davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
An EnSlishman's Boots,

An Englishman. but long since Ameri-
canized, thus tells how he spotted fellow
countryman of his by his boots. He had
received a telegram that an old friend of
his English days, who was returning to
England from Mexico via the States, would
be at the Palmer House on certain morn
ing. He had not seen the man for eight
years, and his face was utterly forgotten.
The hotel clerk could give no further in
formation than that the EngEshman in
question was somewhere in the rotunda,
and that he wore light checkered trousers.
Whereupon the English-American began
to scrutinize all the trousers that sat, stood
or walked within the rotunda.
AT last he saw pair that seemed to an
swer the description. They fitted badly
moreover The owner carried stout
stick, wore sort of shooting jacket, and
an air of independence. The locker CT
thought to himself: 81 believe that must
be an Englishman. But YETI Then his
eyes glanced downward again until they
reached the boots. The sight was enough.
1t recalled memories that nothing else had
been able to awake He went up to the
man with the boots and was not mistaken,
1t was his old friend. Afterward the &C
cent and such phrases as ooh, 1 say, you
know, that's the game, is it?" brought
"the English of it" very emphatically
home to him, but it was the boots that
really did the trick. The traveller VOL
dered afterward in a naive way, because,
Il say, l don't know why, but these fellows
all seem to know Pm Englishf' NY friend
acquiesced in wonder openly Secretly he
thought of the boots and did not wonder.
Chicago Tribune.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
The III Fated Number Thirteen.

Leo Mandlebaum registered at the Rich
ellen from Germany, and was assigned to
room Is. He had been in the room but a
few minutes when he came rushing into
the Office and asked for another room at
once. "Think I'd sleep in room 1872" he
explained ''Td sleep in the park first.
That Inflated number was never so dread
ed in Germany as it is today. In most of
the hotels there it has been changed to
some other number Won Moltke's death
is attributed by some to that number. The
field marshal could never retire without
his game of whist, When he was before
Sedan he had his rubber every night"
'The evening before his death he sat
down to play as usual, and his luck was
phenomenal. While matched against a
skillful player he won trick after trick.
The last game he scooped the entire thir-
teen tricks. Then he retired. The fact
that he died soon after taking thirteen
tricks of whist has caused horror with all
the superstitious people of Germany, and
I assure you they are many. Pm not so
bad as that, but will not sleep in room
ID, and especially so as today is Friday"
He was changed to 81 and his old room
renum bered. There is no 10 in the hotel
now.-Chicago Herald.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
The Too TeSchakie Parrot.

/ heard the other day an absurd story
concerning a parrot which, think, mer-
its recording. The Baron de Rothschild,
of Paris, so runs the tale, was DESTROYS of
sending to his kinsman at Frankfort,
whose birthday was at hand, some accept
able token of remembrance. I should
fancy that a member of that family would
be an exceedingly difficult person for
whom to choose gift, and so the baron
found. After much cogitation and many
Investigations he decided upon wonder
fully trained and talkative parrot, whose
facility in learning any phrase that he had
been told few times was particularly
noted
One of the clerks of the Paris house was
deputed to convey the precious fowl to
Frankfort. Now the weather was cold,
the young man disliked travelling and,
above all, tn parrot, with the usual per-
versity of his race, screamed and screeched
all night, SO that none of the occupants of
the sleeping car in which he and his guar
dian were installed could get any rest.
"Shut up, you confounded Jewl" exclaimed
his protector, in passion more tnau once,
moved to ant; Semitic feelings by the dis
agreeable journey and the parrots bad be-
havior.
At last the bird and its disguised pro-
tector arrived safe in Frankfort, and the
parrot was formally presented to its new
owner, who at once began trying to coax it
to talk Polly listened to NJ de Roths-
child's discourse for few minutes, and
then in reply enunciated with startling
distinctness the latest phrase he had
learned, Shut up, you COMPOUNDED Jewr'
Paris Letter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
The NIiser in Death.

The dead of a graveyard sat in their
tonbs, for now it was the feast of the
Melad, when the dead are as alive and may
walk the earth for night, and neither the
angel Moonkir questions nor the angel
Nekeer forbids.
But many missed their bones. and walled
with vain rattle of speech, till one, which
was a miser, with dry laughter spake:
"What need have to walk? Here be bones
to sell" Then a woman gave for A leg
bone ring, and another fillet of gold for
a hand, and thus there was soon left of
him only SKULL and to that skull some
treasures. These others stumbled away
rejoicing, and as the muezzin sounded the
first sunrise call to prayer clattered into
their graves. But at morning came down
from the palms monkeys, and took the
miser's skull for football. The gold and
jewels beggar found, and the fakir and
Sufi speaker of verse, Ferishtah, who saw
all this wonder. said, GAS the living, SO
are the dead. "-Century.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
SEINE Coed Distance Riding,

Gent.M Merritt, in 1879, rode with bat
talon of the Fifth cavalry to the relief of
Payne, and covered 10 miles from IL a. m,
Oct 8, to $50 p. m, Oct. 5-two days and
six hours-accompanied by battalion of
infantry in wagons, which much retarded
the march. He arrived on the scene in
good order and ready for the fight. Single
couriers had ridden in over the same dis
tance from Thornburg's command during
the previous two or three days in less than
twenty-four hours. Captain E. S. Dodge
marched his command on the same occa-
sion eighty miles in sixteen hours. Lieu
tenant Wood, of the Fourth cavalry,
marched his troop seventy miles in twelve
hours-6 a. m. to 6 p. m.-and came in
fresh, and double that distance has been
made from 10 a. m. till p. m. next day.
In 1870 four men of Company 81, First
cavalry, bore dispatches from Fort Harvey
to Fort Warner, 40 miles over bad road
twenty of it sand-with little and bad
water, in twenty-five hours, eighteen and
half of which actual msrching time.
The horses were in such good condition at
the end of the ride that after one days
rest the men started back, and made the
home trim at the rate of sixty miles daE.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
How a Poor Man Studied Law.
he Rev. DR.. George E. Ellis saws.

The Rev. DR.. George E. Ellis says:
There is a story about a certain distin-
guished orator, lawyer and statesman Of
Massachusetts, that has never been told,
and daresay the gentleman wouldn't like
to have his name mentioned now. Besides,
the story is very old, and it all happened
something like thirty-five years ago. But
it is good story, and it's value is only very
slightly diminished by the necessity for
withholding names,
AS say, something like thirty five years
ago [ lived in the Highlands, and in my
house there was young domestic who was
very bright and very industrious, One day
I discovered her in earnest conversation
with Draw young man at the back gate
She talked with him long and tenderly,
and when he went away | chaffed her about
her company. But she surprised me very
much by bursting into tears, and declared
that she was ready to give up her place, but
that she had meant no harm. questioned
her further, and discovered that she had
loaned some books out of my library to the
young man, and he had come to return
them.
The young man was her brother, and he
was studying law, but he had little money
to buy books with, and he had taken this
means of pursuing knowledge under diff
culties. Today men call that young man
general, and if I told you his name youd
be startled, assure you.-Cor St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
A PeculiaritY of the SchoolboY.

A popularity of the schoolboy mind is
to put things negatively. AS for exam
pie, boy was asked to write short es-
say on pins by way of an exercise in
composition, and produced the following:
''Pins are very useful. They have
saved the lives of a great many men,
women and children-in fact, whole
families"
"Howso?" asked the puzzled inspector.
on reading this.
why, by not swallowing then," was
the immediate reply.
On the sane line was the essay of an
other schoolboy on the subject of salt,
which he described as ''The stuff that
makes potatoes taste bad when you don't
put il on."-London Tit-Bits.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09

of feet is the increased number of vehicles,
and the stony roadways send up roar and
clatter to almost deafen you.
A quarter past 5!
The rush increases. The surface cars
have sent extra cars down town. The 81"
roads are switching on extra trains. There
is hardly elbow room along Broadway from
Bowling Green to Union square, and from
the Pulitzer building to Ann street man
without feet would be carried by the crowd.
Half past 81
Rush, surge, elbow-pushi The dark
columns marching lengthways of Manhat-
tan Island seem resistless, but they must
be broken. The tide of humanity march
ing across the island makes a mighty rush
at Cortlandt street, at Barclay, at Cham
bers, at Desbrosses, at Twentythird, at
Thirty fourth, and it pours across to the
81" roads and surface cars and ferry
boats of the north side
And a second tide pours across Broad
way headed to the east, intent on car or
ferryboat, and you look down as upon
men fleeing from some dreadful epidemic.
Men, women and children-old and young,
rich and poor, broadcloth and rags, virtue
and vice. There is a jam of vehicles on
Broadway at Wall street, another at Park
place, third at Canal, a fourth, fifth and
sixth between there and Fourteenth.
The surface cars are loaded until the
horses can hardly start them, and here and
there On every street they run into the jams
of wagons, carts and trucks and are brought
to a stop.
Six o'clockl
This is the climax A sort of frenzy
seems to have caught the people now, and
the rush is like mighty torrent Up and
down Manhattan, acs,,ss Manhattan-a
mob which would xnEan army corps out
of its way and maker halt. Lookl 1t is
the ferryboats headed to the west and the
east and the south, each one loaded down
with humanity. Harkl 1t is the clatter
of ten thousand pairs of feet rushing up
the steps of the station to take the bridge
trains How quickly four cars are loaded
and pushed away, to be followed in mo-
ment by four more
The iron gates opened, there is rush
they shut with bang, and 400people speed
away 1t is like loading and firing a can
non. 1t seems as if the tramp! trampi
trampl would never cease-as if the multi
tude could not be diminished. Steam and
electricity and horsefesh and human mus
Gle and ingenuity are put to their utmost
to move the crowds, but it is done with a
rapidity and system to astonish you. 1t
must be SO done in city where minutes
are often counted for hours.
And yet as look down upon the streets
again after o'clock, after the mad rush is
over, there is still left hurrying, surging
crowd, which seems to have only secured
elbow room by the departure of that vast
multitude.-M. Quad in New York World.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
A Mad ScuIntor's Wond erful Work,

When the young sculptor, John B.
Leoni, during a TT of temporary insani-
ty, was held in waiting at the Rurling-
ton (N. j. Jail, pending the res Its of
inquiries as to his identity, he obtained
possession of common bar of washing
soap and proceeded to astonish the jail
ers. With the nail Of his index finger
he began to dexterously carve the soap
into the shape of the "human form di-
vine," and within an incredible short
time, considering the magnitude of the
undertaking and the unbalanced condi-
ton of his mind, had produced Won
derful model of an Alpine hunter.
The figure, which is now carefully
treasured, is said to be equal to anything
ever executed by either Marcou or
Vidouquet. 1t represents a man with
his right arm outstretched, the fingers of
the hand encircing the neck of a duck,
which is as carefully reproduced and as
true to nature as the figure of the hunt
er. The left hand hangs by the hunters
side, holding shotgun, while at his feet
lies the figure Of dog wistfully gazing
at the game his master holds aloft
Taken all in all it is a most remarkable
work of art.-St Louis Republic.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09

KING you, II you never have before, are
Immediately caught, and participate in
the eccentric poets admiration and en-
thusiasm for the able and unblushing
story teller who never gives way to
philosophic doubt, and who is aware
that the criterion of truth is fuctuating.
King Milan falls quite naturally into
bombastic blank verse, and when warm
ing to his work even scars to rhythmic
rhyme. Your Servian cannot help this.
1t is inherent in his language and innate
in his blood The minister of finance,
whose name 1 would not venture to
spell, made his budget report to the
Skoupstchina three years ago in well ar
ranged quatrains But the budget did
not balance as well as the quatrains,
and while his report was received as a
markable production in literary circles,
in the world of finance it excited dis
trust and suspicion, and Servian bonds
would have taken a tumble had they not
been already deeply embedded in the
bottom rock of Bourse quotations.-Ste-
phen Bonsal in Harper's Weekly.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
SLAUGHTER OF GIRL BABIES.

Two Hundred Thousand of the Tnnocents
Killed Every Year in China.
In China tens OF thousands of recently
born girls among the poorer classes are
thrown out to perish, and at Shanghai l
saw tower formerly used to facilitate this
infantcide, says DR.. Joseph Simms, who
has recently returned from an extended
trip of the Flowery Empire. 1t is practiced
in every part of China, but especially in the
interior and in the Loess district. As soon
as we get many miles from the coast it is
quite usual to see near a joss house or place
of worship a small stone tower from ten to
thirty feet high with no door, but hole in
one side, reaching into a pit in the center.
The children that parents wish to be rid
of are thrown into this hole, and quicklime
soon consumes the little forms. 1t is
said that the priests take charge of
this cruel work. 1t has been estimated
that every year nearly 100000 female
babies are brutally slaughtered in the en-
pire. One Chinaman being Intercepted
about the destruction of his recently born
girl said, "The wife cry and cry, but kill
alice same"
In every large city in China there are
asylums for the care of orphans, supported
and conducted by foreigners, who save
yearly from slaughter tens of thousands of
female infants At Han-Kow, which is
600 miles inland, visited a Roman Cath
Ole orphanage for children that have thus
been cast out to perish. Mother Paula
Vismara, the lady superior of this institu
ton, informed me that she had received
seven that day, and one day thirty were
brought in.
OF course these had never been consigned
to a baby tower. Sometimes they are
found wrapped in paper and left at the
edge of the river Sometimes they are
buried alive by the father, but while yet
living are dug up by some one else and
brought 10 this institution. Several wom-
en- are employed by the mother superior in
looking about for the little victims. Up
ward of a thousand are received every
year. Many of them, of course. die soon
after from the exposure and neglect they
have suffered through being abandoned,
and many are boarded out by the institu-
ton in the town.
Those who accept the charges have to
bring the children once a week for inspec-
ton, and then, ali being right, they receive
the pay for maintaining them. This is an
Italian charity, and one of the most estim-
able in China. During the twenty-three
years of it's existence it has saved the lives
of, say, 25 900 to 40, 600 children, of whom a
fair proportion have grown to womanhood
1t received considerable support from the
European residents at Han-Kow. of whom
there are about 100.
Those children who remain within the
premises of the institution are fed and
clothed, and when old enough, taught to
sew, make lace, knit stockings, and do
other useful work. They never know where
they came from or who their parents were
When they are four years of age their feet
are bandaged, according to the general
custom of al classes in China, to keep them
small, as that increases their chances of
marriage Enquirer.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
ROMANCE OF PRO0lGAL SONS.
Strange Fortunes that BefeH Two We,
ward Boys in Their Wanderings.

Strange Fortunes that Befen Two wsy-
ward Boys in Their Wanderings.
Major Steele, of Albany, Ga, recalls an
interesting incident of adventure. He tells
the story in his own words: "Near my
fathers home, in Allegheny county. Vir-
ginia, lived family by the name of Rey-
holds, composed of man and wife and
several SONS.
"They were illiterate people, and were
regarded by their neighbors as a pretty
tough crowd. No master ever treated his
slaves with greater severity than did old
man Reynolds treat his sons, and under
such treatment they had but little respect
for their parents and no love for their
home.
"When l was nineteen years old two of
these boys went to school to me, and one
of them could never understand the prin-
ciple of subtraction, though at his fathers
lumber yard he could count lumber in his
head faster and more accurately than
could with pencil.
"Old man Reynolds also owned a grist
mill, and one morning about chestnut time
those scholars of mine were sent to the mill
to get meal for breakfast.
AFTER getting the meal they started on
their return home, but wandered out into
the woods, and in gathering chestnuts, lost
sight of the flight of time, and forgot their
errand until the breakfast hour had long
since passed, and knowing that they would
get an unmerciful fogging for their tru-
ancy, they decided right then and there to
leave home Their failure to return that
Jay aroused the fears of their parents, and
the country was secured for them for days
afterward without success and then they
were given up as lost.
"Twenty years or more after that
stranger rode up to my fathers gate and
asked for Logging for the night. 1t was
cheerfully granted him, and that night, as
they were sitting around the fire, for it
was again chestnut time, the stranger be-
- - aia, concernfn1 TIA ~.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
Bill Posting in Large Cities.

Bill posting for places of amusement
in this city has become quite large
business. A theatrical manager who
has spent a good many thousands of
dollars in this form of advertising SAYS
about it: No theater in this city spends
less than 500 per week in this way.
Some of them go much higher. Many
people get all of their amusement
news from the billboards. Barnum had
great faith in this kind of display. For
years it cost him 5000 per week for every
season in this city. Reckon it up, and
it can easily be figured that more money
is paid to bill posters in New York than
the president of the United States gets.
"The charges for posting are from
three to five cents per sheet per week.
When the weather keeps clear sheets
last two or three weeks. In rainy
weather they need frequent renewal
The poster pays rent for space, so that
the advertisers expense is simply for
posting and keeping posters in good con-
dition. After paying all expenses some
posters net better income out of the
business than the average good profess
sional man or merchant can make."-
New York Times.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
How PiccadiIIy WAS Named,

It's curious how the names OF towns and
streets come from something that has been
the fashion OF the day. Who knows where
the word "Piccadilly" originated 'FRONT.'
the name of that wonderful street of which
it is written that ''some make love and
some make poetry in Piccadill." The
street was built by tailor named Higgins,
whose fortune was made in kind of collar
called Piccadel or Pickadill or Piccadilley,
which was worn by ali the beaux of the
day. Of course it is not meant that the
street as it stands today was built by him,
but he erected few houses to which he
gave the name the street now bears.-New
York Sun.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
Brothers EXCHANGE Goats.

Two brothers went into a restaurant the
other day to dine. 1t was dark when they
came out again, and both of them when
they got to the elevated station steps stop
ped. "Hang it," said one, twisting his arm
uncomfortably, II got some ones coat.
I'll have to go back and change it," "Hold
on" said the other brother; 81 got into the
wrong coat too. I'll go back with you and
get my coat" So they started back. When
they came into the lighted rooms for the
second time one brother said to the other:
"Come, get out of here right away before
any one sees us. You have on my coat and
1 have on yours, and neither Of US had
sense enough to think of that when we
were at the elevated station, New York
Tribune
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
A King WHO Avoids the Trut,,

A talk with King Milan is rich mental
pabulum for the traveller who is aweary
and athirst in the drealy conversational
wastes of the Balkans 1t is an un-
mixed delight, but should bs partaksn
of with the admixture of much salt. 1t
is a delightful causerie set going by
conserves after the Servian fashion, and
concluded with Turkish coffee and
cigarettes, and a more than Persian
etiquette prevails throughout. On cross
ing over into these countries one is i'm
mediately forced to the conclusion that
Oscar Wilde's lament 'over the decay
in the art of lying" is at least prema-
ture; and ip conversation with the ex-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
Where to Look for Comme rcial Leaders

Be-
Our generals of commerce may come from
among the men who built Chicago, a
Denver, an Atlanta, rather than from cos
mopolitan New York, keen Boston or
peaceful Philadelphia. The campaign is
likely to be most successfully carried on
by men of the loose jointed power and
broad optimism of the Mississippi valley
rather than by the highly organized but
more cautious leading of the seaboard.
The merchants and manufacturers of the
coast are perhaps too conventional in their
methods. They have been forced to fight
defensively too long to lead where broader
and holder action might best succeed. The
commercial generals must be Lincolns and
Grants; patient, constant, enterprising,
and imbued with an absolute confidence in
themselves and in their highly organized,
highly paid armies of workmen.-Ulysses
D. Eddy in Forum.