davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
SOUTH SEA BUBBLES IN SCIENCE.

The advances in science lead to
hopes of the sudden accumulation of
gold, just as the discovery of the new
worlds led our ancestors to invest in
many inflated enterprises of commerce
and conquest. This older temptation
has passed away, for there are no new
worlds to discover, and this small
globe has been practically staked out;
but the mysterious domains of science
are still illimitable, and afford vast OPP
pOrtunities for inflated schemes which
have their prototype in the south sea
bubble. Let us refresh memory of this
surprising delusion 1t arose in the
reign Of Queen Anne, nearly one hun
dred and eighty years ago, and when
we consider the extent of the specula-
ton and gambling which it caused and
the number of those who lost every
thing and who consigned their fami-
lies to bitter poverty, we are tempted
to class it with those other calamities
which preceded it and which afflicted
England SO heavily-the great fire of
London and the plague. The South
Sea company claimed to have enor-
nous sources of profit in certain ex-
elusive privileges, obtained from the
Spanish government, for trading in
their possessions in South America
and Mexico; and it may be we'll for us
in these times of the fotation OF
schemes for obtaining gold from salt
water and from sands, of power from
air and something more ethereal than
air, to be reminded of the many bub-
bles that came into existence and burst
at the time of the collapse of the south
sea bubble
The stock of the South Sea company
rose from one hundred to a thousand,
and an army of future victims crowded
the officers of the company, anxious to
invest in what they believed would
suddenly enrich them. Indeed, all
England seemed TO go mad. and the
craze: of the time is reflected in the
writings of Pope and ift.-Popular
Science Monthly.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
A MAINE FISH STORY.

One Of the queerest experiences in
catching trout that any man ever had
in Maine was had at Moosehead Lake
recently by an Attleboro sportsman
named Williams He was standing on
the apron Of the dam at Wilson's, fish
ing in the quick water below, and he
had met with fair success. Near the
shore, on his right hand, in little
eddy. he noticed a barrel lying on its
side in several feet of water He won
dered what it was there for, and was
so curious that he left his fishing and
went down to examine. He found that
it was an old molasses barrel and was
lying so that he could see the bung-
hole. Of course, the barrel was full Of
water, and the man had no idea there
was a fish inside Of it, but just for
curiosity he dropped his hook through
the hole, and no sooner had i landed
there than the water was boiling, and
the fisherman knew he had trout on
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
FRATERNAL INSURANCE ORDERS

The mere statement that there were
nearly $500, 900 members of fraternal
orders on December 81. 1898, compared
with 2,166,2 ga policies in force in old
line life companies reportedto the New
York state insurance department. will
give some idea of the re lative social
importance of the two systems. On
the date named there was about
S., 700 900 600 worth of old-liHe life in
surance in force in the United States,
compared with $3,400, 100000 worth of
benefit certificates in force issued by
fraternal orders. 1t only remains to
be added, to show clearly the point Of
view of the friends of cooperative life
insurance, that the total expense of
management of life insurance compa-
MES in 1898 was $71S9S.501, while the
corresponding item with reference to
fraternal orders was SS,5S0.380. Thus
we find two-thirds of the life insur-
ance business of the country in the
hands of about 46 old-line companies
and about one-third conducted on a CO.
operative basis by fewer than 200 fra
ternal orders. With one-third of the
business the fraternal orders are car
rying on their work of providing bene-
fits for surviving relatives of deceased
members at one-twentieth of the ex
pense for cost of management re-
ported by the old-line companies, lit
tie less than per cent. as much. This
they have been doing with varying
success, considerably more than less,
for quarter of century, and the
movement has always been one of
progress. That they VIII so continue.
that the system will be still further
perfected, and that they will remain
the source of life insurance or death
benefits at low cost per capita and
per $1,000 of insurance. there is no
possibility Of doubt-Albert c.. Ste
vens in American Review of Reviews
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
THE TATTLING WITCH.

For it is well known that the
shame of a mans sin liveth while he
liveth. Old Annalist.
He runs along the desert rim.
A leopards pelt his girth.
And red as rudy earth
The long and slender shape of him.
\ lissome witch beside him runs;
All yellow is her skin,
And dead her hair, and thin.
Bleached in a thousand thousand suns
One leprous finger follows back
To where a crimson stain
Sleeps on the blistered plain.
And oozes slow across the track.
She laughs because he will not see.
Between the day and night
I'll turn thy young beard white
l heard the slung stone sing" quoth
she
A tear falls just before he turns.
''Yon shadowy dune beside
| take another guide
mat knows not! Dry his eyelid
burns.
Beside the shadowy dune they rest,
And all the while he sleeps
The witch the night-fire keeps
Beneath a red moon in the west.
With morning wind anothers there;
A moment, bone to bone,
They whisper, crone and crane,
And gibber in their hempy hair.
He slung the killing stone in wrath:
Now, till by day and night
His young beard turneth white,
Drag we the manhood on his PATH"
Then with the wind the first witch
flies.
The second mutteTs fell;
Tonight one more l tell"
And wakes him with her stealthy eyes.
-Maude Caldwell Perry in Century.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
DECLINE CHURCH ATTENDANCE.

The pulpit used to be the chief
means of instruction and of intel
lectual and moral stimulation for the
people. The pulpit orator was the
peoples orator. The pulpit has in
great measure lost its attractive power
in this regard. The daily and weekly
press have a greater influence in pub
lie instruction. The multiplica-
ton of cheap books also takes from
the pulpit large share of it's influence
in this regard. Oratory in legislative
bodies has to great extent lost it's in
f1uence. Its place has been taken by
simple, compact, time-saving state
ments, often printed but not delivered.
Committees do the work which used to
be done after discussion before the
public. So the people will not listen
now to the pulpit orator of former
generations. They demand short,
crisp sermons that bristle with points,
and are practical and helpful. In
other words, the oratorical and highly
intellectual character of the pulpit
which used to attract worshippers no
longer attracts them. They feel that
they can get more benefit in this re-
gard by reading in the comfort of the
home. Multitudes of people can no
longer be induced to attend church to
be instructed by the minister or to
get his judgment on topics of the time,
or to be stirred by his eloquence; they
can get all these things cheaper and
easier by reading at home. When,
now, this is REINFORCED by the fact that
dislike the doctrines of the
church, and resent them when they are
preached, we can easily understand
that church attendance should decline
very greatly from this reason
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

ed man. He became unsettled. err
ratio. Miss Willard continued to
manipulate the typewriter for his
partner, but he started out alone to see
new lands. He visited Honolulu. and
there excited the admiration of the
medical profession by performing
more than one brilliant operation.
He returned to Omaha a few weeks
ago, as suddenly as he had left. Soon
afterward Miss Willard asked for a
leave of absence, and obtained it. I'm
known to their friends, she and her
former employer met by appointment
IN St Louis, and thence, for secrecy.
went to the little town of St. Charles
Mo-, and were married.
They failed to realize the desired
secrecy, for the news was telegraphed
to the Omaha papers the same night;
and that was the second sensation in
the Galbraith case.
Now comes the intelligence that the
infatuated physician and his second
wife are about to embark on a tour in
the orient, to last at least year Mr..
G bennett, a nephew of President
Dole, will pilot them as far as Homo
lulu. Thence, after being made much
of by the friends Dr. Galbraith made
on his recent trip, they will sail for
China and Japan. Probably they will
take a look at Manila.
That they will ever again be seen in
Omaha is doubtful. DR.. Galbraith is
in love with Honolulu, and so great
is his prestige there professionally and
that he would be welcomed
as permanent resident He says
that he and his bride may settle there
for life.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
PNEUMATIC TIRE FOR THE
HORSELESS CARRIAGE.

The most perfect spring we can have
is air under pressure, and a pneumatic
tire is the best way yet known of put
ting that spring into use. It's use
means a deformable envelope, which
must be well and strongly made, cap
able of withstanding not only repeated
reformation at high speeds, but under
the worst possible conditions as to
wear-and-tear by the cutting and
abrading irregularities which effect
the worst of the reformation under
an iHsistent load. The envelope,
moreover, must be easily detached and
replaced, and capable of withstanding
high tangential tensile stresses as we'll
as the continuous stress due to an in
ternal pressure of so to so lbs. per
square inch. 1t does not appear to be
recognized, that, even with rubber,
there is a limit to velocity of trans
mission of impact, and therefore a linn
it to the volicity Of impact under
which rubber will bend Or extend, and
not break. The higher the speed. there
fore. the greater the effect of road
abrasion and the more frequent the
conversion of an abrading stone into a
cutting stone The past year has
probably seen the limit of endurance
approached by Inc distinctive co-ac-
ton of high speed and heavy weight.
w. W. Beaumont, in Engineering
Magazine
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
THE STORY OF A MALARIA GERM.
What the Germ Has to Contend With
in the Human System

Theodore Waters, in Afnslee's, has
edited the life-story of a malaria germ
Here is the germs description of a
fight with the phagocytes: Just then
a lot of our newborn brothers began
crowding upon us from behind, and
when we turned to demonstrate, we
saw, away to the rear, a great cOmmO-
ton. A fight and a retreat were going
on. 1t was slaughter of the most hOr-
rible kind There at the head of tide
of blood were columns of phagOcyteS
cutting into the rearguard of malaria
germs, killing them, swallowing them
whole, and growing lustier as the pro
cess went on. 1t was an awful spec
tacle. | hung back, fascinated. A
phagocyte would race down the cur
rent with a swift overland stroke,
reach out and grasp a microbe from
behind. Then the arm of the phago-
Cyte would shorten, and, as it seemed
to me, retreat into the white monsters
interior, dragging the germ with it.
Sometimes phagocyte would grow
facetious, and would bump against a
poor germ as though shouldering him
out of the road. Away would go the
poor germ, swimming fast in order to
avoid the encounter, but his enemy
would then swim faster, striking him
fair in the middle, and, with a slow
motion going inside out like a glove
and actually taking the germ in with
him. Ugh! I should have remained
there in a sheer spell if my companion
had not pulled me along with him.
g Make for a red blood cell" he
called as we went onward.
" What, said l, a red cell? We
have just come from one,'
" Never mind he replied, find a red
cell and eat your way inside. 1t is our
only chance. See, the others are do
ing it,
Sure enough, many of my brethren
had selected good red blood cells and
were penetrating the skin and climb
ing inside to escape the phagocytes.
1t seemed to me so unfortunate, just as
we had gained our freedom, but it was
better than death. So we looked for
CCllS' LNSly Cc1l VIC CdulS W, uOW ever,
was being occupied, and it seemed to
me that the phagocytes were gaining
on us when my companion suddenly
pulled me to one side and cried
Look out! look OUT Keep away
from that current near the center
there. 1t is worse than DEATH
What is it?' | cried, for | could
see nothing.
Don't you see?' he said, hugging
the wall of the tunnel, there it is, that
discolored streak, running near the
center Of the stream. 1t is caused by
what men call quinine, and it is dead
ly if you swim in it
How does it affect your | asked
If you swallow it, it numbs you-
makes you incapable Of motion-stupe-
fies and prevents you climbing into a
red blood cell-it is living death, and
the friend Of the Phagocytes!'
Il shuddered and swan on At the
end of a sewer-like opening, my friend
darted to one side and seized a red
blood cell which was unoccupied. He
began work on it at once.
Goodbye, brother!' he said Here
is where I stop. I've work to do.
HOPE you'll get out of the wet before
our white friends catch you. Look
out for the quinine streaks
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
SALVAGE OF THE
MILWAUKEE.

Probably the most remarkable
achievement in the line of wrecking
and rebuilding to be found in mari
time history is represented by the
reconstructed steamer Milwaukee.
which was turned out in the summer
of 1899 at the yard of G. S. Swan
& Hunter at Wallsend-on-Tyne, Eng
land.
The Milwaukee, vessel of 4S3 feet
length and Sc feet beam, went ashore
near Aberdeen in September, 1898. a
huge rock penetrating the hold for a
length of 80 feet and to a height of
feet above the tank top. When the
salvage operators saw that it would
be impossible to save the entire vessel,
it was decided to blow her in two
with dynamite. This was done sue
cessfully and $50 feet of the fore
end was left on the rocks, while the
after end was towed to a dry-dock.
The saved portion of the vessel de-
pended for fiotation, until placed in
dry dock, upon a transverse water
tight bulkhead at the forward end of
the boiler space. The saved portion
extended from just before the forward
end of the navigating bridge to the
stern, the engines and boilers being
thus preserved. 1t was towed to the
Tyne and moored in the river until a
new bow was built, launched, and
made ready for connection to it. So
well was this done that person
ignorant of the facts would never
know that he was not looking at the
original bow, while even those per-
sons who knew the circumstances of
the case were unable to point out the
point where the junction of the new
and old portions was made.-Waldon
Fawcett in Engineering Magazine
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
WHITTIER ON BLAINE'S FIGHT.
The Smartest Thing Since the Days
of Clay" Wrote the Poet in 1876.

of Clay" Wrote the Poet in 1876.
The second instalment of series
of hitherto unpublished letters that
passed between Gail Hamilton and
Whittier, printed in the Ladies Home
Journal, contains this one from Whit
tier written in 1876 during the height
CT the canvass for the presidential
nomination.:
How splendidly Blaine bore him
self in his fight with the committee.
| hope thee saw it. 1t was the smart
est thing done in congress since the
days of Henry Clay. I am sorry that
he, like almost everybody else, has
been making haste to be rich, but
don't see that he has cleared himself
of the charges against him. He has
had an awful ordeal The game of
the presidency isn't worth such can
ole Any man who is named for the
white house will soon be in the con-
dition of the man out west who was
everywhere we'll spoken of until he al
lowed himself to stand for general
court. and found himself so abused
that he had to call his dog to see If
he was himself or somebody else"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

the other end. He played him until
the fish was tired, and when he came
to land him he could not get him
through the hole. He secured a saw
and sawed a piece out of the top of the
barrel, near the hole The fish came
out 1t weighed three pounds, and
was one of the handsomest square
tails caught in that section this year.
One of the guides said that the trout
must have gone into the barrel when
small, and had lived on bugs and
worms which had taken up their abode
on the inside.-The Maine Sportsman.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
POINTS OF METRIC SYSTEM.
Principal Difficulty Encountered in It's
Working

The great difficulty that has been
encountered on the continent of
Europe in working with the metric
system is the seeming hopeless task
Of standardizing screw threads. etc.
under it. Whether it be the natural
tendency Of mankind to count bv tens.
or to continually multiply and divide
by two, it is certainly very difficult
even to suggest any satisfactory sub
division of the centimeter for screw
threads. Another important point is
that the Whitworth thread. in inch
sizes. is standardized all over the
world, that innumerahle screws and
bolts and taps and dies are in ex-
istence with such threads. and that
practically all the machinery that is
now at work in the world is dependent
for repairs upon the ease in getting
standard sizes of these goods. To
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

ones work thoroughly is the first half
of the battle; to love it is the other"
Mrs. Stevens is a tall, ine-looking
brunette, always well dressed, quiet in
manner and apparel, and whether in
home or at her Office, bearing the un-
mistakable air of a gentlewoman.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
SCIENTIFIC SAFE CRACKING.

In the experiments made in a bur-
glarious way, among others, three
thousand-dollar square safe of the
most approved construction was at
tackled by inserting in the crevice
about the locked door four and eight
tenths ounces of nitro-glycerin, and in
eight minutes after the operation of
loading was begun the charge was
fired, with the result that the whole of
the jamb below the door was blown
out and a hole made in the door of suf-
ficient size to admit the hand and
arm, while the doors and divisions of
the interior compartments were COM
pletely shattered. On repeating the
operation with four ounces and
quarter of forcite dynamite the door
was completely torn off. Among eX-
periments made to demonstrate the
resistance of structures to attack by
mob was one upon safe twenty
nine inches cube, with walls four
inches and three-quarters thick, made
up of plates of iron ard steel, which
were REINFORCED on each edge so as
to make it highly resisting, yet when
a hollow charge Of dynamite nine
pounds and a half in weight and I'M
tamped was detonated on it a hole
three inches in diameter was blown
clear through the wall, though a solid
cartridge of the same weight and Of
the same material produced no mate
rial effect-PopUlar Science Monthly.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

Mrs. Stubs" John, I do believe
that friend you brought up to dinner
is gambler"
Mr.. Stubbs-"Why so, Martha?"
Mrs. Stubbs-"Beause he shook the
pepper cruet like it had been a dice
box"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
A SOCIAL EXPERT
CHAPERON, GUEST, CRITIC OR AU-
THORITY ON ELEGANT USAGE.
DESCRIBES HER WORK

Her Patrons Not All Rich Folks, I'm
tutored in Ways of Upper World
Her Business, She Says, Is to Guide
the Ignorant in Society or Aid the
Overwhelmed Hostess.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
JOKES AND JINGLES.

In 1000: Son (reading ancient liter
ature)-Papa, what does this express
sion, Money makes the mare CO."
mean?
Father-In ancient times money"
was a powerful drug which, when ap-
piled to an individual, greatly stimu-
lated him while it soothed his con-
science. 1t frequently caused him to
draw others out of difficulties. The
mare" [ understand, was primitive
form of the autocarriage of today,
which was used in the drawing pro-
cess. The entire expression now would
be something like this: "a powerful
stimulant presses the autolever and
turns on the current" -Clevelan
Leader
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

Vera Goodneart-Mrs. Won Tauk is
a great social light, isn't she?
Ida Nownce rather. Regular
400 scandal poHer-Life.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

We met in the gathering twilight,
For this hour l had waited for
years,
And wondered what way I should
greet him;
Would it be with kisses or tears?
Would he read in my eyes the love
light?
Could he note N my tremulous tone
All the grief 1 had suffered, and would
be
In that moment call me his own?
Well! l scarcely can tell how it hap
pened,
But we met face to face, just we
two;
Our hands clasped, We gazed on each
other,
And murmured, why, how do you
dO?"
-Uno1p
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

You're a preacher, amt your"
asked the caller, lingering his hat.
Eyes, SIR" answered the man in
black. Can be of service to your"
II reckon you can. Me and my girl
has about made up our minds to get
spliced-''
Il see. And you wish me to solem-
nize the marriage for you? Am l
right?"
why, yes" rejoined the caller, rub
bling his chin. "'Twon't do no harm to
solemnize it all you can. I'm a circus
clown and she's a soubrette. New
York Evening World.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08

Il declare Martha, this is too irri-
tating to be endured. | told you |
didn't want to be disturbed, and here
somebody has suddenly sprung a most
Internal clatter on me. What does it
mean?"
There wasn't any clatter my dear"
What was it, them"
why, l just happened to pass
through the room in my new red and
yellow shirt waist, that's ALL
We'll, don't do it again. Troy
Times