davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01

are a whole SON." Notwithstanding
the pride and satisfaction with which
the birth OF boy is hailed, the little girl
is the darling, the object of the tender
est affection and care of parents and
brothers, not to speak of other adoring
relatives. Much is not expected of her
in the way of assistance in the family;
she is INDUCED as far as their means
and circumstances will permit, and she
takes it quietly and as her due, but it
is rarely that she does not voluntarily
and tacitly contribute her share in
helping her mother.
Girls marry very young in Russia
and there are very few of those most
estimable individuals called old maids.
There are no colonies for the Russian
to run away to, and the statistics show
that the births of boys much exceeds
those of girls.
Long engagements are not approved
Of; they seldom last longer than a few
months, during which time the finance
is the mistress of the house. Her
girl friends assemble to help her sew
the dowry, the sewing afternoon gen.
orally ending in a dance after tea,
when the bridegroom drops in with a
few bachelor friends. Another we'd
ding is thus often arranged, and soon,
little by little. till, like the fifty
cards in the game of ''old maid" they
pair off, and one, generally of the
sterner sex, is left forlorn.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
Queer Pennsylvania Justice.

Anovel sentence has been pronounced
by justice at Huntington, in this
state. 4 wife had kissed another
man. her husband had chastised her
with corporal punishment, and Justice
Kelly, supplying the third act in a
drama unhappily played with too much
frequency in all our courts, gave YER
dict 'that the wife retire to her usual
place Of abode, and lock the doors SO
that no strangers can be admitted for
period of six days; that the husband
for the same length of time board with
his next-door neighbor and sleep in the
barn, and that, each party pay half the
costs and stand committed until the
sentence is complied with OF the
efficacy of such an original Judgment
there cannot be much doubt, although
question might be raised on the con-
stitutional ground of its being cruel and
unusual punishment-at least for the
next-door neigh5or. The usual pun
ishment for wife-beating, however, is
so clearly inadequate that, in the alb
sence of whipping-post, the result OF
the new departure in dealing with this
despicable crime deserves careful
watching. Philadelphia Record.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
The Blind Love Games.

There are many games that the blind
take great pleasure in playing. One
of these is checkers. Instead of fat
men they use pegs. the board being
perforated with holes in the corners of
the squares, into which the pegs are
put. Dominoes is another favorite
game with the blind. The spots in
the dominoes are sunken so that the
number is determined instantly by the
touch. We do not encourage card play
ing, writes a teacher of the blind, in
the St. Louis Republic, and suppose
that is why most of the boys play so
well, it being understood that a boy
learns most thoroughly what he is not
wanted to learn. The cards are pre-
pared by perforating them with a fine
needle, the name of the suit being in
dictated by punctures in one corner and
the number in another. Our little girls
play with their dolls and take as much
delight in dressing them as other littl g
girls could possibly do. One day last
year we had photographer take
pictures in groups of the different
classes and their teachers. When we
were ready to take the primary class
there was a, general break for their
dolls, and not one Of them would con-
sent to be taken until she had got her
dollie properly posed in her arms
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
LUCK ON A STEAMBOAT.
Queer Experiences of Northerners In
Southern Waters.

queer Experiences of Northerners in
Southern Waters.
The reporter of the Palatka, Florida,
Herald, was told an ante bellum story
or two OF them, twin incidents, that
although true and can be proven, are
well, wonderful. to say the least. 1t
was told by the captain of the first
passenger steamer that ever piled the
turbid waters of the Ocklawaha. The
vessel only had one stateroom, the
captains room and the pilot house. On
this trip up was an old Northern gen.
tleman and his wife. The husband
was sitting forward reading, using an
elegant pair of gold trimmed genuine
pebble spectacles. All at once limb
brushed alongside and the spectacles
disappeared.
He said nothing of his loss until his
return, supposing them gone, and use
less to trouble the captain to stop the
boat. Well, the trip was made, the
parties returning and the boat laid up a
week and started out on another trip,
but this time with another couple as
passengers. Just before night the lady
and husband were sitting in the same
seat occupied by the gentleman when
he lost his spectacles on the former
trip. Along came limb and caught a
fine silk net and carried it away. The
lady was bemoaning her loss, when
looking in her lap and 10! there were
the lost gold-rimmed spectacles. They
had become fastened to the limb, and
the last brush rubbed them off, Sc
much for the spectacles. They were
sent to thu owner, and the captain still
has his letter of thanks, in which was
SIS bill.
Now comes the other part. The lady
who lost her net, a very fine one,
bought a common one as makeshift
from the country store kept at Silver
Springs, until her return to civiliza-
ton. She came back On the same boat
the same place was reached with her
In like position, without knowing OF
noticing it, however, when her net AND
switch were about to become entangled
in the limb again. She frantically
clutched both, and beyond scratch OF
so passed in safety; and 10, again, or
looking in her lap, there lay her fine
silk net, lost coming up. All lost ani
finally recovered on the same limb.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
Take Plenty of sleep.

1t is all very well to commend get
ting up early in the morning. 1t would
be difficult to eXaggerate either the
pleasures or the advantages afforded
by early rising. But to rise early one
must retire early.
A plenty of sleep is one of the first
requisites of health. Fevers and other
diseases are often occasioned by ex-
cessive fatigue. A person should sleep
enough to get thoroughly rested. For
some cause sleep in the early part Of
the night seems to be more refreshing
than sleep for the same number Of
hours toward morning.
Unfortunately modern social habits
are tending to reverse the order of ma
ture, turning day into night and night
into day. This is very destructive to
the beauty as well as the health of our
American girls.
1t has been recommended that when
a lapy is going to attend late party
and they are all late nowadays-shs
should sleep several hours during the
day previous. 1t is asserted that the
marvellous beauty of some of the mid
dle-aged women of England has been
preserved amid all the designations Of
fashionable society in this way.-New
York Ledger.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01

auxl caprUal. A noIy man, ali rags
and dirt, presented himself in the
town, and soon after his arrival it got
noised abroad that he possessed the
power of committing silver into gold.
The crafty Mohammedan was chary of
exhibiting his arr, but finally he visited
a pasha's palace, where he received all
the honor due to 80 potent a person.
Bags of piastres were in readiness,
and each coin in turn that came into
the fakir's hand passed out of them
gold. The pasha saw boundless wealth
before him and had already given in
structions for some one to 60 to the
United States and buy up all the silver
in our country, when the man, as
though disguised with mundane greed
for filthy lucre thus exhibited, rose
from his place and. in spite of all
entreaties, retired in high wrath. Time
passed, and the fakir was persuaded to
return to the palace. On this occasion
the pasta was ordered to place his
silver in sacks on the backs of camels
and to send them a ten days journey,
stopping on the road only to pray.
until the tomb of the fakir's father was
reached.
But if any one." said he, clocks in
to the bags before the tomb is reached,
the silver will be changed to "copper";
II the sacks reach the tomb unopened
It will be found to be gold" So saying
the fakir departed to his own country.
The pasha loaded his carnels and they
started; and hardly week had elapsed,
when, doubling the honesty of his
visitor, he sent messengers to stop tho
camels and search the sacks. And
when the bags were opened, 10! the
contents wers conner
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
Then They Fought.

"Aurm!" said Jimsmith, who was
doing the talking. Il had a rather
odd experience last summer, while on
visit to my old home. away down in
the country. D'ever tell you about
that turtle? No? Well. you see,
hadn' been home for six years. and
naturally l prowled all about my former
haunts. Struck nice, shady pool
presently, and it came back to me. all
of a sudden, how, only the day before
l left home, | had visited that very
spot, and laved my feet in the pool,
and also caught small turtle and cut
my initials and the date on his shell.
"Well, off came my shoes and into
the water went my feet. 1t was de-
lightful. There was a clump of flags
growing from the bottom, but | never
thought OF their being big enough to
conceal large turtle. The trill of
the birds and the murmur of the water
were fast lulling me to sleep, when
suddenly | felt something touch one of
my superior toes. What do you sup
pose it WASP"
''Ah! Why, of course, it was that
turtle upon whose back you had cut
the legend six years before-now grown
10 be a huge fellow, and
"Nope! 1t was my other big toe. y"
Then they fought.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
HThe Wei of Frozen Air.,

Near Dayton, Ore, there is a well
locally known as the well of frozen
air. In drilling the well a stratum
of frozen clay and gravel was encount-
cred at a depth of 55 feet After pass
ing through five feet of this, numerous
cavities were encountered from which
cold air came in gusts. The escape of
the air from the air from the we'll can
be heard roaring for nearly 200 yards.
The air which comes from these SUBJ
terranea- depths is so frigid that it is
not p0ssirie for anyone to hol3 his
hand over the opening for more than
two minutes without having it frozen.
A bucket of water set over the opening
will freeze through and through within
a few hours. 1t is needless to add that
work was abandoned on the we'll when
the cavities of frozen air" were
tapped
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
A Lake of Molten Fire,

The following remarkable account
has been culled for Notes for the
Curious" from the writings of Joaquin
Miller, and have reference to the vol
cano of Mamma Loa in the Sandwich
Islands. After visiting the
American consul at Honolulu we start
ed for the volcano, and after hard,
hot climb, reached the edge of a prec-
ipice overhanging a lake Of molten
fire 10 miles in circumference and 100
feet below US. This is called by the
natives Kilianea, or god of fire. It is
the largest active volcano in the world,
and is 6. 900 feet above the sea level.
This molten mass went daShing
against tho cliffs on the opposite side
with a noise like the deep and mighty
surges of a stormy ocean. Waves of
blood-rcd fiery liquid lava hurled their
pillows on an iron bound headland and
then rushed up the face of the cliff to
toss their CORY spray high in the air.
This restless, heaving lake Of fire boil
cd and dubbed. never remaining silent
for a single instant. There is an
island on one side Of this lake which
the fiery waves attack increasingly, and
with relentless fury, as if bent on hurl-
ing it from it's base. On the other
side there was a large cavity into
which this burning mass rushed with
a loud roar, breaking down in it's I'M
petuous. headlong career the gigantic
stalaclites that overhung the mouth of
this cavern, and flinging up the liquid
material for the formation Of new ones.
1t is terribly grand, magnificently sub
lime; bu1 no word can adequately de-
scribe such a scene, and no power but
that of Omnipotence produce it.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01

keep on the right side OF folks, to let
philosophy and theology alone More
over, it is, no doubt, necessary for such
experiences to go little behind that
sort Of Japan which you find on the
Hatobas of Yokohama or Kobe; in the
\ oshiwaraS of those and the other open
ports. At very little distance from the
surface, which we civilizing westerners
have done our best to spoil, will be still
discovered the old, changeless, high
tempered, generous, simple and sweet
hammered Japan of old. frankly con-
fess it has entirely charmed me; and
therefore what say of this Japanese
nation, and their manners and customs,
must be received with the proper eau
ton attaching to the language of
friend. and even a lover. But where
else in the world does there exist such
conspiracy to be agreeable; such
widespread compact to render the diff
cult affairs of life as smooth and grace
full as circumstances admit; such fair
DEGREES of fine behavior fixed and ao-
cepted for all; such universal restraint
of the coarser impulses of speech and
act; such pretty pictrresqueness of
daily existence; such lively love of
nature as the embellisher of that ex-
istence; such sincere delight in beauti-
full artistic things; such frank enjoy
ment of the enjoyable; such tenderness
to little children; such reverence for
parents and old persons; such wide
spread refinement of taste and habits;
such courtesy to strangers; such will.
ingness to please and be pleased9
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
Englishmen as Book Buyers.

They say that Gladstone reads every
novel that is produced in Great Brit
ain. He is rapid reader, but not so
rapid as Oscar Wilde, who makes his
boast that he can read the conventional
three-volume novel in two hours.
These two men read everything they
can get their hands on. On the other
hand, Andrew Lang will not read a
book through that does not interest
him at once. Frequently the title or
the very appearance of a volume preiu-
dices him to the degree that he will
cast the book aside and refuse to take
1t up again. Lang is curious collector.
He loves old books, rare books, and
books beautifully bound, but he is
brutally careless in the treatment of
his books; they stand in double rows
or, frequently overlapping one another
and upside down. Still Lang IS an i'm
provement upon De Quincy, for the
old opium eater was certainly the ve-
riest vandal that ever had to do with
books. One of his tricks was to bor-
row a splendid rare old folio, and calm
ty cut out of its sacred pages what
passages soever he might want to util-
lie. He used to cut the leaves of his
books with his fnger-a practice to
which Carlyle was addicted, and one
that obtains, we are panied to record,
even at this advanced day and in this
sensitive generation. The abundance
of cheap literature seems to have made
people criminally careless in their treat
ment of books
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
A Large Gum Tree,

What is probably one of the largest
specimens of the tupelo Or sour gum in
the United States was found recently
growing in the Ocmulgee River swamp,
near Abbeville, Ga. 1t towers above
the surrounding forest of immense
trees, and is more than twelve feet in
diameter. There is large hollow at
the base, which extends upward for a
distance of fifteen feet, with an aper-
ture large enough to admit tall man.
The tupelo gum, which is botanically
known as mySsa aquatjco, delights in
swampy places, where it is frequently
found growing among deciduous cy-
press, and endeavoring, apparently, to
initiate it by sending from among its
roots rudimentary 'knees," similar to
that great southern monarch"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
The Sparrow n Nuisance.

The Christian Union has revived the
old controversy over the English spar
row. Says an Ohio farmer: 1--WE miss
the young of the robin, the oriole, the
wren and other native songsters whose
habit it has been to nest about and near
the house. | notice the man in Utah,
who took the American Agriculturist
prize for wheat estimated that his
yield had been diminished a number OF
bushels per acre by the depredations OF
this bird. | have seen them so thick
on shock of wheat in the field that il
had more the color of the birds than
the wheat. The idea of Introducing
these grain-eating birds to rid the
country of insect pests must have been
Matched in some undeveloped brain,
and the man who introduced them
should be hung in effigy in every town
and hamlet in the union
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
ENGLISH OF AMERICANS.
One of John Bulls Newspapers Lectures
Us on Pronunciation.

One of John Bulls Newspapers Lectures
Us on Pronunciation.
One hundred Americans, represent
! Ing all cultured professions in all sec
tons of the nation, who were recent
/ ly asked by Earnest Whitney to give
their pronunciation Of a list of 80
words, have furnished him with YER
table chaos of orthoepy, says the
New Castle Chronicle. Some of these
cultured RECOMMENDATIONS are truly EEK
traordinary," as eighty-three out OF
the 100 call it. Others are at any rate
interesting as showing the variations
between English and American pro-
nunciations even of simple words.
The short "a" is used by large ma
iority of the 100 in sucn words as
'.azure, pageant, patent" and
even in s'rather;" while the long "a"
is preferred in ''satyr," Ga per cent
give vase" as if it were speit ''vaice,"
''saunter'' is pronounced "sahnter."
'Docile" is pronounced ''dosles;" 70
and 80 per cent respectively give q
long III sound to the first vowel In
dynasty" and ''lichen," though GA
per cent render isolate" as "issolate.
Similarly large majorities gave long
sc" to ''egotism" and short &c" to
''epoch." Demonstrate" is accented
IN the second syllable by 50 against
20, and 81 vote for 'venison" as a
three-syllable word, against 38, who
cut out the.middle.
While the III" in '.herb'' is used by
only Is per cent, more than 60 per
cent preserve it in '.hostler" and "hu-
morous" and II per cent still say cum
ble." Oader than these to English
ears are 'neffyoo" for nephew, ,"
"lewtenant" for lieutenant and the
long "e'' sound for leisure" and in
the case of one word, mercantile"
aot man of the hundred agrees with
Us in pronouncing the last syllable
tile" sixty-seven giving it as It'll"
and twenty-five as ''teel."
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
The biggest Wheel In the World.

What is believed to be the largest
wheel in the world was recently made
in Scranton, Pa, for the Calumet and
Hecla Mining company, of Michigan.
1t is a cog-wheel, fifty-four feet in
diameter, with an eighteen-inch face,
and is built in the exact form of a
bicycle, with its extensions and spokes.
The capacity of the wheel, at velocity
of ten feet a second at the inner edge
of the buckets, is 100000 gallons
of water and 1000 tons of sand in
twenty-four hours. Its weight is
100000 pounds. The journals are
twenty three inches IN diameter and
feet inches long. The total length
of the shaft is % feet inches.-Phil-
adelphia Press.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01
LIBERALITY OF ARABS.
A Fable Which Probably Has Not Much
Foundation in Reality.

Foundation in Reality.
Three men were disputing, in the
court of the Caaba, which was the
most liberal person among the Arabs.
One gave the preference to Abdallah,
the son of Jaafar, the uncle OF Mo-
manned; another to Kais Ebu Saad
Abadah, and the third gave it to
Arabah, of the tribe of Avs After
much debate one that was present, to
end the dispute, proposed that each of
them should go to his friend and ask
his assistance that they might see
what each man gave and form judg-
to, and Abdallah's friend, going to
him, found him with his foot in the
stirrupS. just mounting his camel for a
Journey and thus accOSted him: Son
of the uncle of the apostle of God,
am travelling and in necessity Upon
which Abdallah alighted and babe him
take the camel with al that was upon
her; but desired him not to part with a
sword which happened to be fixed to,the
saddle, because it belonged to Ali, the
son of Abutaleb. SO he took the camel
and found on her some vests Of silk
and 1000 pieces of gold but the thing
OF the greatest value was the sword.
The second went to Kais Ebu Saad,
whose servant told him that his mas
ter was asleep, and desired to know
his business. The friend said he came
to ask Kais' ASST stance, being in want
on the road. Whereupon the servant
said he would rather supply his neces-
sity than wake his master and gave
him purse of 1000 pieces of gold,
assuring him it was all the money then
In the house. He also directed him to
60 to those who had charge OF the
eamel5 with a certain token, and take
a camel and a slave and return home
with them. When Kais awoke and his
servant informed him what he had
done, he gave him his freedom, and
asked why he did not call him, for,
said he i would have given him
more. The third man went to Arabah
and met him coming out of his house
In order to go to prayer, and leaning
on two slaves because his eyesight
failed him. The friend no sooner made
know his case than Arabah let 60 the
slave and clapping his hands together.
loudly lamented his misfortune in hav-
ing no money, but desired him to take
the two slaves, which the man refused
10 do, till Arabah protested that if he
would not accept them he would give
them their liberty, and, leaving the
slaves CROPPED his way along the wall.
On the return of the adventurer5 judg-
ment was unanimously and with great
justice given by all who were present
the three.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-01

beavers 10 ge. ia OF through the
kidneys and lungs.
The effect on these organs of the
great increase of functional activity
necessary to maintain the harmony be-
tween tissue waste and tissue repair
results in their disease, and the entire
system becomes deranged from the
poison, effects of this accumulated
matter. Then, too, in health respira-
ton is carried on, in a measure.
through the skin by the absorption OF
oxygen and the giving off of carbonic
acid, thus aiding the lungs in their
interchange of gases; in this manner a
direct effect is produced upon these
organs by checking of the normal
activity of the skin.