davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
BADGER STATE NEWS
INTERESTING HAPPENINGS IN
VARIOUS WISCONSIN TOWNS.
INSURANCE PROBE IS BEGUN
Investigation of Northwestern Mu-
tral at Milwaukee Sheds Light on
Methods-Heroine Elopes
with Clerk.

Milwau l.ee.-The insurance inveSti-
eating committee selected by the Wis
consin legislature in special session
for the investigation of life insurance
companies has begun what will I'M
doubtedly be the major portion of its
work in the investigation of the
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.
Vice President Skinner was closely
questioned on the manner of making
loans to policyholders and others. He
admitted that loans had been made to
policyholders by officers of the COM
pany at high interest and in response
to a request will present a list of these
loans.
Mr.. Skinner said he remembered
that loans were made by himself and
for his wife and some of her relatives,
the late Vice President keenan,, Vice
President Markham, H. F. Norris, SUI
perintendent of agencies; DR.. ]. w.
Fisher, medical director; President
Palmer'S wife and son, and some of
the clerks. Mr.. Skinner said that
while he arranged these loans he re-
ceived no commission.
Some loans were made at the rate OF
ten per cent. interest during the hard
times of 1893. After criticising the
terms of the loan contracts used by
the company, which Mr.. Skinner de-
Tended on the ground of sound bust
ness policy, Mr.. O'Connor directed
Mr.. Skinner to appear with all the
papers in the case of James Ennis, q
policyholder whose policy was can
celed owing to his failure to keep the
terms OF loan agreement
President H. l.. Palmer of the COM
pany was witness Thursday Ad-
missions were made by Mr.. Palmer
which showed practically that the
officers and trustees of the company
were in position by proxy system
to control its elections.
Copies of proxies were introduced
showing that in soliciting the proxies
an impression has been given that
such proxies must necessarily be
granted to citizens of Milwaukee
| There is no clause in the Northwest
ern Mutual Life Insurance company's
bylaws compelling such qualifica,
ton for policyholders and President
Palmer admitted that the requests
were misleading in this regard ant
announced that the clause in the re-
quest would never appear again.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19

business which he knew all about,
would make money, while the man
who knew about dry goods, but
worked in a millinery store or a stock
of tinware, got it in the neck. He
would either get stuck on the head
milliner, or buy a stock of tinware
that would not hold water.
So resolution was passed to the
effect that hereafter no temptation
could be great enough to get our show
to go into anything outside of the
business, no matter how good it looked
as a get-rich-quick affair. So we gath
cred up our show and played whole
week in Oklahoma, and had full
houses all the time, and made money
enough to redeem our animals that had
been attached .by creditors We have
paid up our debts and we got out of
Oklahoma with flying colors.
If we had gone right on to Kansas
we would have shown sense, but some
cowboys from the Indian Territory
told pa and the other managers that
if we would take the show to the In
dian Territory we couldn't get cars
enough to haul the money away, as the
Indians had got round-shouldered and
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19

They soon had the whole buacD under
control, and we ali got together to see
if anybody was hurt
Well. pa was the worst sight OF all.
If his belt had broke he never would
have lost his pants, cause more than
million cactus thorns had gone
through and pinned them on. We had
to cut them off, and pull out the thorns
with pincers, one at time, and pa
yelling murder for every thorn. The
boss canvassman was in the same fix,
and everybody that tried to hold an
animal was pinned together with
thorns, and they had gravel up their
trousers from sticking their heels into
the soil.
Everybody was mad, and they threat
ened to lynch pa when they got back
to the tent for suggesting letting tire
animals out to Craze. We started back
to town, the cowboys and Indians driy-
ing the animals, and the zebras and
giraffes kicking up and acting as
though they had got out of school on
account of the death Of dear teacher,
like schoolboys.
Before we got to town wind came
up so strong that we had to walk edge
wise to go against it, and finally we
met the tent coming out to meet us,
cause cyclone had taken it bodily and
was blowing it all over the prairie.
And wIen we got to town the animals
| in the cages, that can't eat grass, were
having an indignation meeting, and
| bowling awful.
| Pa was the first man to get back to
| the lot, and he asked me what |
| thought he better do, and | told him
he better get in the porcupine cage,
cause he looked, with the cactus thorns
sticking out of him like the father OF
| all porcupines He said l thought |
was smart, and he asked me If | was
| hurt any, and I told him all | could
| find was a stone bruise on my spine,
where I struck prairie dog house.
! Well, we got the animals into liy-
| cry barn, and it took us almost the
whole week to have the tent hauled
back and sewed together, and we had
to pay the cowboys and Indians more
! than the animals were worth to bring
them back, and let them into the show
| free The managers had meeting and
resolved to get out of the Indian Ter
| ritory and into Kansas just as quick
! as possible
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
FOUND AFTER FIFTY YEARS
Girl Who Wandered from New York
at Age of Six Discovered
in the West.

Albuquerque, N. M.-Hester Ann
Alexander Smith, for so years wan
derer on the face of the earth, withOrS
living relative known to her, haa
just been identified as the daughter
of the family Of Paddocl1s, wealthy
farmers living near Warwick, n. y.
who for half a century have been loox-
ing in vain for the missing daughter.
The story of Mrs. Smiths wander
ings is a good deal stranger than iic-
ton. Fifty years ago, while child
of six years, she followed wandering
hand organ man away from her homo
one morning. The hand organ man
had monkey and, attracted by the an
tics of the animal, the child followed
on and on until the itinerant musician
took her up and made her sing for
him as he toured the country.
The whole country aided in the
search for the child, but without re-
suit. With the hand organ man she
travelled westward and finally found
her way to the tactic coast.
There she grew up, forgetting her
name and the names of her relatives
and only retaining dim memory of
the scenes of her birthplace.
It was this dim memory which has
finally restored her to her relatives,
who have never forgotten the missing
child. Mrs. Smith has been twice mar
ried.
In 1884 she came with her family to
Silver City, n. M, where she buried
her husband and all of her four chill
dren. Feeling the years creeping on
she longed for more knowledge of her
own people Three years ago she
came to Albuquerque and began the
search for her relatives. She adver-
tised widely in eastern newspapers, de-
scribing the scenes as pictured ON her
memory of her childhood days.
The result was a letter from Thomas
c. Paddock, of Vernon. N. j., her cous-
in, and another from her brother,
James Paddock. of Warwick, N. Y,
who is still living at the old home
stead. Correspondence began at once
and Mrs. Smith is soon to go to the
I home of her childhood. She learned
that her parents had been dead for
| % years and that of her brothers and
sisters but one was living. Her rela-
tives in New York are wealthy and
have written her that she need have
no further care for the future.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
POTATO. GROWING COST.
Itemized Account of the Planting and
Cultivation of Two Acres Of
the Vegetable

/ will give you the cost of raising
two acres of potatoes during 1905,
writes a correspondent of the Rural
New Yorker. The ground has been un-
der cultivation every year for the last
seven years. 1t has a gravelly soil.
We used one ton of fertilizer, contain
ing AZ per cent. potash. We plowed
the ground about ten inches deep. We
marked the rows with a one-horse
pillow and tried to get them about eight
inches deep; then we put the fertilizer
in the rows by hand. We also dropped
the potatoes by hand aoout Is inches
apart in the row, covering them by
dragging across the rows with spring
tooth drag. Before the potatoes came
up we dragged the ground over twice
week, so that when they did come up
the ground was nice and clean. We be-
gan spraying them with Bordeaux Mix
ture when they were about six inches
high, and our aim was to keep the
vines well covered with this mixture
all of the time.
We kept an accurate account OF the
expense, which is as follows: Flowing,
81; marking and covering, $1.75; labor
for dropping potatoes and fertilizer,
$13.75; potatoes III bushels), SLATE;
fertilizer Zone toni, $3.50; dragging,
$1.75; cultivating six times, $3.50; hoe
ing twice, So; spraying ten llmes $40:
digging and delivering potatoes, $50;
rent of ground, at $40 per acre, $50;
total, $l55.75. The yield was: Large,
$50 bushels; small, 35 bushels; seed,
90 bushels. This may seem like an
enormous sum for harvesting two
acres of potatoes, but our ground is
very stony. which made it slow dig
ging, as the potatoes were so deep in
the ground. The potatoes sold for so
cents per bushel. The vines kept green
long after other pieces of potatoes in
this vicinity were all struck with the
blight and the vines were dead
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
BELIEVER IN DEEP FLOWING
What a Missouri Farmer Thinks Are
the Benefits to Be Derived by
the Method.

/ believe in deep blowing, writes
Missouri farmer, because it will deep
en- the soil and soil reservoir which
holds the moisture. In the country
where the soil is shallow | like to
plow a little deeper each year, and in
so doing will gradually increase the
depth of the soil. The furrow slice
should be turned SO that the harrow
or the implement which follows can
do the work after blowing. The sur
face of the field should be left in
corrugated form so that harrow or
cutter can get hold to do the work.
The furrow slice must not stand ON
the end or be turned fiat. Another
important point is to not plow when
too wet, for it will greatly injure the
soil and the ground will be harder
to work afterwards. Don't get in too
much of a hurry for it never pays to
pillow ground when it is too wet
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
La Crosse Gets Old Silver.

Part of silver service formerly the
property of Gov. c. c.. Washburn has
been presented to the La Crosse pub
lie library, which Gov Washburn
founded. 1t was presented to Wash
burn, then major general, by his staff
in May, 1865, but many years ago dis
appeared, and though search was made
for 1t, it could never be located. II
was found a short time ago in a junk
shop at Philadelphia, and on account
OF its historical interest was brought
to Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf, of that
city, who in turn gave it to Albert
Hirshheimer of this city Mr.. Hirsh-
heimer presented it to the Washburn
public library, where it will be care
fully preserved. The part of the serv-
ice recovered, which is a solid silver
pitcher about IA inches high of unique
and handsome repousse design, still
plainly contains the following in
scription: ITO Maj. Gen. C. C. Wash
burn, from the Members of His staff.
May, 1863"
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
Rifles for Feeble Minded.

Madison.-Male inmates OF the nome
for feeble minded at Chippewa Fails
will be given rifle practice to stlmu-
late mental activity. AS result OF a
series of experiments that have been
carried on in that institution It has
been decided that this is the best form
of exercise that can be supplied.
Senator La Toilette, at the request OF
A. d. ConoYer of the board of control,
has secured so old Springfield rifles
from the war department, which have
been shipped to Chippewa Falls for the
purpose of practice.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
Fraud Charge at Superior.

Superior. municipal ownership
party alleges that there was fraudu-
lent counting in one precinct in the
Seventh and one in the Fourth wards
here at the recent election. In each
Linley, Republican, was given large
majority over O'Hare, M. O., enough
to elect him in either case. He car
ried but three other precincts in the
city. In the Fourth and Seventh pre-
cincts the ballots were burned con-
trary to the election law. The M. 0.
forces allege that they were counted
out in these precincts. 1t has been
finally decided by the municipal own
ership forces, however, not to contest
the election of Linley.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
Appropriate Time

The chaplain of a British warship
was giving a magic lantern lecture,
the subject of which was Scenes
From the Bible" He arranged with
a sailor who possessed gramophone
to discourse appropriate music be-
tween the slides. The first picture
shown was Adam and Eve IN the gar
den of Eden. The sailor cudgeled his
brain, but could think of nothing
suitable. play up" whispered the
chaplain. Suddenly a large idea
struck the jolly tar and, to the great
CONSERVATION of the chaplain and the
delight of the audience, the gramo.
phone burst forth with the strains of
There's Only One Girl in the World
for Me-" OF course. he might have
played "Wearin' of the Green"
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19

IFS hind feet and held up two toes
gers when they want to go in swim
ming, and the elephant started for a
creek and went in the water and the
whole herd followed, and they spat
tered each other, and ducked and rolled
around just like school boys. The
whole population of the town, whites
and Indians, came to the bank of the
river to watch the fun.
Pa was holding his elk by rope
and one of the managers had rope
around the neck of giraffe, the
treasurer and the ticket taker was
leading the zebras, and everybody was
busy with some kind of animal, and
I had a rope around an antelope, and
some of our men on horseback were
herding the buffaloes. 1t didn't seem
as though anything wrong could hap
pen. The elephants wouldn't come oul
of the creek, so the boss canyassman
went over to where there were about
500 cowboys and Indians on horse
back. and asked them to ride into the
creek and drive the elephants out
where the rest of the animals were, OIL
the prairie.
Gee, tut that was the greatest mis-
take he could have made. The mer
on horseback didn't want any better
fun, so they made charge, in line Of
battle, just like Sheridan's cavalry
down the bank, into the creek, yell
ing and waving lariat ropes, ant
swapping whips and the elephants go
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
Gets Tine TO watertown.

Madison.-It is reported that the
Illinois Central Railway company has
made an arrangement with the Chica-
go, Milwaukee & st. Paul Railway
company whereby the former will be
able to run trains on the latter's road
from Madison to Watertown Junction.
If the report is true, the Illinois Cen
trail is probably intending to build q
new line from WATERFOWL up into the
northwestern part of the state. For
years the Central has been trying to
get through Madison, but owing to
the peculiar location of the lakes,
which nearly surround the city, it has
found itself unable to do so.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
Urges Banks to Advertise.

About SO bankers of southeastern
Wisconsin organized group of the
Wisconsin Bankers association at
Oconomowoc. Officers were elected as
follows: President, J. E. Wheeler, Col
umbus; vice president, G. d. Probert,
OconOmowoc; secretary treasurer, E.
F. Williams, Delavan. Among the pa
pers read was one on advertising as a
business getter for banks by Assistant
Cashier M. A. Graettinger of the Ger
mania National bank, Milwaukee. Mr..
Graettinger called attention to Cleve-
land, O., as an example Of what pub
licity will do for the banking business.
Cleveland has savings deposits in its
banks to the amount of six per cant.
of the entire savings deposits of the
United States, whereas its population
is but half of one per cent. of the pop
ulation of the country. The standing
advertisement he said was of no more
avail than the sign over bank in
getting business. The advertising must
educate the public to use bank. Mr..
Graettinger contended that advertising
tended to increase confidence in a
bank.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
TREATING SEED GRAIN.
Method of Applying the Formalin So
luton to Kill Smut and 9th
Ell Germs.

Clean off space on the barn floor
or sweep a clean space on the hard
level ground and lay a good-sized can
vas down, or which to spread out the
grain. See that the place is swept
clean and thoroughly sprinkled with
the formalin solution before placing
the seed grain.
Now spread out your seed grain and
prepare the formalin solution. Use
four ounces of formalin to ten gallons
of water. Put the solution in barrel
or tub, thoroughly mixing it SO the
formalin will be we'll distributed. Two
gallons of the solution will treat 100
pounds of grain.
This solution can be applied with the
garden sprinkler Care must be taken
to thoroughly moisten the grain.
Sprinkle, stir the grain up thoroughly
and sprinkle again, until you feel GER
tain every kernel is wet with the solu-
ton.
When you have completed the
sprinkling process, place the grain in a
conical pile and cover with horse
blankets, gunny sacks, etc., to hold the
gas from the formalin within the pile
which kills all smut spores. After the
grain has remained in covered pile
two to four hours, spread it out again
where the wind can blow over it, to.
air and dry as rapidly as possible.
AS soon as one can take the grain
in the hand without the kernels stick
ing together, says the Farm and Home,
it can be sown in the field. Since this
treatment swells the kernels it hastens
termination and should be done in the
spring just before seeding time. Set
the seeder accordingly.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
Boys Charged with Arson.

0Oyo ecu WILL @1A SUI.
That they attempted to set fire to
the Seventh district schoolhouse in
Milwaukee because they had been kept
after hours by a teacher, is the charge
which has been lodged by the police
against two boys, Oscar Johnson and
Otto Wenzel, both II years of age. 1t
is claimed that the boys set fire to the
building, but the flames were extin-
guished before any serious damage
had been done. According to the story
told by the police the boys had been
kept after school for some misde-
meanor After they were allowed to
go it is claimed that they went to the
girls cloak room and soon after
flames were seen to be coming from
this direction. It is also claimed that
another boy saw the alleged incendiar-
les coming from the room. An alarm
was sounded, but the fire was put out
before the fire department arrived.
The room where the fire started con-
tains a number of combustible articles.
Later when Principal Fairchild met
the boys and asked them to explain
their action, one of them replied: I'VE
were sore because you kept us after
school" The case was reported to the
police and the arrest followed.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19

bow-legged carrying the money they
had made grazing cattle, and the ter
ritory was full of cowboys that had
money to burn, and they hadn't seen
q circus since the war.
Well. it seemed a shame to go by
the Indian Territory, and allow those
poor Indians to break their backs car
rying money around, and so we sent
carload of bill pastors into the territory
and billed towns that would hold us
about a week, and we figured that we
would clean up enough money to last
US all a lifetime. / wish l didn't have
to write about the result, cause we are
broke up so we can't look pleasant to
have our pictures taken.
It was a bright, beautiful Sunday
morning that we arrived at Muskoka
and soon after daylight we had our
tents pitched. AS we had all day Sun
day to rest, pa suggested that it would
be a good idea to take all our animals
that eat grass out on the grazing
ground on the edge of the town and
let them fill up on the nice blue grass
that was knee-high all over the coun-
try. So after breakfast we detailed
men to take charge of the different
animals, and herd them out in the tall
grass. 1t was beautiful sight to see
those rare animals, gathered from all
over the world, eating grass together.
in perfect peace, in this new country.
The animals that we thought would
stand without hitching like the ele-
plants, were cared for by their at
tendants, but the animals that might
wander from their own Preside. were
picketed out, or held by long ropes, the
deer, the buffalo, the zebras. the sacred
cattle, the elk, the yaks, the camels
and that kind, were tied with long
lariats, and held by the men detailed
by the managers. For couple of
hours the animals just gorged them
selves, after they had kicked up their
heels spell and rolled in the grass.
Then one "a the elephants got up on
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19

ing to keep up with my antelope,
which was scared worse than any ami
NAL in the race. When the antelope
and I overlook the boss canyassman.
who was digging his heels into the
ground trying to hold his zebra, 1
thought it was a good time to say
something pleasant, so I said: This
is a lovely country we are passing
through but / never heard his reply,
cause just then tire zebra jumped over
a big cactus and the boss canvassman
went into it, and he stayed there, yell
ing for piece of ice, while the zebras
that were dragging the treasurer and
the ticket taker passed us. / yelled to
the treasurer and told him / should
have to have my salary raised if I was
expected to keep up with my antelope,
but he told me where to go to get an
increase of salary. some place In Ar
kansas-maybe Hot Springs.
Then my antelope heard the Indians
and cowboys coming behind. and he
got his second wind, and l never did
touch the ground no more, and L must
have looked like buZzard sailing
through the air. When my antelope
got up to where pa was trying to keep
up with his elk, told pa he better let
go his elk and get the cowboys and
Indians to ride around ahead of the
stampede and head them OFF.
Pa said he couldn't let go of his elk
cause the rope was tied to his belt,
but for me to hit the ground some
where ahead and let go of that jack
rabbit was chasing, and tell the cow
boys to head off the stampede. So
when l lit again / let go the rope,
and the antelope got ahead of every
thing, and | wished had bet on him.
When the cowboys and Indians got
up to me I delivered the message from
pa, and they divided and went around
the TANKS of the stampeders. and in
another mile they headed them of in
nice pasture, and kept riding around
the animals SO they couldn't get awav.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-19
HANDY DITCHING DEVICE.

side of the device in the center Of fur
row and the short side will throw the
dirt out that the pillow has left loose.
After going one way, turn and come
back, throwing the balance of the soil
out on the other side. Repeat the OPP
Grafton, says the st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocart, until your ditch is as large as
you wish it. In level field one can
make a number Of miles of ditch in y
day. The device can be made accord
ing to size of ditch wanted.