davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
DOWN IN A SALT MIME
Perilous Descent and How 1t Is Aecov
nIishAd

pIiSHco.
Our exploration of the salt mine
was not one of unalloyed pleasure and
we do not know that we should care to
repeat it. No matter. we had enlisted
for the campaign. therefore we pushed
on and soon reached a point where our
leather aprons were brought into use, 3"
says an exchange. First. however, we
think we came to the lake, which, sur
rounded by a row of dull lamps, aD-
peared to be an acre or so in extent
and entering boat we were rowe!
across it. 1t looked black and tasted
very salty. Everything here locked
black except the dim lamplight. which
served only TO make darkness viSi Ole.
We will not say that we thought We
were in the Internal regions, but we
will admit that sort of shudder came
over us, lest as out of deep sleep we
might be in some such place! From
this landing we now prepared to de-
Scend into a vast pit. seventy feet deep
from the top of our heads-the distance
from where we stood TO the bottom be-
ing forty or fifty feet. A large. smooth
piece of timber, with rope for q guard.
extended at about the inclination of an
ordinary staircase-lf anything a little
steeper-to the bottom, and this was to
serve as our carriagcway.
Zach gentleman now being fur
nished with thick leather hand shoe
to protect his right hand in orasping
the rope, our guide scate,. himself
astridc this beam and slid down few
feet, bracing himself to allow us to fol
low suit. This, with lamps in our left
hands, we did at once, the ladies being
sandwiched between and holding
to the shoulders OF the gentle
man who clasped the rope. The
word was given and off we shot into the
darkness below. Our guide managed
in some way to check our fall so that
no bones We're fractured, but, although
this may be a very Sood way to prove
the utility of leather aprons, especially
when worn behind, we are not prepared
to recommend the performance, either
for healthy exercise or amusement. Elk
tending from the bottom of this pit
there is shaft in which the miners de-
scend five hundred feet farther into the
bowels of the earth, but having no de-
sire to explore regions so far inland we
did not ask to enter. After collecting
some specimens of rock salt, which lay
here in heaps, ascending by a steep
fight of stairs, we all mounted astride
a wooden horse, sandwiched. as before,
and by our own momentum were car
ried swiftly down the rail into day.
light, perfectly content with our first
experience Of salt mines and inclined
planes"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
SHE HOLDS THE LEVER.
A Woman to Run thu First Worlds Fair
Train.


Miss Ida Hewitt, of Cairo. W. Va,
said to be the only female locomotive
engineer in the world, has been en-
gagged by the women commissioners of
the worlds fair to run the first train
over the grounds on the opening day of
the exhibition, and viii leave for Chi
cago about week before the day ap-
pointed for the opening
Miss Hewitt has mad an extensive
the fair, one of her unique costumes be-
ing that of Spanish girl of the four
teenth century, which she will wear
on the engine during her first trip. She
is a brunette beauty, and the costume
suits her admirably.
In reply to a proposition made to
Miss Hewitt to become a member of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers, it is reported that she replied
that while she could not find it in her
heart to become a brother to them she
would be sister as long as she lived.
The commissioners are said to have had
a great deal of trouble inducing her to
run the engine at the fair, as she
shrank from appearing as "a sort OF 4
freak"
The road upon which Miss Hewitt
learned her business and upon which
she is now running is known as the
Cairo & Little Kanawha, and is feeder
for the Baltimore & Ohio at Cairo from
the lumber districts back in that vicin-
ity. 1t is mostly owned by the father
of the young lady, who is a man of
prominence and wealth. The peculiar
employment that Miss Hewitt has Sc
lected has not unsexed her in the least,
and she is as much at home in the par
lors of the most cultivated and fashion
able people as she is in the cab of her
favorite engine. She is also model
housewife, and is thoroughly up in all
the little details Of housekeeping, at
which she occupies herself when ''off
her run"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
THE BROKEN CLAViCLE.
That Was the Cost of Famous Singers
Thrice Repeated Effort.

Fifty years ago European audiences
listened with rapt admiration to Ru-
bini, tenor, of whom it was said that,
though he himself could not act, he
made his voice act for him. The inten-
sity of expression he gave to his voice,
the judicious use of the tremolo, and
the management of light and shade
produced thrilling effect. But his
great vocal feat consisted in taking the
B fiat of the upper stave without prep
aration, sustaining it for a long tim e,
and then letting it imperceptibly die
away. The listeners could hardly be-
lieve their ears, says the Youths Com
panion.
The adventurous are always on the
edge OF danger. On one occasion Ru-
bini, after repeating this vocal feat
and being a second time encored, found
himself unable to produce the expected
note. Determined not to fail, he gath
cred up his vocal strength and made a
supreme effort. The note came with
its wonted power, brilliancy and dura-
ton, but at the cost of broken collar
bone.
SuTReOu eAdHllueu tue singer anu
found that the tension of the lungs had
been too p,'werful for the strength of
his collar-bone. Two months rest
would b.. required to reunite the
clavicle, and this the singer declared to
be impossible, as he had only finished
several days of a long engagement.
Can 1 sing at all with broken col
lar-bOne?" he asked
Yes; it will make no difference in
your voice." answered the surgeon.
But you must avoid lifting heavy
weights, and any undue exertion-
above all, you must leave the B fiat
alone
Rubini continued to sing with a
broken clavicle until the termination of
his engagement.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
AN INCORRICiBLE.
PhiianthrOpist Who Tackled Tough
Job and Won.

PhiianthrOpist Who Tackled a Tough
Job and Won.
A man came one day to the late earl
of Shaftesbury, philanthropist,
although nobleman, bringing a note
from the governor of Manchester jail,
saying that the bearer was incorrigi.
BILE, and had spent twenty years in
prison. Shaftesbury talked kindly to
the fellow, and then said:
'John Spiers, shall 1 make man Of
you?"
eyer can try, but yer can't do it,"
was the discouraging answer.
Finally he agreed to enter reform
atory where the discipline was strict
but kind. After few days the earl
called, and said:
"Well, John Spiers, shall we go on?"
eyes, % replied he, ''but you've tack
led a tough job"
"By Gods help I'll go on, and I'll
succeed, too" responded the earl.
At the end of two years this man
was met by friend of Shaftesbury.
He was well-clad, healthy, and held q
good position in London.
''Ah,' said he, cit was the earl's
kind words did it. That was new
way. 1 never had kind word or q
loving look given me in my life before,
or 1 might have acted very differ
emily"
What testimony! What saliva
tiOni
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
THE COMMON GENDER.
Difficulties OccasIoned by Lack of Feml-
ninity in Our Language.

Difficulties OccasIoned by a Lack of Feml-
ninity in Our Language.
There really seems to be no hope for
words which we class as common
gender, so that we shall perhaps for
ever hear our servants refer to their
'lady friend" or their gentleman
cousin" says a writer in New Peterson.
Nor can we desire such a complete diff
ferentiation that would compel us to be
strictly logical in giving the minnie
of ''Michigander," or constrain US to
follow an example already set in refer
ence to a womal's convention as ''mov-
ing in the even soprano of their ways"
This latter might be improved upon by
saying mezzo-soprano of her way. But,
joking aside, how are we to refer to the
presiding officer of an assembly of
women? Will Mrs. President do? Or
shall we, in our rules of parliamentary
practice, suggest the chair? Perhaps
this would answer But suppose the
chair appoints a committee, and in an
nouncing the members desires that
Mrs. A. should preside at the delibera-
tions of this committee, how shall
g..
81 appoint Mrs. A. chairman" or chair
woman? This latter bears too close a
resemblance to charwoman to be pop
ular, and, in the broad pronunciation
of some, might be mistaken for it.
Would it do to say chairmistress? If
not, what shall we advise? Again, we
are likely soon to see women on our
juries, and it is more than probable that
one of them would be selected to rem
der the verdict. In such an event con-
fusion might result, inasmuch as our
statutes prescribe the functions of the
foreman. Shall these states, as soon as
they admit women on the jury, revise
their statutes in this regard? If so,
what change must be made-foreman or
forewoman? foreman or foremistress?
xx-ha
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
IN A FRENCH COURT
Tho Panama Prisoners Befur e the High
Chamber of Appeals.

Tho Panama Prisoners Before the Hf@h
Chamber of Appeals.
The French high court before which
charles de Lesseps and Nj. Eiffel, were
tried is in the new Palais del Justice, on
the banks of the Seine, aAnd is very
magnificent with rich pam lings and
paintings.
All the preparation of a case in
france is doAe before it is brought
INTO open court, SO that the judge is in
full possession of the prisoners testi-
mony, which has been wrong out Of
him by the judge of instruction weeks
before hand, in his stuffy little ca binet.
lie proceeds coolly to review this
testimony, cross-eNamining the prison
er. pointing out what he has already
said, charging upon incidents in his
past career, endeavoring. in short in
every possible way to trip and entrap
aim.
The magistrate is usually assisted
by two others. and sometimes by four.
but these take no part in the examina-
ton. They have consultative voice in
the fixing of the sentence.
All the lawyers as well as the
judges, wear robes, and that of the
advocates is rather absurd. But thew
have not retained the idiotic wig,
which is such curiosity to Americans
who visit an English court
The prisoner is kept waiting, before
and after trial, in small and almost
airle-s cell, and frequently passes the
whole day without Refreshments
The French still have the barbarous
theory that rough usage will make
prisoners tell more than can be got
from them by kindly treatment
This is a relic of the old Norman pro-
cedure of piling heavy stones on the
culprit's breasts, SO that the horrible
pain would make him confess.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
AT TIE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
No Trace of Wreckage In the Deepest OF
the Oceans Depth.

the oceans DePtn.
An extraordinary circumstance that
has been noticed with interest and that
always creates surprise when first
learned is the entire absence of foreign
matter in the deeper parts of the oceans
floor. Of all the vessels lost in mid
ocean. of all the human beings that
have been drowned, of all the marine
animals that have persisted. of all the
clay, sand and gravel let fall by dissolv-
ing iaebergs. of all the various sub
stances drifted from every shore by
shifting currentS-not a trace remains,
but in their place water from one thou
sand to two thousand five hundred
fathoms in depth covers the uniform dc
post of thick, bluish, tenacious slime.
called globigerina ooze. A bit of this
under a powerful lens is declared by
the Cosmopolitan to be revelation Of
beauty not readily forgotten. The ooze
is composed almost entirely of the dain-
ticst, most delicately beautiful shells
magma BILE. At depths greater than
two thousand five hundred fathoms the
b. tom Of the sea consists mainly of
products arising from exposure, for al
most incalculable periods, to the chem
ical action of sea water. of pumice
and other volcanic matters. This
finally results in the formation of the
red clay deposits that are considered
characteristic OF the profoundest depths
Of the ocean. Carbonate OF lime, which
in the form of the shells Of foramini-
fera, makes up so large a part Of the
glCbigerina Ooze, is here almost entirely
absent. Sea water is very nearly uni
versal solvent, and before any she'll,
large or small, reaches the bottom of
these tremendous abysIls it is cheml-
cally eaten up, literally dissolved-a re-
suit which the enormous pressure Of the
water must materially hasten. At one
thousand fathoms the weight OF the
water pressing on all sides of an object
immersed to that depth is very nearly
one ton to the square inch, or more
than one hundred times that sustained
at the sea level, and at the greatest
depths the pressure is SO increased that
it would seem nothing could withstand
tin fact. heavy metal cylinders let
down with the sounding apparatus are
sometimes, on being drawn up again to
the surface, found bent and collapsed;
strongly made glass vessels which the
metal inclosed are shattered into frag-
meutS
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
THE SAFEST CAR.
The Middle of the Train by Far the Best
Place to lie In.

Place to He In.
Il am very PARTICULAR said COM
mercial traveller at a down town hotel,
what car of the train select travel
thousands of miles every year and have
made it a rule to observe in the ac
counts of railroad accidents which cars
OF the train are most often demolished.
The result of my experimentation I
have been in dozen smash-ups-and
observation is that the middle cars are
the safest. / never under any circum-
stances ride in the rear car. | avoid
the car next to the baggage car, though
this is selected by many as the safest
''The greatest danger at present in
railroad travelling is telescoping. When
a man has been in wreck and after
wards sees the engine of the colliding
train half way inside of the rear car
or rather what's left of it, it impresses
him most forcibly The baggage car
is usually heavily loaded and in the
collision its weight, together with the
ponderous engine, generally smashes
the next car to spiinters, viii the
central cars are comparatively I'M
injured. When the train is derailed
the baggage ear and the next coach, as
a rule go over. The road-beds of our
great transcontinental lines are so
solid, each section is so carefully ex-
amined, the rolling stock is so much
improved, that a broken rail, broken
wheel or axle and the like mishaps are
reduced to a minimum. But where
trains follow one another on a minute
or two leeway and the block and au-
tomato signals don't work-well, look
particulars and see if my Judgment is
not correct"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
signers Of the Mexican Constitution.

There are fifteen of the original sign
ers of the constitution of Mexico still
living, and they are arranging to hold a
grand reunion some time this month.
Eighty Of the original signers are dead.
Those still living are Congressman Gull
lermo Prieto and Justine Fernandez.
Senators Francis Abarra Ramos and
Jose A. Gambos, Benito Gomez Farlos.
Manuel Romero Rubio, Ignacio Maris-
coda and Felix Romero. Seven have re-
tired from political life, viz: Messrs
Manuel Buenrostro, Pedro Ignacio Try
goyena, Bias Balcarcel Ignac:o, L. VAL
larta, Jose L. Revulla, Manuel German
80 Sato and Benito Quintana
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
WOEFUl WASTE IT PANAMA.
Valuable Tools ard s.aci1i cry Left TO
Isust and Rum.

Valuable Tools and s,acl,i cry Left TO
iust and Rum.
A correspondent Of the London Daily
News writes from the deserted Panama
canal works as follows:
~ bile II Colon last voyage / made
careful tour of the Panama bogic, and
the stores, engine sheds, rolling and
floating stock. Words cannot paint my
astonishment at the sight. | never saw
anything SO sinful in my life as to see
all that stuff going TO rack and ruin.
| went through one 'store'-of these
there are SIX in all, at different places
bigger than any shipyard on Clyde
could boast; all the things just as they
came from the makers. Files never un-
packed; every engineers tool you can
think of-English, French. American
was there-Whitworth stocks, dies and
taps, about twenty cases complete,
good as when they LEFT the shop. l
walked for a mile over the Only road
way passable along the canal side, viz,
the top of train Of eight wheel boyle
freight wagons, all sinking in. the
wheels disappeared in tropical under
growth.
''All around is swalapy ground, and
all these wagons are rotting beneath
that blazing sun. Engine steam sheds,
full of Inc, powerful engines, the sheds
overrun and inhabited now by snakes
and their prey, the lizards, while the
six-foot is full of land-crab holes l
saw eight fine, large marine boilers,
just as they had been discharged from
the R. M. cargo boat that brought sbem
over, and the complete part Of set of
a big compo-marine engine, about one
thousand horse power, lying on the
shore; never been used; never fitted in.
l saw dry docks, splendidly built and
equipped with fine, expensive pumping
plant. And why say more? Poor old
De Lesseps' house on the point looks
very melancholy"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
HARDENED TO GOLD.
Siberian Natives Who Are lnsensible to =
Very Low Temperatures.


How much usage will do i'll toughcn-
ing the human body is well shown by
some facts about the natives Of Siberia,
as recorded by the author of Reindeer,
Dogs and Snowshoes." Cold, he says,
seemed to have no effect upon them.
Frequently, when we could not ex-
pose our ears for two minutes without
having them frozen, the natives would
go for an hour at a time with their
hoods thrown back from their heads;
and when it required constant watchful-
ness to keep our noses from freezing,
they did not appear to notice the tenn
peraturc at all.
One morning in January / stood III
perfect amazement at their disregard of
the low temperature. They worked for
at least half an hour with bare hands,
packing up the tent and utensils, hand
ling the packages and flashing them to-
gether with icy seal thongs, without
experiencing the least apparent incon-
venience, while I partly froze my fin
gers striking light for my pipe with a
flint and steel, the whole operation TAX
ing not more than three minutes.
The night before, happening to go
out of the tent after our men had re-
tired, passed their camp, which was
near by. Their fire had burned to a
pile of embers, barely affording me
light enough to distinguish the
sleepers. They were lying coiled up on
small deers1ins, with their backs to the
embers and their fur coats thrown
loosely over their naked bodies.
The coat of one of them had slipped
almost entirely off his body, leaving his
back and shoulders exposed to a tenn
perature of eighteen degrees below zero,
Fahrenheit, and, though his hair was
frosted, he snored as soundly as if in
comfortable quarters
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23

A gentleman visiting Westminster
Abbey one week day noticed some one
enter and kneel down in one of the
peWs, as is common in all foreign
churches, upon which the keeper went
up and touched the worshipper on the
shoulder, who rose and retired in dis.
gust. Presently the same thing hap
pened again, when the spectator had
the curiosity to ask the keeper for an
explanation of his singular conduct.
BLESS you, sir, he was saving his
prayers; if we once allowed 'em to do
that we should have 'eEa praying al
over the place"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
Suo,,onisl,'s Smallpox Problem.

The council of Snohomish, Wash,
has been 70 several meetings wrestling
with the question as to whether the
city ought % furnish all smallpox
patients at the pest house with as
much WHISKY as they wanted at 81 per
gallon, the latter being the price
quo ed on all bills thus far rendered.
The feeling prevailed that the small
pox epidemic was not likely to end
while the city furnished 81 whisky in
uuiinIited quantities.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
An Alfalfa Nahlannan-

The late Duke MaXimilian. father of
the empress of Austria, was one of the
most simple and affable Of men. One
day, as he was travelling on the train
between his country residence and
Vienna, he fell into conversation with a
banker from Stuttgart. Are you &C.
ing to Vienna?" asked the duke Yes;
to see my daughter. She has just been
married" Abr said the duke; mine
has just married, also. Was it good
match?" Excellent! And that of
your daughter?" Not bad, either. :"
My daughter married the Bankc7
Goldschmidt." Mine. the emperor of
Austria.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
An Unnecessary Clause.

A man who was preparing a series
of recipes for a cookery book engaged
the services Of a celebrated chef as
critic and to revise his work.
One day he submitted to the chef
recipe for lemon pie which ended with
the direction: Then sit on the stove
and stir constantly"
The chef twirled his thumbs and
said, at strikes M that's rather use
less direction, for if you sit on the
stove you're bound to stir constantly"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
The Oldest Lawsuit.

The oldest lawsuit on record was on
trial at st. Petersburg, Russia, during
the spring and summer of 1888. 1t was
begun five hundred years ago by the
heirs of dead nobleman against the
city of Kamenes Podolsk for the re-
covery of large tract Of land which
the municipality had incorporated
within the city limits. 1t is needless to
add that the matter was again con-
tinued for further consideration.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
Not Sound.

A New Yorker forwarded to one of
his friends in the Westa set of Colonel
InpersoIls works. Then he sent
telegram informing him what he had
done, and expressing the hope that the
books wo,ild arrive safe and Sound.
A few days aftcrward he received a
telegram rom his fricnd-who was an
ortnod oX Presby terian-which ran this
way: Books arrived safe, but not
sound"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
Rare Relic on Wheels.

A wagon supposed to be about lis
years old will be exhibited in the trans
portation building. The vehicle is of
quaint design and belonged to the late
Nancy Standish Welles, Of Wethers-
field, Conn.,, who, by the way, was
direct descendant of Capt. Standish and
also of Thomas Welles, at one time
colonial governor of the Connecticut
colony.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-23
Crushed Upmerciful,y.

They are saying that certain young
lady is in all ways up to date" Re-
Gently a society man, who was sup
posed to have aspirations, not wholly
hopeless, for her hand, while waiting
for her TO descend to the drawing
room, embraced the opportunity and
the pretty housemaid, The lady, en-
tering at that moment, simply re-
marked: Il thought told you, Mary,
to receive your guests in the kitchen. !"