davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
TWO ALASKA PRODUCTS.
The Canvasback Ducks Come South, and
Fortunately the Mosquitoes Don't.

There is no more wonderful scenery
in the world,n said Marcus Baker, of
the geological survey to a Washington
Star reporter, than is to be found
along the coast of Alaska as you 90 up
from Portland by steamer to Sitka and
beyond by the inside passage. Only
for small part of the way do you feel
the ocean swell at all, a continuous
archipelago Of the islands forming a
breakwater for hundreds of miles
against the waves of the Pacific, while
the vessel sails along in water as smooth
as mill pond. Along the mainland
mountains thousands of feet high tower
precipitously up from the sea- covered
with dense timber, while here and
there great ford reaches up toward
the interior. The settlements so essen
tlal to pictUIcsqueness are unhappily
lacking. save now and there an Aleut
village may be seen.
Upon reaching Sitka you find your
self in a much more equable climate
than that of Boston, its mean tempera-
ture being abCSt the same, though it is
many degrees north Of the latter point.
Pursuing your way northWard along
the coast, you see now and then a gla-
cier reaching down to the sea. When
you reach the Yukon, if it is the proper
season. you will find countless myriads
of canvasback ducks disporting them
selves. That stream, together with
other waters Whereabouts, is the great
breeding ground, you know, for can
vasbacks, as well as for many other
sorts of ducks and geese and swan.
All the canvasbacks that are shot on
the Chesapeake come from the Yukon
and its neighborhood. This fact has
been established as certainty by OBJ
servation of their flights from various
points, their aerial course being by way
of the great lakes.
There are no snakes in Alaska, per-
haps because no snakes would live
there. The only frog ever discovered
by explorers there was found by my
own party some years ago. Probably,
however, there is no part of the world
where mosquitoes are more dreadful
than in Alaska. The soil is of a soft,
spongy character that holds water for
DAYS after rain, and the insects are
bred out of it in such swarms that it
is hardly possible for a man or any
other animal to exist among them.
They attack the moose with such fero-
C ty as to drive the beasts into the
river, where the natives attack them
with knives. Bears and reindeer are
plentiful. Perhaps the worst part OF
Alaska is that to the northwest, south
of the Yukon river-crossed but once
by party of explorers, who nearly
starved to death"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08

and 90 respectively. TAXING the gem
tlemen of ''S5 and upward we lind
that one of them secured bride of AZ.
But even greater contrasts are to be
seen in the venerable Adonis of 20, who
got mate of q and in the 75-year-
old buck who secured blushing dam
sci of 10.
At the other end of the scale we have
a marriage between girl of Is and
boy of Is, and another when the con.
tracing parties were 16 each, and a
third where men of q saddled them
selves with wives of IA. Two husbands
of thirty took partners whose ages
were under 10, while no fewer than
seventy husbands of forty found wives
of from 16 to 20 years of age.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08

stones and ali coarse pieces of SOIL. 1t
should be fine and soft. Fill the boxes
within half an inch, take a smooth
piece of board and press the soil down
hard and smooth. If dry, water and
allow it to soak away before sowing.
Sprinkle the seeds on evenly. Seeds
the size Of aster, verbena, stocks, cover
by sprinkling on the fine soil, just to
cover them out of sight. Seeds like
petunia do not cover, but lay pane of
glass over to keep in the moisture.
Place the boxes in the kitchen window.
or where they will be kept warm. If
the soil gets dry it should be watered
with fine sprinkler After the seeds
are up they need watching. If they dry
up once they are gone. If the sun
shines on them too hot they wither
away. After they put out three pairs
of leaves they should be separated and
put into other boxes about an inch
apart. After transplanting they must
be shaded from the hot sun until they
take hold of the oil.-Good Housekeep-
ma.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Depew at Vassar.

Popular male speakers declare that
the hardest audience in the United
States to face is the 400 or 500 girls
who are attending Vassar College.
There isn't woman's face upturned
toward the lonely masculine person adj
dressing them but expresses 10000
shafts of wit upon his bearing, gesture,
voice, and upon what he says. Yet
our own Chauncey, few days ago,
went up to Poughkeepsie and daringly
and unfinchingly endured this ordeal.
Mr.. Depew was introduced to the Vas
sar girls by one of their number, a
Miss Sanders, pretty and bright
woman. As she was escorting Mr..
Depew up the aisle of the college hall
she was observed to speak to the orator
quietly, whereupon he almost laughed
loudly, and, with his face overspread
with merriment replied to what she
had said. There was a good deal of
curiosity felt as to this chat. and finally
one Vassar girl said to Miss Sanders:
What did you say to Mr.. Depew when
you were walking up the aisle with
him?''
L was wearing my first train" said
Miss Sanders, land Mr.. Depew went
too fast for me, and so / said to him,
Whoa, whoa, you'll break my train"
You didn't dare to say whoa, whoa
to such man as Mr.. Depew?"
Il did--why not? And he said he
would slow up at once. Being a rail-
way man he knew what breaking trains
meant. IN 7. Sun.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Charcoal.

A farmer who has raised turkeys
many years, and who takes pleasure in
making experiments, writes that char
coal turkey-fat and diamonds are alike
in some respects. 1t is a fact that
more fat may be gotten out of char
coal than one would suspect, without
a knowledge of chemistry. Here is an
account of one experiment.:
-Four turkeys were confined in pen
and fed on meal boiled potatoes and
oats. Four others of the same brood
were at the same time confined in an
another pen and fed daily on the same
article but with one pint of very fine
ly pulverized charcoal mixed with their
food-mixed meal and boiled potatoes.
They had also a plentiful supply of
broken charcoal in their pen. The
eight were killed on the same day, and
there was difference of one and half
pounds each in favor of the fowls
which had been supplied with charcoal,
they being much the fatter, and the
meat being superior in point of tender
ness and favor.-Poultry World.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Saying a Good Word for the Dead.

There recently died a man who had
for years kept drug store in Medford.
He was respected and when death
came it was natural that his funeral
should be largely attended. The clergy
man thought it wise as. part of the
funeral services to say a good word for
him. He spoke Of him as invariably
honest in his dealings, and as being
especially skilled in his profession. Z
always traded at his store he con-
tinued, land it is but just to say that
he always recognized my cloth. "
Whether this was said as an expression
of gratitude for past favors in special
druggists successor no one knows
Boston Budget.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
What ROtS Fence Posts.

Many years ago we saw farmer set
ting posts for board fence. Having
an erroneous idea that it was water
which most rotted the posts and that
stones piled in the hole around the
posts would keep it dry, he filled the
hole within a foot of the top with
small stones. As no drainage was
given, of course the water settled
around the posts, and the light cover
ing of earth allowed frosts to pene-
trate to the bottom and heave the posts
up. The fence lasted only few years,
and was an offence most of that time.
The water dried out by midsummer,
and then the loose stones around the
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Seed Corn 1000 Years Old.

During the season of 1889 a most re-
markable crop was raised by David
Drew at Plymouth, n. H. In 1885
Mr.. Drew came into possession of some
corn grains found wrapped with a
mummy in Egypt, supposed to be 4,0OC
grew. 1t had many of the character
istics of real corn; the leaves were
alternate; it grew to be over six feet
high; the mid-ribs were white; but the
product of the stock, there is where the
curious 'art comes in. Instead OF
grow d, IA ear like moderu maize.
it hung "a heavy clusters at the top. on
spikelet>: there was 10 tassel. no silks
each spr,g was thiclllv studded with
grains, each provided with Il separate
husk. like wheat grains.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
n Modern Education.

Fond mother-.'How did you get
along in school to-day, Susie?'' Tired
child (weariIy)-''Oh, missed in my
geography again. forgot whether the
Putumayo joined the Amazon east or
west Of the confluence of the Maranon
and ucayale rivers" Same child (years
later; wife and mother) What is it
YOU want to know, pet?n Little daugh-
ter Struggling over primary geogra-
ohy)-"W here is the Amazon river,
mammal Mamma CATER long refiec-
tion)-'I think it's somewhere in At
:ica or Asia, l forget which" ~. 7.
WeekLu
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Blood Manure for Roses.

English rose-growers are using blood
manure for their vines with much sue
cess, it is said. They take sixteen
pounds OF blood and as soon as it be-
gins to purify pour into it four ounces
of muriatic acid and four ounces OF
proto-sulphate of iron. previously mix
ed, which turns the blood into dark,
dry powder that will keep for any
length Of time. A half pound of this Is
mixed with the soil over the roots OF
each rose-bush.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
DishOrninD Cows,

The question of whether or not it is
cruel to dishorn cows is now before
the Scotch courts, the defense being
that it is necessary to cut off the horns
of Irish and Canadian cattle to keep
them from goring each other in the
feeding courts used in Scotland during
the winter. One witness testified that
experience had converted him to favor
dishorning, and that he now practices
it with all his Guernsey cows, who
seem to suffer little pain from the
operation and the quality of whose
milk is not affected by it. The En-
glish courts have held that the practice
was cruel one.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Something Substantial.

No, sir," said the new senator from
Maine, as he sat down in the new
restaurant, Il don't like all this fancy
business, with your big bill of fare, and
these darby walters in dress-suits
standing round. 'Tain't that l mind
EN- at all, but man can't get decent
meal in a place like this with all these
fancy fixin's; that's what | object to.
What | want, sir. is good. substantial
meal, and | intend to get it. Here,
waiter, bring me piece O custard pie
an cup o er'-HarUdrd LanpOOaa.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08

posts were the refuge of mice which
proved especially destructive to a
young orchard near by. 1t was found,
when the posts were dug out the moist
air had rotted the lower ends. while
those put down in clay soil with the
earth packed around them closely
were still in good condition.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
How to Sow Flower Seeds.

This is one way to sow seeds success
fully: Boxes two or three inches deer
are filled with garden loan. a little sand
passed through coarse sieve Ga bit OF
wire netting will answer) to take out
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08

A Russian officer has invented
luminous projectile to be fired from
gun. 1t is claimed that it will be eN-
tremely useful for discovering the
movements of the enemy in naval
Contest ut night
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08

John B. Curtis of Portland Me-, has
made nearly $1.000.000 in the manu-
facture of chewing-gum.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08
Nutritive Value of Fodder Articles.

Fodder articles in one respect are
much like commercial fertilizers. The
commercial value is unlike the agri-
cultural value in the latter and in the
former the market value and the feed
ing value may be very unlike. The
money value of a fodder is governed
by the supply and demand, while the
feeding value depends upon varying
conditions, Professor Goessman, Of
the Massachusetts, Experiment Station,
in Investigations of the feeding value
of fodder articles, finds condition as
follows: The age, functions, and or
ganiZation of the animal; the physical
condition, stage of growth, and me-
chanical preparation of the fodder, and
whether Il sole diet or associated with
other articles. Therefore the compare
tive feeding value of one and the same
fodder article can not be expressed by
single numerical value. Economical
feeding requires the taking into ac-
count, however, the net cost of feed
and the relative nutritive or feeding
effect under all existing circumstances.
Actual feeding experiments alone can
give the desired information.-Ger
'nGntoacn Telegraph.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-02-06
SECONDHAND HAIR.
1t Is Not Used as Generally as 1t Wa
Few Years Ago.

1t Is Not Used Generally as 1t Was
Few Years Ago.
A State street hair dealer: There
isn't as much false hair worn now as
when you and were boys. One reason
of this is that the styles in which womon
wear their hair won't permit of it. But
prefer to think that the real reason
lies in the fact that the women of the
present day have more common sense
about such things than our mothers
had. When did you see chignon! How
often do you see the ''waves," which
were once so prominent? Women have
found out that they can have their own
hair by bestowing upon it the same at
tention that they bestow upon their
teeth and their nails. Your city lady
excels in her attention in this respect.
Most of our orders for false hair come
from the country. The day for chang
ing the color of hair is also going, and
am glad of it. / know there have been
RACES for blorde hair, and red hair, and
brown. And some women who were not
favored by nature with the prevailing
shade went to work to change theirs by
chemical solutions and otherwise. 1
need not tell you how injurious that was.
1t has been told thousand times.
Women do funny things with their hair,
any way. Talking about hair, here is
an interesting thing which picked up
somewhere the other day:
-Four hundred hairs of average thick
ness covers an inch of space. The
blonde belle has about 140, 600 filaments
to comb and brush; the red-haired
beauty has to be satisfied with $4,000.
she of the brown hair may have 1O9, 600;
the black-haired but 102, 600. Ladies
carry some forty to fifty miles OF hair on
their heads. The fair-haired ones may
even have to dress seventy miles of
golden threads every morning. A single
hair will suspend four ounces without
breaking, stretching under the process
and contracting again. The hair thus
heavily weighed must be dark brown,
for blonde hair breaks down under two
and half ounces. Chicago Tribune.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-02-06
A REMARKABLE WORK.
A Painting Aiming to Represent Eve
Phase of Human Existence.

A Painting Aiming to Represent Every
Phase of Human Existence.
A painting remarkable for its breadth
of conception has been placed on exhibi-
tion in the Yale reading room by its de-
signer, U. Grant Houston, of Mahattan,
Kan, who is at present a tutor at the
university with view to entering the
Divinity School. The work is entitled
'"The Universe, being intended to en-
brace every phase of human existence,
and is divided into eight planes-the I'M
fernal, the material, the human, the i'm
tellectual, the moral, the Christian, the
future and the eternal.
The internal plane represents dark
ness as pictured by Dante and Milton.
The material plane represents the sun
breaking upon the chaotic world. In
the center is Christ, about whom the
whole universe turns; His feet rest on
the material plane, and His hands reach
into the eternal. The figures on the
right of Christ represent the pre- Christ
ain era, those on the left the Christian
era. In the human plane on the right,
Adam and Eve are drifting away from
Christ, with Adam looking mournfully
back.
The intellectual plane shows pre-his-
toric men, the cave-dweller and the vine-
loving god Bacchus. An altar on which
the golden calf of Jewish idolatary rests
rises in the background of this plane.
Modern civilization, with Julius Caesar
and Napoleon, is also depicted. In the
moral plane the Mosaic dispensation is
represented by Moses with his rod point
ing to the Bible; David and Joshua are
with Moses.
The flashing of lightning in the sky
represents the appearance of God on
Mount Sinai. An allusion to the present
civilization is on the right of this plane,
with the Bartholdi statue of Liberty
and figures of Shakespeare and Luther.
The Christian plane is represented by
Christ with the material plane on one
side and the Bible on the other. Before
the bacilica from which came the modern
church edifice are Peter, John and James.
The Bible, the fountain, and the cross
are raised high above the plane Of human
existence. In the future and eternal
planes are represented the various the
ories Of future existence. Mr.. Houston
has patented an Educational Model Of
the Universe" giving illustrations Of
the movements of the heavenly bodies,
and material illustrations of mental and
noral truths. This model is at the North.
western University in Chicago. Express
ident Porter, Of Yale University, and
Professor Thayer, OF the Harvard Divin-
lty School, have shown special interest,"
In MF. Houston sWork, -ch hicsgo Jo4Fuai
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-02-06
PUNeENT PARAGRAPHS.

The woman who cuts her hair short
rarely applies the same process to her
speoch.-Terre Haute Express.
Fond Mother -''See the darling
drinkr' Visitor-"Yes, indeed, the little
cunning! How much he resembles his
par-Time.
-"Pa, whs.j is blanket mor1gageY
asked Joining Cumso. ''It is one which
keeps a man warm working to pay it."
replied Cumso.-N. Y Sun.
"A Minneapolis man claims to have
Invented motor which will do all kinds
of kitchen work. 1t is understood to
have no eousins.-Boston Transcript.
Ten well-known women are going to
write on the subject: ''Some Things
We Should Do if We Were Men" One
of tie things they would do if they were
men would be to remove their hats when
they go to the theater, or else get eject
ed.-Norristown Herald.
-Jobkins and his wife are pouting
after domestic 'sscene," when their
son Bob ruf1es the treacherous calm.
Mamma, which is the king of the
beasts?" The poor abused wife casts a
withering glance at her spouse and re-
plies: "Man, my dear. Judge.
--Jones-'I hear that your cousin
Emily, who is such beautiful young
girl, is engaged to an ugly old man,
who is not very rich" Smith-''Well,
in one respect he has decided advant-
age over Emily" 'In what respect is
that?" "He has a great deal better
taste than she has. Texas Siftings.
-Customer-''I'll have some more Of
that brown sugar bought last week"
Grocer-'You like it then?'' eyes,
and so does the canary" "Why, the
bird doesn't eat sugar, does he?'' so,
no; | use the sugar to spread in the
bottom of the cage. Beach sand is
little toosharp, you know. The Ameri-
can.
-"Hello, Billy said travelling man, as
he hailed a friend, you've changed
your residence" eyes" Where are YOU
living now?" 81 am not living any
where. 1 am dying by degrees at Mrs.
Hashem's boarding house. Merchant
Traveller.
Sweet Girl-Mother, Mr.. Nicefellow
is coming to take me out riding this
afternoon. may 60, mayn't I?'' Mother
-'If he drives up with span of spirited
horses, you may go; but if he comes with
that broken down old nag he had last
time, you shan't'' "Why, mother, /
didn't suppose you would ever have
such foolish pride" ''My dear, young
man who comes with pair of spirited
horses expects to drive with both hands. I"
IN. Y. Weekly.
-Baldheaded land very homely) old
gentleman, to photographer - ''Drat
such pictures! Can't you make me look
any better than that, after five sittings?"
photographer thoroughly exasperated)
II think can, sir, if you allow me to
take the back Of your head. It hasn't so
much expression as the other side, but
it's a blame sight prettier. Burlington
FREQ Press.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-02-06

hand writing she was charmed, and won
dered If you would be so very obliging
as to write them for hers
But / am sewing for you, said Helen,
smiling.
'NeVer mind the sewing. You never
ought to spend an hour sewing-but l
hope you will do mine till you can do
better. Take up the needle when the
pen lies idle"
''No more sewing, said Helen, coming
home to her mother with radiant face
one evening not long after.
''Not bit?"
mot bit. It is crowded out at last.
l am to go for two mornings each week
to Mrs. Jones to attend her correspond
ence. Every other morning during the
week is filed with engagements of the
same sort with some of her friends, and
as 1 am almost always done in two or
three hours can undertake more work
if find it, which Mrs. Jones says
surely shall"
tAnd it is pleasant work?''
Just as pleasant as could ask. Not
at all hard and done in pleasant places
and for pleasant people. And they pay
we well, and o, mother, shall have
plenty of time to practice and little
money to spare for music lessons. l shall
reach my mark some day."
''Just because you did faithfully the
first thing came to your hand" said
mother.-Sydney Dayre, in Chicago
Standard.