davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
COMPEL CITIZENS TO VOTE.
All Beigians Qualified Must Exercise
the Elective Franchise.


the Elective Franchise.
The Belgians have made an i'm
portant discovery. They have found
out how to accomplish something that
no American commonwealth accom-
plishes. They have found out how
to compel citizens to vote They do
not send the non-voters to Jail, but the
coercive means employed is so effect
i've that at a recent election out OF
1858, 165 eligible voters only 1851
failed to vote without giving previous
notice to the courts as required by
law, and of this number 2,621 when
summoned before the magistrates,
were able to present acceptable ex-
cuses, such as age, illness or unavoid-
able absence. The number punished
for not voting at that election was
1890, or exactly 2.76 out of every
thousand
How has this wonder been achieved?
In the case of first offenders the state
is far from being harsh. The magis-
trates simply admOnish the negligent
citizen that the habit of staying away
from the polls will cause him trouble
if persisted in. He has begun to
make entries on the wrong side of his
account with the state If he fails
to vote a second time there will be
a penalty. In that event he hands
the magistrate SIS, and if he still con-
tinues to refrain from voting as the
elections recur his political rights
are suspended for ten years. Some
day we shall be as efficient as the Bel
gians are in enforcing the perform
ance of political duty.
If men will not vote why let them
call themselves voters? Why bother
to keep their names on the voting
lists? Why not let the fact Of their
refusal to take part in the government
Of the country be known of all men
by reason of the absence of their
names from the suffrage lists?
Before the year 1893 in Belgium it
is said that Is per cent. of the voters
remained away from the polls at every
election in spite Of all that the party
workers could do to get them there.
But as soon as the law making voting
compulsory was passed the rate OF
abstention fell below 5 per cent
Hartford Times
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
Riqht WAY to Bake Potatoes.

Wash and clean the skins of the
potatoes without breaking. Put them
on the grtae in a moderately-heated
oven. If the oven is too hot the
skins will at once harden, forming a
communicating surface, preventing the
escape of water. Potatoes baked in
this way are heavy and waXy, indiges-
tible and unpalatable. AS soon as the
potato is soft upon slight pressure Of
the finger, remove it from the oven.
Take it in your hand, which should be
protected with a napkin or towel and
carefully work the potato as though
you were MASKING it in the skin,
being very careful not to break the
skin. When the potato seems soft
and mealy throughout put it back on
the CRATE in the oven; and so continue
until all the potatoes hav2 been sub
jected to this process.-Ladies' Home
Journal.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02

sale to a second hand dealer a plain
gold ring with a chip diamond in the
center that the murdered girl wore
when last seen alive. April 13 a post
gnan delivered to Mrs. Noble three
rings belonging to the dead girl, and
which it is supposed she wore when
killed
The name of the prisoner appeared
on the rollcall fthe medical college
as being present at a lecture at about
the time Blanche disappeared. It
was shown, however, that he had got
another student to answer the roll
call for him, and that afterwards he
lad copied a friends notes of the lee
ture to give the impression that he
was there, the intention being to es-
tablish an alihi
An interesting feature of the case
was the question of the shape of Dur
rants fingers. Upon the neck of the
girl were finger marks showing the in
dentations of square-cut nails 1t was
SHOWN that the prisoner had square
blunt fingers, and that likely enough
they were his hands that choked the
breath out of her.
Much of the evidence had reference
TO the movements of the principals il
the tragedy on the day of its occur
renee. Bit by bit proof was piled o.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
100000 EYES"
An English Outrage Upon Purely
American Word.

An English Outrage Upon a Purely
American Word.
The English, among other writer's,
are smart indeed, and possess goOd
TASTE said a young man who keeps
up with current events, and while
they may be fair enough when it
comes to big things, things that spread
out until they boone of national sig
nifcance, they are sometimes just a
little unfair when it comes to the
smaller things. While reading al
English periodical recently | ran
across an American expression which
has been adopted in England, but they
have had the temerity to change the
spelling which is so thoroughly an
originally American that it is not in
any of the standard English diction-
aries. It is yet an American provin-
cialism. | am speaking Of the word
'googOo' as We find it in the American
song, just Because She Made Dem Goo
goo Eyes If there is a word current
which is distinctly American at this
time, it is the word googoo. The
American press, which is sort IF
word factory, has made the word
amenable to the lenses, and so We fire.
quently have the words 'googoo-ed
and 'googooing,' which represent the
past and the present.
Now the English have changed the
spelling of the word. They spell it
google By what authority? This
way Of spelling the word detracts
much from it, for it loses much of it's
descriptive import, and even more in
smoothness of sound in pronunciation
'Googoo' is a better word than google.
1t looks better in print. 1t sounds bet
ter in conversation and song, and It
seem to fit that peculiar flirtive manip-
ulation of the eye with more ease and
eXactitude. The tongue and lips can
roll it out more musically and it
| gurgles in a soft sort of way out OF
| the throat of the singer. Women, of
| course, make .googoo' eyes in al coun
tries, old England not excepted, but
when it comes to the word 'googoo,
/ it is an American provincialism, and
England may not change the spelling
| Of it at her pleasure. New Orleans
| Times-Democrat.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02

with movable joints was also one Ct
the legal exhibits. The witnesses
used it to illustrate the position in
which the body had been found. Then
there was a lay figure on which they
hung the dead girls clothes, so that
those who had seen her pass towards
her death in the church but who did
not know her by sight might refresh
their memory as to her appearance.
Her rings, slippers, her prayer-book,
hat and glove lay on the prosecutors
table, and they all did their part in
weaving round Durrant the meshes of
evidence that he was a blooded
assassin.
The defense pinned it's faith upon
the absence of any one who had seen
the prisoner kill the girl, and in the
flibi Of the Cooper medical college.
Not one Of the seventy students who
attended DR.. Cheney's lecture on the
afternoon of April could say that he
saw Durrant there, but his HaI.c VS.
ca the roll-Call, and great emphasis
was laid on that fact. 1t was proved,
however, that the same roll contained
the name of at least one man who
wasn't anywhere near the lecture
room. Then the defense threw out
vague hints that perhaps Parson Glib.
son knew something about the XII ~,
but this entirely fell through, and was
simply a case of little Embarrassing
to Coyere retreat
The women of San Francisco were
much wrought up by the trial, and
many threats were made to kill Dur
rant. Large crowds attended the
court house, and they grew so violent
in their demonstrations against the
prisoner that at times it was hard to
control them. Durrant was finally
executed.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02

! is the authors name given. In some
| books it is credited to DR.. Horatius
Bor2r, but as q rule the word "un
known appears.
The real author of the hymn was a
, humble Christian worker named
Joseph Scriven, who lived for several
years in the town of Port Hope.
Canada. He was born in Dublin in
1920, was educated at Trinity college,
and graduated with full honors from
that institution. He came to Canada
in 1916, where he lived a most useful
life until his death in 1886.
Having an income from the old
country sufficient to support him, he
spent his entire time in preaching and
other forms of Christian work At
the races, the fairs, on the streets, and
wherever crowds congegated Joseph
Scriven was accustomed to call sim
ners to repentance. 50"
1t is said that, when he was a young
man, on the eve of his wedding-day
the young lady to whom he was to be
married was accidentally drowned,
and he was so deeply impressed with
the vanity Of all earthly joys that he
consecrated his life and fortune to the
service of Christ. A large part of
his time was taken up in visiting the
sick and helping the poor.
One afternoon he was seen walking
down the street in Port Hope, dressed
in a plain suit of tweed such as a
thrifty workingman would wear, and
carrying saw-horse and saw. A
citizen, seeing a friend recognize him,
said: do you know that man? What
is his name and where does he live?
want some one to cut wood, and find
it difficult to get a sober man who will
do such work faithfully"
But you can't get that man." was
the reply. That is Mr.. Scriven. He
won't cut wood for you"
why nOt?' queried the gentleman.
Because you are able to pay for it.
He saws wood for poor widows and
sick people, and often sends them
wood"
Upon one occasion he found a family
in the greatest wretchedness, with
the head of the household very ill.
Mr.. Scriven paid their rent, got them
better house, and provided wood
and other necessaries Then, and not
till then, did he talk religion to
them.
Nobody ever suspected that he had
any poetical gift until a short time
before his death. A neighbor was sit
ting up with him, and while the
patient was asleep accidentally found
manuscript copy of What a friend
we have in Jesus!" and read it with
great delight. When Mr.. Scriven was
questioned about it, he said that he
had composed it for his mother. He
had sent her copy to comfort her in
some great sorrow, and had kept this
copy for himself, never intending that
any one else should see it.
Some time later a Port Hope gen
tleman said to him: "Mr. Scriven, it
is said that you composed the hymn,
What friend we have in Jesus!' Is
it 500"
He replied, THE Lord and I did it
between u.s."
The hymn is undoubtedly one that
will live.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
COON AND 'POSSUM.
Something About the Tootfsome Ami
mais of the Woods.

Something About the Toothsone Ami
mails Of the Woods.
Speaking of the hunting season re-
minds me of curious thing in con
nectiOn with the opossum and the rae
COON" said a man who is fond of a
chase in the woods, "and have often
heard hunters remark on exactly the
same thing. Now, it takes we'll
trained dog to whip coon A coon
is one of the gamiest things in the
woods in many respects. They are nat
urally beligerent and fight great
deal among themselves. Among the
we!l-trained dogs You will not find
many that are particularly anxious to
get into a contest with q coon above
the average size.
IF the dog fails to get the coon just
right at the first leap there is trouble
ahead for the dog-split ears. gashed
face and other disagreeable things
of this sort. The dog that under
stands the game will MAKE an effort
to crush the. 'Coon's breast. This is
the only chance he has, and if the
lick misses honors will be even for q
while at least, and the chances will
be in favor of the 'coon's escape a
second time. So game are these AMI
mails when it comes 10 fighting dogs
that one Will frequently be more than
match for a half-dozen dogs. | re
call one instance in my own experience
N 'cnnr1 ba+ ho5 IF h
forelegs in a steel trap whipped three
dogs.
Nov 'possum will not fight dog
at all. They will give up in a minute
and play dead. They simply fall over
as if dead and apparently quit breath
| ing. If they breathe they do not show
| it. But here is the curious thing
which hunters claim to have discov,
cred: A 'possum can whip a coon
| Net only that, but a coon is actually
afraid of a 'possum, and will avoid the
| fight if there is any chance in the
world for him 10 do it, and they have
been known to run.
| Il cannot speak with authority On
| the subject. but | witnessed a thing
once which tended to encourage belief
in what the hunters say. l had built
a scaffOld in persimmon tree and had
been laying for a bear that had be
gun to lay in his winter supply of food
from field Of corn in ST. Francis
county, Arkansas. Suddenly I saw q
| possum slipping around under the
tree picking up the perslmmons which
had fallen. A coon showed up and
the 'possum crouched until the 'coor
was in reach and the white, fuzzy fel
low sprang upon the coon desperate
| ~. I never heard such a wild cry OIL
utter and agonizing despair The
| coon managed to get away, but the
| 'possum remained until he got ready
20 leave. Now, the coon might have
been frightened, merely. I do no.
know how that was. But I am certain
of one thing. The coon quit the per
simmon tree for the night at least" >
New Orleans Times-Democra-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
READING FOR GIRLS.
She Should lest the News OF a Well
Edited Paper

Woma1's Home Compartment Is
absolutely indispensable that the mod
ern girl, in whatever position she
finds herself, whether that of one Of
the worlds workers or that of the
girl Of leisure, should give every day
a portion of her time to reading In
this way only can she keep abreast
Of the times, sharing its best thoughts,
understanding its important move
ments and learning her own attitude
toward the world and the duty which
she owes to it. She must read her
daily paper carefully, selecting with
discretion and conscience the one
which she will read regularly. She
wants TO choose one whose editorial
opinions are recognized and quoted,
whose attitude is fair and which
treats large questions with tolerance
and honesty.
If she lives at distance from the
large centers where these papers are
published, she may subscribe for q
weekly edition of such a paper, in
which she will find all the best
features of the daily editions, it being,
in fact, sort of an abridged edition
of the dailies in point of news. with
the reviews, the best editorials, the
criticisms of art, music, the drama
and all the choicest correspondence
from abroad and centers at home.
This paper well read, with a good
standard magazine, and review
which will be both entertaining and
instructive, with a few well-chosen
books, may constitute her intellectual
bill Of fare and will prove as much
as she can digest without becoming
a mental dyspeptic.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
TALENT AND CHARACTER.
Max O'Reil Says the First Is Oesir.
able, the Second Necessary.

able, the Second Necessary.
Talent helps man 10 obtain sue
cess, but ii is character which secures
it for him. A man will succeed with
character and very little talent, and
will never succeed without character.
whatever talent he may have at his
disposal
By character | mean honesty, stoaGi-
ness of purpose, tact, perseverance
industry, sobriety, self-control. re
liability and strict punctuality. Tie
man who possesses these qualities
need not leave the old world and try
new countries to get a better chance
in life; wherever he goes, wherever he
happens to be, he is bound to be sue
cessful, simply because he is wanted.
Indispensable. everywhere.
No one wants shreWdness without
honesty, Or diplomacy without sill
ccrity.
When yon are IN the presence of a
man who for many years has been
great success in life, take it for grant
eG that You have before you a steady.
sincere. honest and reliable man.
Nhate""~ 'aient he may possess is
of no use to him unless that talent is
the servant of his character. and You
will find that this holds good, no
matter what the pursuit in life of that
man, whether he is man of business
an employer or an employee. or pro
fessional man, lawyer, doctor, journal
ist, artist, literary man, actor.
1t is owing to the absence of charac-
ter that great geniuses have been
known to die in pOorhOuses. 1t is on
| account of their character that man
with little talent have died million
! aires, and most respected ones, too.
! 1t is not the cleverest boy of a class
| who is at the top; it is generally the
one who has the strongest character.
OF course. if he has both genius and
! character, he stands beyond competi-
ton. That goes without saying
There is no luck in life. Luck is OF
: our own making. Luck means rising
at in the morning, living on 81 a day
if you make two. minding your own
business and not meddling with other
peoples: luck means the hardships
and privations which you have net
hesitated to endure, the long nights
that you have devoted to work; Iucl
means the appointments you have
never failed to keep, the trains YOU
have never failed to catch; lucl
means trusting in God and in YOU
own resources, a religion whose motto
is Help yourself and Heaven viii
help you" Luck comes to those wht
help themselves and know how f
wait
If you are successful all the socia
failures will howl at the top of thei
voices that you have always bee
lucky. You may certainly be luck,
for a short time, but you cannot a
: ways be lucky, any more than VOL
: can always be unlucky. The man VIII
: plays cards every day Of his life vii
5 tell you at the end of the year that h
+, has been lucky as many times as h
I has been unlucky.
E This is a mathematical law. a fats
law. The only way to be lucky {
e cards oftener than unlucky is
n cheat; that is to say, to force yol
: luck. to make it.
NJ The same in life: the only way to /
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02

lucky-that is to say successful-is
to leave nothing to chance, but to
spire confidence in others by the
strength and uprightness of youI
character; TO make yourself indis-
pensable Of your reliability and your
devotion to your calling, pleasant by
your cheerfulness, respected for your
honesty and sincerity; ard always to
bear in mind that what can be CD
tanned once by tricky means can, as
rule, be obtained forever and ever Dy
honest ones.-Max O'Rell.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.
Authorship of a Well-knoWn and Pop.
ular Hymn.

Rev. a. c. Crews in Christian En-
deaTor World.-Very few hymns
have been more widely published or
more frequently sung than What
friend We have in Jesus!" Whenever
it is started in Christian endeavor
services or church prayer-meetings
the people join in the singing with
great heartiness and evident enjoy
ment. Thousdu1s have been cheered
in time Of trouble, and led nearer to
the Friend that sticketh closer than
a brother" by this sweet and simple
hymn. 1t is found in almost all the
hymnals, but in scarcely any of them
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
CHILDHOOD.

Fair as Il star, rare as a star
The joys of the future lie
To the eyes of a child, to the signs OF
a child
Heavenly far and high.
Fair as q dream. rare as a dream.
The hopes of a future sure
To the wondering child, to the blunder-
ing child,
Trusting, and free and pure,
Fair is the soul, rare is the soul
Who has kept, after youth is past,
All the art of the child, all the heart
of the child,
Holding his faith at last.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
MISS SUE All FoNG TO MARRY.
Another of the Pretty Sisters to Wed
an American,

an American.
Still another Of The famousIy pretty
All FOng sisters of Honolulu will De
led to the marriage altar by an Ameri-
can. The Honolulu newspapers say
that the approaching wedding in the
great All Fong mansion in the sub
burbs of Honolulu will be the most
notable event, in point Of ceremony
and style, Of any similar affairs that
have taken place there. Miss Sue
All Fong will be welded to Samuel s.
Hocraft, who has been considered ore
of the foremost matrimonial catches
in Oregon for several years. He is a
Harvard university man, All heir TO
large mining wealth, and Traveller
and polished club man. After ten
years of mingling in society in Europe
and much of America he has laid his
heart at the feet of a lovely daughter
of the tropical islands in the south
seas, aud he snaps his fingers at all
talk about the Chinese father of his
prospective bride.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
TO THE MARK.

To the mark goes the ship,
Bird and boat and booming train;
To the mark speak eye and lip,
Deeply loved that love again.
To the mark the arrow sings.
Planets move and rains descend.
To the mark the hammer rings.
To the mark speaks friend with
friend.
To the mark so AK and plow.
Shame upon thy listless aim
II it glance aside. and thou
Fail to give thy work thy name.
-Ethelwyn WetheraId.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02

proof and the simultaneous presence
of Miss Lamont and of the prisoner in
the church was demonstrated.
For the guidance of the jury they
were taken to the belfry where the
body lay. Durrant accompanied them
He stood In the little room where
Minnie Williams was choked and
gashed to death, and he passed up
the narrow staircase through which
he had dragged the body of Miss La
mont, but in that trying ordeal his
nerve and assurance did not desert
him. He even smiled as he brushed
from his neat clothes the dust and
cobwebs which touched him in the
belfry.
A model Of the church was used in
evidence in court. A French doll
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
Angels Bothered Her.

Thaddeus Hyatt, a prominent mem
Der of the Dyker Heights colony, has a
little daughter who has been religf-
ously impressed with the idea that
good angels are always in attendance
upon her. One day last week when she
went out for her daily walk she was
followed by her dog
Go back, Dick said she. 60 back,
say. It's bad enough to have the
angels flying about all day without
hothering with you. New York
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02

This event recalls one of the most
sensational tragedies in the history of
the country. On April -, 1895, the
women who went to decorate the EN-
manuel Baptist church in San Fran
cisco for Easter Sunday found in the
little library of the Sunday school the
dead body of Minnie Williams, mem
Der of the church. She had been
stabbed and strangled. On the fol-
lowing day prompted by that discov-
cry, a search was made of the belfry
and there was discovered the body Of
Blanche Lamont. AS in the case OF
Miss Williams, death was due to
strangulation, and the slayer had laid
out the body, which was unclcthed, as
doctor or medical student would be
apt to do Behind the head, keeping
it in position were two wooden blocks
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-02
Model for American Women.

The model that should be held up
to American women Of today IS not
the Amazon, glorying in her martial
deeds and powers; not the Spartan
who made female perfection to con
sist in the development Of physical
strength at the expense Of feminine
decorum and modesty; not the god
desS of impure love like Venus
whose yotaries regarded beauty Of
form the personal charm IS the
highest types Of womanly exc. Hence.
No, the model that should be held up
before you and all women is Mary the
mother of Christ She is the great
pattern of virtue, and all that goes
to make the perfect woman alike TO
maiden, wife and mother-Cardina1
Gibbons in The Ladies' Home Jour
nal.