davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Old Butter.

1t is a matter of wonderment to many
what becomes of the tons upon tons of
dairy butter piled up year after year in
the wholesale grocery stores and com
mission houses of our cities, and which
the average American would not allow
on his table. 1.-The poorer the butter
the further it goes" said large butter
dealer of this city, as he packed rolls and
prints of various colors and sizes in a
sugar barrel lined with butter cloths.
THAT expresses it in more ways than
one. Good butter always finds ready
market here at home; it never goes beg
ging for buyers at any time of the year,
but packing grade goes to the end of the
earth. The contents of this barrel will
go to South America"
Not just as it isT'
mo; it will undergo manipulation
The firm to whom this is to be shipped
melt down this grade of butter and pack
it in glass Jars. By the time it reaches
South American port it is of about the
same consistency as olive oil. The South
Americans use it on their bread as we
use butter, A large proportion of pack
ing stock shipped from the northwest
goes ultimately to European countries"
North West Trade.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02

and those hfty-s1x men we Ieru were near
ly 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
fled out of what is now known as Mel
sons starvation camp. 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 ne cannot creep far from camp, and
will have to depend entirely upon what
his two boys can manage to bring him.
"We 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, 1891-04-02
Pythasoras and His Doctrine.

When Pythagoras, after his return from
Egypt, founded a new sect in Greece and
in Italy, he taught the doctrine of the
Egyptian philosophers that at the death Of
the body the soul entered into that of diff
ferent animals. On the decease of any one
of his favorite disciples he used to cause a
dog to be held to the mouth of the dying
man in order to receive his departing spirit,
saying that there was no animal which
could perpetuate his virtues better than
that quadruped. But whenever knowl-
edge of the Jewish religion spread. or any
of its traditions were believed, their arose
an adherence of the dog. The Moham-
medans also have always regarded the
creature as unclean and never to be kept
in any human Observation-Disclosures in
Washington Star.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
The Barber Mas Ready.

An old veteran told this as happ.ning
at Savannah during the war:
A young officer, WHIP was pretty much
of bully, stopped in at a tonsori,l sa-
loon. Drawing his sword he ordered
the barber to shave him, at the anne
time warning him that if he cut his face
or drew drop of blood he would kill
him when he got up. The operation was
performed without accident. Bef0e he
went out, however, the bully asked the
artist if he was not very much fright
ened while he was doing the work.
The barber smiled.
'Not in the slightest" he rplied;
"for if had accidentally drawn drop
of blood would have cut your throat
from ear to ear before you could have
moved. "-Atlanta Constitution,
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Old and Young Great Men.

Great as have been some men who died
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 a
century longer without producing Sec
ond poem. Tasso, though he lived twen-
ty years after Jerusalem Delivered, I"
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 and
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, 1891-04-02
FAlTHF UL, AS A DOG.
One Man Has Kindly Words for the Much
Abused Zanxibaris.

One Man Has Kindly Words for the Much
Abused Zaazibaris.
/ 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-
fidence in, though starving himself, he will
share his last crust.
1t was often pitiful to see a man who
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 chldlike 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 Zanzi bar, 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,
Hand ell Allah" Thank Cody, by which
he meant be 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 in-
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 Ian
zibari is most troublesome and has to be
treated with great severity, but when once
he understands that 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, 1891-04-02
Mr.. MitcheIPs Snake Story.

Andy MITCHELL of Apple Valley, Ga,
was bitten by rattlesnake, and in conse-
quence he had his hand amputated at the
wrist. He was descending into an old
well, and placed his hand on step that
his foot had just occupied, when he felt an
acute sting. Withdrawing his hand he be-
held ground rattlesnake hanging to it,
with the fangs implanted deeply in the
flesh. 1t was necessary to shake his hand
vigorously before the snake would let go.
The reptile fell into the bottom of the
well, which was one mass of tanglewood.
On flashing light into the old we'll what
was his establishment to see living mass
of squirming adders twining and untwin-
ing! Throwing some fire into the well the
dry matter caught, and the hideous reptiles
were consumed.-Philadelp Ledger.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
We May Have to Import Wheat.

1t is not likely that we can add very
largely to the annual product. The wheat
areas are fairly occupied, excepting those
north of Washington, and the possible
service of the arid sub-mountainous dis
tricts when successfully irrigated. The
Canadian wheat fields have an enemy in
Jack Frost, and some sections of the Da-
kotas are far from being like the valley of
the Nile. The fact is, we are being fenced
in, and in the matter of food supply lex
cept rneats) we are not likely to glut the
markets of the world with a surplus of
wheat, if, indeed, the time does not soon
come when we may have to import to meet
our Embellishments.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Queer Face Commentator.

At any time from 16 to % yars of age
the male Esquimaux have their lower
lips pierced under each cor1er of the
mouth for labrets. When the incision
is first made sharp pointed pieces Of
ivory are put in.
After the wound heals the hole is grad
ually stretched to half an incl in diane
ter. Some of the poorer natives wear
labrets made from camel soal, ivory,
common gravel and glass sjoppers OBJ
tanned from ships, which they shape for
the purpose. All who can obtain them
have agate ones.-W ashingtdn Letter.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Maine No Longer the Pine Tree State.

One of the pioneer lumbermen on the
Penobscot was Mr.. John Trickey, still
living in Bangor, at the age of So years.
He went there on foot with a pack on
his back anG only $3.50 in his pocket in
1929. Today he is one of Bangor's
wealthy citizens. Chimes have changed"
IS they say, since Mr.. Trickey 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, Kenduskeag and Levant, where
hardly pine is to be seen. At that
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, 1891-04-02
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 a 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, 1891-04-02
Thanked Instead of Reprimanding Him.

Sir Robert Wright. appointed to the
seat on the bench of the high court CT
justice left vacant by the death of Baron
Huddleston, on one occasion, while at
Oxford, was summoned before the Dean
of Balliol for the purpose of being CEN
sured. The dean was exceedingly care
full of his dignity, as well as of his per-
sonal appearance. Wright looked the
dean we'll ~ and down while the latter
was delivering his lecture, and finally in
terrupted him, III the middle of one of
his most telling periods, by remarking
confdentially, II know you will excuse
me, sir, but think you cannot be aware
that your waistcoat is unbuttoned."
Completely nonplused, the dean was only
able to stammer out: ooh, thank you,
Mr.. Wright. So very kind of you, [ am
sure. Good morning, good morningr'-
San Francisco Argonaut.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
a HOLY PLACE IS THE HEARTHSToNE.

a holy place is the heaHhstone,
Where loved ones art gathered round,
Where mothers, sires and sisters dear
And brothers and trends are found.
a holy place is the hearthstone,
Homes innermost SHRINE X Enere,
Laden with blessed benson
And hallowed by loving prayer.
A holy place is the hearthstone;
What clustering joys abide
Where the cradle of our infancy
was rocked by mothers side
Aholy place is the hearthstone,
Where childhood's pattering feet
Goglancing in shade and sunshine
ID the music of pleasures beat.
A h,ly place is the hearthstone.
Were the youth have wooed and won.
Andwed and gone to the battle
OF life with full armor on.
a hoy place is the hearthstone,
Wh're manhood has settled down
with blessings poisoning round him,
And owe for priceless crown.
A holy lace is the hearthstone,
"hene the old and young have gone
10 rest INN their weary labor
when tie battle of life was done.
AND Oh, INN the holy hearthstone,
When pated from those we love,
May we go meet by the hearthstone
Of our Fathers house above!
New York Ledger.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
New Water Purifier.

A new apparatus for water has appeared
in the form of a still, which is described as
consisting of "a series of large fiat disks of
metal, placed upright and kept in position
by pipes running horizontally on the top
and bottom. Water is boiled in a vessel
and the steam is conducted from the same
to the dish through pipe. The steam ra-
dating from the water is condensed in the
disks by a current of air and the water is
collected in the bottom pipe" The size of
the still designed for family use has eight
disks, and is said to distill a gallon of
water in an hour,-New York Commercial
Advertiser
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
How Mark Twain Seems.

The opinions of our serving folks are
sometimes worth knowing. At the Muir
ray Hill hotel the other day one of the
porters remarked: ''There goes the SOL
emnest and dismalesi gent as ever
stopped at this 'ouse. ]don't blieve he
ever knowed what it WIS to larf."
The subject of this depressing and
melancholy criticism was Samuel l..
Clemens, Esq, of Hartford, Conn.,, not
unknown to admirers If serious and in
structive literature a; Mark Twain
New York World.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Discovery of Mahogany.

In the year 1897 one Of Sir Walter Ra-
leigh's ships, in an expedition against the
Azores, put in at Trinidad for repairs.
The workmen used tie first wood that
came to hand, and it happened to be the
now famous mahogany By this accident
it was first Altroducd into England,
where it was much admired, but it did
not become an article Of commerce until
a century later. Sine then it has held
first rank as cabinet makers wood
Golden DAYS.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
eStioned Ter Motive.

The following fragment of a converse
ton caught on an elevated train seemed
to possess certain claims to considera-
ton: and Miss L. is as good as she Is
clever" commented one man to another;
GIVE known her more than once to
choke down bright speech which would
he at the expense of a companion"
How did you know it was bright
speech?" questioned the second man.
Because she made it later, when the
companion could not overhear it.
"Humph," replied the other and elder
man, land when the companion could
not reply to it" After which silence
fell.-Her Point of View in New York
Times
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Sounded Rather Religious,

II want to find the redeemer," was the
rather startling remark of a motherly look
ing woman on the fourth floor of the gener-
al office of the Philadelphia and Reading
Railroad company in this city the other
day. The official to whom she applied was
inclined to smile, and was tempted to sug-
gest that she should apply at ''the little
church around the corner" but he knew
that she sought the general ticket office Of
the company in order to get back portion
of the price paid for a ticket which had not
been used, and she was directed there
Philadelphia Inquirer
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Doubled Up Badly.

Up in one of the athletic clubs several
robust young amateurs were telling of
their sparring experiences. "I've been hit
pretty hard" said one of them. II put on
the gloves with Fourth warder a couple
of years ago. He didn't know much about
sparring, but he could strike ali awful
blow. He happened to catch me under the
chin. turned two somersaults, and didn't
come around for twenty minutes"
''Poohr' remarked a solemn looking
young man. ''Old John Long hit me so
hard once that he had to get sailor to IN
tie the knots New York Times.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
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 bis absence.
The Iext morning the boy appeared with
a note from his father which contained
but one word, 'Keptatomatatering." The
school master, astonished at such word,
puzzled over it some minutes, but at last
discovered it to be "Kept at home a-tatsR-
."-Excha1Gs
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Florida Cauphor.

The new industry of camphor production
gives promise of being permanently estab
lished in Florida. 1t is believed that in ten
years time there will be more camphor
trees than orange trees in Florida, and that
the camphor industry will be more profit
able than that of sugar, 1t is stated that
the camphor obtained from the Florida
trees approaches more nearly to that Of
Japan than to Chinese camphor, since the
odor of safrol is distinctly recognizable
New York Commercial Advertiser.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
The Bird That Saved Rome.

c. NJ. TjIton, 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 go
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 an alarm from
the Philadelphia Ledger.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
A Bird Blinded by Fog.

1t was at Moor Allerton, near Leeds, a
village which stands on high hill, crowned
by large wood. By the road near the
wood stood one or two of what were then
the last gas lamps of the town. Though it
was not late in the afternoon, the fog was
so thick that these were lighted, and round
one of them was flying large bird, either
a wood pigeon or a stock dove, which had
probably lost it's way as it was making for
the wood, and was helplessly flying round
the twinkling light. 1t continued to do so
as long as the writer cared to wait.-Spec-
tator.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
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 will call the
book an octave, though by its 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, 1891-04-02
LET US FORGET.
Let us forget. 1t is too late

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 space
Let Us forget.
However 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
-Rosaline z. Jones in New York Sun.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
LEAVING SICK BEHIND.
stanley's Column Are Obliged to Deser
Their nNinc- Comrades

stanley's Column Are Obliged to Desert
Their Dying Comrades.
Early next morning Stanley started off
with bis company, promising to clear a
path as wei as he co1ld in order to en-
able us to carry the boat sections through
the thick underground. Stairs, Parlle
and then made careful examination
of the men and loads, and found that we
should be obliged to leave ifty-six men
and eighty one loads behind. Many of
the men were so cowed and hopeless that
they wished only to be left to die peace
fully where they were.
But any man who was at all able to
iscrawl along we passed as fit to travel,
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
Harvesting the Parsons Grain.

The clergy of all denominations in Corn
wall benefit from a CHEEKY harvest custom
of long standing. The parsons grain is all
gathered by voluntary offerings of labor
Every person whom he employs in any
capacity during the year-the butcher,
painter carpenter, cobbler, saddler sexton
and all his own servants-come together
when desired and gather the "passon's"
crops. Their only reward consists in a
rousing supper in his kitchen, where his
wife, daughters and all female members of
his domicile Hospitality serve those who
have served them.-E. L. Wakeman in
New York Sun
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
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 estuarics also, can be made 20 yield
crops in this proportion Washington
Star