Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-29
CHIPS.
Fragments Collected Into the Journal
iSttc Basket

A curious growth with unusual re
suits is reported from Tombstone, Ari
The roots Of a tree are said to have
grown around a water pipe and caused
it to break.
A Manitoba farmer has a garden
patch, the soil of which he imported
bodily from a warmer climate. On
it he grows vegetables which are en-
tirely foreign to his neighborhood.
1t is the secretary bird, of south
Africa, that can whip any snake Of
twice it's size. Stanley used to aver
that the reptiles would crawl away
from this birds shadow in wild fear
Two persons playing dominoes ten
hours a day, and making four moves
a minute, could continue $4,000 years
without eXhausting all the combina-
tons of the game. the total Of which
is 249, 2S,211, $40.
The Belgium chamber has devoted
three months to discussing the bill
which is to usher in manhood suffrage
and has just reached the second read
ing. If discussion in the senate is
y
new parliament can be elected.
Petroleum has been known from a
very ancient date. Italy, Persia, India,
the borders of the Caspian sea, Java
and North America possess petroleum
springs, discovered ages ago. About
1859 the existence of large petroleum
reservoirs was signalized in Pennsyl-
vania.
According to the last census the
white races of the nine South Atlantic
states, who pay nearly all of the
taxes, had 20 per cent. enrolled in the
public schools, while the negroes had
Is per cent. of their population en-
rolled. In the south central states the
were % and 10 respect
lively.
The highest brOad-gauge railroad in
the United States is the Denver and
Rio Grande, and it's highest point is
at Marshall Pass, where it climbs to
a height of 1885 feet above the sea.
There are some narrow-gauge roads
that go a little higher, but this is the
highest point attained by a through
route.
Whatever may have been the origin
Of some negro stories told by Joel
Chandler Harris, negro nurses down on
the eastern shore of Maryland used to
delight children with the tar baby
legend long before Mr.. Harris had put
pen to paper. The eastern. shore YER
sion Of B'rer Rabbits adventure with
he tar baby is much like the story
as told by Harris Uncle Remus.
Quite the newest thing in the way
If dress fabric will not be woven
rom the covering Of any animal or the
product of the silk worm, but from an |
apparently very unpromising substance
wood Wooden gowns do not sound
but the wood fibre when
pun Or otherwise prepared is beau
fully soft and lovely stuff, and scarce
Y distinguishable from fine silk or the
lowry contents Of the cotton pod.
A man representing himself as the
Ldvance agent for a show has been
leecing the farmers of western New
York. He pays the farmers 50 for the
privilege of posting bills on their
'arns. They sign a receipt and it
5 returned to them in the shape of a
note for 5000. The mans
7iddms are so numerous that the ,
apers in that country have the item
landing and merely change the names I
rom week to week.
The power Of song is illustrated in
custom on the railroads Of Northern 8
lorida. Whenever a train crosses the f
river the conductor announces r
lie fact in each car. If any passen- t
er has never heard way Down Upon T
lie Suwanee River" this particulariza- .
on Of the stream must seem peculiar, c
nd the Suwanee is like dozen other d