davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
THE WHEAT PROBLEM.

With those who profess the belief
that the period of universal hunger is
rapidly approaching, a favorite theme
for discussion, in recent years, has
been the relation-present and future
between the production and consump-
ton of wheat. The most recent and
notable claim of a speedily approaching
deficiency in the worlds wheat pro-
duction was put forth by Sir William
Crookes, president of the british AS
ISOLATION for the Advancement of Sci
ence at the annual meeting Of that
body last year. His contention is, that
the available area of the worlds
wheat-growing land is being very rap
idly absorbed, and that, in about gen
GRAFTON, owing to the growth of the
Wheat-eating population, the chief
present exporting countries will not be
able to do more than provide for their
own wants; leaving nothing for eX-
port to countries which do not grow
their own supply. To support this po
SitiOn, he quotes definite figures Of
the population of wheat-growing coun-
tries at certain periods, and gives, with
what he evidently considers equal eX-
actness, figures purporting to be the
aggregate area, in the world, devoted
to wheat at those periods. The esti-
mates of the worlds wheat area, not
only in the past, but at present, are
deserving Of but limited credence; es-
pecially when sweeping conclusions
are sought to be drawn from mere
comparisons of assumed totals at diff
ferent times.
1t is not difficult to demonstrate
that the potentially Of an average
acre of wheat land is steadily increas-
ing, and that the ratio of increase is
| large enough to make it an important
factor in the calculation of future
bread supplies. A comparison Of the
rate of yield Of one year with that of
another, or even Of longer periods,
| will not disclose the changes that have
actually taken place, unless the wealth
er conditions, in the periods compared,
| happened to be the same. If the pro-
ent season should prove to be only as
| good as the average season Of the
period 1SS0S4, the yield, with the As
| 3UO,UO0 acres now unQPf wheat, would
reach 6S4,000,0 00 bushels; while such
a season as that of 1882 would mean
a crop Of nearly 770,000,000. A Sc
ries of years with conditions as favor
| able as those experienced from 1880
to 1884, inclusive, would give Us
wheat production large enough to meet
the requirements of our increased pop
ulation, and to leave a surplus for eX
port of 260,000,000 bushels a year,
against the 140,000,000 shipped annu-
ally from the crops of 1880 to 1884.
AS we may reasonably expect that ma
ture will be as gracious in the future
as in the past, it seems that any alarm
over our own wheat supply in the near
future would be absolutely unneces-
sary The increase in acre yields, in
this country, has only begun. If, in
the face of what cannot be considered
less than careless and inefficient agri-
cultural practice, we have increased
the wheat capacity of our land, what
may we not expect, in the way of en-
larged wheat yields, before we eXpe-
rience the hardships of a true wheat
famine?-Bernard w. Snow in Forum.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

of Paris. Even Il official quarters in
Paris it is admitted that the situation
is not exaggerated. 1t seems that the
dlscontented natives of this French
colony have actually appealed to the
British government for protection and
justice. The leader Of the movement
is SI-Hamza, one Of the most turbu-
lent chiefs Of the redoubtable Ouled-
Sidi-Cheikh tribe, and capable of
placing $4,000 men in the field, all well
trained and armed with British and
American repeating rifles, which L.
LIbre Parole declares have been snug
gled in by the British through Mo-
rocco. Once the standard of revolu-
ton is raised the movement, it is said.
will spread all over the colony, for the
British-still according to Mr.. Dru-
mont's paper-have admirably pre-
pared the ground and discomfort and
dissatisfaction are rife throughout the
land. In the city Of Algiers itself the
situation is no less serious, only a few
days ago an Arab openly complaining
there that if France did not soon full
fill her promises a general rising would
ensue and a formal appeal be made to
the British govern ment for protection.
The Militaer Zietung states that
there are at present in America over
100000 men who fed to this country
from Austria-Hungary to escape con-
scription, and who should be in the
AuStrla-Hungary army Of reserves.
On one occasion, at the mobilization
of body Of reserves, only 1900 men
out Of 5000 appeared, the greater part
Of the remaining $500 having sue
ceeded in escaping to America.
1t is an odd state of affairs that
Americans may read Lord Rosebery's
addresses while the privilege is for
hidden to Englishmen. Lord Rosebery
neglected to copyright his addresses
when they were delivered, and the
London Times was thrifty enough to
copyright its shorthand reports, so
that as the discounted author puts it,
the only thing settled is that the one
person who has no rights in the
speeches is the man who made them.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
shaped the suns

shaped the suns
And pillared the blue armament with
light?
Down all the stretch of He'll to it's last
gulf
There is no shape more terrible than
this
More tongued with censure of the
worlds blind greed
More filled with signs and portents for
the soul
More fraught with menace to the uni
verse
What CULTS between him and the sera-
phim!
Slave of the wheel of labor, what to
him
Are Plato and the swing Of Pleiades?
What the long reaches of the peaks of
song,
The rift of dawn, the reddening of the
rose?
Through this dread shape the suffering
ages look;
Times tragedy is in that aching stoop;
Through this dread shape humanity
betrayed,
Plundered, profaned and disinherited,
Cries protest to the Judges Of the
World,
A protest that is also prophecy.
o, masters, lords and rulers in all
lands,
Is this the handiwork you give to God,
This monstrous thing distorted and
soul-quenched?
How will you ever straighten up this
shape;
Give back the upward looking and the
light;
Rebuild in it the music and the dream;
Touch it again with Immortality;
Make right the immemorial infamies,
Perfdious wrongs, immedicabIe woes?
o, masters, lords and rulers in all
lands.
How will the Future reckon with this
Man?
How answer his brute questions in that
hour
When whirlwinds OF rebellion shake
the world?
How will it be with kingdoms and
with kings
When this dumb Terror shall reply to
After the silence of the centuries?
The name Of the author is not al
together unfamiliar TO readers of the
Century and Scribner's Magazine, but
never before has he aroused Sc much
enthusiasm. Some of the western pa
pers are particularly jealous in praise,
one Of them, the San Jose Mercury,
going so far as to term it "the strong
est, most meanilgf and most strik-
ing poem, with the single exception,
perhaps, of Kipling's Recessional, that
has been written in any country in the
| last quarter of century"
! Millet and Markham.
! Does Markham correctly read the
mind of Millet, or Isl not a picture OF
| simple faith distorted under the gaze
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

Il might just as well resign al
once!" exclaimed Mrs. Dobley. Il had
no idea that joining a literary club
meant that one had to perform in pub
lie. l simply can't do it,
What do they want you to do, my
dear?' asked Mr.. Dobley. "a song and
dance or cakewalk? l wouldn't mind
little thing like that. You can pick
it up in no time
It's nothing like that" said Mrs.
Dobley, passing a typewriter docu-
ment over the breakfast table. And
you needn't make any fun Of the mat
ter, either. The frivolous way in
which you look at everything is tire
some. Now, what am I to do?"
Il am sure, my dear" began Dob
ley.
Just read tread it," commanded
Mrs. Dobley, and her husband read:
''Honora Coombs Dobley-Dear Mad
am: At the next meeting of the Lit
erary club the topic Of discussion will
be Markham's poem, The Man With
the Hoe. AS you have been selected as
chief speaker of the evening, you will
kindly be prepared to recite the poem
and give a short sketch Of the authors
career. Also to give your opinions as
to the idea contained in the work, as
we'll as the general style and literary
construction of the poem
well, my dear" said Mr. Dobley,
trying to conceal the fact that he was
quite as perturbed as his wife by the
letter fWell?"
well? Why didn't they select you?
What did they send that to me for?
What do | know about farming?"
''You forget, my dear, that this is
not an agricultural club, but a literary
society. Of course, they refer to the
famous poem
What poem?"
els it possible that you haven't
heard of Markham's masterpiece, The
Man With the Hoe?" asked Dobley
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
STAR GAZERS MEET.
Prof. Flint Reads Paper Before Astron-
omerS at Williams Bay.

Williams Bay, Wis, Sept. S.-The ma
tional astronomical conference opened
its session in the Yerkes observatory
yesterday. Prof. Hardness Of the naval
observatory at Washington was elected
president. The first paper was by S.
A. Flint of the Washburn observatory,
Madison, Wis, who explained the
working Of a new transit micrometer,
which he is using to take measure
ments of the heavenly bodies. Prof.
E. E. Barnard followed with an in
formal talk on observations with the
40-inch telescope. Papers by Prof. E i.
C. Pickering of Harvard college ob-
servatory, Prof. Kurt Laves Of the
University of Chicago and w. w.
Campbell of the Lick observatory
were read.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
PRICE OF PLAYING CARDS.
1t Is Increasing, AS Well AS the Popu-
lar Demand

Devotees of the card table, lovers Of
whist, grande, euchre and the fasci-
mating game of poker are interested in
the sudden rise in price of playing
cards.
Within the past few days all the
local dealers selling cards have re-
ceived notice from the United States
Playing Card company, which practi-
cally controls the production of cards
in this country, that, because of the
increase in the cost of manufacture,
an advance of from to 10 per cent.
on all brands of cards would be made
An increased demand for cards has re-
Gently been noticed by dealers. A
business man whose firm sells many
packs of cards year said yesterday
that an increased demand for cards
has been going on year after year.
The greatest demand appears to be
for the % cents pack kind, and thou
sands of these are used by Madison
players. The sale of cards is largest
just now among what is known as the
leisure class, who buy the finer grade
of cards. The working class of men
and boys are also free buyers, and
many a man works through the day
with a pack in his pocket, ready to
play social game during the dinner
hour The gambling element seldom
use the same pack of cards twice, and
generally use several packs in a game.
The faro card, used by gamblers, is
the average man who plays for pleas
ure and not for gain would not allow
to appear on his table, and yet these
cards sell for $3.50 a pack They are
made of linen and not pasteboard, and
are unglazed, with back so arranged
as to dazzle the eye
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
buy a rag-pick with"
What did he dO9"

49, P4Sh WILL
What did he do?"
He borrowed money enough, I be-
lieve. and % years after he told the
story Of the trouble he had in getting
some one to lend the money. The fun
uiest part Of it was that he said he
had never paid it back"
I wonder if that man really owned
the hoe, or had borrowed it?"
Perhaps that is what he was think
ing Of
He was probably too mean to buy
a hoe OF his own! You know. John,
think that man was no good"
HoOora, your logic is so convincing
that l am beginning to agree with YOU
that The Man With the Hoe was con-
siderable Of a gold brick."-New York
Sun
Here is the Poem.
Not often, among the verses that
achieve their first appearance in the
columns Of the daily press, do we find
anything that commands such at
tention as Prof. Edwin Markham's
The Man With the Hoe has aroused.
The poem is an Interpretation of Mil
let's famous painting known By that
name, now in california. We quote
the lines as they appeared in the San
Francisco Examiner:
Bowed with the weight or centuries he
leans
Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground,
The emptiness Of ages in his face,
And Oh his back the burden of the
world.
Who made him dead to rapture and
despair,
A thing that grieves not and that never
hopes,
Stolid and stunned, a brother to the
OK?
Who loosened and let down his brutal
jaw?
Whose was the hand that slanted back
this brow?
Whose breath blew out the light with
in this brain?
Is this the thing the Lord God made
and gave
To have dominion over sea and land,
To trace the stars and search the
heavens for power;
To feel the passion of Eternity?
Is this the Dream He dreamed who
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

with a reproachful look over the top
of his egg.
why, l haven't read anything but
Quo Vadis this summer, and l only
half read that You see it hurts my
eyes and besides that I'm too busy.
Who was he?"
The Man With the Hoe? He has
become one of the most typical Of"
What was the matter with him?
Why didn't he hoe? Where did it hap
penn"
''It began with picture, my dear.
An artist made picture of man in
a field with a hoe
of it?"
well, it was a great picture-filled
with depth and feeling and life
q suppose it seemed as though he
were really hoeing, did it? I've seen
a picture like that-a girl gathering
roses. You could just see the stems
snap
No, it wasn't exactly that. The
man had stopped
stopped hoeing? What did he do
that for?"
He'd stopped to rest and was lean
ing on the hoe"
"Gracious A hoe isn't bit COM
Portable to lean upon. Why didn't he
sit DOWN."
'Why-er-it was just the artists
idea, you see. The man stopping to
lean on his hoe-the laborer in the
fleld-don't you see?-typifying the
workman of the ages-the empty
ages Markham wrote"
"Was it Markham had the hoe?"
ooh, no! Markham was a poet, and
he saw the picture and saw the poetry
in it. Then he wrote the poem and
called it The Man With the Hoe"
WAS it pretty?"
''It was a magnificent idea-the fig
ure of that man as typical of the work
mantle patient slave blowing the
feld''-
What did he have a hoe for if he
was plowing?"
''You don't understand Don't you
catch the idea? Labor-the farmer al
work-plodding along without an idea
sweating over his work.
the artist, or was he the man who had
You just said he'd stopped to rest
"Er-yes-but when you read il
you'll see the splendid picture Mark
| ham drew
Excuse me, John; vas Markham
the hoe. or the man who just wrote
about it?''
He was the poet, my dear; he wrote
the verse"
Il suppose he was paid for it, wasn'r
hep
L suppose so, my dear"
Then what was the trouble? Real
ly, John, l can't seem to understand
| what all the fuss was about"
Markham wanted to show the mis-
cradle condition Of the hard-workin!
| farmer-the slavery of the toiler-th
the fetters'--
Why, John Dobley, you know vol
have often said you'd like to be
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

Mono! Who blew out the light
within this brain?' asks Markham"
We'll, who did?"
'It was just metaphor-a figure of
speech"-
why didn't he say what he meant?"
poets never do that, my dear
well, what did he mean?'
THAT the workman was miserable
creature, whose life was like an ami
NAL
Don't he believe in men working?"
"Yes-but"-
"I suppose he likes tramps, then?
Those men that sit around the parks?
The Man With the Tomato Can would
be his idea of the ideal man."
poets look at these things differ
emily"
We'll, 1 think it is silly to pity
man because he has job. Think of
all the men that can't get work. Sup
pose you didn't work? Where would
we be-"
It's the idea of man earning his
bread by the sweat Of his brow-the
curse of laboring for hire-for''-
why, this man with the hoe prob
ably had a good, steady place on the
farm. Perhaps he owned it. He prob
ably had stopped to figure out the
crop. Maybe his wife took boarders
and they had plenty of money"
When you read it, my dear, you will
be able to-
"Oh, pshaw! l might just as well
start in to idealize the cook and call
her The Girl with the Frying Pan or
The Woman with the Rolling Pin
Really, my dear, I think you will
be able to talk before the club if you
keep on"
Its the very same thing. The cook
is laboring woman, but she's a great
| deal freer than l am. She has no So
| cial obligations and no calls to make
| or to receive. She doesn't have to
spend her time dressing and talking to
folks when she doesn't want to. She
has a comfortable home and just as
| good things to eat as we have She
has two days off every week. Suppose
l began to weep over her sad condition
and called her sister to the OK Why,
she'd leave the very first thing"
But a poet would never write about
cook
We'll, a good cook is a lot better
than a farmer who only hoes and looks
pathetic. Anyone could hoe. Why, I
almost believe you could hoe"
u haven't a hoe, my dear"
That's another thing. Suppose the
man didn't have a hoe? He'd have
been worse off, wouldn't he? A hoe
represents capital. Do you know,
John Dobley, it gets sillier every min
ute to think Of all the sympathy that
you're wasting on that man. 1t is The
Man Without the Hoe you should be
sorry for
You are getting me round to your
way Of thinking, Honora. I recall
now the story Of rich man who said
that he started in business pickine
rags, but for a week or two he early
starved because he had no money tc
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
NOT A SUCCESS.

Bramble-Yes, I always select my
own neckties
Thorne-You ought to let some one
else try it.-New York Journal.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

At Hannibal, Mo-, NJ. H. Roberts, a
machinist, killed his son Sidney while
asleep, then shot himself. He was in
sane.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14

Philadelphia, Sept S-The cruiser
Detroit, which has been ordered to La
Guavra, Venezuela, sailed last night.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-14
PLAIDS THE RAGE
DAME FASHIONS DECREE FOR
THE FALL SEASON.
STORE WINDOWS SHOW 1T

A Lady Just Back from Europe Cos
sips about Women's Wear as She
Sees the Immediate Future-Tailor-
Made Suits Still to be Popular
NoDby Affairs.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-23
TO CALIFORNIA.
Via the Midland Route.

Every Friday night at 1895 p. M, a
through Tourist Car for San Francisco,
carrying first and second-class pas
sengers. leaves the Chicago, Milwaukee
d st. Paul Railway Union Passenger
Station, Chicago. Via Omaha, Colorado
Springs and salt Lake city with
stop-over privileges at Salt Lake city,,
for all points in Colorado, Utah, Me-
Vada and california.
The Tourist Car berth rate from Chi
cago to san Francisco is only $500.
AMI the sleeping car berths should be
reserved few days I'm advance of de-
parture of train.
Through tickets and sleeping car ac-
CommOdatiOns can be- secured from any
agent i'm the east, or by applying at
the Chicago, Milwaukee a. ST. Paul
Depot or city Ticket offices i'm Chicago.
Send for our free illustrated Calfor-
mia folders. Address Geo. II. Heaf-
ford, General Passenger Agent, Chi
cago H., or John r.. Pott, District
Passenger Agent Williamsport, Pa.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-23

of such well-known names as DR.. Won
Bulow. Paderewsk. Joseffy. DR.. WILL
lam Mason. ROsenthal. De Pachmann.
Otto Lessmann, DR.. Jedlicka, Herr
Philip Scharwenka, Dr. Krebs, DR.. Bic
and Professor G. Lutschg.
A singer who is rapidly coming td
the very front ranks of Scranton vocal-
lists is Mr.. Albert Pilling. who sang the
beautiful song. entitled Here and
There" by A. Il. Wmts, at the Green
Ridge Presbyterian church last Sum
day morning. The congregation were
very agreeably surprised with his rich,
fun bass voice and artistic singing
Mr.. Pilling is a very earnest student
in voice culture and singing, and Will
no doubt become one of our leading
singers in IA very short time.
The following music will be given az
the Second Presbyterian church tomor<
row:
Prelude or violin and organ, "Adagio," ..
iSuite III ......,.....,...,.. Franz Rles
Mr.. +. H. Widmayer. violinist.
Quartette, Rock of Ages
=. A. Schneider
soprano solo, "The Golden Threshold"
+. n. Lohr
violin obligato, Mr., wdmayer)
Postlude in + ............. Alex Guilmane
EVENING.
Prelude "Pastorale," ...... Arthur Foote
Quartette, The Day Is Past and Gone
BeethOven-Wiska
Trio. Just As I Am" ....... II. p. Danks
Postlude, allegro Moderate
Edwin Lemars
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-23
MUSICAL NOTES.

| A few good reasons why music stu
| dents Who have the meanS) should
! take private lessons in preference to
| class instructions:
| In the first place, private instruction
is more desirable because, by it, musi-
| cal knowledge is gained much more
| quickly.
In private lessons the pupil has the
direct ana undivided attention of the
| teacher during the whole lesson hour:
therefore, more knowledge is impaired
in given time. Real progress cannot
| take place without knowledge: knowl-
edge gives confidence: knowledge and
confidence linked with practice begets
and deVelopes ability to it's highest
proficiency; this proficiency is greatly
| desired by all diligent students and is
more quickly attained by private in
struCtiOn.
In the second place, private instruc-
ton is To be desired in preference to
class lessons, because i'm class of
young students, where singing or play
| ing is done mostly simultaneously. the
pupils are liable 10 initiate each other
faults and mistakes, which are more
numerous than their eXcellenCies:
| faults are more easily caught than
cured. Whereas i'm private work the
pupil never hears the faults Of others;
therefore, a student should unhesitat-
ingly take private instruction in pref
erence to class lessons. Another reason
Is because most of our leading music
ians and soloists received their instruc-
tion privately. Therefore it is very
plain, and we must admit that the best
and most rapid way to attain the high
est proficiency possible in music. either
singing or playing, is by private in
structiOn.
An appropriation of $4,000 has been
made for the musical attractions at the
National Export exposition, which is
being held at Philadelphia. An audi
torium accommodating 5000 people is
used for daily concerts.
Cecile Chamnade, who is well known
by her fine songs and graceful piano
pieces. will, it Is said, make "A tour of
this country i'm early spring 1t is not
generally known that she is a sister
in-laW of MoszkOwsky, Madame MosZ-
kowsky being her sister
An eisteddfud on a large scale will he
given next Christmas i'm Youngstown,
Ohio, Prizes 10 the amount of 81 800
will be given. This win stir up much
activity in Welsh musical circles Of the
west.
(. n H
According to the story Of French
newspaper, an American millionaire
has made an arrangement with AIDES