settled this year in New
York or Pennsylvania affords you a
very uncertain basis for expecting to
find him next year in the same place.
When you hear him again, if he hasn't
moved TO Texas, OF Tacoma, or South
ern California or Maine. or North
Dakota, YOU feel that he must have had
some exceptionally good reasons for
staying at home. Men used to wag
their heads and crOak about the inabil-
ity of rolling stones to gather moss.
We have changed all that. Moss is at
discount and there is premium upon
rolIing.-F'r0na 1.-The Point Of Vjea0," 5as
ScribDor
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
VEGETABLE INSTINCT.
A Eucalyptus Tree That Appears En-
bowed With Reasoning Faculties.

a story of one of the IN Ost interest
inc freaks of vegetable life is told by
Elwood Cooper, of Santa Barbara. As
coming from, and. moreover, having
happened to him, the story cannot be
anything but strictly in accordance
with facts. Verify may we ask our
selves, DO plants think?" Mr.. Cooper
believes they do, and here are some of
his reasons for thinking so.
Through Mr.. Coopers garden there
ran, some years ago. a sewer made of
redwood timber. This sewer was again
cased by an outside sewer, which in
course of time became partially de-
cayed. Across the sewer there was
built brick wall many feet high and
in such way that it was pierced by
the inner sewer, which it enclosed
tightly, while the outside sewer ended
abruptly against the wall. As | said,
the outside casing had, in course of
time, decayed, and eucalyptus tree
standing some sixty feet away had
taken advantage of this, and sent one
of its roots to the coveted spot in as
direct line as possible. Here the
root entered the outside sewer, and
followed its course as far as it could !;
at last it came to the wall, which shut
off its course, and here it could get no
further, the inside sewer being per
fect!y tight. But on the other side of
the wall the sewer and its double cas-
ing continued, and this eucalyptus tree
evidently knew how to get there. Some
three feet high in the brick wall there
was a little hole one or two inches in
diameter, and this the eucalyptus tree
was aware of, as it's big root began to
climb the dry wall and face the sun
and wind until it found the hole,
through which it descended on the
other side and entered the sewer again
and followed it along as formerly.
Was ever such instinct known before,
or are similar traits in plants of daily
occurrence. only we are not aware of
them? How did the tree know of the
hole in the wall? How did it know
that the sewer was on the other side?
Did it smell, and if it did. how could it
direct the root to 90 and find the place
with such precision? There is, of
course, another explanation of this
curious phenomenon. The roots of
any plant grow always and unerringly
in the direction of its food just as those
OF the eucalyptus tree did.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
TRUTH ABOUT MARIE ANTOINETTE
She Was Not Clever and She Could Not
Get Partners for the Dance.

The prevailing impression regarding
the part played by Marie Antoinette in
the critical days preceding and imme-
diately following the meeting of the
states general is derived from Mira
beau's assertion that ''the only man
the king had about him was the
queen"
The truth is, Mirabeau, who knew
nothing about Marie Antoinette except
from hearsay, exaggerated her abili-
ties, though not her influence over her
husband. A much more trustworthy
authority, the Baron de Bersenval,
makes it clear that Marie Antoinette
was fitted neither by education nor
character for interference in political
affairs. She was ignorant of history.
and had read scarcely anything except
novels. The moment any one began
to talk seriously her face expressed
WEAKNESS and the conversation tagged.
Her own talk was always desuitory,
fitting from one subject to another;
the gossi p of the day and stories of tho
court and town interested her more
than discussions about finance and
politics.
Notwithstanding the obvious absurd
ity of consulting such a person in mat
tiers of state, there is no doubt that she
had acquired, and that she exercised.
complete ascendency over her hus-
band. On this point Bersenval has
recorded that, whether through a
consciousness of her superiority, or
through fear or charm, not only did
Louis XIV. never oppose her. but |
have seen more than il thousand times
that when she was speaking his eyes
and mien expressed a feeling and
eagerness which the most dearly loved
mistress seldom evokes.n
At the last court ball in 1888 no one
was willing to dance with her. For
this almost incredible fact we have the
testimony of Nine Vigee-Leblun, who
was present. The box" she says,
lin which | happened to be sitting
was so near the queens that L could
overhear what she said. l saw her. IN
some agitation. inviting the young
men of the court to dance, among them
NJ. de Lameth (who belonged to fam
lily which she had overwhelmed with
deeds OF kindness) and others. all of
whom refused her, so that it was inn
possible to make up the sets Tor the
square dances. The indecorous con-
duet OF those gentlemen shocked me.
Their refusal seemed to me a sort of
revolt. The revolution was approach
ing-lt broke out the next year. st.
ATH1aIad'S Mtrabeau.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
Russia's National Flower.

There was, | believe, short time
ago. question regarding the propriety
of choosing a National flower for the
United States, and considerable senti-
ment was disclosed infavor Of the sun
flower. Could Amer cans see one Of
those fields in full and radiant blossom
the sunh0wer would undoubtedly carry
the DAY.
Following up this train of thought
the mind natural V reSerts to period
of the not distant past. when a slim
gentleman in knee-breeches, long hair,
and with big sunhower in his button
hole emerged from the fogS of London
to create a passing Juror among us in
favor of the royal monarch of the Lit
tie Russian steppes. The sunhower
crop is one of the best paying in Rus
STA. A good crop is worth, as it stands
in the field. 100 rubies a legislative, or
about $25 an acre. The seeds are sold
by the farmers for one and half to
two rubles pood. Then the mer-
chants salt them and retail them fer
four rubles a pood. and at about every
street-crossing in Russian provincial
cities are stands and peddlers with
baskets selling to the passers-by the
sailed product of the big sunfiower.
In the field the sunhowers are sown in
rows like the ''drilled corn" of the
Kansas farmer, aud, like corn, are
cultivated and hiIled up with shovel
plows. Thomas SteUeRs' Russian Let
ter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
A Clerks Vacation.

A story is told in the Boston Journal
about young man employed in a big
retail dry goods store who was granted
a vacation. 1t was expected that he
would HE to the mountains or 90 to
the shore. The first morning he was
free he walked through the store
leisurely, nodding to his comrades be-
hind the counters. but speaking to no
one. He then made his exit. The
second day he was an hour later. but he
passed in review his toiling associates.
and then went out. This he repeated
for six days, when he returned on
Monday he was asked why this strange
behavior. He replied that he had felt
for long time desire to be able to
do as he pleased in the store, and he
now had been able TO do so; and he
added: I'm salts fed and ready TO 60
to work again-be tier satisfied than if
| had climbed mountains or bathed in
the surf" 1t was Il positive gratiGca-
ton TO be Il visitor.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
A Dignified SIeeping-Car Porter.

A gentleman who was travelling on
sleeping-car. and who was to alight
at about 3 in the morning, says the
Boston Courier, gave the porter ex-
plicit directions to wake him at the
proper time, and went to sleep. About
midnight the porter came and aroused
him.
Excuse me. sah," the porter said,
''but | forgut WHARF you's goin to get
off,
The passenger, not much pleased at
this interruption. repeated his direc-
tons. and then again addressed himself
to sleep. He slept until Il few minutes
of the arrival of the train at the point
where he WAS to stop. when he fOrtu-
natrlv awoke. Looking at his watch
he discovered that he had barely time
to get dressed, and he scrambled into
his clothes with celebrity which saved
him from missing his station, all the
time saying to himself things concern
ing the porter which were by no means
mplimentary to that individual.
As the train drew into the station,
where it made stop Of only moment,
the gentleman hurried out of the car,
and as he did so he passed the porter
sound asleep on seat in the smoking
room. With poke of his valise the
passenger awakened him.
Il say" he demanded, why didn't
you call me as told you to? l came
very near sleeping over"
The porter drew himself up with
sleepy dignity, suppressing a yawn,
and rubbing his eyes open.
''On dis car" ne returned with the
air of one who has been grossly in
suited. ''dar ant none OF the passen-
gers lowed to wake up the porter, an
you'll have to wait till dis individual
!! wakes up of himself before you can
get answered"
With perfect GOODNESS he laid him.
self down again. and the passenger
hurried out of the car without waiting
to continue the conversation.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
Tunnelling the Mountains.

'.Brick' POmerov writes to an East
ern paper: Yes. | made a good thing
out of the purchase of 156 square
miles of the Adirondack forest, having
completed the sale of my interest there
in for 1929. 900; and all made or make
will 60 right into 'tunnelling" my
way into the $50 assure veins that
form the mineral belt of Colorado, |
fear You do not quite understand the
tunnel project in which for ten years l
have been working and largely invest
ing. There are hundreds Of small tun-
nels in Colorado run to get into one
vein to bring out its contents. This
tunnel does, in large, wholesale way,
what others do in a small way. We
have cut through 2, 100 feet of solid
granite and 900 feet of quartzte, and
have now reached pay ore, and are
shipping ore by the carload. The
veins we have already reached yield
ore that assays from 81 of gold and "a
ounces of silver to S24S of gold and 362
ounces of silver per ton.
1--WE need not complete the tunnel
clear through. but when it is completed
it will be handy for railroad purposes.
Inside of one year from date we will
be bringing out from So to 800
600 per day OF gold and silver from
veins we thus get access to in a whole
sale way. Your sympathy is appre-
ciated, but really do not need it
nOWn
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
The Name Came Natural.

Names are sometimes changed in
queer ways. A few years ago a
Bohemian came into a Western town
and proceeded to work at anything he
could find to do. Shortly after his
arrival the local paper, PARTLY out of
fun and partly out of desire to help
him, printed this paragraph about
him: "A foreign gentleman with an
unpronOunceabie name recently struck
town. He is proving to be such a
good citizen in every respect that we
are disposed to relieve him of his in
cubus of name, and we therefore
salute him as John Smith," When the
Bohemian heard of the para graph he
was much pleased and Immediately
adopted the new name. and Mr.. John
Smith is now one of the leading citi
zens of the town.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
, To Escape From Tornadces.

When trying to escape from a tor
nado never run to the northeast, east
or southeast. Never take refuge in a
forest or grove of trees, or near any
object that may be overturned by the
wind. A frame building is safer than
one built of brick or stone. The form
er is more elastic and holds together
longer; the latter goes down in the
first crash, and the debris is whirled
into heap in center of the foundation.
In frame structure the cellar is the
safest place. but in a brick or stcne
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
Unparalleled.

Three men went a-f1shing out into the wet
In the morning light as the sun rose high,
And various ciOudiets of different hues
ent skimming quite lively all over the sky;
And, strange and unlikely as 1t may seem.
When they came to their homes on that fate
full night
They told it for truth-for the truth 1t was
They d not caught fish-nay, nor had they
bite.
-Philadelphia Times.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
Papa Getting in His Work.

.'Ethelinda. darling." murmured the
enraptured young man, this is the
happiest moment off my life. came
here this evening hoping, yet fearing.
| could not put it of any longer. l felt
that must know my fate. The sus-
pense was killing me. But now-I
swear it by this lovely head resting so
contdingly on my shoulder, by the
kiss on your sweet lips. but what
was that clicking noise l heard just
then?"
Nothing, Walter, nothing but papa.
He's a lawyer. you know, but he
amuses himself with all sorts of queer
fads. He's practicing on us with his
kodak. Go on. Walter. dear. What
were you about to swear?"-P ittsbatrg
Dispatch.
During its 254 years of existence
Harvard university has graduated 49,
$50 pupils. of whom little more than
one-half (S,62O are still living.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27
Renting Flowers.

Flowers are ''rented" instead of pur-
chased at Washington, and clever
florist recently used the same flowers
at an early afternoon lunch. ut Il )
o'clock tea. and at a card reception in
the evening
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27

It is said that coyotes have Rilied
more than GOO lambs on one ranch near
Mana. Cal, since last fall.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-27

Krupp guns cost 917o per ton.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-12-18
GOOD FOR EVIL.
Tho Mistake Made b. Beautiful But
Naughty Miss

Tho Mistake Made b. Beautiful But
Naughty Miss
A young girl, beautiful in form, feat
ure and dress, sat in car the other
day, says the Boston Herald. Directly
opposite sat poor girl of about the
same age, shabbily clothed, with a
shambling body, slightly deformed as
to the shoulders, and an exceedingly
plain face, which bore the lines OF suffer-
ing and want Her eager eyes were
fixed on the face and figure opposite
her with devouring pathetic look that
showed how keenly alive she was to the
exceeding beauty of beautiful body,
says the New York Telegram.
The object of the gaze began to grow
uneasy under its intensity and fixity,
and finally, looking the girl coldly in the
face, she leaned partly across the car
and said:
swell, Miss Impertinence, if you have
looked at me long enough, will you be
kind enough to look somewhere else? I
am tired of it,"
The poor girl grew first red and then
white. A look of keen pain came into
her eyes, and then tears, as she turned
away and said softly:
81 was only thinking how beautiful
Won ares
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-12-18
REST FOR THE DUDE.
Tho Cumbersome Cane Has Gone Out {
Fashion.

Tho Cumbersome Cane Has Gone Out of
Fashion.
The really high caste London swell
has ''cursed his stick and cast it out"
says the Illustrated American. Swagger
Englishmen no longer app ar in public
with canes of any description. The col
lection of choice silver-topped and nat
ural wood weapons they drew mental
sustenance from through so many sea-
sons has suffered temporary divorce
from the fashionable toilet. British
manhood is unprotected, and goes empty
handed on the promenades save for a
glove, possibly, or, in stress of weather,
medium-sized silk umbrella. The
collapse of the stick is attributable to
the wholesale adoption of imitation
costly canes BY the London clerk and
petty tradesman. 't"ry, the hater-
dasher, green grocer and draper men
were contented until recently to carry
blackthorns or light rattan. To this
no objection was raised by the aris-
tocl ats, and all would have gone we'll
had not sharp American flooded the
market with cheap, fashy copies Of
swelldom's own stick. The result was
intolerable, and hence the universal re-
nunciation of canes in upper circles.
The above seemingly irrelevant item
illustrates the present attitude of the
fashionable woman toward the recently
inevitable lorgnette.
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-12-18

The Maine Mr.. and Mrs. Partington
are still on deck, says the Lewiston
(Me.) Journal. One lady just returned
from Boston informs the neighbors that
she rode upstairs in refrigerator and
had her clothes washed at foundry"
A Maine man recently rose in q munich
pal meeting and solemnly announced
that s'for reasons unknown to himself
he desired to resign" An old lady in
Bath recently mortified her relatives in
tensely. At grand dinner she OVER
heard . lady guest politely answer to
the wielder OF the carving knife that
lit was immaterisl which portion she
had." A luscious slice was passed up To
her. and our old lady, after IN apprecs
iatiyc glance, ''guesscd that she would
have suall hunk ofI'n the mmAterial.r r
The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-12-18
DUEL WITH A DEER.
A MASSACHUSETTS Hunter Meets with .
Surprise.


A MASSACHUSETTS Hunter Meets with y
Surprise.
1t isn't often that healthy Maine
deer gives up one horn, keeps the other,
and fights duel with hunter, says the
Bangor News, but it SO happened re-
Gently. A gentleman named West, of
Lynn. Mass, was hunting in Kingsbury
and came out upon Thorn brook, where
he paused to rest. ALI at once he beheld
a noble-looking deer stalk out upon the
brow of the hill above him. He let
drive one barrel and the deer fell.
Hastily he scrambled up to examine his
prize and found to his grief that he had
shot one handsome horn off close to the
animals head. The deer was apparent
ly dead. Half in reverie he fitted the
horn back upon the deer's head in order
to see how the animal would look when
intact To his amazement the deer
sprang to his feet and, thoroughly mad
dened, pitched into his assailant with
all the fury of an animal at bay. Mr..
West, retaining the disconnected horn
in his hand, commenced to belabor the
animal, and the battle ragged furiously.
In the heat of the melee both tumbled
plunl1 into the brook, and this ended
the conflict. The deer swan for one
bank, while Mr.. West clambered out
upon the opposite, wet, scared and mad
clear through. His clothes were torn,
and he received several painful bruises,
but hung to the horn. He carried the
trophy back to Lynn with him and left
a standing offer of fifty dollars for the
mata