davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-13
Our Choice Of Candidates.

For President
VIM. MCKINLEY.
For u. s. Senator
PHILETUS SAWYER.
For Congressman, 9Th Dist
EDWARD s. MINOR.
For Member of Assembly
HER MAN WIPER MAN
For Governor
7. M. BLACKSTOCK.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-13
Republican County Convention.

To the Republican Electors of Wood County,
Wisconsin:
State Convention having hcrn called to meet
at Milwaukee on the 18th day oi March, A. D.
1896. at l2:00 o'clock NJ, for the purpose of elect
ing four (4) delegates and four "a alernutes from
Convention to be held at Saint Louis Missouri
on the 10th day of June A. d. 1896, and to nomi-
nate twelve ~ electors of President and Vice.
President.
NoIce is therefore hereby given that a Repub-
lean County Convention for Wood County will
he held at the Court House in the City of Grand
Rapids i'll said county, on the l1th day of March
4. d. 1896 at one o'clock F. NJ of that dav, for
the purpose of electing seven O. delegates to
represent Wood County in said State Conven-
ton, Snd for the transaction of such other bust
slncSs as may come before the convention.
Also, five delegates to the congressional con-
vention TO be held at the city of Appleton, Wis
ten o'clock IN the forenoon, when convention
Is called for the purpose of choosing two dele
gates 10 represent the Sth congressional district
in the National convention
vi voters without regard to past affiliations
who believe i'll Republican principles and en-
dorse the financial and protective policies of the
National Republican Party, are cordially in
gates TO said Convention.
The attention of the Chairman of the several
Republican Town ana Ward Committees is
called to the fact that all Town or Ward eau
"uses must be called on a notice of not less than
ten (l0l days
The several voting precintS Of the county Will
he entitled to representation in this Convention
on the basis of one delegate for each fifty 5O)
republican votes, or Il major portion thereof,
cast at the last general election, each voting
precinct having Mt least one vote.
The following Is the apportionment:
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
RIVAL BATTLE-SEIPS,

! EFFICIENCY OF THE KEARSARGE AND MAJESTIC
COMPARED.
To the Editor Of the San Francisco CdlI-SIR:
| read in a recent issue an article copied from
a Boston journal entitled "Still Ahead" The
method adopted by the writer of determining
the relative fighting efficiency of the two
vessels is to give the weight of the projectiles
thrown by one discharge of the guns. To make
his point he gives figures which are erroneous
to start with, as he credits the Keersarge with
battery of twelve s-inch guns, whereas she
is only to carry four. On the other side he
gives the Majestic twelve 12pound rapid
firing guns, whereas she carries sixteen. Cor
rected, the Kearsarge will carry forty-eight
guns of various calibers, the Majestic forty
four. The aggregate weight of one discharge
of the Kearsarge will be 5266 pounds, thst of
Ii the ships in question could determine the
result by firing but one round the comparison
would stand. But it is absolutely certain that
two powerful armorclads would be engaged
much longer before decisive result was OBJ
tanned. Therefore the one-round method of
determining the fighting efficiency is vaIueless.
The surest and only feasible method of COM
parison is to ascertain the aggregate weight of
proiectiles thrown by all the guns in period
of time approximating that OF probable en-
gagement. Below this is done, and by it 1t Is
quite evident that the advantage of possessing
Ito quote the article) tthe all-essental charac-
teristic of battery power" the pre-eminence
rests with the Majestic and not with the kear-
sarge.
The apparen. superiority of the Kearsarge
disappears after the firing Iof the first round.
lost by the length of time required to load and
lay the guns of the Kearsarge as compared to
those of the Majestic, the latter possessing the
vast advantage of having an armament of
rapidfire guns alone. Those of the Kearsarge
being rapid FIRE for the. inch and and
L FOUNDERS, the IL and 8 inch guns. being ordi-
nary slow fire.
The gain lies mainly with the 6-ineh Els
wich rapid fire guns Of the Majestic, capable of
being fired from eight to thirteen times per
time set is thirty minutes. 1t does not alter
the result if shorter or longer period is set
except that the longer the action the greater
the advantage of the Majestic.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
A GREAT TOURNAMENT.

The most important bicycle tournament
ever held in the West, if not in the entire
country, was opened last evening at the
Mechanics Pavilion and is to continue for
week. The wonderful progress of the
past year will be made evident, but more
interesting than that will be the exciting
sport of the meet. Famous racers from
all parts of the United States are in at
tendance, and every kind of machine will
be On exhibition.
1t is idle to discuss the popularity of the
bicycle as "fad." The superiority of the
typewriter over pen is unquestioned, and
yet fashion has never accepted the type
writer for polite orrespoDdence-it is still
''good form" to adhere to the grabbed,
laborious and illegible process of hand
writing. For that matter the quintes-
sence of good form, especially in England,
is still the quill, for the reason that it is
older and less commonplace than the
comparatively modern steel pen. There
is too much utility in the bicycle for it
ever to become very fashionable, and it is
not nearly SO expensive and snowy as
carriage, horses, groom, footman and gold
mounted harness.
This means to say that the bicycle is dis
tinctly an achievement IN industrial prog
ress, and the fact that it is used so ex-
tensively for health and pleasure detracts
nothing from that assertion. That it is
employed in ways other than industrial
utility is proof that it is superior to all
mechanical devices which are employed
only for industrial purposes. including the
sewing-machine and the typewriter. 1t is
this peculiar feature of it that has so greatly
stimulated Improvements in its design and
construction. Those who employ it for
health and pleasure alone belong to that
broad-minded and aggressive upper middle
class whose intelligence and independence
represent the spirit OF progress that ami
mates the age. That this is SO is shown by
the fact that they to-day are assembled in
one OF the most powerful organizations in
the country and that their influence in
lettering the industrial condition of the
people is being so strenuously exerted in
securing good roads. That achievement
alone, due to the power which the bicycle
has created, will be among the greatest for
its value and comprehensiveness that this
country has ever witnessed.
Aside from the gentlemen riders are the
sporting fraternity to which the machine
has given birth. 1t Is notable fact that
the records of professional cycling are sim
gularly free from scandal. Perhaps this is
explainaDle on the ground that the sport
is so wholesome and exhilarating as to
have an elevating effect on character.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
kind OF thing helps mans chances and some
times It dOesn't.-Puck.
PERSONAL.

| DR.. P. A. Hare of Fresno is in the City.
JR Chace OF San Luis Obispo is in town.
| Edward Runge OF Shanghai is at the Palace.
| DR.. and Mrs Jolliffe of New York are il
| town.
F. II. Harlan, liveryman of Colusa, is in
town.
| L. Williams q manufacturer of Brooklyn, Ii
| at the Russ.
DR.. w. H. Campbell of Livingstone, VT, is al
the Baldwin.
W. W. Barnes, the newspaper owner OF Han.
ford, is in the City.
Bernard Higgins of San Jose is registered al
the Cosmopolitan.
B. Z. Burns, wealthy rancher of Mountain
View, is at the Russ.
w. E. Life of Denver is among the recent ar.
rivals at the Palace.
Charles E. Proctor, business man OF Heads
burg, arrived here yesterday.
NJ. Blum, the wealthy Martinez merchant
| and landowner, is at the Grand.
Lieutenant Alfredo Navarro of the Portu'
guese navy is at the Occidental
Albert Tibbetts, a well-known horseman of
Bakersfield, is at the Cosmopolitan.
W. NJ. Redmond of Kobe, Japan, was among
the arrivals on yesterdays steamer.
The Vicomte de Labry, the military agent of
France in China, reached here yesterday, after
several months in China.
Captain H. B. Smith of Dartmouth and Cap
tain McInnes of New Bedford, both old whalers,
are at the Russ bound north to fish for whales.
d. ]. Kamer of Wien, Germany, special CORE
spondent of the Frankfort Daily Zeitung, who
has been on a tour of the world collecting mat
ter for the Zeitung, arrived here yesterday.
]. Ross Trainor OF Marysville, who owns two
or three large fruit orchards, and who buys
and cans fruit extensively, Is at the Grand.
He has lately built large cannery at Marys-
vile.
w. T. Seward an American, who has had
some lively experiences in Honolulu in con-
nection with the attempted political revolu-
tion there, was among the arrivals on the Aus
tralia yesterday.
Henry NJ. Kingman, one of the most exten
siye manufacturers OF boots and shoes in
Brockton, Mass, is at the Baldwin. He said
last night that he was here purely for pleas
ure. He will remain several weeks
The Rev. c. Graham Gardner, an English
missionary of Japan, is at the Occidental, ac-
companied by his wife and child. His health
is not good and he is returning to recuperate.
L. Manning, mining man of Butte, Mont,
is at the Palace.
Df. j. Camille, noted physician of Hong
kong, who is interesting himself in founding
large medical college for the education of
Chinese physicians, is at the Occidental. The
institution, he says, is to be called the Hong
kong Chinese Medical College. Eighty thou.
sand dollars has already been subscribed for it,
SAC, 900 by the people and $4,000 by the
Government, and now DR.. Camille is going to
England to try and raise $4,000 more. He
says Ii Hung Chung is much interested in the
college, and is backing it to a considerable
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06

'live" to play with. The kind of life the
kitten leads depends altogether on the dispo-
sition of the child that becomes its owner. 1t
may grow up into respectable house cat, but
the chances are that something dreadful will
happen to it, and the child will want a new
kitten in few days.
Where Mary gets the kittens is a mystery. but
she says that she raises them herself and
guarantees them to be well behaved. When
she takes them from house to house she car
ries them in a large willow basket that looks
as if it was brought from New Orleans just
after the war. The kittens Poke their heads
from beneath the cover whenever they have
chance, but do not seem the least inclined to
escape. Mary always speaks kindly to them
and handles them gently when offering them
for sale, but does not seem to have any regard
for them after she has sold them, and the more
that meet with disaster the more she can sell.
Most of Mary's customers live in the vicinity
of Pine and Leavenworth streets, and she
makes regular calls at certain houses where
she knows the children are numerous and
boisterous and kittens don't last long. II
Mary calls O. house where she is well known
and there is demand for Kittens she asks
il she can have some ''cold vittles," and gen.
orally gets them.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
SHE PEDDLES KITTENS.

negro woman named Mary Fletcher, VINO
lives near Sacramento and Jones streets makes
her living at one of the oldest OF occupations
1t is that of raising kittens and peddhng them
from house to house Most people would thlhK
that there would be no demand Tor the anl-
mails and that such business would not pay,
but Mary, as she is called by her customers,
has been engaged in it for long time ana
says that she can sell more kittens than she
can raise. She says that she always gets good
prices.
The kind of kittens that Mary sells are not
what would be termed fine breeds In fact the
breed is a matter of little Importance to her
customers, and the descendant OF some
common n1gnt.howier would most likely be
selected in preference to fine, aristocratic
Maltese Mary does not ask high prices for her
kittens, and under most circumstances will
take what she can get. The first time she calls
at house she may say that she wants 90 cents
for toruoise-shell tabby, months old, but
before she leaves she may part with 1t Tor 10
cents.
Few of the kittens are destined to pose as
parlor ornaments, or to luxuriate on veiVet
rug before an open fire, but generally become
the property of children who want something
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
PARAGRAPHS ABOUT PEOPLE,

Speaker Reed is the victim of crank who is
In the habit of writing long communications
to him on postal cards. The crank begins on
one card and continues his writing on other
until single letter sometimes covers dozen
cards. which he mails separately.
The portrait of Pocahontas which hung in
the Woman's building at the Chicago Worlds
Exposition has been purchased by H. S. Well
come an American resident of London. He in
tends to present it to the United States Senate.
Mrs. Kate Brownell enlisted in the First
Rhode Island Volunteers at the time Of the
Civil War. This was her husbands regiment;
she was color-bearer. Mrs. Brownell is now an
attendant at one OF the colleges of Central
Park New York.
According to NJ. Jules Claretie the next at
tempt made by M. Zola to enter the French
Academy il likely to succeed. NJ. Zola will
offer himself as . candidate for the seat of the
late n. Dumas, who had for years been urging
N. Zola's election. When arguing upon this
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
FOR HONEST POLITICS.

The facts which the meeting of the mem
bers of the Republican State Central Com
mittee from the Fourth Congressional
District held upon Wednesday evening
uncovered to public view with reference
to the attempted manipulation of the poll
tics of that district in the interest of the
Southern Pacific Company show that the
time has come for citizens who believe in
honesty in politics to carry their belief into
action.
When a few professional politicians,
constituting a minority of their delegation,
have the boldness to hold midnight
meeting, without notifying their fellow
members of the committee, and by the as
sertion of possessing proxies which they
do not hold attempt to appoint the COM
mittee of seven persons who shall have
charge of the primaries held for the cleo
ton of delegates to the State Convention
from that district and after such an iniamy
openly boast of their cunning, it is time
that kind of politics should receive a
rebuke.
The meeting of Wednesday evening ad-
ministered that rebuke. The majority of
the Fourth Congressional delegation en-
phatically repudiated the action of the
midnight conspirators and proxy -forgers
and proceeded in regular and orderly
manner to perform the duties intrusted to
it. Thus at the very outset of the cam
paign has one notable victory been won
foy honest politics and the tricks of the
bosses been defeated in the interests of
the Republican party and the public well
fare.
This incident must not go unnoted by
the interior press. What has been at
tempted by monopoly bosses in the
Fourth District will be attempted in every
Congressional district in the State where
the loyal Republicans are off their guard /,
or where there is the least chance for
snch tricks to succeed. On the other hand,
what has been accomplished here to
battle the tricksters can be accomplished
wherever there are men vigilant, courage
Gus and resolved that honesty shall be
upheld. The first struggle of the CAM
paign carries with it, therefore, both a
warning and an encouragement. The
rank and file of the Republican organiza-
ton will know how 10 profit by both.
The battle is on, but the result is not
doubtful. 1t is a contest between honesty
and corruption, and honesty will win.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06

raphy, the prevalent direction and force OF
winds, the character of the soil and drain
age and the kinds of fruit affected.
1t should be borne in mind that the won
derful productiveness Of the SOIL aided by
the climate, has been determined only by
careful and intelligent experiment, that
the best results are those based on an I'M
derstanding OF the conditions appertain-
ing to the industry and that with every
succeeding year new and important les
sons are learned. The variety of climates
in California is as bewildering as that OF
soils but the remarkable feature of the
climate is its regularity. If frost damag
ing 10 one kind of fruit occurs at any
particular place it may be expected to oc-
cur again, and if long observation has de-
termined the immunity of particular
fruit from frost at any particular place it
is safe to assume that frost may never be
expected there. 1t is this element of GER
tainty, as well as that OF mildness, that
constitutes one of the great advantages OF
the climate.
AS might have been expected, the first
reports of damage have been greatly
modified by later reports. This is always
will doubtless be learned when the reports
hare been completed that the frost has
merely saved the growers a considerable
expense required every year in thinning
the fruit, and that this, taken in connec-
ton with the abundant precipitation ac-
companying the light snowfall and the
retarding effect of the cold, will add ten
times as much to the total value of the
crop as the frost detracted from it.
One thing is positive. Whatever risks
may be run in widely separated years by
very early and very late crops on the
score of frost can never affect the great
bulk of the fruit crop, which is produced
in the rainless months. This accounts for
the perfection with which fruits may be
dried in the open air, for the high per-
centage OF sugar and for the superiority of
raisins and wine. Many other parts of
the continent have even mlIder climate
than that of the California fruit regions.
but summer rains make all the difference,
and their absence in California constitutes
the unique superiority of the State.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06

vile. Gossips credit Alvinza Hayward with
having got out q million or more dollars from
this mine. One day he got angry because the
mine filled with water say these gossips, and
he threw it up in disgust, believing, any way,
that he had got the bulk of the ore ont OF it.
But not unlike some other old mines, it is
said that it now promises to give big returns.
Those who talk of Harpendings luck with the
Church-Union do not forget to mention Har-
pending and George D. Roberts in connection
with the notorious Arizona diamond boom,
which occurred few years ago.
Out of it were milled large sums, lawsuit fol-
lowed lawsuit, and men who lost money trying
to make a fortune out of the alleged diamond
fields had no words TOO savage for the opera
tors.
Alfred Rosenholm, a Swedish engineer and
chemist employed by the Union Iron Works,
who has been some years in this country. is
one OF the familiar figures of the corridors,
He as lately been making investigations in
reference to an underground conduit system,
and is working on the problem of getting elec=
tricity direct from heat. He said yesterday at
the Palace:
There are so many strange things in refer
ence to this subject that words almost fail to
tell them. When we descend into the solid
portion of the earth we find rise of tempera-
ture. This rise of temperature has no connec-
ton with the sea level, but will be found
on the highest mountain. May we not
trace this rise of temperature to be by virtue of
q condition of matter that ali bodies possess a
difference of temperature from its center to its
surface, which varies as the weight OF the
mass; it is continuous battle between mat
ter and ether and, like the planets which are
spinning around the sun, it will never find
peace or rest.
.'This is somewhat analogous to combustion
when carbon unites with the oxygen; the in
slant the exchange of the atoms take place the
ether gets out of equilibrium, and unless its
change of motionis intercepted by doing work.
which causes a lower temperature, 1t disturbs
the whole universe.
"The energy which drives our locomotives
and turns the turbine wheels at Niagara came
from the SUM- The energy exerted by the sun
and rendered latent in each pound OF the car
bon would be adequate to raise weight of
one ton 5000 feet. How there can be so much
power in the gentle influences of the sunbeam
is one of the great mysteries of nature.
e"I have devoted much time to study of the
laws of nature and have been rewarded with
the most striking proof as to what relation
matter stands to energy. Ny object has been
to produce device by which the energy of
heat can be converted into that Of electricity
without the intermediary OF steam engine and
dynamo.
"I sincerely hope that the sunshine Of science
may fall upon the public, that they may realize
how Indispensable science is to civilization,
progress and prosperity"
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
RESTORING THE RATES.

In spite of the labored telegram from
New York explaining that the restoration
of the old differential between the Panama
route and the Southern Pacific was not
evidence OF any disagreement between Mr..
Huntington and the Panama Railway, it
is clear that the Panama Railway forced
Mr.. Huntington to restore the differential
because that road was losing business, and
in doing so compelled him to reduce rates
on the Southern Pacific to the old figure,
at the same time forcing him to reduce
rates on the Pacific Mail in order to make
it possible for the Panama Railway to do
business.
The purpose Of the contract between the
Southern Pacific and the Pacific Mail on
one hand and the Panama Railway on the
other was to raise rates for the benefit of
the three companies. This raise amounted
to so per cent. The adjustment between
the Southern Pacific and the Panama rates
was so ingeniously made by the Southern
Pacific as to reduce the Panama differen-
tial, and the result was that the Southern
Pacific carried all the freight. This reused
the indignation of the Panama Railway,
which had been already stung by charges
that it had made itself Mr.. Huntington's
tool. AS matter Of fact it is q most in
dependent and aggressive company.
When it discovered how woefully 1t had
been tricked and how it had lost all its
business to the Southern Pacific it de-
manded return to the old rates, and that
is why California is now enabled to enjoy
the benefit of that reduction. The Pan
anna Railway would have Withdrawn from
the agreement had not the reduction been
made.
II will be noted that the so per cent raise
in overland rates was made for the sole
benefit of the Sunset route of the South
ern Pacific. The Central Pacific received
none of the benefit, as the rate to New
York by way OF the Sunset and Mr.. Hunt
ington's steamers, even at the increased
rate, was still better for California ship
pers than the Central Pacific with its alien
connections offered. The value of these
facts lies in their bearing on the welfare of
the Central Pacific as the property which
owes the Government debt that Mr..
Huntington does not want to pay. When
ever there is chance to develop business
on the Southern Pacific to the prejudice of
the Central Pacific, and to depreciate the
value of the Central Pacific as q security
for the debt which it owes the Govern
ment, we may depend upon the genius of
Mr.. Huntington to discover and apply it,
as thereby he hopes to make the collection
of the debt seem all the more i'll advised
as "business proposltion."