davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
INSURANCE INQUIRY ENDS.
Legislative Committee Adjourns At.
ter Unearthing Scandal.

After four months of most arduous
work the legislative committee APP
pointed at an extra session of the
New York legislature adjourned Sat
urday night. Since midsummer
through the workings of this commit
poratei under the laws of New York
State, and many Incorporated under
the laws Of other States, have been
subjected to a searching examination
as TO their business methods. The tes-
timony has been sensational at many
sessions, and in these four months, the
public has watched closely day by day
the developments.
With the termination of the COM
mittee's inquiry there comes to an end
an investigation which in many ways
marks an epoch in the country's bust
ness history. 1t is too early to esti-
mate the ultimate results of the i'll
vestigation, but they cannot fail to be
farreaching. When, early in the past
year, the disagreement between James
Hazen Hyde and President Alexander
ty brought TO light some of the pecu-
liaritfes in the administration of that
concern, the public had not the faint
est conception of the true state of af-
fairs as regards any of the leading
companies. Even by the end of June
the facts were but vaguely suspected.
From the time the investigating COM
mittee began work, four months ago,
the process Of turning up new scan
dals and instances of graft has been
almost continuous. Hardly q week has
gone by without it's disclosures of
fresh instances of extravaganza or pri-
vate greed or new revelations of sin
lister and unsupported relations be-
tween business and politics. The men
directly affected by these disclosures
have been some of the most conspicu-
Gus in public life, but hardly one of
them has escaped suspicion, while
many OF them have suffered a loss of
prestige and reputation from which
they never will recover.
Not the least instructive feature of
the inquiry has been the lesson it has
afforded regarding the practical value
of legislative investigation when
properly conducted. The public gener-
ally is prone to be pessimistic as to
the utility of such Investigations. Or
dinarily they begin with much osten-
tation and high promise of results only
to terminate in a perfunctOry and
valueless report. The New York COM
mittee, made up of men who were in
earnest and equipped with an able,
tactful and aggressive lawyer, who
saw his duty and did it without hest
tatiOn, obtained facts which will lead
to real and permanent reforms. New
and better laws and better methods Of
supervising insurance companies will
be provided. Public sentiment as re-
CARDS honest business standards has
been improved.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11

in return to make his home perfectly
comfortable"
Il think the men have the best of the
bargain in every respect" one of the
others grumbled. ''They can go when
they please and do as they please"
mot when their wives compel them to,
smoke in the barnr' the big, benignant
president of the club remarked. The
dimpled lady. striving to avert the storm
that her own words had raised, began:
Il had myself set to right on that sub
ject when | was mere slip of girl,
and | got my experience, as Mrs. L. does
her cigar, by proxy. l once went to
visit my cousins in New York and they
took me into all their social affairs be-
cause l was an amusing child. In their
crowd was one girl, call her a girl II
you want to be kind but she wasn't far
from 30 She was immensely rich and
very handsome, of the imperious type.
"She was afraid every man who look
ed at her was after her money, until one
man began to pay her some attention
He had more than she and was consid-
cred n great catch. She thought she had
him, and | have no doubt he thought
So too, until the evening l have in mind.
We were all in my uncie's library, hav-
ing a coy time, when this very subject
of smoking came up. The man said
rather positively, I expect to settle the
cigar question the first thing. l shall
smoke a cigar in the carriage, right at
ter the wedding breakfast The girls
eyes blazed and she snapped out, Yes,
and | shall knock it out of your mouth!
He gave her a long, straight look for
about three paralyzing minutes and then
he said, very quietly, But you won't be
there 1t took her some time to realize
that by that one rude speech she had
lost him, and my cousin said she went
to the most humiliating lengths to try to
get him back"
II hope she wasn't soft enough to go
and offer to let him smoke if he wanted
to-" one of the smokophobes exploded.
''She couldn't very well do that, for he
had not actually proposed, although he
had come dangerously near it, and he
said to my cousin that it was only that
speech that saved him. He married my
cousin, and he smokes whenever and
wherever he wants to.'-St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
q 11e So Side
s. GsgSF' ~
The News ~

Congress will have to run those rail
way rate bills on the block system.
Before we get any ditch dug in Pan
ANA we may have to send down the
Digger Indians.
To ask Senator Burton when his term
expires would embarrass a more modest
statesman.
The New York State insurance ma
chine was not equipped with graft
detector.
If Congress does half of what is ex-
pected Of it this winter, the grafters will
come to grief
Explorer Amundsen seems to believe
it will require the services of diver to
find the North Magnetic Pole.
The President Of Venezuela can't
make up his mind which he is going to
fight first, Italy or France.
Some of those New York insurance
policies were more like the game of pol
icy than the business Of insurance.
With the American hen laying 90
000,000,000 eggs a year, the chicken
family has something to crow over.
What with large salary and commits
sions on his own risks, the insurance
man can play life against death in any
combination and still come out a winner.
The Postmaster General seems to
think the free mailing Of speeches made
in Congress to constituencies is not only
an infiction upon the recipient, but
knocks all the profit out of the postal
business.
e 4I,n L.,
the hand of the Presidents daughter,
the bald-headed men may take heart.
Perhaps on his next "waIk-softly'' ex-
petition the President will use Meme
lik's elephant tusks in place Of the big
stick"
Since the Russo-Japauese war ended,
China feels it her duty 20 raise enough
disturbance to keep up interest in the
Orient.
With all the talk Of reforming the big
New York insurance corporations, there
is no proposal to Increase the policy
holders dividends.
Col. Joseph Bucklin Bishop Of the
Panama Canal Commission probably be-
Heves that a press agent by any other
name will do as well.
The question to the grafters. "Where
did you get itF' is succeeded by the
roaring query, "When are you going to
give up the plunderT'
Chairman Shonts, of the Canal Com
mission, says that dirt viii begin to fly
in earnest by July L next. The mud
singing has already begun.
Viewed in the light of recent events,
it is a good thing that the smoke is so
thick at Pittsburg, or the people might
see what a nice town it really is.
Rev. Anna Shaw says the United
States is not a republic. The woman
suffragists must consider it a sort of
cross-continent debating society.
After his experience with the heat at
Portsmouth last summer NJ. Witte is
more or less acclimated to the present
tropical spell in St. Petersburg
Selling corrected" testimony at $50 a
copy to insurance companies seems 20
show ''our rantankerous friend from up
the river had an idea of business.
Somebody in the United States has
bought S37, 100000 worth of diamonds
this year. This is another indication
that the chorus girl industry is flourish
ing.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11

as merely the everyday usage Of good
society--it threw her into excited rap
lures They liked each other! So she
settled down to earnest work to throw
them together more and more.
After a couple of weeks of unusual
and flattering attentions on the part of
the young mans mother, and many
condolences from her as to the young
mans prospects, amazingly good dispo-
s1uion, marvelously deep and tender
affections and general surpasSingness,
any girl not entirely deaf, blind and
imbecile might be pardoned for becom-
ing suspicious. Miss Widen suddenly
began to dodge the miserable Clarence,
who came at his mothers bidding, po-
Iitely mutinOus, but helpless.
After having succeeded in landing
her son on the Wilden's front porch
and claiming Grace down to entertain
ing him, Mrs. Falworth was always in
tue seventh heaven. They were so ex-
actly suited to each other in her esti-
nation that she could not conceive it
possible for them not to see it them
selves and fall in love. 1t was simply
one of the things that were going to
be, and she did not worry. The fact
that they sat and glared at each other
and relapsed into sulky monosyllables
as soon as she was out of sight, talk
ing to Grace's mother, was, of course
mercifully spared Mrs. Falworth She
was one of those people whom it is
necessary to knock down and chloro-
form before it is possible to instill any
unwelcome idea into her brains.
According to her lights, everything
was going beautifully if she only could
bring Clarence and Grace within the
radiance OF each others presence. She
felt that Grace might show a trife
more enthusiasm and excitement over
the prospect of marrying such a man
as her son, but on the other hand, it
was rare to find a modest, shy girl
nowadays, and so she excused her.
Clarence" reported Grace in omin-
ously calm tones to her family one
CIV ing after the gentleman in ques-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11

And you took the cigar in prefer
ence" one of the mothers asked, her
countenance dimpling with amusement.
We'll. that was where you made your
first serious mistake. You should have
insisted on his smoking the pipe. Mind
you, not "a pipe, but that very one that
the negro janitor had used. That would
have cured him in less than Il week, es-
pecaIly if you had pretended to like it.
well, | am thankful to say there is
no duplicity in me. If l don't like
thing, | am honest enough to say so,
and in no uncertain language" the lady
replied, and she seemed to gather her
robes of righteousness about her lank
form. II put up with the cigars simply
because my husband is too selfish to re-
spect my Wishes but | never, for one
instant gave him to understand that /
approved"
You should have done as l did" an
other lean lady suggested. Il told my
husband that if he insisted upon smok-
ing, he would have to go to the barn
to do it, and | made things so warm
for him that now there is no question
about it. He picks himself up after
dinner and goes to the barn for his
smoke"
Did you ever go out to the barn and
find him in the society of some more
humane lady?' the dimpled one asked.
'Find some other woman smoking
with him in the barn. the austere wife
screamed. I'D fix them both if l ever
caught them Who is she? Did you
ever see herr"
Il never saw any such person; but
should think a man who was not allowed
to smoke. or do any other reasonable
thing in his own house, in the presence
of his own wife, would find some other
woman to help him enjoy his after-din-
ner cigar"
That was a bomb, hurled squarely into
the enemy's camp. In an instant the
Mothers Club was divided into smoke
phobes and smokophiles. After that they
did not mince words.
81 am going to write a tract on the
Rights of Husbands" one of the latter
said, emphatically. II don't wonder that
the divorce docket is so crowded. When
man goes out and works hard to sup
port his wife and children in comfort,
think it is as little as a woman can do
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
JUMPED OVER CHRISTMAS.
How Pacific Steamship Passengers
Missed the Day Entirely

One hundred persons who left Seattle
on Dec. IS for the Orient skipped Christ
mas day, but the oldest thing about it is
that they probably knew nothing of it,
but went through the observation of the
natal day of the Savior, blissfully uncon-
scious of the fact that the day was drop
ped from their calendar.
Those who were victimized in this way
were passengers on the Great Northern
steamship Dakota, en- route to Japan
and China. The ships schedule provided
that the steamer pass over the day line
in the Pacific ocean Sunday night. YES
sells going to the Orient from the United
States always lose one day at the day
line, and the Dakota lost hers Christmas
day. She arrived at the 1S0th meridian
just about midnight Sunday. The instant
the line was struck it became Tuesday,
or the day after Christmas.
Passengers on the steamship were kept
in the dark as to this conspiracy to roo
Saint Nicholas, and an effort was I'M
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
SLAIN BY BOND.
Former Governor of Idaho Killed
While Entering Home.

While Entering Home.
Frank Steunenberg, former Govern
or of the State of Idaho, was killed by
the explosion of u dynamite bomb Sat
urday evening, and thus, after the in
teryention of a number of years, the
inner circle eff the Occur D'Alcne dy-
namiters whom he so relentlessly
prosecuted while Governor is believed
to have secured its long threatened re-
venge
The asSsination CT Steunenbers vas
one of the most cold-blooded and re-
voting crimes of its nature in the his
tory of the United States. Never be-
fore has the dreaded weapon of the
Russian anarchists, with when the
Cars of the empire are kept in con-
slant fear, been turned on any man,
no matter how hated, in american
public life.
Tile bomb was placed at the gate
of the former Governors home in such
a manner that the opening of the gate
would set it off. The Steunenberg
EcSltsoHCt IL SllUtlet III inc bOlSc SUI
urb of Caldwell, and Steunenberg was
later than usual in getting to his home
Saturday evening. He reached the
gate at about 6 40 o'clock and swung
it open with a shove. Instantly there
was a mighty explosion The noise
was heard miles away. Windows were
shaken in houses blocks distant
Members of the Steunenberg family
Immediately rushed to the scene of
the explosion. The gate had been shat
tered into thousand bits and lying
in the midst of the debris was the for
mer Governor. Both legs had been
carried away and what was left OF
the body was horribly cut and bruised.
who shot me-" muttered Steunen-
berg family. He then lapSed off INTO
unconSciouSness. He was carried MO
the house and died twenty minutes
later He never recovered conscious
ness.
The authorities are firmly convinced
that the assassination was the result
of the prominent part Steunenberg
played in the prosecution of the Occur
D'Alene dynamiters while Governor in
1899. His life has frequently been
threatened by men identified with the
inner circle of the dynamiters.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
Manufacture of Horseshoe Nails.

There's philosophy in horseshoe
nails, and history, too," remarked Doc
Bellengee, a travelling salesman. "For
instance, you hear that the automo-
bile has put the horse down. Well,
listen to the comment of facts.
I'm 1894 twenty-seyen tons of nails
for shoes were turned out daily for
American consumption. That quantity
would shoe 100000 horses a day. In
1904 the quantity had increased to
forty-one tons daily, showing that $780,
coo horses were being shod every TWEEN
ty-four hours. As a matter of fact
mechanical inventions Lave not de-
creased the use of horses at all. Rail-
way trains haven't done it, street cars
haven't, automobiles won't People
travel more that's al."-Kansas City
Times
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
Short News Notes.

Horatio Ray Miller of New York died
in London of pneumonia.
The directors of the Cleveland Flee
trio railway have raised the wages of
more than 1000 motormen and conduc-
tors l cent an hour.
Justice Kenefick Of Buffalo authorized
Receiver Wheeler Of the German bank
of Buffalo to accept the $65O,O00 offer
Of the Assets Realization COMPANY of
Chicago for the banks assets now in his
aands. The face value Of the assets is
S2,10OO00.
George Pfster. one-armed man, was
shot and killed by posse Of farmers
while stealing grain from the barn of
W. g. Turner, Il weIl-knowH prohibition
ist living near Dayton, Ohio.
Ambassador Reid, in the name of the
Nelson Memorial Society of England,
presented to President Roosevelt a
bronze statuette Of Admiral Nelson, cast
from the guns of the old flagship Vic
tory.
The steamer Mowera from Australia
brought news to Victoria. B. c.. Of the
arrival of the American fve-masted
schooner Kineo at Brisbane with Cap
tain Patten, his wife and the rest of
the crew suffering from beri beri.
Representatives from all tho New
England States met in Boston and or
ganized the New England Association
for the Restriction of immigration. Gov
elect Curtis Guild, Jr., was elected hon.
orary president.
A peculiar provision in the articles of
iuaorOora tio0 of fhe Tntarru OrIT1t in Re-
publican Company, formed to issue a
third morning paper in Salt Lake City,
is that the stockholders shall observe the
birthday of Abraham Lincoln by an an
nual meeting and that their paper shall
publish all the addresses made on that
occasion. Albert E. Blunck. formerly
publisher OF Lafayette, Ind, is president
of the new company.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
State News in Brief.

Clerks in department stores at Ke-
nOsha, who were caught rObbing their
employers, may not be prosecuted on ac-
count of the prominence of the families
involved.
Alderman Sherburne NJ. Becker and
Francis J. Stiglbauer came to blows in
the Milwaukee city hall, during an ex-
cited discussion of the budget, but were
pulled apart before any great damage
was done. Becker later secured a war.
rant for his assaiIant, ard the latter gave
bail.
Lieutenant Governor Davidson aas
been inaUgurated Governor of Wisconsin
to succeed Governor LaFollette. who re-
signed to become United States Sena.or
Mrs. Susan Crossman. who is nearly
1O3 years old, drove seven and a nalf
miles from her home in Avon to BGloit
to take part in the family dinner. Five
generations were present at the meal.
John Harkin has returned home from
the State reformatory at Green Bay.
Harkin was released on the pardor de-
clared to be the only one signed by Gov
ernor LaFollette during his last yea. as
Governor. Harkin is a member of a
good family in Kenosha. He was sent
up for burglary for two years.
Charged with stealing an American
flag. George Paine was arrested in Ap-
pleton and taken to Amigo. The flag
was donated to Langlade County by tk.
ladies of Amigo at the time of the dedi-
cation Of the new court house last May,
and was valued at $50. 1t was found at
+ba bouna of a mediun1 in AnnIator,
Paine was serving six months term in
the workhouse for chicken stealing when
arrested.
Rose Christianson, Racine servant
girl, aged Is, lighted a fire with kero-
sene. her clothing caught fire and she
ran into the open air. Before the flames
could be smothered she was horribly
burned and may not live.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11

1t was at a meeting of a St. Louis
''mothers' club" that the question of
smoking came up. The mothers were
taking time by the forelock, if it was the
interest of their sons they had in mind.
As n rule they discussed the best types
of nursing bottle and creeping apron.
They were taking time by the ''fetlock,"
If it was their husbands they desired to
influence At that time Of life, when a
man is the husband Of a woman who be-
longs to a mothers club" a fellows
habits with respect to the weed that
cheers but not inebriates are likely to be
pretty well established.
Il think it is disgracefuI habit that
ought not to be tolerated in decent So
Getty" one very prim little mother an
nounced.
For my part" the lady on her left
rejoined, II would take n good cigar
in preference to a box of candy any
day"
Shocking" all the mothers calculated
inSpne breath. They had heard of swell
ladies in Spain-and New York for that
matter-who enjoyed their after-dinner
cigarette but the suggestion of a big
black cigar in the mouth of a dainty lit
tie st. Louis woman was altogether alb
horrent
Don't get excited" she said. her
bright face one mass of little wrinkles of
amusement The idea is this: | eat the
candy and suffer from toothache or indi
geston, The cigar, well, that puts my
John In the most heavenly humor. Of
course, you understand, | enjoy it only
by proxy"
Il really don't see how you can enjoy
1t even that way" her neighbor returned
with vinegar frown. at makes me
positively i'll every time / am reminded
that my husband insists on smoking. l
began, soon after we were married, by
telling him how filthy the habit was ev-
cry time he got out his cigar and as
soon as the honeymoon was over he told
me that | might have my choice between
a cigar and a filthy black old pipe.
know he hunted up the worst one in
town. | am almost sure it was the one
the darby janitor down ut their building
had smoked for twenty years. Frank
would be willing to put that vile thing
in his mouth for the sake of making me
feel bad. That's just the way with Il
man."
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
Scramble SPaSOn.

THE cool weather has brought
great demand for scrapple and coun-
try sausage said a well-known cater
er. Fifty per cent of my breakfast
customers now demand this toothsome
dish. This delectabe stuff is made of
pigs heads, livers, pork fat, thyme.
sage and other ingredients. The meat
is first boiled on the bone in huge watts,
and is then cut up into chunks by
men armed with carvers. 1t is then
ground into a pulp and taken into a
room, where the seasoning and other
secret materials are mixed in thor
oughly. Then the mass is boiled again
and drawn off hot from the vat into
tie tins. When cool it is a firm sub
stance of pearl-gray hue, and the most
delicious dish for a frosty morning
breakfast in the world
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11

ton and his mother had departed
: Clarence is going to buy an automo-
bile and 1 see relief ahead for me, be-
cause he doesn't know in the least
how to run one and he'll probably be
in the hospital q couple of months, if
not longer"
Mrs. Falworth began to feel a trifle
anxious at last because of Clarences
unaccountable behavior. He seemed
to have perpetual engagements when
she wanted to go to the Wildens'; he
crawled into a mental shell and refus-
Widen, about whom his mother talk
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
FIND S11O IN CHICAGO RAGS.
Two wOrI>men in Appleton Paper
Mill Enriched.

Chicago rags enriched two workmen at
the Ravine paper mill in Appleton to the
extent of $40 in a coat, which also con
tanned letter bearing the name of E. X,
Wheeler and the Chicago postmark. The
date was obscure. Jerry Balza later
discovered so in the same consignment
of rags, but in another garment. The
coat was comparatively new and appar'
emily had been the property of a man in
comfortable circumstances.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-01-11
Honesty.

And now, my son." said the bank
president, ION this, the threshold of
your business life, desire to impress
one thought upon you. Honesty, ever
and always, is the policy that is best"
Yes, father said the young man.
And, by the way" appended the
graybeard, Il would urge you to read
up a little corporation law. 1t will
amaze you to find how many things
you can do in a business way and still
be honest"