Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-04-02

in New York soon. Mr.. Hammerstein
says that she will present very novel
terpsichorean paradox, an idealiZed
danse du ventre, with the objection
able features cut out.
The time-honored custom of holding
a "shirt-tair' parade on st. Patrick's
night was observed by Williams col
lege students. The freshmen, clad in
night robes, marched through the quiet
streets of Williamstown and then
around a huge bonfire INDUCED in such
antics as only college men enjoy.
The bill introduced in the Ohio
legislature by Senator Garfield to pre-
vent the corrupt use of money il cleo
items, primary as we'll as regular, is
now law. Candidates are limited to
an expenditure, for personal expenses
only, Of not more than $500, and of
500 if but 5000 votes are concerned.
A woman who is an enthusiastic nat
uralist suggests that the diminution
in the number of song birds of New
England is due not to the hostility of
the English sparrow, or the small boy,
or the fashion of wearing dead birds in
bonnets, but to the general use by far
mers of Paris green and other poisons
as insect exterminators.
Forest fires burned over a large ter
ritOry to the east of Black River Falls,
Wis, doing damage to the amount Of
many thousand dollars by destroying
the prospects of the BURBERRY crop in
that particular territory, which has in
the past furnished employment to hun
dreds of berry pickers during the pick
ing season.
The Ohio senate has passed a bill
providing for the substitution of the
electric chair for hanging in Ohio. The
assembly has passed a bill forbidding
the wearing of high hats in theatres
and fining the manager of an opera
person to wear an obstruction in the
shape of hat or headgear.
Charles Welland, of New York City
has brought from E. de Cernea the pac-
ing gelding Blue Sign, 2:08A, by En-
sign. The fast PAGER will be used as a
road horse for two or three months,
after which Elmer Stevens will shape
him up for the fall harness meeting
Blue Sign has the fastest record of any
regularly used roadster in New York
Hiram H. Morrison, Of Boston, who
was arrested after his wife had been
- l,
marks upon her throat and other
bruises about her face and head, has
confessed that he chOked the woman
to death while in fit of jealousy and
rage at her action in having a crowd of
neighbOrs in the house drinking He
was also very drunk at the time.
The gun carriage that survives the
tests given it before its acceptance by
the ordnance inspectors of the German
army need not fear the emergencies of
an actual campaign. Near the arsenal
at Mandau a track has been built, COW
cred with all sorts of obstacles 1t is
in imitation of bad roads at one part
is crossed by ditch at another and
there are realistic limitations of noun
tain passes and ravines.
Orange growing is being abandoned
on the peninsula of Lower California,
and the orchardists are cutting down
their trees and planting the land with
coffee, cotton and sugar cane. The
low prices obtained lately for oranges
grown on the peninsula have discOur-
aged the growers, and they believe
more profit will be derived from the
other crops, especially from cotton,
which grows we'll.
A remarkable succession of mis-
fortunes occurred recently in the Try
ing family of Oldtown, Me. Not long
ago the old homestead burned down,
leaving the family with but a shed for
shelter. Two of the sisters moved into
a store and started a millinery bust
ness. The store was burned down and
they lost all they had. Soon after that
three women members Of the family
were thrown from a boat in Pushaw
stream, directly opposite their home,
and drowned. A week or so since two
other sisters belonging to the family
were murdered in OIdtown.
A leading American ornithologist
says that some of our most desirable
birds are threatened with extermina-
ton. The common quail and ruffed
grouse are becoming very scarce.
Wrens and bluebirds are driven from
their old haunts by sparrows. Terms
are slaughtered by thousands for the
millinery business, and Florida is sim
ilarly despoiled of it's herons, ibis.
pelicans and smaller birds. The wild
pigeon has disappeared. Fashion at
presentt is the greatest enemy of bird
life, but collectors Of eggs are also re-
sronsible for great destruction