davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
GREAT STRENGTH OF SNAILS

Some statistical person has said
that were a human being to be, rela-
lively, possessed of the strength of a
snail he would be able to carry St.
Pauls Cathedral, figuratiYely speaking,
in his waistcoat pocket. This is as 1t
may be, but certainly snails do not
merit the contempt and derision that
is poured upon them. Their strength
is incredible.
By way of experiment, two common
garden snails were harnessed to a
leaden toy gun-carriage by means of a
piece of thin tape. The load was
moved so easily that the gun-carriage
was filled with shot. 1t, however,
gave no trouble to the strange steeds,
and even when heavy brass cannon
was hooked on, they moved with ease.
The total weight of gun-carriage, can
non, and shot was fifteen ounces.
Readers might try a similar expert
ment for themselves, though they
must be patient, for snails have an
unpleasant habit of withdrawing into
their shells when work is required of
them. Care should also be taken that
the traces attached to the snails do
not impede their progress
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
Legend OF Mt. ChicorrolUa

rowas cabin with his kull crushed in.
The Indian was seized and, despite his
protestations of innocence, was con-
demned to speedy death. He was
given the choice Of a bullet from the
gun of the dead mans brother or a
more dignified exit from life by means
of a voluntary leap over the steep
cliff.
Chicarrowa asked and received per
mission to commune for the last time
with the Great Spirit. Standing on
the edge of the precipice over which
he was so soon to make his death
leap, he extended his arms with a
sweeping gesture that embraced the
whole mountain, while he called down
his curse upon it and every living
thing thereon from base to summit.
AS he finished the solemn invocation
he leaped over the verge and was
dashed to death on the rocks far be-
low
A few weeks later the real murder
er was discovered and made to pay
the penalty Of his crime. and the re-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
How Welsh Methodist Miners at the
Close of Work Each Day Sang
Hymns Deep Down in the
Earth.

In the summer of 1882 | was the
late Charles Hebard, a man of large
wealth, who had done much to de-
yelop the lumber industry of northern
Michigan, and who, at that time was
regent of the University of Michigan
And as we were in the very heart of
Michigan's world-famous copper dis.
trict, it was natural that there should
be talk of that metal
Il have been told," l said to Mr.
Hebard, that prospectors, who were
searching the upper peninsula for the
true vein Of copper, one evening saw
a pig roofing at the stump of tree.
They went to drive the pig into his
pen, when, of sudden, they saw
something glisten, and, upon examina-
ton, discovered that it was a vein of
copper, which subsequently proved to
be the vein leading to the working of
the now famous Calumet and Hecla
mine"
Well" answered Mr. Hebard, 81
have heard that story many times. l
have also heard that it was a dog
that was paving at the root of the
tree which led to the discovery of the
great vein, and l have always been
of the opinion, since l have lived here,
that the romantic story of the finding
of the Calumet and Hecla, which, |
suppose, has yielded greater wealth
than any other mine in the United
States, has some foundation of fact.
But | am going to show you this
afternoon something which l think is
of far greater value and deeper sig
nificance than any one can find in the
material wealth that has come from
this mine"
Mr.. Hebard broke off with a smile,
and would say nothing more But
shortly before five o'clock that after
noon he led me over half a mile of
country to the opening of the great
shaft of the Calumet and Hecla, at
that time several hundred feet in
depth
Stand here and listen," he said.
He looked at his watch. 1T is now
five o'clock. l want you to listen at
tentively"
For a minute or two, strain my
ears as would, l could hear nothing.
Then, from far beneath the surface of
the earth, there was waited up to me
what seemed like a faint yet distinct
sound of music. l could not identify
any melody; the music seemed to
have the quality that is in the aeolian
harp when the wind strikes the tele-
graph wire at the right angle.
There was a weird beauty of sound
Gradually, it became more and more
distinct, and then l seemed to hear,
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
State Police Chiefs Meet.

The convention Of the Wisconsin
State Police Chiefs association opened
in the st. Charles hotel, with 20 chiefs
from the most important cities in the
state present.
The visitors were called together by
President Henry e. Baker of Racine
Chief John Jansen called with auto
mobiles and the chiefs were taken to.
Waukesha Beach, where the afternoon
and evening were spent.
Sheriffs Eber Simpson, Oshkosh,
and William Derricks, Racine, and for
mer Sheriff William Kneil, Milwaukee,
appeared before the convention as a
committee from the Wisconsin Sher7
ifs association to ask the assistanceE
of the chiefs for the repeal of the state
law which limits the sheriff to singles
term
Papers were read by Chiefs John
T. Jansen, Milw aukee; F. A. Nolan4
Fond du Lac; F. E. Hawley, Greeni
Bay; G. NJ Appleby, Janesville; o.
V. A. Bullwinkle, Jefferson; Owen
O'Hare, Kenosha; Thomas Calder
Merrill; o. K Mann, Oconomowoc; H
F. Bowling, Oshkosh; August Schreck4
Sheboygan, and Thomas Shaughnes1
sey, Madison.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
HeLpedMake an ArfistFan1ous

| he would frequently take from his
| pocket, hold them in his hand and look
at them long and earnestly, as though
fascinated by the vivid colorings which
they flashed forth.
We'll, 1t happened one day that a
| friend saw Beecher looking at his
gems in this manner. Finally, Beech
| er turned to him. I WISH he ex-
claimed, 4 could find on a painters
| canvas something that would fascinate
me as much as these gems do. I mean
some new painting that l have never
seen before. | go to the galleries and
the art exhibitions to see the old mas
ters-but | want something new
"a day or two later, Beecher, all
excitement and enthusiasm, hunted
out the same friend.
"tCome with me this instant he
| cried DO you know, discovered
| only yesterday just the landscapes
| that l want and that l spoke to you
| about. There is a man that | never
| heard of who is painting landscapes Of
| that kind. l saw his studio and just
walked in. He has some gorgeous ones
| there. l want you to come with me
] and look at them
Who is the artist?' the friend
asked.
| His name is George-George-
me see-I have it written down on a
memorandum and Mr. Beecher took
| from his pocket small memorandum
book and consulted it. oh, yes he
cried, it's Inness-George Inness'
Together the two men went to the
studio of Inness, and spent a couple Of
hours there. Mr.. Beecher was in the
seventh heaven of delight. He did not
profess to be an art critic, nor an ex-
! pert, but he knew what he liked and
| why, and as he and his friend left the
studio he earnestly said to the latter:
| I predict that this man Inness will be-
! come recognized some day as the
greatest of American landscape paint
ers-that he will become one of the
| immortals among artists
THAT happened in the late sixties
and, do you know, pretty soon it
| began to be passed from one to an
other that Henry Ward Beecher had
| discovered an obscure artist and pre-
| dicted that he would become recog-
nized as the greatest of American
| landscape painters; laymen began to
| flock to Inness' studio, rich men be-
| gan to buy his pictures, the artists
| name and those of his works began to
creep into the ewspapers-and, at
last, and in brief, George Inness be-
came as famous as Henry Ward
| Beecher had prophesied.
Il sometimes wonder" concluded
Mr. Twachtman, what would have
! been Inness' fate had not Henry Ward
| Beecher discovered him in a most &C.
| cidl-tal way? Would he have had to
| die to gain fame as has been the case
with SO many other artists? And how
small part Of that fortune which he
won with the brush-the greatest
! gained through work by any American
artist up to his time-would he have
| enjoyed in life?"
! Copyright 1910 by E. J. Edwards)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
Music infamous CaLuroetlNine

vaguely, the melody of a gospel hymn
A moment later l was sure of it, and
the creaking and grinding of the ap-
paratus by which the miners assembled
and descended into the shaft, seemed
at the moment to be the appropriate
diapason of the music
Listen" came the voice of Mr.. He
bard. do you know that song?"
1T is, There's a Light in the Win
dow for Thee" l answered.
Yes" he whispered And even as
he spoke the melody changed, and
up from the depths of the earth came
voices singing in perfect unison that
fine old hymn which has brought
balm to many a wearied soul, Near
er, my God, to Thee"
l stood as one spe1lbound, listen
ing; and as the music of that choir
invisible played strangely on my feel
ings, car shot out of the shafts
mouth and came to a stop, a score of
begrimed Welsh miners, with smiles
shining through the dust and soil of
the lower earth on their faces, step
ped to the earth, grouped themselves
about the shaft, and with touching
simplicity and barred heads raised
their voices in the measures of the
long meter Doxology. Then, quietly,
they disappeared, each on his way, to
his own home
With feeling akin to awe,
watched them out of sight. Then Mr..
Hebard turned to me- They do this
every day when their work is over
he said, ''and to me the sense of
moral and religious obligation which
these men express in their songs as
they come up from the bowels of the
earth, and in their final praise of
their creator, as they safely stand
once more on earth, is of far greater
value and Importance to mankind
than all the millions of wealth that
they and their predecessors have ia
ken from the Calumet and Hecla
mine"
And I could not do aught but agree
with him, with the songs of those
sturdy Welsh Methodist miners still
strangely ringing in my ears.
Copyright. 1910. by E. j. Edwards.)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
James Gilffllan, Whom President Gar.
field Made Treasurer of the United
States, Kept the Good Will of
Official Washington.

Shortly after General Garfield had
been inaugurated president of the
United States, he found that it was ex-
pedient for him to name a new treas
urer of the United States But he
would have none of the persons who
had made known their anxiety to fill
that post of little or no discretionary
power, yet one Of great responsibility
L am anxious" he said to Secretary
OF the Treasury Window, ito appoint.
If l can find him, some man who has
served as clerk In various grades in
the treasury department and who will
size up the position. 1t is good
chance for me to show that this ad-
ministration Is in favor of civil
service"
Secretary Window and other friends
Of the administration made inquiries
concerning various treasury clerks,
and at last they directed the presi-
tents attention to James Gillian,
who had been a clerk for many years
n the department, but who, in all that
lime, had become known to but very
lew persons in official life. But when
he president heard his name he was
delighted
why" he exclaimed, why didn't
[ think of him before? l knew him
at Williams college. | have known
him as faithful and competent clerk,
and unless l find some serious objec-
ton to him, l shall nominate him as
treasurer Of the United States" And
thus 1t came about that an humble
treasury clerk was suddenly lifted up
to the treasurership of the nation.
l had known Mr.. Gillian for some
time, and after he had qualified as
treasurer l called upon him in his new
office to extend congratulations. To
my pleasant surprise, found him alb
solutely unaffected by his sudden and
altogether unexpected promotion to
be the custodian of some hun
lngly, that your new responsibilities
haven't changed you a bit"
Mr.. Gilfllan laughed in turn. Mop
he said. 81 hope not" Then his face
and voice grew serious
Il have been in Washington long
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
QUEER ADVENTURE WITH RAT

Even now a cold chill travels down
Frank Benefits spine when talking of
his recent experience with rat Ben
nett was doing some work near his
barn at Columbus, Ind, when big rat
approached him, and as the farmer
reached for a club the rat ran up his
right trousers leg.
The rat was a climber, and did not
stop until it was perched midway be-
tween the mans shoulder blades. 1t
kept dropping back every few minutes,
but by constant scratching it held on
and endeayored to come out at the
top of his shirt. The situation was
creepy" and awkward, but after a
while Bennett managed to get a hold
of the creature by the neck, and when
he threw it on the floor it had been
Ghoked to death.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
HOW THE SNAKE WAS FOOLED

The unaccountable loss of a newly
acquired rubber frog several days ago
in park at Youngstown, O., caused
its owner, little girl. to be inconsol-
able. The toy disappeared and search
as she might for the frog, the child's
nurse was unable to find it. 1t was
believed the frog, a bright new and
natural looking product. had been
stolen.
The mysterious disappearance has
been explained. A black snake was
found by a caretaker dead in the grass
in the park the other day. Its body
was unnaturally distended and he de-
cided to investigate The post norton
disclosed the fact that the snake had
swallowed the rubber frog. The make
up of the. frog was so lifelfke the
snake was fooled into grabbing it as
it lay in the grass, and having gulped
it down the reptile could neither dis
gorge it nor digest it.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28

Mystery" rock python, is play
ing the name-part in Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle's play The Speckled Band" at
the Adelphia theater, London. "Mys-
terry" made his debut on the first night
of the production. His nightly ap-
perances are enthusiastically received
for undoubtedly he has the gift of Gre
ating an eerie atmosphere. Unlike
other fashionable actors, he lives In
the East End. He has five under
studies. He is we'll named Mystery"
for there are times during the play
when the audience believe they see
him but do not see him; there is an
inanimate substitute for him at GER
tain moments. He is fed once a fort
night, and for three days after each
meal is too dangerous to be touched
Only two months ago he was free, in
an Indian jungle.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
Indian Mounds to Be Marked.


Prof. H. B, Lathrop OF thA
English department the University
OF Wisconsin and Rev. F. A. Gilmore
OF the First Unitarian church of Mad
ison will deliver the addresses at the
unwilling of the bronze tablets which
tie Wisconsin Archaeological society
win place above two OF the most noted
Indian mounds of Madison on the oc-
casion of It's state field assembly to
be held here July 20 and 80.
The first ceremony will be held at
the great bear mound In Wingra park,
Friday, July 90 Here Professor La
throp will give the address and Miss
Pauline Buell., daughter of state civil
service commissioner, will unveil the
tablet, The bear mound, which Is
one OF the finest of its kind In this
region, Is 80 feet loDg. 1t Is now
the property of the city, making it's
preservation reasonably certain The
tablet to mark the mound is given by
citizen OF Madison, who has con-
tributed much toward parks and other
projects of the city. In this instances
he desires to be not known.
On Saturday, July 80, the great
bird mound on the grounds of the
Mendoza hospital will be visited and
marked. Mr.. Gilmore will be the
speaker here and the tablet will be-
unveiled by Miss Genevieve Gorst.
daughter of Superintendent c. P. Gorsts
OF Mendoza hospital This tablet is
contributed by James NJ. Bygott, a,
wealthy resident of Chicago and al
member of the Wisconsin Archaeology
ical society.
This is the largest bird mound in
Wisconsin and has a wing spread OF
624 feet
Friday evenings exercises will be
held in the state historical museum,
with addresses by DR.. R. G. Thwaites,
DR.. Earl Russell Fish of, the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, and E. o. Randall.
secretary of the Ohio State Archaeo-
logical society. Dr. William Ellery
Leonard will read a poem.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
COUGHED TOOTH FROM LUNG

Mrs. William H Miller, of Lock
Haven, Pa, whose Illness for eleven
months puzzled physicians who had
been called to treat her, had violent
fit of coughing the other night during
which she remarked to her husband
that something had torn loose from
her lung.
The next instant she was seized
with another coughing spell, when
she elected hard, bonelike particle
from her mouth. On examination It
proved to be tooth. Since then the
patient, who had suffered much, Is
improving and hope Is now enter
tanned for her recovery.
A year ago, Mrs. Miller, while under
the influence of an anaesthetic, had
number of teeth extracted and one Of
them must have slipped down her
throat and entered the lung.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
WEDDING OF CENTENARlANS

A remarkable wedding has just been
celebrated at Braila in the Balkans
The bridegroom was Joseph Stopf, a
centenarian, and he married Maria
Lfga, whose age was 101. These aged
people had loved each other in youth.
eighty years ago, but their parents
would not consent to their marriage,
and the girl was married to another
man. This man died a few months
ago, and now the sweethearts of
eighty years ago are man and wife.
The bishop of Braila offciated at this
strange marriage, and several thous-
and people assembled outside the
church. Both the bride and bride
groom are in good health and com,
Portable circumstances.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28

gretful farmers gathered up the chiefs
remains and erected over them the
customary monument of his tribe, a
rough pile of logs laid criss-cross to
form square. The grave can still be
seen on the mouptainside, though
many of the logs have fallen in Since
the Indians tragic death it is said that
no cattle will live on the mountain,
but pine away and die, though the
grass grows rich and green almost to
the top. When harvested and used
for winter fodder no living thing will
thrive on it. Nuts on the mountain
are empty when they fall, blackberries
shrivel on the bushes while they are
still green and the wild grapes wither
and drop long before they are ripe.
The gray rock where Chicarrowa fell
is splashed and spattered with red,
and the country people point to it and
say it is the Indians blood
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
Henry Ward Beecher, Through His
Love of Brilliant CoIors DscoV-
cred George lnness and Pre-
dicted He Would Be Famous.

ut is sometimes the merest chance
or accident that brings great artist
and his work prominently before the
public, and in this connection | often
think of the manner in which the pub
lie came to take George Inness," said
to me year or so before his death, in
1902, the now famous American land
scape painter, John Henry Twacht-
man, whose works did not attract at.
tention or command high prices until
after he had gone.
You have probably heard" con
tinued Mr.. Twachtman, that Henry
Ward Beecher was a greater lover Of
paintings and especially of vivid col
ors. He used to say that he could not
carry painting around in his pocket,
but that he could get the gorgeous col
ors of one by carrying around loose
gems, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and
sapphires; and these precious stones
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
Indians Curse Before Tragic and I'm
deserved Death Seems to Have
Been Fulfilled.

A weird legend is attached to Mount
Chicarrowa, which is one Of the chain
of White mountains and lies 20 miles
southeast Of Mount Washington as the
crow flies.
Many years ago Chief Chicarrowa,
the last of his tribe, Inhabited a rude
hut of birch bark on the southern
slope of the mountain and supported
himself by hunting and fishing. In
their season he gathered berries and
wild grapes, which he exchanged
among the farmers in the valley for
salt, meal, n,olasses and other lux
uries dear to the Indian heart, includ-
ing an occasional jug of lrewater. A
white man went up the mountain one
day to drive down his cows from the
rich pastures on the slopes and
plateaus, and he never came back.
His body was found in a clump of
blackberry bushes near old Chicar-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
Unionists at Watertown.

| OfiOIESlS DIT NfGLCFIOWn.
The Wisconsin State Federation of
Labor opened it's eighteenth annual
convention at WATERFOWL with mora
than one hundred delegates present
That the recent political victory OF
the Socialists in Milwaukee will be a.
vital force in the future expansion of
the federation in the state SENS to-
be the predominating thought here.
The federation is controlled by Social
lists
An attack upon the American FEEDER
alton OF Labor was one of the fea-
business agent of the Federated
Trades council in Milwaukee and gem
eral state organizer. Mr.. Weber said: 8
There are now 119 national and In
ternational unions affiliated with tkeg
A. F. of l.. Each one is encroac ching
on or claiming part of the work Of
some other union. This proves beyond
question of doubt that there could
and should be at least consolidation
of certain national and International
unions.
According to statistics, the union
men in the United States spend not less
than 100000 a year for the ne
cessities of life. When trade unionists
apply their immense purchasing pow
er then they will have gone a long
way toward obliterating the wrongs
and injustiees that exist in our indus-t
trial system. (
Eve cannot deny that the wives of
the workmen are greatly at fault that
there is no greater demand for the
product of union labor. The duty of
the husband is to call the wife's at
tention to the principles of trade
uniOnisu -
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-07-28
DOGS STRANGE PREMoNIIlON

A dog that seems to have the pecu-
liar gift of foreseeing the deadly
lightning bolt before it strikes. is
owned by Howard Griffith of Lower
Oxford. Pa, and the knowledge of the
dogs strange power is the only con-
ISOLATION which Griffith has for the
loss of eight COWS, which were struck
dead the other day. The dog, a col
lie, has been trained to watch over the
cows and bring them in at night. 1t
is his custom to remain with them
all day. During a rainstorm nine OF
the cows sought refuge under tree
in the field, the dog being with them,
when the family heard him give a
strange howl and start down the lane
as fast as he could run. A few sec
onds afterward a bolt of lightning
struck the tree, killing eight of the
nine cows and knocking down the
other one. The dog crawled under
the barn and refused to come out for
some time Every one is at loss to
explain the strange premonition which
undoubtedly saved the animals life.