davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
TIE ART OF BURGLARY.
Housebrealzing Is Not the Easy Road to
Wealth Commonly supposed.

Bousebrealzing Is Not the Easy Road to
Wealth Commonly supposed
occasionally" said retired burglar
the other day, as related by the Yankee
Blade, "a man transfers to himself in a
single night the accumulations of an
other mans lifetime, but these instances
are very rare, and nothing could be fur
Their from the truth than the idea that
burglary is quick and easy road to
wealth. The fact is that the great ma
jority of burglars make but a scant
living. and to make even that they must
encounter many difficulties and dangers.
The burglars reward, whatever it may
be, is never commensurate to the risk
he takes.
Il have myself acquired some prop
erty, but if l had my life to live over
again should chance some other occu-
patton than burglary. Indeed, when
you come to consider the inconvenient
hours and the general worry and uncer-
tainty of that business the wonder is
that anybody should go into it; if man
is at all inclined to be sensitive he
should certainly keep out of it.
81 remember long time ago going
late one night into a room in which
there was one man sleeping. His
clothes were on d chair near the head Of
the bed. | was bending over those
clothes and about to take them out into
the hall when the man suddenly woke
up. Without an instant's hesitation he
threw his arms around me. | was young
then and strong, but this man was four
times as strong as was. l think he
could have crushed me if he had wanted
10, and he put me out of the house with
the greatest ease. But before he did
that he carried me over to the table and
lit light. AS he looked at me my
watch-chain caught his eye, and do you
know that man took my watch and
chain and kept them"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
FLIGHT OF THE CROWS.
Armies of Birds in tho Sky Fastening, t


Armies of Birds in tho Sky fastening to
the South.
''The preliminary gathering of crows
before they take their fight to the
southland at the approach of winter is
always interesting to me- said a trav-
eler to a st. Louis Globe-Demosrat man.
II do not think that they take their flight
from this section of the country, as the
winters here are not severe enough
But from. the Dakotas and the south
ern Canadian provinces they leave in
great numbers after the first severe
frosts. One cold, frosty morning. L
arose and looked out of my bedroom.
window in Red Eric, Oak, down into
a neighboring cornfeld that was
bounded by a rail fence and from which.
eren the dry shocks had been removed.
Only the stubble, bleak and frost-cov-
cred, remained.
1.-THE village of Red Eric, is To-
cally famous for crows. They gather.
about there in large numbers and OBJ,
tain considerable food from a neighbor--
ing wild rice marsh. I noticed that
the tiers of rails, rising seven in num-
Der, were thicl1ly sprinkled with crows,
perched about and cawing most vocifer-
| ously. L was rather amused at the
spectacle, and stood enjoying it, when
l observed a long line of crows APP
preaching from over a neighboring
patch of forest. These also settled
down. within the Enclosure. watched
for several hours and continually OBJ
served great focks of crows to come
from all directions and gather in the
field. By noon the fences and ground
fairly swarmed with the birds. 1t
seemed to me that there were hundreds
of thousands. Then no more came for
awhile. The denouement Of the whole
affair was great Tapping of wings,
and, division by division, the great gath
ering left in harmonious order. It took
them fully half an hour before all were
under way. When the last flock or di-
vision took wing l looked to the south
and saw the line dimly fading away
into space. Then / knew they were
migrating, and l fully understood the
beauty Of that harmonious smile:
like the fight Of BIRDS"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16

the worst that any poetess of passion
has ever produced
''At first he paid no attention to it:
but at length it began to prey upon his
mind. When this sort of thing had
gone on for five Or six months he be-
came desperate. So finally he wrote to
her, saying: Your poems have proved
to me that you are unfit Tor any public
office. Nevertheless, if you will cease
writing and sending them to me viii
get you job And he did 1t is re-
corded that a man, appointed sixth
auditor of the treasury, subject to e3-
animation. was asked to state the dis
lance Of the moon from the earth. His
written answer was simply: Not near
enough to affect the functions of a
sixth auditor He passed.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
TALENTED TADPOlES.
Frogs Taught by Wealthy Invalid
Play Many Amusing Tricks.

Frogs Taught by Wealthy Invalid t.,
Play Many Amusing Tricks.
Horace Horton has reached the height
of success in the way of bringing frogs
under his persuasive control. He is u
wealthy invalid, and derives great
pleasure from teaching his pets. The
correspondent of the Philadelphia Rec
ord visited him the other day and
witnessed his unique frog circus. Gaz-
ing down into the artificial lake he saw
ocean shells scattered over the bottom,
and wondered what they were for. Mr..
Horton gave shrill whistle, and stimuli
taneously from every shell hoped out
big frog, who kicked itself to the
surface of the water. All jumped to the
smooth bank and sat staring at their
master. "Attention!'' shouted Mr.. Hor-
ton, and every leg was drawn close to
the body and the action was taken.
''Form in line came next, and the
well-trained amphibians formed in four
lines, with an old giant at their head,
who, Mr.. Horton said, weighed six
pounds and seven ounces. He was
enormous and looked as though he had
dined on his weaker brethren for gen
erations.
AT the word of command they per-
formed all kinds of evolutions, every
leg kicking in perfect unison. Their
movements were astonishing in num-
Der and variety, and one might well
believe Mr.. Horizons statement that it
took him over ten years to get this Sc
lect company into such perfect disci-
pine. Races were held after the drill
and then followed a jumping con-
test. At a given signal each frog in
turn leaped into the water and disap-
peared.
What you have seen my frogs do so
far is very wonderful" said Mr.. Hor-
ton, ''but their chief accomplishment
you have not seen, or heard, should
say. 1t is the wonder of every one and
people have come miles to witness it.
Wait till dusk and then will have them
perform At last dusk ca me, and Mr..
Horton took the reporter out to the
waters edge and gave him a seat. He
then brought out miniature must
clans stand and placed it near the edge
of the little lake. At signal note the
/ frogs came to the surface of the water
and jumped into the stand. They
formed a circle, and at the word OF
command began to sing tune. Each
frog had been selected because of his
! fine croak, and there was perfect scale
among the voices. The largest frog
sang the deepest bass. and a little fell
low, almost a tadpole, sang shrill so
prano.
/
It was wonderful. Mr.. Horton said
that during the warm months their
voices were clearer and sweeter than al
this time of year. When the frogs be
gan to show signs Of WEAKNESS their
master gave the signal to stop and all
sought their homes at the bottom Of the
lake. Mr.. Horton tells many stories Of
the inteli gence of his pets
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
NIAGARA FALLS WEA RING OUT
Changes IN the Shape OF the LedgS Over
Which the Waters Pour.

Changes IN the Shape OF the LedgS Over
Which the Waters Pour.
Formerly the Cana dian side Of the
Niagara falls was U-shaped, which
caused the name Horseshoe falls to be
given it. For the last ten or dozen
years, according to the Philadelphia
Press, that side'of the fall has been v
shaped instead of U-shaped, the change
being caused by the wearing away of
the ledge over which the waters pour.
On January 4, 1889, a great displace-
ment of rocks again took place, and
now the Canadian side of the great cat
aract is again Horseshoe Falls" 1t
is pretty generally known that the
falls of Niagara are moving to the south.
deep cut through the solid rock marks
the course they have taken in then. back
ward march
1t is a wonderful excavation, a mighty
canal dug out by the sheer force of fall
ing water. Not less astonishing is the
removal of all this debris. The rocks
have been thoroughly pulverized and
swept out into Lake Ontario. Once it
was believed that the falls would ulti-
mately wear back to Lake Erie and de-
generate into a sccond-class rapids.
The latest idea is that the fall will re-
cede two miles farther 20 the south
ward and then stop: that is, as far as
the backward tendency is concerned.
The cause of this will be that at that
point a solid foundation for the lime
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
FACTS ABOUT THE PoPEs
Sons of Princes and Poor Men Have Ruya10
the Catholic Church.

Sons of Princes and Poor Men Have fsuIeA
the Catholic Church.
Eighty OF the popes are honored al
saints, thirty-one as martyrs and FORTY
three as confessors. St. Agatha was
the only pope that lived to be centen-
arian: he is also the only one after ST.
Peter who may be honored with the
title miracle-worker. ST. Agatha died
at the age of 1o1, in the year 6sa, after
having reigned three years, six months
and fifteen days. Gregory TX. died at
the age of oS years; Celestine III. aud
Sregory NIL at the age of o.; John
AA1I. at the age of 90; Clement XII. at
the age of IS. and Clement X and Plus
IN. at the age of sc. The popes have
been drawn fror, all classes of society,
says the St. louis Republic. Nineteen
were sons of near relatives of princes,
and an equal number came from illusr
trious families. Many came from abso-
lutte poverty and obscurity. Sixtus VII.
was the son of a very poor fisherman;
Alexander Y. was, the son of very poor
and unknown. parents, the future pope
spending all his young life in begging
on the streets. Adrian, the only English
pope, was abandoned early in life by q
worthless father and had to subsist on
charity, until, going, as a tramp to find
an asylum. in, France. he entered a
monastery or convent. as a servant. His
real worth was soon manifested in his
diligence. and his virtues and intelli-
gence soon won for him the papal tiara.
Sixtus V. had for father poor lahorer.
common servant for mother and a
laundress of vicious habits for sister.
Celestine V. was the son of farmer OF
no means and little intelligence. Bene-
dict MI. spent his childhood in n bake
shop. Urban " learned the carpen-
ter's trade from us father, as did also
Gregory VII. Five of the popes studied
medicine before taking holy orders.
Julius III. was the son of famous iu-
risconsult. Benedict NI. was the son of
poor notary. The father of Pelagius
l. was a project and the vicar of his
province. The father OF Paul W was
patrician of Sienna. The fathers of
Eugene ", Gregory MI. and Alexan-
der MI. all belonged to the patrician
families of Venice. Catholics enunerate
but two hundred and sixty popes, while
some Protestant authorities give the
number as two hundred and ninety
eight, which includes twenty-four anti
popes. Of the whole number twenty
six were depose3, nineteen were COM
PEELED to give up the tiara and leave
Rome, sixty-four died violent deaths,
eight were poisoned, one was shut up in
a cage, one was strangled, one smoth-
cred to death, one died by having nails
driven INTO his temples and one was
hanged, or, as the account says, ''died
by a moose around his neck
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
MINERS IN DISTRESS.
Great Destitution in the Schrylkin Re-
lions The Reading Blamed.

treat DeSutut1On IN the Scrsylkl0 Re-
,yionsThe Reading Blamed.
New YORK. Feb 13-Aspecial to the
World from Hazelton, Pa, says: The
condition Of the miners throughout the
Schuvlkill region, and particularly
through the districts embracing the
towns of Shamokin, Mount Carmel.
Ashland, Girardville and Centralia, is
verglng toward starvation.
During the past three months scores
of collieries have not worked more
than two full weeks and the outlook
at present is more dismal than at any
other time during the virtual shut
down. Hundreds OF families are forced
to subsist on half the usual allowance
of food and no estimate can be gwen
of the number who are compelled to
accept private charity in order to S,ep
body and soul together. Relief associ-
atoms have been formed IN nearly all
towns, and through them many sad
cases of restitution have been reported
and temporary help given. In speak
ing of the situation Thomas Conlin,
tralia, said:
''Ihe most ablect want and suffer
ing prevail througheut this district.
You can form no idea of how bad it is
unless you, visit, them. In one house
we found a women preparing supper
for herself and four small children.
She divided piece of black bread be-
in, ha f1rn
she had brewed black coffee from a
burned bread crust. The children's
faces were piuched and their clothes
were patched and hung in rags. The
mothers face was pale and haggard.
Her husband mad left home that
morning to again try to secure work.
She told me that their face for weeks
had been just what l saw. Many days
she had been without a bite, and
m at was entirely unknown to them. y
Many store-keepers have closed their
doors, being forced to the wall, and
others have adopted a cash trade sys-
tenn. On Ihe street corners knots of
men gather, gravely discussing the de-
plora BILE condition of things. Numer-
Gus theories are advanced as the real
cause OF the depression. They claim
thatthe price of coal just now at tide
water is higher and TIE demand more
active than it has been for years, and
they fail to understand why the Read
ing. company refuses to operate its
mines. The company, ON the other
hand, announces that it is difficult to
supply the cars and that the extremely
cold weather has made it impossible to
move loaded trains, between Palo Alto
and Port; Richmond, and that its ex-
pertinent lately of washing the coal at
the mines had proved expensive and a
failure. The coal cannot be removed
from the cars owing to its'being frozen.
Many cars burst open their sides while
en- route to port, their contents rolling
out in a solid and compact mass.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
NEWS IN BRIEF

The Buffalo mines at Negaunee,
Mich, have added $50 men to their
force and introduced the eight-hour
day.
Ed Austin was sentenced to the Mis-
souri, penitentiary for ten years by
Judge Hughes at Mexico, Mo-, for
criminal assault.
The dead body of Michael Houlihan,
the Illinois Central wa lehman on the
Cairo, Ill, bridge, was found beneath
the bridge.
John Ballinger and Matilda Ball
niger celebrated the seventy-sixth an
niversary of their wedding at Mat
toon, Ill. The husband is 1Ol years Of
age nd the wife o.
Prof. ]. G. Foye, of Lawrence univer-
sity at Appleton has resigned to take
the chair Of chemistry and physics in
the Armour institute at Chicago
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
OFFICES ODDLY WON.

The Applicants Attracted Notice by Doing
Eccentric Things.
"People sometimes obtain work from
Uncle Sam in peculiar ways" says the
San Francisco Argonaut. mot so very
long ago poetess of fashion in far
western state became an office-seeker,
adopting a novel method of pursuing
her object. She appealed to a United
States senator, bombarding him with
poetry by mail. Once a week regularly
he received from her long letter in the
shape of poem. Sometimes he got
two week. The poetry was probably
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
Preservation of F5rests.

About S40,o00,00O is paid every year in
Germany for the creation and preserva-
ton Of forests; 200, 0O0 families are sup
100000 find employment in the vari-
Gus wood industries Of the empire. The
total revenue from the forests amounts
to s14,5o0, 600 and the current expenses
are $500. 600.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
GERMAN RUDENGSS.
A Noted Doctor the UnciIivalric Con.
duct of His Countrvrnen.


duct of His Countryrnen.
Louise Won Kobell, who is Frau Won
Eisenhart, has written book of Con
versations of DIR. Dollinger," lately
translated into English, from which the
Daily News of London has taken ex-
tracts. Driven into an inn by shower
in one of their walks, he was greatly
annoyed by the conduct Of some young
men, who swore at the weather, smoked
and called impatiently for beer.
Tobacco and alcohol are demoniacal
powers" said Dollinger, half in jest and
half in earnest. Smokers are barbar-
ians The eternal smoking of
pipes and cigars by our forefathers
doubtless helped to bring about the
short sight which has now become he
reditary in Germany. Tobacco smok-
ing is the ruin of society and of chival-
rous conduct toward women"
Talking of the German love of public
houses, he said: ''When 1 compare our
young men with young Englishmen
what difference l find! How many
mountaineering weakly, uncouth,
mannerleSs youngsters / see here, while
it is real pleasure only to look at the
boys and students in England so vigor-
Gus, healthy, well grown, clean and dis
tinguished-looking in their attractive
college DRESS"
At another time he said that if he
were legislator the first law he would
introduce In Germany would he one for
the protection of young girls England
and America were, ne said, III advance
of Germany in the treatment of women.
''For instance" he added, 81 hardly
think that an educated Englishman
would allow his wife to fetch him his
boots. slippers, cigars and newspapers,
as do so many of our countrymen."
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
ORIGIN OF THE GREAT LAKES.

How Biologists Account for Their For
nation.
The question how the chain of great
lakes between the United States and
Canada originated is one that has long
occupied the minds of biologists. One
theory that has been widely circulated
asserts that the basins of the lakes were
excavated by glacial action during the
age of ice.
Another theory, more recently set
forth with great fullness, holds that the
lake basins were originally valleys hol-
lowed OFT b. the action of water ares
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
PAINT AND POWDER.
Why Women Use Them and the Efec
That They Produce.

Why Women Use Them and the Erect
That They Produce.
There is no use talking, women do
use paint and powder, and the only
thing to do is to accept the fact and
learn. if possible, the cause, says the
Philadelphia Times. 1t is not confined
to the passe dame who stretches out her
w;thered hands after anything that will
give her even semblance of the youth
that vanished SO long ago. but young
girls and pretty matrons with complex
ions that need no artificial enhancing
are just as much addicted to the use of
rouge and the powder puff as the ell
derby example, for whom there is some
excuse.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
Dug Up II the Streets of Rome.

InRcuc 81 miles of new streets yielded
the following "drgups:" Nine hundred
and five a!arhor;e, $500 terra Gotta
lamps. 1924 inscriptions on marble, II
columns rare marble. 3l3 pieces of col
umns, l57 marble capitals, lis bases,
500 works Of art in terra Gotta, $40
works of art in bronze, I'll intaglios
and canoes, IS marble sarcophagi, 1853
has reliefs, 1872 marble statues, 81 mar
BILE figures of animals, 266 busts and
heads, 81 pictures in polychrome-mosaic,
IL objects of gold, 80 objects of silver,
36.679 coins. Even this astonishing list
does not cover everything, but embraces
only those objects which were worthy
of place in the museums.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
Robbed the Dead and tho Living.

LONDON, Feb 13.-The customs house
officials at Greenoelk report that dur
ing the excitement on the steamer
Pomerania, which came back to port
after terrible experience in storm.
the luggage of the dead and living
passengers was plundered of all small
articles Of high value. Nothing has
been learned as to the identity of tho
thieves
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
Officer Kills an ExsConvict,

DIES MONIES, Iowa, Feb. 13.-Officer
Seidler last night shot Sam King while
attempting to arrest him. King re-
ceived two bullets in his back and
died. He was an ex-convict.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16

Elgin After the Yerkes Observatory,
ELeIN, ILL.,, Feb. ia movement is
on foot to place Elgin Academy under
the guidance Of the Chicago University
and to secure the location of the Yerkes
observatory in Elgin.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16

stone ledge over which the waters poul
viii be found Two miles of wearing
back viii make the falls only eighty
feet in height. instead of one hundred
and sixty. as at present
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-16
HARRISON TO LECTURE.
Will Probably Accept Chair in Leland
Stanford University.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13-It is now
believed that President Harrison will
accept a chair in the Leland Stanford
University of California soon after he
leaves the White House.
Should he do so 1t will only be for a
stated number of lectures and the en-
gagement will not affect his residence
80 T.. l:e-eo-l:-
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-05-09

IL you happen 10 see pretty woman
smartly dressed Leading TWO or three
valuable dogs IN leash IN the park these
me days don lose your heart to her un-
Ger the impression tnat 1t Is one OF the
annette young daughters OF inherited es-
tates that you read ABOUT In English
novels NO; she Is one OF the new dog
maids, taxing some nne ladys pets out
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-05-09
The Truth in Hot Weather.

We are accustomed to say that the
Americans are generally truthful peo-
pie. Is it owing to our climate? That
has great extremes. The mean is fair,
and produces national veracity Whence
comes, then, the habit of playful exag-
geration, usually harmless, and perfectly
understood as humorous? Is it the re-
suit of the extremes of heat and cold, es-
pecially of heat? Observation ought to
tell US whether we are more truthful in
the winter than in the summer, and
whether the national habit of using ice
water for beverage is an attempt to
counterfeit the veracity destroying power
of high temperature.
There is no doubt that we unbeud in
summer; moral reforms relax; the city
churches are closed; society falls into a
firtatious way, and only rounds up into
seriousness of intention with the advent
Of the bracing autumn. Apparently it
is the first frost that tones US up into
veracity. It. is humiliating depend.
ence.-Charles Dudley Warner in Har-
per's.