davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12

good success that was tempted to put so
much money into lands in the new West.
Ii the people are beginning to think and
inquire it may not be SO safe trusting to
cowboy force and barb Wire-fences to hold
these lands as we were thinking. In max
Ing my last purchases l have had that in
mind, and have been very careful in get
ting bona tide titles TO the lands pTlr-
chased. But here is another trouble that
may annoy Us DIS the farmer said, if they
should establish law to levy taxes on
land values and not on improvements, it
would soon change our profits into losses.
Yet it will be a long time before that will
come to pass. Only few have thought OF
that yet. and tne people Of this country
have to be educated into any change, y
said the duke.
LAS 1 understand it, from those l have
talked with, the object of the Farmers
Alliance Club is to educate the common
people on this very subject The people, L
mean the masses are being educated in the
one grand principle of equality. There are
unions, clubs and orders devoted entirely
TO this subject. The people are power in
this nation, when once thoroughly aroused.
And" | continued, when men like these
tenant farmers grooming under the in
justice of unfair rents and unjust taxes
finally band together for mutual protection
and just laws, they will create force that
even money cannot controlF'
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
TIE FRAN and HOUSEHOLD
THE SNOw-BIRD.
August NoORE,

here does the snow-bir sleeps
Inc stormy winter night comes on apace,
Thick falls the snow-knows it sheltered place
here II can snugly creep,
And, safe and warm, liz dusty pinions fold!
Where does He hide His snow birds from the
colds
About my window. hopping. chirping, come
Asking of T1nylu seed, crumb
From his abundant stock.
The yellow plumed captive from the Isles
Where summer with perpetual verdure smiles,
Welcome these wanderers through the winters
storm,
With small, faint snow,
With twitter, and with low pleasant hum,
Hungry and bold. nimble and brave, they come,
Swept with the snow along,
They frolic in the snow
They dance with the white flakes,
And every email foot makes
In the pure covering its tiny track:
While stars and spangles deck each little back
They frolic in the snow
That falls so thickly round
Ger all the frozen ground;
But do the gay ones know
Where this freezing night may hide away,
And all securely until morning stays
Close to the glass they creep,
In the paneS they peep,
Holding strange Masonry with Tinylu;
And their enticing ways,
And all their antiL plays;
Are full in lone captives charmed view,
They see the shadows fall
And to each other CALL
And Tinylu replies and tries to go
Out to the hardy brood,
With whom he shares his food,
The little dusky elves they haunt the snow,
Eagerly, but in vain
He smites the pane
Oh! foolish little bird, where wouldst thou fy'
Thy nest is safe and warm,
Naught shall my Birdie harm,
But out in the cold snow he soon would die
here do the snow-birds sleepl
Where does He safely keep
His hardy, happy, little winter sprites?
know their haunts by day
But see-they haste away
Where does He shelter them these stormy
nightsS
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
How to Keep Milk Sweet.

The souring of milk in thunder storms
has just received scientific explanation
at the hauds of an Italian savant. Profes.
sor Tolomei. He has found that the pass
dge of an electric current directly through
milk, so far from souring it, actually keeps
ir sweet, so that it does not turn until the
sixth or ninth day; when, however, an
electric current is passed over the surface
of milk it soon becomes sour, and the pro-
fessor attributes to the generation of
ozone, since tne souring is more rapid
when the current passes silently then when
it is discharged explosively, more ozone
being generated by the former than by
latter method. The fact that the souring
of milk can be retarded by so simple a
procedure as the passage of an electric
current, may prove of practical value and
offer safer way of preserving milk than
by the use Of antiseptics.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
CHINESE METALSMITHS.
They Display Remarkable Degree of Ar
tistic Skill.

They Display Remarkable Degree of Ar
tistic Skill.
Among the many notable and surpris-
ing examples of Chinese skill, in what has
long been been supposed to be the ex-
elusive distinction of the western nations,
that of metal work is especially prominent.
In the manufacture and use of wrought
metal they display an advanced degree of
artistic and mechanical skill This
metal is favorite deco ration for houses,
altarS In churches, town halls. assembly
rooms, and business places of the more
wealthy firms. The metals used are brass,
white and bronze, which closely resemble
Britannia metal, gold bronze, ordinary
bronze and silver. The work of the
Chinese metal smith is greatly superior
to that of our own IN variety, originality of
design and in the artistic finish. The
smith turns out bowls, vases, urns.
pitchers, ewers, basins, cups standards,
pipe and other smoking utensils, saluerss,
lamps, candelabra, lanterns, bedsteads,
chairs, tables, church furniture and num-
erous articles, all of substantial workman
ship and standard material. The metal
smith makes good wages, and has good
social position in China, but the industry
is not a healthy one, the Chinese not un-
derstanding the physiological action of the
metallic oxides on the system, and not
| knowing how to prevent or remedy the
| injuries they suffer. The Chinese system
of casting is very similar to ours, but in
cleaning and polishing they use no chemi-
cal agents, relying most entirely on man
ual labor, and the use Of lathes fitted up
with polishing brushes. They understand
oxidation, and produce malachite and
azure effects and the like very effectively.
They secure these not by the direct action
of acid and acid vapor baths, but 10y bury
ing the objects to be treated in various
kinds of decomposing organic matter.
| That is, OF course, slow and expensive
process. In one respect the work of the
Chinese smith is peculiar. The soldiers
in many parts of the Chinese empire still
wear fine mail armor, helmets. breastplates
and shields, and the same articles are
worn by the participants in civic process
sions and official pageants. As a conse
quence such armor is still made, and the
armorer occupies in China about the same
position that he did in Europe in medi-
eval times. A suit of brass armor worn
by one of the black flag leaders in the
Tarquin war is said to have successfully
resisted bullets, and to have broken
bayonet thrust delivered by
| powerful French marine.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12

corporations have no souls" is a much
Older expression than most peonle inn.
agine. 1t originated with Sir Edward
Coke, who IN the sixteenth century wa.
considered one Of the best legal writer's of
the age de says in one of his treaties.
Corporations cannot commit trespass
nor be outlawed, nor excommunicated. for
they have no souls"
Drowning the miller" originated from
the following fact: If the mill stream be-
low the mill is damned or stopped, tie
water is pended back and the mill becomes
what miilers call tailed" There is too
much water, the mill will not work, and
the miller is said to be drowned out"
Hence, when too much of any one article
is put into mixture, It is called drown.
ing the miller"
Better late than never. was used over
500 years ago by Thomas Tucker in his
Five Hundred Points of Good Husband
ry: Later on Bunyan used it in his Pill
grim's Progress.
Not few of the phrases in use at this
day, originated with Lyly, and are found
IN his "Euphues, popular book pub
llshet IN 1880. Among them might be
mentioned caught mapping, "a crooked
stick or none, brown study" catch
ing birds by putting salt on their tails"
etc.
When people do not particularly like
each other it is sometimes said: There ia
no love lost between them" The phrase
occurs IN the old ballad of The Babes of
the Wood" and in tale of the DAYS of
Shakespeare, entitled "Montchensey. -
Detroit Free Press.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
LITERARY WOMEN IN AMERICA
Washington Fast Ranking With Othe
Cities as a Literary Center.
London Queen
London Queen

| Women in America who devote them
selves to authorship seem to make more
money than their sister writer's do in
England. Washington is beginning to
rank now with Boston and New York as a
literary center. Mrs. HCdgson Burnett
wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy" at her
home there. She lived at the time in |
street, next to Gen. Garfield. A year or so
ago she bought a house in the fashionable
northwest quarter of the city, not far from
Gen. Blaine's mansion. Mrs. Southworth
who is now seventy years of age, and
whose boast is that she has written as
many novels as she has years, is perhaps
one of the best noveiists living The
| Ledger has paid her for some time by con-
tract, $4,000 year (e2,000) for all that
she writes, and she now probably gets a
! royalty in addition. She began writing
for one dollar column and for the Ledger
at ten dollars per column. Mrs. South
worth habit is to write almost constantly
from Tuesday to Thursday night. Friday
and Saturday she spends in visiting, and
on Monday she revises her proofs that are
| sent to her regularly from the Ledger.
| she writes the same sort of stories of 70
nance and crime now that she wrote in
her youth. She has made highsposition
| for herself among her contemporaries.
Her home at Washington is cottage.
standing In charming garden. and sur
rounded by picket fence. Miss Kate
Field is devoting ali her energy to her
Washington paper. She has been very
fortunate in making money by her literary
labors. She is very energetic and has
many sided talents Methodical, hard
working, and careful of her health, Miss
Field rides and writes every day. Miss
! Constance Fennimore Woolson has done
some of her best work In Washington. 1t
Is here that she wrote Anne, a novel
| that attracted so much attention when it
! appeared in Harper's Magazine. Mrs.
Logan, the widow of the late Gen. Logan.
| started a magazine, the circulation of
| which now reaches 100000. Another
widow of a brave officer, the late Admiral
Dahlgren, makes large income by her
| pen In romantic literature. The daughter
OF Senator Dawes, of Massachusetts, is a
young woman of remarkable ability as
student of political economy; her pub
| lished works have attracted great deal
of attention in America. She is already
making a large income by writing for the
magazines. Miss Dawes founded the
Wednesday Morning Club, consisting of
| about thirty young lady members, which
ranks as the finest women's literary club
in the United States.
Miss Olive Seward, the adopted daugh
| ter of the secretary of state, has teen
writing for years. Several daughters of
! the members of congress devote them
selves to literature. If Washington alone
can boast of SO many intellectually active
women living in its midst, it may be
guessed how strongly through the United
States women influence thought and feel
ing.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
Poultry Manure.

Many farmers place & high value on
poultry manure as fertilizer Others
thin k but little of it, Probably this vari-
ance Of opinion is due to the different ways
in which it is saved and applied to the
land, 1t is one of the richest fer
tlllzers produced on the farm, and any
failure from its use must result either from
lack OF care In keeping, or from improper
application to the soil. Some poultrymen
use lime to mix with their men manure for
On absorbent. This may do well to sweet
en- foul hen house, but produces very
poor fertilizer. Lime Is caustic sub
stance and causes a partial chemical de-
composition which frees the amonia In the
manure which Is its most valuable constit-
uent and allows it to escape into the air.
Wood ashes is another substance which
comes under the same class, the potash
producing the same effect as the lime
On the other hand, road dust, loam dry
muck and coal ashes are al good absorb
ents and serve to retain the ammonlacal
vapors rather than to dissipate them.
They will also keep it dry, free from smell
and full of its fertilizing elements. Prob
ably the neatest plan is to remove the ma
nure from the poultry house as soon as
practicable after it is dropped. yet the gen.
eral farmer will hardly want to take SO
much trouble.
The value Of poultry manure, as Of
every kind, is necessarily influenced by
the quality of the food Meat and fish
tend to make it rich, and also shorts, bran
and cottonseed and linseed meal among
the grains, corn being deficient in many
elements. This probably explains why
hen manure in the majority of cases is
not as good as guano. The food of the
birds from which the guano is obtained is
largely fish, which naturally makes it
rich in phosphates. Poultry manure is of
special use to force corn to an early and
vigorous growth. Its effects on fruits are
almost pronounced. When of good quail
ity it is generally applied in small quanti-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
HUNTING FOR LOST MAMMA.
Little Tots Who Cannot Understand Tha
Mamma Has Gone Forever.
Deeroit Free Press


Mamma Has Gone Forever.
Deeroit Free Press.
The sorrowful songs have been sung.
the tender prayers have been said, the
last sad words have been uttered, all that
love sympathy and tenderness could sug-
gest has been done for the wife and mo-
Their calmly resting in her satin lined cot
fiji under masses of beautiful flowers.
The mourners have gone out with ach-
ing hearts and tearss dimmed eyes. The
hearse moves slowly away, and the kindly
neighbor women left in charge of the
house go about softly putting things in
order and speaking In an undertone
awed still by the majesty of death, al
though the one it has claimed has been car
reid forth. There is still that indefnable
something in the deserted rooms that tells
of the dread visitor.
Suddenly the door of an upper room
opens, and a sweet, childish voice saws
pleadingly:
Il want my mamma, I'm going to find
my mamma"
mo, no, dear says the nurse, with a
suggestion of tears In her voice, while she
furtlvely wipes her eyes; come with me
like good little girl"
mo, | want my mamma. | haven t
seen my own mamma for two, free-oh,
most four days. I'm going to find My
mamma"
But, baby, dear mamma ism 't-she ism t
herr
"Where is my mamma, then? She
here, too. She's down in her own pretty
room. I'm going to hunt for my mamma
Mamma! Oh, mamma! Baby wants
you
In all this world of sadness and sorrow is
there anything more sad, anything more
pitiful than the pleading, wondering CRY
of a little child too simple to understand
the mystery of death, and yet dimly com.
pretending that change of some kind
has taken place? is there anything that
touches the heart mere deeply than to an
swer ie pleading, pitifuI questions:
Where is mammal" why DON she
Gomez She has gone away, whereof
Cant go to heaven and see her?"
The ewes of the little ouestioner open
wide and there is perplexed and dissatis-
fed look on her face, saying that imam
ma is gone, that "God took her," that
she is Cup in heaven now"
You try tearfully to make it plain to the
derstand that she will see ma
NINA again some time" but again the
little voice says with pltiful petulancy
''But want my mamma now, and, I'm
going to hunt until find her."
What sorrowful, disappointing search
it is! 1t ends in tears and heartache, and
it is long before even children understand
that mamma will come no more to the
little ones calling vainly for her Every
thing is full Of touches anu suggestions of
the mother who is gone. There are
things that make her seem SO real, sc
near. And so the baby goes hunting for
mamma. May all such sorrowful littlehearts
find their best mammas in the heavenly
land!
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
SOME POPULAR EXPRESSIONS
How They Originated and Their Wider
Application

The phrase, 81 acknowledge the corn, ="
originated with slave IN the south. He
was charged with stealing corn found in
his possession. Having sack with him,
he was also charged with stealing that.
His reply was: mo, sab. knowledge
de corn, but | amt gwine to knowledge
de sack.
clipping the wink" generally regarded
as a vul gar phrase, is to be found in a
grave historical romance. 1t occurs in
''VaIerius, Roman story" by John
Gibson Lockhart, Sir Walter Scots, SON.
in-law, and for many years editor of the
Quarterly Review.
ANY color, so it's red" originated
among the class Of charac tiers called Jam
keys in the local drama. One of them,
being on committee appointed to procure
8 new fire engine, was asked what color
the company desired the apparatus to
be. Ae replied: "Why, any color, so it s
red
The origin of the phrase 81 can't see it
is traced to Lord Nelson, who at the bat
tie of Copenhagen was told that signal
was given to cease firing and the direc-
ton pointed out. Selling telescope he
applied it to his blind eye and exclaimed,
Il can t see it. -
Hauling over the Goals dates six or
seven centuries back, whan feudal barons
often used harsh methods of extracting
gold from the rich Jews by suspending
their victims above slow fires until they
paid ranSoms or died. There is a scene of
this sort in ''Ivanhoe." in which the
Templars endeavor to exort money from
Isaac of York, father of Rebecca.
Barking up the wrong tree is very
common expression in the west. 1t orlgl-
mated from the fact that dog will bark
at the foot of peculiar tree to indicate to
master where the game Is located. While
endeavoring to see the animal he discov-
ers it on another tree, and it finally es-
capes him altogether. IN its application
it denotes that person has mistaken his
object, or is looking for 1T In the wrong
place.
Anxious mothers often tell their hand |
some daughters that beauty is but skin |
deep" The phrase probably originated |
with these two lines:
Beauty is but skin deep, and so doth fall
Short of those statutes made of wood or stone.
which occur In Rev. Robert Trimmings
poem published in 1891.
The term ''blue stocking" was origin |
ally used in Venice about the year 400, to |
designate literary classes by colors. In
Mills History of Chivalry," we are told |
that members of the various academies |
were distinguished by the coor of their
stockings, blue being the prevailing color. |
The application of the term to women orr
ginated with Miss Hannah Moore admir-
able description of blue Stocking Club"
in her BIAS Bleu. !
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
THE GALL FOR A HALF-CENT.
1t is regarded as a Necessity in .Americar
Trade.
40 - Steal

The haIf-cent has become a necessity in
American trade and the American news
dealers association will petition Congress
to establish a half-cent coinage; On the
one-cent papers the dealers profit is only
half cent. and in many instances the
half cert is lost because there is no coin
of this value An appreciable loss arises
from this source in the course of a year.
1t is favorite way in making retail
goods of all kinds to rate them In such a
way that the hall cent comes In, and in
every case goes to the dealer. This odd
cent in a large establishment certainly
amounts to several dollars daily, which
the buyers lose and the seller gains, for
want of the haIf-cent coin. The lntinitesi-
NAL divisions of industry and retail sup
piled long ago made these small COINS
necessity in Europe. A centime is a fifth
of cent. Switz .rland has centime piece,
Berlin two-centime piece, Germany has
the pfennig equal to one fourth of cent.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
NEWS FROM FRANCE.
The Protection Spirit Has Grown In
Strength in the Republic

PARIS, Feb. 7.-One Of the members of
deputies today said he was satisfied that
the chamber would adopt a tax of twelve
francs per hundred kilos on American
pork instead of the ter francs tariff urged
by United States Minister Reid. Ex-
Minister of Commerce Harrison said that
twelve franc duty meant exclusion;
that the deputies are protection mad.
Jules Ferry, in an interview SAID, the pro-
lection spirit in the six states has advanc-
ed the cause of protection in France.
The temper of the chamber and the
senate is more in favor Of
protection now than in 1880, when
the existing tariff was adopted.
M. Berger, director of the late exposi-
tson, said today that favorable action by
France on the American invitation to the
Chicago exposition is certain. The only
difficulty is the apathy of merchants and
others.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12

ties in the hill or sown broadcast. re.
member of reading once of an old Scotch
man. whose fruits were the wonder and
admiration of all his neighbors. On be-
ing closely questioned as to the cause Of
his remarkable success in this branch OIL
horticulture, he whispered, hen manure
Poultry manure is not only beneficial to
corn and fruits, but if properly used will
materially increase all kinds of garden
crops.-Cor. n. E. Homestead.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12

When man is faithful and true in
small things, depend upon it he will be
faithful and true in great things. Great
principles depend upon small details.
Never give way to melancholy. Are
you happy? Are you likely to remain 50
till evening, or next month, or next year
Then why destroy present happiness by a
distant misery, which may never come at
all? Every substantial grief has twenty
shadows, and most of them shadows of
our own making.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
Large Eggs.

The Black Spanish and the Minorca
fowls lay the largest of any breed. They
greatly resemble each other in many re-
spects, in the Black Spanish, however,
having a white face. For winter laying
the Leghorn does we'll, if kept in a warm
place. while the Brahma, Wyandotte and
Plymouth Rocks are considered excellent
winter breeds