davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10
P. Seedlings.
STOUGHTON, Feb. l. 1898.

STOUGHTON, Feb. l, 1898.
Dear Friends and Neighbors: I saw
in the REPORTER a notice of the old
settlers reunion at Grand Rapids on the
3rd of Feb. [ should very much like to
meet with you once more on that oc-
casion, but cannot see my way clear to
be with you at this meeting, only in
spirit. l find as the years go by am
less inclined to move about in cold wea-
Their. ItWould be great pleasure for
me to be there and meet my old friends
in Grand Rapids and Centralia. They
have a warm place III my heart and I
would not care to change them for new
acquaintances, for they would not fill
the place Of the old settlers, who are
firmly fixed in my affections and we
wish to hold fast to such friends, who
know lis as we really are, and we look
for a continual wave Of your friendship,
which was not born in a day, nor does
it perish with the setting of the sun.
We find that it is natural for us in our
youth to look forward in anticipation of
the future that lies beyond, but too many
Of US who have passed the meridian
of our days, and around whom the shad-
oWs Of evening are beginning to cluster,
there is peculiar pleasure in recalling
the past and looking backward through
the shadowy past of bygone years with
its pleasures and hardshlps; we remem-
Der the tears and smiles, the SORROWS
and joys which have been our portion
to pass through, and above all to give
thanks TO him who has crowned our
lives with many blessings as well as
sorrows. But it is not for US to linger
long in reviewing the past on life's jour
ney, but it is my earnest wish that this
old settlers meeting may be crowned
with success and be one of the pleasant
est meetings that you have ever had.
We are admOnished that the old settlers
are passing away.
They are slipping away, the sweet swift years
Like leaf on the current cast.
With never break in their rapid flow,
We watch them as one by one they go
Into the beautiful past"
Fraternally yours
NORMAN GERARD.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10
OBERLIN Ohio, Jan. 81, 1898.

1CCO'
Mr.. Robert Farrish-Mv dear old
friend: Through your kindness and
generosity am in receipt Of the Wood
County REPORTER regularly every Mon
day morning. Nothing you could have
done for me would give me greater plea
sure.
[ notice that you are to have an old
folks gathering next Friday and feel
as if | had right to a part in that gath
ering by virtue of my early settlement
in the little village of Grand Rapids.
In 1856 [ had employment with the Ed
wards & Clinton Lumber Company at
FrenchtoWn and remained with them
one year. during which time the great
dam across the river was built and the
old mill converted into modern struct-
ure. In the fall of 1857 [ moved to
Grand Rapids and entered into partner
ship with Levi 2. Powers in the law
and land agency business and from that
time to the close of the war in 1865 l
went in and out among the people of
that section doing my part of what
seemed to be necessary to be done for
the business interests of the place.
From what gather from reading the
REPORTER and from what I had learned
from other sources I Judge the most of
my contemporaries have passed away
as very few of the old familiar
names appear in the business columns of
your paper. Thos. r. Scott, the leading
merchant of my time seems to have
passed off the stage of action. Garri-
son and jackson are no more. The old
firm of Howe & Rablin is no more
and [ do not frd the name of Seth
Reeves, their former business man, so
judge he is also gene.
have seen the name of Lemuel Kro-
mer somewhere in print recently and
| so | think lie, one of my earliest and
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10
REMINGTON, Wis, Feb. /, 1898.

IEMINGlON, w 1879 L GU. L, 1000.
To the Old Settlers Club-Dear Assoc;-
ates: | am much pleased to learn OF
your contemplated reunion, have been
hoping to be able to make one of your
number but bodily Infrmaties now for
bid.
The absence of highly esteemed pres
ident, DR.. Witter, has made me the
more anxious to be with you for [ an
ticipate that the vacant places caused by
the absence of SO many of our members
who have been called away to become
new settlers in that land we talk and
dream of, but know nothing about, will
SO darkly shade all your pleasures that
only forced absence will be excusable
and in addition thereto, [ keenly feel
the great loss [ suffer in not being able
to avail myself of the pleasures of this
social gathering.
1t is not well to be sad when We meet
for pleasure and enjoyment, but we can
hot wholly avoid such condition when
the roll is called and we note the mem
bers of our club who c2n no longer re-
spond.
But sadness has its compromising
features. Naturally. what We know OF
the lives of our departed friends, pass
es in review before US during these
moments of sad contemplation. Nature
in its kindness, has organized our mem
cries to largely forget the painful and
unpleasant incidents and scenes of the
past, and to remember those that have
contributed most to our pleasure and
enjoyment. Memory's panorama Of the
lives of our friends passes before us
when we most need its sustaining in
f1uence; We live over again the happy
days and hours we have spent with
them, feel their presence, hear their
voices. listen to their merry chat, feel
thrill of pleasure coursing through our
veins and are no longer sad.
| "Old Settlers Clubr' What thrill Of
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10
OLD settlers.
CONTINUED from first page.)
ion on the "other shore" than in dear
old Centralia. Fraternally yours
MARY II. LOBDELL.
BRADLEY. Feb. J. 1898.


Ny c ear Charles-Let me thank you
for the kind invitation to the old settlers
reunion. l accept, most certainly, al
though 1t will be impratIcable for me to
greet you in person. I'll be there in
spirit No greater pleasure could be
offered ME than to sit within that circle
of pioneers of the Wisconse valley
bat circle las been depleted but not
broken-a panorama of that rugged
country is before me. Romantic, inter
esting and cheering, mighty forests,
broad and rasiting river, prireitiye cities
and not least, the vigorous manhood,
that braved and oveIcame barriers and
acruaulat, d fortunes, converted tie
forests INTO monuments of art work.
the minerals INTO threads of wool and
warp for future generations to utilize
Thele is N intellectual progress that
marks the zenith or heritage Of the
early men and early days in the piner-
les. Nearly all of those people were
intelligent scions of New England stock,
transplanted TO, and fourished in the
Wisconsin valley. The Garrisons, the
Neeves, the Rablins, the SCOTS, the
Clarks, Judge Powers, r. Lyons, and
many others have been removed as
broken links IN the chain, Yet the
circle has been kept together by Young
81 plaats from the parent uee It vas
mE good to-euao - p#=z seu wears of
~ seas e....t lnaals inter
a~uH& trem tAa varied aspects Of my
professional and social position. Wis
consin is a Badger state and | am proud
of It. I am proud of the relationship
existing, where [ may have contributed
a little to the welfare of my fellows, and
in doing so have received the greater
blessing.
Mrs. S. joins me in remembrance to
the old associates with bow to the
younger.) May life long continue and
the stars of existence continue to shine
brighter. I should be delighted to hear
irony you often and especially an account
of old folks day. | enclose personal
greeting to you all. Sincerely
p. Stebbinos.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10
Critical
Carpet Buyers
Suit US,

We like to sell to people who
won't take everything. We like
to sell to people who want the
best. That doesn't necessarily
mean rich people. This is store
for everybody, but we want PEG,
pie for our customers who know
that it is false economy to buy a
poor thing just because the price
is small. We charge reasonable
prices, and we keep the quality
right up to the top notch. If you
have tailed to find carpet satisfac-
ton elsewhere, we should be
pleased to see you.
j. w. NATWICK
CENTRALgA, WIS.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10

Before closing, the following officers
were unanimously elected for the en-
suing year:
President. VIM. H. Brown; first vice
president, Mrs. Olive Mosher; second
vice president, Mrs. 0. Denis; secre-
tary, Mrs. James Canning; treasurer,
Henry Sampson. Executive committee,
NJ. S. Pratt, Mrs. Julia Brown, Mrs. G..
A. Corriveau, Mrs. B. L. WorthingtOn,
and r. A. Mcfarland.
The eighth annual reunion closed by
singing that old, but ever popular song,
Home, Sweet Home"
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
A Reliable Superstition.

Several men were talking of super
stitions so common among all classes oil
people. AS a matter Of course, one oil
the things touched upon was the sup
posedly fatal number thirteen. An old
colored man who happened to be within
he ,ring distance felt moved to remark:
Il wants to tell you gem'men not to
make fun O. dat thirteen business.
amt superfishus, but l tell you don't
you eat at no table whar dar's thirteen.
I done do dat, and l hope to die II pretty
near every one of dem amt dead and
buried
His hearers expressed surprise at his
remarkable statement and asked for
particulars.
well, some of dem got killed and
one thing an another, and some jest
natchelly died. But they is pr city near
all gone to-day
How long ago did this thirteen at
table incident occur?"
Now, lemme see. Been about thirty
year since the war, amt it? Well,
specs it must a happened fifteen OF
twenty years before the war broke out.
But it makes me feel about as Uneasy
as though it was only yesterday.
specs I'll be the next most any day
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
Hunting in By.Gone Days.

What long apprenticeship the would
be huntsmen had to serve In bygone
days! CASTOR de Folk considered be-
ginning should be made when the child
has reached the age of seven, when 1t
should be placed In the kennels. King
Charles says that to become perfect
huntsman the young gentilhomme who
Is intended for the post Of veneur
should be taken at the age Of twelve;
he must be healthy and well built; he
must have good sense and especially
a quick and prompt Judgment. One of
the principal things required is that he
should be painstaking. Alas! hun
dred and fifty years later we have
D'Yauville telling us that man needs
two years tuition to qualify as a
huntsmanl 1t was not only the paid
gentlemen Of the hunting establish
ments, however, who became real con-
noisseurs, for their royal masters took
such personal interest In everything
connected with the chase that most Of
them knew all thei1 hounds by name,
and on the eve Il days hunting
would ramt each hound that was to be
taken out. They also prided them
selves on being able to faire lie bois
themselves-that is, go out with their
lymers in the morning and quest for
and harbor the stag.-Pall Mall Mag
azine.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
PsFkasie, Jon may tell" when II
doubt tsll the truth."-Detroit Free

Press. IL.
Little 4-year-old Freddie, while out
walking with his nurse, happened to
pass a blacksmith shop just as the
smith was shoeing a horse. On reach.
ing home he astonished his mother By
saying: "Oh, mamma, found the
place where they make horses; I saw q
man nailin' on the feet"
A minister who used to preach In
Somerville had little boy. A few days
before his father left the city to go to
his new parish one Of his neighbors
said to the little boy: $50 your father
is going to- work in New Bedford, is
he?" The little boy looked up wonder
ing. ooh, no." he said. "Only preach"
Willie, a 5-year-old youngster, was in
the habit Of complaining Of his dinner,
and one day his father said: willie,
you should not find fault with what is
set before you. When I was your age
1 was thankful to get enough dry
bread to eat" Willie finished his din
ner In silence, but as he climbed down
from his chair he said: "Pa, amt you
awful glad you come to board with
usY'
A literary man in Boston has a son
who Is to him as the apple Of his eye.
The other day he noticed a square hole
in the trousers Of his well beloved-a
shrieking hole just above the knee.
How is this?" asked the sire. And
the boy replied: you know have two
pairs-my best and the other. / couldn't
tell them apart, so cut hole in the
best, and now can tell 'em and know
which to put on" Boston Journal.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
LAKE PROVIDENCE, EAST PARISH LA, SATURDAY,

de'iverance. Unheeding her appeals
for rescue she compelled her to relate
her story. She knew that Edna would
not falsify.
You must make no outcry," she said,
in a cold, steely tone of voice. This
place is dan gerous one for any stran-
ger II release you will you go away
and never tell any one you saw me here
nor seek to know why l am here, or re-
visit the placer"
~Yesi yesi" assented Edna, eagerly,
somehow terrified at the cruel repellant
expression in the face of her former
friend only one quest on-where is
Raymond Marshall, your husband?"
Beatr.ce's tt eth closed with vicious
snap.
All is over between you two-he is
mine now" she responded. Remain
here until return-until it is safe for
me to rescue you and get you outside
the grounds.
Then she was gone, and darkness and
silence supervened, and poor Edna,
shrinking, trembling, awaited her ia e,
with confused sense Of peril, OF mys-
terry in her agitated thoughts.
Beatrice had gone to her room in the
mansion with drawn brow and tightly
compressed lips.
She had hard problem to study out,
and 1t was perplexing her. Edna Deane,
whom she believed dead, had come
across her path again. OF late, she had
begun to realize the value of wealth;
she was not yet hopeless of winning
Raymond Marshall to her side; but, If
he lie armed that Edna was alive, If old
Mr.. Ralston asserted that she was an
impostor, what then?
Darker and fiercer glowed the basilisk
eyes; more somber and tragic grew the
sinister face She dare1 not let Edna
go free; it meant ultimate disaster to
all her hopes and plans.
She proceeded, finally, to another
room. In oEe corner of it was a large
cabinet. Unlocking and opening its
doors, she revealed row after row of
phials and bottles, evidently the medi-
cine use by the invalid Ralston.
Ala'ge bottle, bearing the label chic
roform, attracted. her attention, and
she took it up, thoughtfully.
Il have only short time to act, for
the servants will soon return, she MUIR
INJURED. Il must quiet her, for have
not time to get her out OF the pit before
they come back. will empty the con-
tents OF the bottle into the pit. They
will stupefy and silence her. Later, will
get her out, imprison her, orr must
take time to think If the fumes kill
her that is not my fault" continued the
heartless siren.
She went out into the garden, the bot
tie in her hand. She reached the pit
and uncorked it.
What was that?"
She started with the ejaculation, and
peered sharply at the near shrubbery,
as she fancied she detected a rustling
movement there.
1t was not repeated, however, and she
leaned over the edge of the pit once
more.
Implying the volatile fluid into the
prison place of her victim, the merci-
less plotter fastened from the spot, the
desperate cruelty of murder In her
wicked heart.
TO BE CONTINUED
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
The Queen OF spain's Busy Life.


Spain is essentially lazy country.
In all ranks the people rise late and
turn night into day; but the Queen Re
gent--a tall, graceful woman, looking
younger than her years-sets them an
excellent example. Up at Z, her frst
care is given to her children, and by s
o'clock she Is already at work with
her secretary. 1t Is only after lynch,
toward o'clock, that she allows her,
self an hour Of well-earned rest. And
some idea Of Queen Christmas thor
oughness may be gained by the fact
that she no longer speaks German
her native tongue-save to those few
Teutons who find their way to Madrid.
When she first came q bride from
Vienna to Spain she had mastered but
imperfectly the language. Now she
talks Spanish correctly. and has, alone
and unaided. acquired q real knowl-
edge of the splendid literature OF her
adopted country. When speaking Of
her son she seldom refers to him as
his majesty or ''the king;y usually
1t Is my boy" or my little one" She
makes no outward difference between
the three children, but it is easy to sec
that her heart Is specially bound up IN
Alfonso XIII.-London Figaro.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
Literary Hacks.

A good word Is spoken for the lit
erary hack by Andrew Lang. Man can
not live by literature alone, he says,
nor can the publishers. If he and his
publishers were to get together and
produce only works Of scholarship they
would both die In poverty. Mr.. Lang
prefers to live in comfort. He might
have added that there Is q justification
for this position Of his which has moth
ing to do with the butchers bill, COM
ments the New York Tribune. We
refer to the value of good hack work to
the world. Such work Is Of course de-
spised by those who succumb to the
cant of letters. But has 1t never oc-
CURED to those austere censors that
they are perpetually admiring the me-
diaeval craftsman because he did Just
what the modern hack tries to do. be
put good work into the tribes Of his
everyday occupation? Hack work Il
not necessarily bad. It can be magnifi-
cent. De Quincy was sublime hack.
Leslie Stephen Is hack. It is no dis
honor to be hack. The notion that
the only men who are producing lit
erature are secluded university dons
Is pure nonsense. Matthew Arnold
wrote for the magazines. Everybody
has written for the magazines since
they were invented. How short-sight-
ed It 10 to tell writer that he Is not q
man Of letters because he condenses an
essay into thousand wordsi How fu-
tile It Is to tell him that he ought to
retire to his study and write "a great
work.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
short-Wfnded Orators.

Many a man, apparently brim full
of speech, has risen to address an
assembly, only to be deserted by a
treacherous memory before the prelimi-
nary words were spoken. Still, these
crude attempts answer a purpose, says
Tit-Bits, and the unsuccessful and
short-winded orators have the consola-
ton of knowing that they stand in very
good company, as many eminent men
have done no better at some period Of
their career. The writer knows gen.
tleman who once came forward for
municipal honors, and when the event
full evening arrived that he had to ad-
dress the electors, all he could manage
to say was, Ladies and gentlemen,
you know me-vote for me-" and then
he had to sit down and listen to the
laughter and criticism Of the audience.
Perhaps the electors knew him, but
somehow or other they did not vote
for him, and the other candidates left
him stranded, high and dry, on the day
of the poll A story is told Of a would
be orator who used to go regularly into
garden well studded with cabbages,
where he rolled out his sentences, and
fancied himself before an audience,
even going SO far as to address the
green heads as gentlemen" After a
course Of few weeks of this kind of
training he considered himself qualified
to appear before an assembly. He did
SO, but after speaking dozen words
he became dumb, and all he could blurt
out was, Gentlemen, l now clearly
see you are not cabbages." The Earl
Of Rochester, distinguished during the
reign of Charles H., once attempted to
make a speech in the House Of Lords,
and 1t proved to be a short and singu-
lar one. my lords" he. said, Il rise
this time-my lords, divide my dis
course into four branches" Here he
stopped for some time, but at length
added, my lords, If ever rise again
in this house l give you leave to cut
me off, root and branch, forever" Such
a speech, naturally, caused much aston
iShment
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
A Kite-Flying Festival.

Miss Ida Tigner Hodnett writes of
t'The Little Japanese at Home" In the
st. Nicholas. Miss Hodnett says;
Among the outdoor sports, one of the
most popular is kite-fying, varied In
many ways, and very fascinating to
oil. When their new year comes,
then does the sport of kite-fying give
great delight to the little boys, big
boys-yes, and to the grown-up boys
his well. The kites are made Of very
tough paper on frame Of bamboo.
Various shapes are made-round, oblong,
oval, but generally rectangular. Some
times fantastic shapes, representing
birds, beasts, men or children are
made. On the more ordinary shapes
are painted or sketched pictures of
various kinds. Pictures of beautiful
women, of the heroes Of ancient Japan
csc history, of the many species Of dra-
gon, the ideal monster, all serve to
make the kites attractive. The hum
ming kite is a favorite one, and some
times the air Is filed with the musical
sounds made by swarm of them.
These kites are made with thin piece
of bamboo or whalebone stretched
across, placed SO as to vibrate in the
wind. The vibration makes a hum
ming noise somewhat like the sound of
IN aeolian harp.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03
Beaver in Europe.

1t is possible that the beaver win sur
vive longer in Europe than in Ame,lea
1t is said that a few individuals are still
to be found on the Elbe, the Rhine and
the Danube, and Prof. Collett, of Chris
tiania estimates, according to the Cos
mos, that there are now 100 individuals
living in Norway, whereas the number
in 1880 was estimated at 60. Prof. Col
lett recommends that government pro-
lection be afforded to prevent their ex-
tarmiua tfon
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-09-03

A hotel man claims to be able to read
woman as accurately by her hair as
anybody else can by her eyes, nose,
mouth or other features:
l start out in my reading of q woman
by her hair, with the quite generally
known and accepted principle that the
finer the hair the gentler the birth, or
the better, higher grade the family stock
from which she came. and having thus
determined whether she Is of gentle or
rude birth. rely upon the amount Of
care which her hair shows to have had
in order to obtain the key to her mode
Of life. The closer the ends of her hair
cling together when unaffected by an
artificial force, the more intellectually
does the owner possess. When the
ends, and particularly the body of the
hair show tendency to curl it Is an
infallible sign that the owner has in
herent grace and poetic ease Of the
body.
The straighter and less yielding
though not necessarily harsh-the hair,
the firmer and more positive is the
woman's nature. Treachery and jeal-
ousy hide beneath lusterless or dead
black hair nine cases out Of ten. Fem
mime hair that may appear Of the finest
texture and be glossy almost to brill
fancy when viewed at little distance,
but that on close examination is found
to have broken or split appearance
something quite common in ladies hair
may be depended on to certainty as
indicating a badly unbalanced char
acter, a woman with an excess Of es-
pecially queer notions.
The lighter colored the hair the more
sensitive and "touchy" the owner, ex-
cept in rare cases, where her ladyship
enjoys perfect health. Brown hair.
whatever the shade is, is always the
most pleasant and satisfactory shade of
hair to have to do with across the hotel
counter, and that's the place to find out
woman's nature.