davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

His first wife was Miss Gerry Smith,
a sister of the divorced wife of w. X.
Vanderbilt After Yznaga's first wife
got a divorce from him she married
George Tiffany. Yznaga has not yet
married again, but he is fairly young
and quite rich. Now, all these di-
vorced people are apt to meet at any
time, for they all move in the sane
small circle. But there are other COM
plications. Mrs w. X. VanderbilIs
marriage to oliver H. P. Belmont
opens up another vista of entangle-
ments. AS every one knows, w. K.
Vanderbilt and his wife were divorced
last March. Mr.. Belmont is also di-
vorced. His first wife was Miss Sallie
Whiting. She got a divorce from him
some ten years ago and married Mr.
George Rives, taking with her her
young daughter. The child's name
has been legally changed from Bel
mont to Rives. Now, should the ru-
NOR prove true that Willie K. Wander
bit is tC marry the duchess of Man
chester, an endless chain of divorces
and marriages will be established, for
the duchess of Manchester is a sister
Of rernando Yznaga, The hero OF the
Original series o divorces.
This does MOI cover the list of di-
vorced folks in New York society by
any means. 1t merely serves as an
example Of the complications which
must ensue, particularly if the divorce
habit continues to extend
In European countries divorced
women have little or no standing, par
ticularly in court circles. But in
other countries divorce amounts to
little or nothing. Society folks here
seem to be drifting from the former
toward the latter. Whether it is retro
gression or progression, judged from
the standpoint of civilization, is a
problem.
Japan is regarded as a most progress
sive country, but divorce there is held
very cheaply, not by the intelligent,
upper classes but by the masses.
There are seven causes, according to
Confucius. for which man may d
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
FAST TIME.

1t is generally conceded that sixty
miles an hour is the practical limit of
speed on steam railways, as at present
constructed. 1t is rather startling,
therefore, to be told that a company
has been formed and that capital has
been obtained for the purpose of erect
ing a railway which will bear trains
at double this speed. A hundred and
twenty miles an hour is a speed that,
if maintained, would carry one around
the world in a trife over eight days.
1t is faster than the hurricane, the
carrier-pigeon, or anything else that
moves upon this mundane sphere. Yet
the National Rapid Transit company is
asking the United States senate for
privileges looking to the establishment
of a line between New York land
Washington, and specifying in the
proposed bill that the schedule-tlme
shall not be less than one hundred
miles an hour, which necessitates a
speed of a hundred and twenty miles
per hour to cover loss from stops.
Further, the General Electric company
of New York is willing to guarantee
motors, generators, and other electric
mechanism for such a road, warrant
ing them to maintain a speed OF one
hundred and fifty mote the fifty miles
an hour when delivering a hundred
horsepower per motor with two
motors per car.-Charles H. Cochrane
in Lippincott's.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
A NEW ETIQUETTE
'1I5 SADLY NEEDED IN NEW
YORK SOCIETY.
TANGLED UP BY DIVORCES
Is Swelldom Tending Toward the
Japanese Custom of Separating
which Requires Only a Simple
Written Notice of Departure?
Some Curious Relationships.

What will be the condition Of New
York society thirty years hence? 1t
would puzzle the finest prophet that
ever lived to answer this question ac-
curately, because of the growing of
the divorce habit in the smart set A
dozen years ago a divorced woman
could knock at the social door, and no
matter how great her wealth or how
powerful her family she would knock
in vain. But all this is changed. Di-
yorced wives marry divorced gentle
men and divorced husbands marry di-
vOrced ladies' Out in the wide world
nothing very serious results from al
liances OF this kind, but within the
narrow circle Of sWelldom, which is
no,nlng more than one big family,
strange embarrassments are bound to
result
1t certainly looks as though a new
form Of etiquette should be devised to
meet the divorce emergency. The
children of all these tangled marriages
will be completely at sea when they
grow up and take their respective
places in the giddy whirl. 1t is easy
to imagine the predicament which a
society leader, twenty years hence,
will be thrown into when her daugh-
ter says:
Mamma, what Will [ do when [
r'eet Ethel Jones? You know she is
the daughter of your first husband by
that odious Mrs. B., who was divorced
from Uncle Tom. Then there is Nellie
Smith, you know she was papa S
daughter by his first wife, who
married Uncle Toms chum, the rich
banker, Smith? What will | do when
/ meet her.
This may seem an eXaggeration of
the condition of affairs, but it isn't
It's frivolous way of putting a
mighty serious problem, but the prob
lem is there, strong enough.
Just look at a few of the fashionable
marriages within the last six weeks,
and then try to unravel the future
complications. First, Mrs. Fernando
YZnaga marries the Count Itchy A
few months ago Mrs. Yznaga, who was
Mabel Wright to begin with, got di-
vorce from Yznaga. This was the sec
Ond divorce experience of Yznaga.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
A DEAD CITY OF CEYLON

AS [ gazed, the moon rose slowly in
the sky, a Furnished shield of LIQUID
light. Her long white rays glittered
upon the solemn forest, and penetrated
the far recesses of the hills, trailing a
broad pathway of silver over the water
till it was lost at last in the distant
shadows of the mountain.
AS if drawn by some spell, l walked
slowly towards the lake till I stood at
last gu a rising ground that over
looked the broad still sheet of water.
There, to the right, between the noun
tain and the shore, lay the ruins of
the city Of the long dead past Flooded
by the moonlight, it swan in a haze of
glory, each mound of decaying stone
crowned with trees, each crumbling
wall clothed with a garment of ma
lures own providing. 1t was the
very apotheosis of decay.
1t had been no puny city. Far up
the mountains lower slope, far back
to where the hills drew down to the
shore, the long succession CT it's ruins
eXtended-here in great shapeless
mounds that stood alone, few broken
shafts and shattered pediments still
standing out, clear, sharp-cut, and
angular, in the silver light, there in
the long ranges of crumbling walls,
through which vast fig-trees shot up
their wealth Of leaves, that marked
the course of some broad avenue which
went on and on till it lost itself in the
white distance.-Owen Hall in Lippin-
colts.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
SOME DONTS FOR BiCYCLERS

Don't wheel up steep hill. Leave
that sort of thing to fellows who have
not enough sense to go in when it
rains. What gain is there in it. any
how? You can walk up and push your
wheel just as fast, and with one-quar-
ter of the exertion. If too much wheel
ing on the level road is bad, toe much
hill-climbing is ten times worse. Ii
you could look into the minds of the
smart hill-climbers, you would find
that they half kill themselves to make
bystanders think they are wonderful
riders. Really, that sort Of thing is
too silly to talk about with patience.
Don't coast too much. If YOU feel
that life without coasting is a mockery.
then go to some hill that you are
thoroughly familiar with, where there
are no crossings, where you can watch
the road for at least one hundred miles
ahead, and then take care. No matter
whether you have coasted down the
hill a hundred times before or not.
the danger is always just as great.
Perhaps we are never in so great peril
as when we think we know it all.
Don't ''scorch" in the streets. At any
crossing you are liable to run over
some pedestrian or to collide with a
big truck or carriage. Either one may
mean a life lost, or at least broken
bones. You wouldn't drive 4 horse at
2.40 gait through the streets. Re-
member a bicycle is quite as danger
GUS
Don't ride on the left side of the
street. Your place is on the right
side, because a bicycle is a vehicle in
the eyes of the law, having the same
rights and subject to the same rules as
any other vihicle If anything hap
pens to you because you are on the
wrong side of the street you cannot re-
cover damages.
Don't think, because somebody you
| know has wheeled a century," that
you must do it too. There is really
very little satisfaction in riding one
hundred miles merely for the sake of
saying that you have done it. If any
other wheelman chooses to tire his
muscles and ovelstrain his heart for a
mere bit of Boosting, let him do it.
[ know that most of us are sorely
tempted by the century folly. But
think a moment. If you owned fine
thoroughbred horse, would you run the
risk Of running him forever by speed
ing him to the utmost limit of his
strength for a whole day? Yet is not
your health more valuable to you than
all the horses in the world ?-Harper's
Round Table
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

II she has any, and is much mere
likely to be respected and make a sec
Ond marriage ii she is the defendant
instead OF the plaintiff in the case.
IhlS is somewhat of a paradox, but il
throws a searchlight upon the social
system OF Japan. What is required
above all from women is obedience.
That is the highest of lirtues, and no
oUed1ont woman would ever seek a di-
Vorce for any cause. When a wife
wishes to be divorced she writes a
letter to her husband announcing that
fact, packs up her things, notifies the
registrar of vital statistics, and goes
back to her fathers house. If there
are children of immature years. the
couple dispose of them by agreement
or by the arbitration of a mutual
friend.
The higher civilization advances in
Japan the more numerous divorces ap-
pear to be. The following tables from
the official records show the number
of marriages and divorces each year in
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

creased by his slenderness. He was
| certainly under six feet by three or
four inches, but as have little of
sense of exactness in such matters
would be 10th to perceive how much.
Regretting that | am unable to be
more definite, l am very faithfully
yours,
''WilI. H. Low
Very dear to Mr. Lee is the auto
graph Of Eugene Field obtained but "a
short time before his death. The
writing is microscopic, very regular
with the beautiful clear cut appear
ance of engraving.
Marietta Holly (Josiah Aliens
Wife, sustains the homely character of
her books Her autograph scrawIs
carelessly, almost slovenly across an
odd scrap of coarse, cheap note paper
and one can almost see her ''shooing"
the chickens out of the kitchen when
she finishes the thing. A great con-
trast to this is the autograph of TX
Marvel, that delightful dreamer who
warns the heart the while he draws
the dew to the lashes. His paper is of
exquisite quality and his autograph is
neatly and delicately written in the
middle of the page. Paper, handwrit-
ing and all, show most plainly the re-
fined gentleman as he writes
Sorry for delay, Donald G. Mitchell,
TX Marvel"
Lew Wallace writes an ordinary
hand on a plain card. F. Hopkinson
Smith, the clever author of Col. Car
ter OF Gainesville, ETC., writes a pc
culiar hand which l am at loss to
name. 1t is straight up and down,
taking up considerable space yerti-
cally but not horizontally and is en-
phaSized by flourishes S. r. Crockett
is also in evidence here. Brander
Matthews writes stiff hand. Lyman
Abbott and his wife, A F. H. Abbott,
complied graciously with the request
for an autograph. Miss Lillian Bell,
who interested and perhaps amused us
in The Love Affairs of an Old Maid,
has proclaimed to the world that all
men under 35 are little better than
hateful to her, yet her stony heart re-
Tented so far as to say
My dear Mr.. Lee-Believe me, you
are perfectly welcome to my auto
graph. Very sincerely yours,
Lillian Bell"
Dear, venerable Edward Everett
Hale says:-"I am glad to do what
you wish. Truly yours,
Edward Everett Hale
Charles A. Dana, the journalist, and
Thos Wentworth Higginson complied
with the request also, as did Edmund
Clarence Stedman. Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps, after a number of refusals,
finally succumbed to the "fendish per-
sistence" of the collector. | tried TO
learn the secret of his success with her
but Mr.. Lee only smiled and refused
to talk. Sarah Orne Jewett and
Frank r. Stockton required little urg-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
been brought before the public re-

been brought before the public re-
Gently is Theodore Roosevelt who
with becoming modesty says
Il should not think that my auto
graph would be valuable, but here it is
any how. Very truly yours,
Theodore Roosevelt"
W. d. Howells gives his humor lit
tie play but his writing shows the eff
feet of writers cramp" from which he
suffers greatly. He published a gen
.eral letter some time ago, stating that
he would furnish his autograph only
upon the applicant sending a certain
sum of money to some benevolent in
stitution. Mr.. Lee did not do so but
managed to interest Howells so we'll
that he wrote in answer
MY Dear Sir-You have certainly
earned much more than a mere auto
graph. OF course you understand
that my letter was meant for the
mere nameseekers who worry one past
endurance. Yours truly,
wv. D. HoWells."
l leave to my readers to guess how
he distinguished Mr.. Lee from the Or
binary run of ''fiends." Where does
he draw the line? Those of US who
have laughed over the fantastic con-
ceptions of Bill Nye's fertile mind,
will appreciate a characteristic note OF
his As though Mr.. Lee had offended
him almost beyond pardon he relents
sufficiently 20 say
Nevertheless l remain, yours truly,
bill Nye."
Nothing more; nothing less.
Few public men have more warm
friends than genial Bob Burdette. By
a happy chance Mr.. Lees letter ar
rived on Burdette's fifty-frst birthday
and the following letter was the re-
suit
My dear Mr.. Lee:-Your letter
dropped in UPON me this morning like
a birth day greeting. am ffty-one to-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

knowledge when they come to be III
Vorced, as they are very likely to be,
for divorce is easy in that country.
If a Burmese wife and husband
quarrel and determine to separate, the
wife, who always does all the market
Ing, goes out and buys two little can
dies of equal length, which are made
especially for this use She brings
them home. She and her husband sit
down on the floor, place the candles
between them and light them simulta-
,neously. One candle stands for him.
~-4e other for her. The one whose can
die burns out first rises and goes out
OF the house forever, with nothing but
what he or she may have on. The
other takes all the property.
This looks fair enough on the face
OF it, but it often happens that the
wife on Ter wa home with the can
dies takes tiny scraping from the
bottom of enc Of them. A very little
will be enough. If the husband and
Inc house are empty of pretty much
everything but children, she takes the
shortest candle and walks out free
and content. But if the house is well
furnished and the husbands possess
sions are considerable, he gets the
short candle and does the walking.
Perhaps swelldom will soon adopt
either the japanese or the Burmese
custom.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

ing. Kate Douglas Wiggin, the writer
of short stories, sent pretty note
with her autograph. Mrs. Henry
Ward Beecher's writing shows no sign
of age though she is over 80. Capt.
Chas. Kings autograph in it's rather
deficient fiouriShes seems to indicate
much decision of character due to his
military life. Beatrice Harraden, who
caused ripple Of interest with her
Ships That Pass in the Night and
pleased young readers with Things
Will Take a Change, ETC., writes an
ordinary hand. 1 was much pleased
to see Geo. w. Cables autograph. His
beautiful southern stories are full of
interest and poetry. He writes a
beautiful refined hand. Mary E. Will
kins and Will Carleton write very
legibly. Il
My boy readers Will be interested
to know that j. T. Trowbridge is very
easily persuaded to give his autograph.
He loves young people and has reason
to do so for they are his most loyal
friends ever since they read Cudjo's
Cave and other boys books Of IKE ma
ture. Agnes Repplier writes a round,
bold but extremely legible and pretty
English hand and when she says:-''It
gives me pleasure to comply with your
request. Very truly yours,
Agnes Repplier."
Mary Hartwell Catherwood sends a
pretty and life like description III Lit
tie Renault, one of her Indian cnarac-
tiers, in the words which are used in her
story. The quotation displays her
wonderful power of description:-''Sh She
had been born to the buckskin. She
had never worn women's drapery: her
round childish limbs spurned any
thought of it. The beautiful fire of
virgin youth seemed to flash from her
person. In an age when women were
mere pretty toys or laden beasts, she
lived the life of bird in the wilder
ness"
1 would not consider this paper
complete or at all satisfactory should L
emit Mr.. Lees interesting correspond
ence with Amelia E. Barr. When Mr..
dial letter from Mrs. Barr, and as
she asked some questions a cor
respondence was opened between
them. Soon Mr. Lee was surprised by
receiving a copy of Bernicia, Mrs.
Bars latest novel, with this auto
graph inscription on the fly leaf:-'To
Mr.. John Thomas Lee, with kindest
wishes from Amelia E. Barr. Cherry
Croft Besides this she sent him
photograph of herself taken by Dana
of New York in October and inscribed
with her autograph. The picture is
very life-like and shows thoughtful,
pleasant face. Mr.. Lee has standing
invitation to visit Mrs. Barr at her
home on the Hudson river.
-Chas n. Replinger.
Madison, Jan. 25.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

vorce his wife. They are disobedience,
the failure to bear children, un-
chastity, Jealousy, an incurable dis
ease, dishonesty, and sharp tongue.
In other words, he can get rid of her
whenever he likes and by very SIM
pie process. All he has to do is to
write --er letter declaring that every
thing is over between them and advis-
ing her to return to her parents.
Such a letter, addressed to her father,
or eldest brother if she has no father,
will answer the same purpose. Then
he must go tc the registrars office
and report himself as a divorced man.
A wife may get rid of her husband if
she desires to do so, for similar causes.
but she will lose her social position,
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30

S45. These funds are maintained by
setting aside a portion of the initiation
fee and monthly dues. The president
OF the club, Philip S. Jones, was born
q slave. He is a trained nurse. He
was in st. Josephs hospital, New York
city, for nearly three years. He has
an excellent education, gained in face
OF great difficulties. His wife is
German, whom he woed and won
while nursing one of Chicago's prom
lnent citizens through a fit of sick
ness. There are now on the member
ship roll eleven American women.
Next in number come those of Irish
birth, then those of German extrac-
ton. There is one Scandinavian.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
Divorces.

1t will thus be seen that the number
of divorces taking place annually is
about one-third as large as the num-
Der of marriages, and that the average
runs about the same every year. 1t
should be explained for the benefit of
the incredulous, that these figures are
taken from the statistical review Of
the empire of Japan, published by or
der of the cabinet by the bureau of
statistics at Toxic.
India has an equally simple custom
fer the cultivation of divorce. Up t.
the commencement of this century a
childless Hindoo was permitted to
lend his wife to a brother or other
male relative in order to have chill
dren. In Burmah the women when
marrying dc not take their husbands
names, but retain their own, with the
addendum of wife of So-and-So. .
This makes it convenient for them to
assume their previous status in public
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-30
A UtIilUE CLUB.

Chicago has curious institution in
sively of coIored men and their white
wives. The essential condition of
membership is that every applicant
must conclusively establish to the sat-
isfaction of the club that he is legally
married. This condition is never
waived, and noncompliance in this
particular is ban against which there
is no getting over. 1t now has men,
bership of thirty-siX husbands and
wives, or seventy-two individuals. 1t
had it's origin in the fact that a white
woman who marries a colOred man is
cut off from all white society and is
prevented from continuing her old as
sociations. At the same time, a col
ored man who marries a white woman
is summarily dismissed and debarred
from intercourse with all colored So
ciety. The colored woman thinks it a
slur upon their fitness as a life COM
panion to the man when he goes out
side his race to secure a wife, thus
jealousy and resentment are produced,
which shuts out all social intercourse
and enjoyment. This throws the cou-
pie upon their own resources for en-
joyment All their life is bound up in
each other, and this makes good hus-
bands and wives of them. To provide
themselves with social life this club
was organized. They hold regular
meetings at stated intervals. The
great event is the annual dance. They
also give literary and musical enter
tainments. The fee to become a mem
Der is $3.50 and 25c monthly dues.
They have a sick benefit fund, which
pays SO per week and a death fund OF