davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
fAlTHF UL, AS A DOG.
One Man Has Kindly Words for the Much
Abused Zanzibaris.


Abused Zanzibaris
cannot speak gratefully enough of the
conduct of our faithful Zanzibaris. On
them we were entirely dependent for such
food as we were able to scrape together.
The Zanzibar, it is true, will lie and
thieve-moSt untaught negroes will-but
with the white man with whom he has
worked, whom he respects and has con-
fdence in, though starving himself, he will
share his last crust.
was scarcely more than skin and bone, and
who was half mad with hunger himself,
bringing Us little store of toadstools and,
laying it before US, say, Master, take your
share; God is good"
There was something childlike and
simple about these Zanzibaris which al
ways appealed strongly to our sympathy.
At work you may be as severe as you
please; you may fog him when he does
wrong, so long as when work is done you
relax and gossip and talk with him. His
quaint remarks about people and things
are always entertaining and often instruct
i've You listen to his stories about his wife
or mother, his sister or friend; about his
home in Zanzibar, and his little plot of
land. In fact you make him feel that
though you will force him to do his full
share Of work, at the same time you SYM
pathize with him in his troubles and are
really his friend.
If you do this he will work for you and
follow you with doglike fidelity. have
often seen a Zanzibar who had laid him
self open to punishment, lie down and take
his fifteen or twenty strokes of the cane,
and after he has received them get up, and
raising his hands above his head say,
"Hamd ell Allah' (Thank Cody. by which
he meant he has done wrong, he has re-
ceived his punishment, and now he and the
world are even. If punished Justly, this
child of nature never bears malice. but iu-
justice, want of sympathy or cruelty will
transform him into sullen, mutinous
devil, with whom nothing can be done.
Of course there are times when the Fan
zibari is most troublesome and has to be
treated with great severity, but when once
he understands that 4 man is his friend
and master, these ebullitions are not of
frequent occurrence.-A. J. Mounteney
Jephson in Scribner's.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09

and those fifty six men we Ieru were near
~ all in the last stage of starvation and
sickness. At any rate, we thought that
their chances of getting food would be
better if they came with Us, and nothing
could be gained by remaining where they
were.
We had great difficulty in getting the
men off with the loads, and it was past
midday before the last of the caravan
filed out of what is now known as Mel
sons starvation camp. I find the fol-
lowing words in my journal that morn
ing:
SIT is truly terrible position for Mel
son to be left in; he has food only for
three days, and will have to exist on
what he can pick up in the shape of
fungi or roots. Stairs has left him
fish hook and line, and it is possible he
may get few small fish, but the river is
so rapid and full of powders that he has
but slight chance of catching any
thing.
Meantime we are going on with an
exhausted and starving column to try
and find food in trackless wilderness.
Nelson is now so crippled from ulcers
that he cannot creep far from camp, and
Will have to depend entirely upon what
his two boys can manage to bring him.
eve got off about two o'clock, and
sadly said goodby to poor old Nelson.
for his position is very precarious and
our chances of relieving him small; he
has worked with us in good fellowship
all these months, and now we are prac-
tically abandoning him."-A. j. Noun
teney Jephson in Scribner's.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
STRANGE SOUTHERN BIRDS
Sam Hopkins Describes some Denizens of
the Virginia Backwoods.

Sam Hopkins Describes some Denizens of
the Virginia Backwoods.
"Didn' yo never hyar bout elpen-
strechers?" asked Sam Hopkins the other
day.
Sam is little colored chap that runs
errands and makes himself generally
useful about an uptown hotel. He halls
from Charlottesville, Va. and what Sam
doesn't know about the Virginia woods
isn't worth knowing. Sam may trifle
with the truth sometimes, but he puts
on such an air Of injured innocence when
any of his statements are doubted that
you are almost forced to believe him.
''Neyer hyard bout eipenstretchersg'
he again repeated. 'Why, they're the
curiusest birds in all Virginny. What
they's like? Why, bless yo' stars, they
amt like nothin' in these hyar parts.
Yo' kin only find 'em in the swamps back
O. Charl'tsville, in the spring TINS, too
"Whar they is in the summer? They
amt nowhar. They's jess frogs an liz
ards. Well, when yo' want fur to shoot
elpenstrechers yo' takes your gun an
goes out in the swamp at night. Yo'
see they burrows in the ground day
times an comes out at night to feed
"They's bigger'n quail, an most as
big as a zen. Amt got no feathers
only long bristles, like porkypine
They's as black as yo' hat, too, an looks
like a young rooster with his feathers all
pulled out. Good to eat? Yes, stree.
Mos as good as 'possum. Yo has to be
mighty keerful, too, for if a elpen-
strecher sticks yo' with one O. them ar
quilts you's dead man, sartain sure. In
the summer time they changes into liz
ards an frogs. They's jess the bigges'
frogs you ever see, too.
can yo' never hyard o soras neither?
Well, sakes alive! Why, me an my
Cousin Bill killed mos thousand OF
'em in one night. Soras is jess like black
birds, only smaller.
All yo' has to do is to go in the woods
with pitchwood light an long pole.
l jess went out one night with a light
an pole, an Bill he held big bag. Jess
as fas' as I'd knock 'em off the limb
they'd fall in Bills bag. But they's
common all over Virginny.
"Then they's the gingas cutus, big
germ q nelephant, and the whangtdoodle
bird that flies aroun' nights and carries
off pigs and cattle. An say, mister,
they's got Il green bug down there mos
a foot high, am
"HoP on, sab! That amt half they's
got down there" Then, as | had turned
to leave, after expressing my incredibly,
Sam remarked, with an air of injured
innocence:
"Well, eff it doan' jess beat me. These
hyar Yankees won b'lieve nuthin less
they sees 'em. New York Herald.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Especial Charm of Favorite Club.

The fact that we know each other very
well is the reason of the charm of GER
tain American club. It gives an idea of
this place to say that people find them
selves neglecting their business in order
to get there in time for luncheon. 1t is
not that the company is so unusual.
There are, no doubt, attractive men, full
of interesting knowledge; there is plenty
of good talk. But it is not enough that
the talk should be good; the men must
be seen and heard through an atmosphere
of friendship. Some of the incest men
choose to say very little; but these are
men in whom, in the course of daily &C
quaintance, you learn to discover very
charming qualities and friendly DISPOSE
lions.
Possibly everybody is not charming.
Perhaps there is even a bore or two; but
bores are very human, and, to my think
ing, rather cozy. There is a gentleman
who tells over the same story, but nobody
minds it as much as he would if he knew.
and he doesn't. Even the gentleman who
is always talking about his health per-
forms a benefcient office; he insinuates
into the minds of his auditors an i'm
preston that lfeis valuable.-E S. Nadal
in Scribner's.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Clerks Under Surveillance.

500 you see that man on the other
side of the street," said friend who is
employed in q downtown bank, while
we were walking leisurely up Broadway
one evening last week.
[ glanced at the man to whom my
friend referred Hes detective" he
continued, land he is following us-or
rather me. You seem surprised, but it
is fact that every bank in this city has
one or two and sometimes three private
detectives whose sole duty is to keep
track of the doings of employees. It
seems to be my turn to be followed now,
as this man has been logging me since
yesterday. The watch will continue for
several days longer, and after reporting
to the bank he will be assigned to follow
some one else.
mot long ago one of our expert book
keepers sent word to the bank that he
was i'll and could not come to the office,
but the same day his resignation was re-
quested. The fact is, he had spent the
night before in dissipation, and the bank,
having been informed of this by its de-
tective, his dismissal followed.
Being logged about like criminal is
not pleasant. But what can we do:
When protestations are made against it
the bank officials assure US that we are
mistaken, that they do not hire men to
watch us. OF course you can't expect
them to admit it, but every bank clerk
can tell you that such is the case" New
York Herald
One of the most common forms of deaf
ness is caused by an extension of infiam-
nation from the throat to the ear through
the eustachian tube. The first thing noticed
by the person suffering thus is ringing
noise in the ear, and slight impairment
of hearing
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
i Conductors Suayity,

A Pennsylvania railroad conductor on
one of the limited trains between New
York and Washington the other night
entered the first coach, found it crowd
ed, and in one of the front seats upon
the left was young man. He was well,
even elegantly, dressed. In his hand he
held a French novel. Upon his small
and ordinary countenance there sat the
naughty look of reserve of the imitation
gentleman.
When the conductor entered and called
for the tickets this youthful person af-
fected to be so absorbed in his book that
the conductor passed him by, calling
first upon the rest of the passengers,
even going clear through the train be-
fore he returned to disturb the naughty
reader. When the conductor came back
the young person still refused to pay any
attention. The conductor waited mo-
ment and then called out rather sharply
for his ticket.
The youthful and now thoroughly
cortemptuous person, noticing that the
man, whom he called the guard of the
train, had addressed him with some
brusqueness, which he translated into
iudeness, took his ticket and, without
looking at the conductor, threw it upon
the floor. The graduate of the PennsJl-
vania school of manners was fully equal
to this unusual situation. He showed
no temper, no excitement, nor any lack
of repose. With the calm gravity of q
man who is sure of himself he stopped to
the floor, punched the fallen ticket the
requisite number OF times with great
gravity, and then quietly laid it back
upon the floor where it had been dropped
and walked calmly on amid the roars of
the entire cart. G. Crawford in New
Vor1x
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
He Takes the Cake for Economy.

There is farmer in Wrightown town
ship who will perhaps in time get rich,
as he is economy and watchfulness per-
sonifed. He engaged girl to assist in
the house at stated wages per week
When they agreed to settle, nearly a
year later, he had a bill against her of a
little more than So for loss of time for
gaping" at the cars as they went to and
fro. 1t seems that after the construction
train got to running she would go every
time it passed to the door, look at it,
throw up her hands and apron and laugh,
SO pleased at the sight. This loss of time
was charged against her in their settle
ment. Long headed man, that.-Doyles-
town Democrat.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Mary Teeth Cast Away.

A correspondent asks: How many teeth
are drawn in this country every year?
The number of registered dentists in the
United Kingdom is 1904, including 1,079
licentiates. Many large dentistry estab-
lishments in London employ several assist
ants, and the daily average of teeth ex-
tracted by one of the best known firms is
said to be so teeth per day A statistical
dentist has computed the weekly average
''extractions" per dentist in this country to
be $3.50 teeth, and this would mean an an
nual teeth total of over 10000, 900 castaway
ivories.-London Tit-Bits.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Coal from Corn.

Anew method of producing artificial fuel
consists in the mixing of ground corn
stalks and spadices with coarse prairie
grass. The mixture is made into coarse
dough by means of water and vigorous
stirring up. The dough is then put into
proper molds and exposed to an even dry
ing process under high pressure. Thereby
pieces are produced in the form and size of
briquettes, but which look green gray.
These stones, when thoroughly dry, are
sold as fuel. They give greater heat than
bituminous coal, and are, besides, from 20
to IS per cent. cheaper.-New York Jour
nal
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
why Fowls Welcome Fair Weather

The deprivation of light, which affects
all animals so much, is particularly de-
pressing to birds; and this may be rea-
son for their unwillingness to move in
the frost fog. Naturally they are the
first to welcome its departure. AS the
mist lifts from a Scotch hillside the cock
begins to crow, and in the English fields
the rocks cav, the small birds twitter
and the cocks crow in the barnyards.
These sounds are as certain to proclaim
the lifting of the fog as the London
cries" to begin when the rain stops
Spectator.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09

me org, brightly lighted room inter
ested her. So did the people at the
tables. While the son was engaged in
the somewhat perplexing task of select
ing the supper the old lady talked audi
bly, with the waiter. She told him that
she hoped Landlord Astor and Mis- Astor
were pretty well. The waiter explained
that Mr.. Allen was the landlord, whereat
the old lady expressed polite surprise.
When the waiter had gone with the or
der she devoted few moments to study
ing the chandeliers. They represent
candles.
81 WONDER" she said, chow under the
sun Mis- Allen ever gets up there to
snuff EN-"
"Snuff WHAT" asked her son.
"Why, them candles; they're so high
up"
The young man did not answer.
The old lady again gazed at the chan
deliers refectively. ''They amt no need
of all that light" she said. "Mis' Allen
is powerful wasteful woman"
Her son was apparently man of few
words. Her criticism was unnoticed.
Presently the waiter brought the bread
and the plates, and what the old lady
evidently thought was superabundance
Of knives and forks. She greeted him
pleasantly. "Back again, hey?" she said;
you're pretty quick. But, Horace" she
added to her son, ''you ordered some
thin more than bread, didn't your"
at will be here shortly" put in the
waiter, with polite bow. The old lady
gave him a sweet smile. ''Tm pretty
hungry" she said.
Several Of the diners had overheard
her observations Some of them were
hard faced business men. They didn't
laugh at her. They only regarded her
with lively Interest. She smoothed out
the tablecloth carefully, and inspected
the silver, evidently with approval.
The waiter brought the meal and gave
the old lady close attention, which pleased
her immensely. She smiled On him and
asked after the health of his family. AS
she rose from the table she said to him:
'Tell Mis- Allen I'd like to have her
recipy for that snow puddin'. but I'm in
q hurry"
The waiter bowed and said gravely
that he would do SO. And as the old
lady passed out of the door one of the
diners raised a glass and exclaimed, 'The
old lady-God bless her!''-New York
Letter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Old and Young Great Men.

Great as have been some men who died
young, who knows how much greater
they would have been had their lives
been prolonged. Might not Marlowe
have rivaled Shakespeare? Yet possibly
Byron had already given us his best,
and Shelley and Keats might not have
surpassed their early efforts.
Had the author of ''Festus" died at %
there would have been lamentation as
over Keats, but Bailey has lived half
century longer without producing a Sec
ond poem. Tasso, though he lived twen-
ty years after Jerusalem Delivered"
never equaled that epic, written at 81.
Still there are men whose longevity
has certainly stood for much. Michael
Angelo showed astonishing precocity.
but he owes to his eighty-nine years his
great renown as painter, sculptor ard
sonneteer. Voltaire's fame, again, rests
on the entirety of his writings, not on
any single work, and the literary dicta-
! torship with which age invested him
Cut off twenty years of his life, and his
fame would perceptibly shrink. Goethe,
Emerson, Carlyle, Longfellow, Tenny-
son. Hugo, Dumas-all had the advan-
tage of fullness of years, so as to be
judged by bulk as well as quality. Hum
boldt, too, owed to his ninety years a
portion of his reputation.
The true comparison would obviously
be between works produced at the same
age, or between men dying at about the
same age, but it is much easier to test
achievement than capacity. Perhaps the
best books Gin posse) have never been
written, and we often feel that the men
were greater than their works. Who
knows, moreover, what geniuses have
died in hildhood?-Atlantic Monthly.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
The Bird That Saved Rome.

c. NJ. Tiiton, Of Brunswick, Ga, says he
has two of the best policemen in his service
in the state. There is one peculiar trait
about them, and that is that they never 90
to sleep and never get off their beats. They
are two enormous geese. They march up
and down a regular beat in front of his
house at night, and whenever anything
enters the yard at night they begin yelling
like Comanche warriors. He says it is i'm
possible for any one to approach his house
at night without raising al alarm from
the geese-Philadelphi Ledger.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
People Who Pull Out Their Boards.

The Esquimaux have coarse. black hair,
some with tinge of brown. Males have
the crown of the head closely cropped, so
that reindeer may not see the waving
locks when the hunter creeps behind bunch
grass.
They have black eyes and high cheek
bones. The bones of the face are better
protected from the severity of the climate
by thicker covering of flesh than south
ern races.
Generally their beard is very scant, and
most of them devote otherwise idle hours
to pulling out the hairs. Washington
Letter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
kissing with Tongues.

1t may, perhaps, be suggested that one
reason for the very long delay in the prac
tice of the mutual kiss was in the general
use by one or both of the sexes of nose rings
or labrets, either of which would prevent
the approximation requisite. If such use
be not admitted as a causa sufficiens, it at
least affords evidence that the kiss was not
custom ~ among the people by whom nose
rings and labrets we're worn. Indeed, Pro
fessor Dali gives instances where, labrets
being common and the kiss unknown, the
tongues are protruded in affectionate sa
lutes.-Popular Science Monthly.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
His Excuse.

At village in Staffordshire boy was
detained from school to assist in sorting
potatoes. The school master, as usual on
such occasions, desired the boys father to
write and state the cause of his absence.
The next morning the boy appeared with
a note from his father which contained
but one word, ''keptatOmatate The
school master, astonished at such a word,
puzzled over it some minutes, but at last
discovered it to be ''Kept at home a-tater-
ing" -Exchange.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
How Folios Are Named.

The practice of the publisher nowadays
is first to determine what size of page he
wants. The sheet he uses will be large or
small, according to the capacity of the
press at his disposal. On that sheet he
may print, say, eight octave pages, or he
may print thirty-two, but he viii call the
book an octave, though by it's folding it
should be called either quarto or 16mo.
In other words, the publisher calls his
book by the name of that one of the old
sizes to which it happens to come nearest.
Exchange,
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
For Cleaning Marble.

Common dry salt is said to be one of the
best agents for cleaning marble, such as
wash basins, sink fixtures and the like. 1t
requires no preparation and may be rubbed
directly upon the furnished surface, remov-
ing any incrastations or deposits at once,
leaving the marble shining and clean. This
is well worthy of remembrance, as it is
often found to be provokingly hard to clean.
the marbles thoroughly without injuring
the surface
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
To Get the Best Value of Land.

A fruitful acre Of earth will support one
young bullock, increasing the weight of
the beast 500 pounds in a twelvemonth.
One acre OF water properly located, will
produce 10000 pounds of oyster meat, shells
and juice not included, in the same length
of time. Oysters are, weight for weight,
nearly equal to beef for making flesh and
blood. By artificial propagation, as it is
now beginning to be carried on, the entire
bottom surface of all streams near the sea,
and estuari.s also, can be made to yield
crops in this proportion.- Washington
Star
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
i Financial Discussion.

Chronic Borrower-Can you lend me $50
for few days?
Weary Friend-Why don't you pawn
your watch?
Because it is a keepsake from my dear
mother, and don't Ike to part with it."
MY money is keepsake from my dear
father. and don't like to part with it,
either. "-Denarest'
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Maine No Longer the Pine Tree State,

maine NO Longer the Ilne Tree SCaCe.
One of the pioneer lumbermen on the
Penobscot was Mr.. John Tricky, still
living in Bangor, at the age of SIS years.
He went there on foot with a pack on
his back and only $3.50 in his pocket in
1929. Today he is one of Bangor's
wealthy citizens. Chimes have changed"
rs they say, since Mr.. Tricky began his
operations. Maine was really the ''Pine
Tree State" then. In eight years Mr..
Trickey cut 100000 feet of pine on
land that now constitutes the towns of
Carmel, Kerluskeag and Levant, where
hardly a pine is to be seen. At that
time there were no roads. and all the
provisions were taken up the river in
boats, special crews being employed for
that purpose.-Lewiston Journal.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
LET US FORGET.

Let us forget 1t is too late
To mend our vows, or iterate
Our broken pledges, or replace
Our lost ideals, or retrace
The ways we trod disconsolate.
1t may not be! Capricious fate
Made our two pathways separate
That once ran parallel q space.
Let Us forget
Howe'er we sue and supplicate,
No power that is can reinstate
One day of those lost yesterdays
And bid it wear its old time grace;
Twere better to erase their date.
Let Us forget!
-RosaEne E. Jones in New York Sun
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
Hard to Choose.

Mrs. Bargain-What are you worrying
about this morning?
Mr.. Bargain-I need some new clothes
and a new watch, and l can't make mp
my mind whether to get the clothes at
shop where they give away watches, or
to buy the watch at shop where they
give away cluthes.-London Tit-Bits.