davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Edison Paid in Experience

ness of the country. I don't remem-
Der much of the detail Of this threat
ened competition, but l do know that
at the time the transmitting apparatus
Of the telephone was by no means per
feet, SO | set to work to make a per-
fected telephone in this respect, a
vital matter for the future of the in
vention. Well, after a good deal of
hard work, l got what I was after.
There 1t sand Mr.. Edison pointed
at the receiving end of the telephone
which stood on his desk.
With my carbon transmitter ready
for a demonstration l went to the Of
fees of the Western Union; had pre-
viously sold that company my stock
ticker invention and my quadruple
system of telegraphy and quite natur-
ally, l suppose, gravitated to it with
the transmitter. I saw the manager
and one or two other gentlemen,
showed them the transmitter, and told
them that I was pretty sure that with
my apparatus in their possession they
would have the bulge on the Bell in
strument. l tell you, they we're an in
terested lot Of men, and as soon as
gave them a chance they asked for
some kind of an option on the in
vention and gave it to them without
further ado.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Child RebuRed Famous Man

George Washington. At first, so in
tent was Burr upon his music, that he
did not notice the likeness of Wash
ingtop above him, but at last he
glanced up and saw the engraving.
Instantly the music ceased, scowl
flashed over Burr's features, and in an
angry tone of voice he exclaimed:
THAT is the picture of a damned
scoundrel!"
He turned to the spinnet to resume
his playing, but in that instant little
Mary Van Buskirk, her face liyid with
childish passion, stood upon tiptoes,
and drawing her little right arm and
hand, slapped Aaron Burr as violently
as she could in the face; and as she
did so she cried: 'You shan't talk that
way about General Washington. We
all love him here, and he is good
man, and you are a bad man to call
him names"
Aaron Burr wheeled angrily upon
the child; for an instant he held her
in his gaze Then he arose and went
out of the house, and that house knew
him no more.
My authority for this hitherto IN
published story? Mr.. George J. Thompr
son, a great-grandson of the little girl
who dared to defend the good name of
the father of her country against the
slurs of Aaron Burr.
Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01

If every one in the country knew
all the languages that John D. Prince,
professor of languages at Columbia
university, New York, knows there
would be no call for a universal
tongue. Instead, we could go right
ahead talking to every stranger we
happened to meet in whatever Ian
guage the latter chose to talk to us.
When he isn't busy teaching the
young men at Columbia Professor
Prince finds time to take an active in
terest in politics in Paterson, N. j.,
where he lives and for some years
he has been state senator in the New
Jersey legislature from his district
Professor Prince admits that his mar
velous knowledge of languages has
more than once won him the vote of
some newly made citizen who hadn't
as yet acquired English. AS the crown
ing performance of his use of Ian
guages, he recently made a political
speech in which he employed II diff
ferent languages.
II one asks Professor Prince how
many languages he knows he modest
ly discIaims complete knowledge of
any. even the English A little closer
questioning, however, discloses the
fact that he can make himself under
stood in practically every distinct Ian
guage that is used on the face of the
globe, and few minutes study of any
Of the hundreds of dialects that are
spoken in various corners of the earth
will enable him to decipher much of
what is written in it.
Il doubt very much" said Professor
Prince, whether any one man actual
lly knows even the English language.
For example, doubt if I understand
the English language as it is now used
in the science of aeronautics. Just so
others who may be thoroughly famil-
lar with the English language, as they
suppose, do not know one-half the
terms employed in the automobile in
dustry, for each bolt and nut in mo-
tor car has distinct name.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01

at was only a little while later that
they sent for me and made me
proposition to buy my apparatus out
right. They said they were willing to
pay me about hundred thousand dol
lars in annual instaIIments covering
a rather lengthy period. I thought
that was lot of money, and how nice
it would be to count with perfect GER
tainty upon an income of several thou
sand dollars a year for quite a number
of years, and, do you know, let them
have that invention on their own
terms ?"
Mr. Edison permitted himself to in
dulge in a near-chuckle. "a few
weeks later" he continued, 81 heard
that the Western Union had sold nay
improved transmitter to the Bell peo-
pie for eight hundred thousand dol
lars, simply by proving to the latter
that it had the bulge on them.
t'But I have never regretted the deal
| made with the Western Union peo-
pie, or, rather, the deal they made
with me- l gained lot Of experience
in that transaction, and it was worth
the experience. have never let any
body get the better Of me since, and
l am certain that the experience I
got then has made me far more money
then l lost through inexperience when
didn't dicker back and forth between
the Western Union and the Bell peo-
pie with my transmitter."
Copyright, 1910, by e. ]. Edwards. All
Rights ReserYed.)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
THE HIGH COST 3
OF LIVING REDUCED

Much has been said about the aigh
cost of living, its causes, and the posi-
bilities of its reduction. But little has
been said about the most costly leak;
the false economy existing today in near
" every household.
Much foodstuffs are bought with but
enc af Pc point IN view H6R cheap can
after cost" One of the most serious is
baking powder.
By the use of perfect baking powder
the housewife can derive as much econ
omy as from any other article used in
baking and cooking. In selecting the
baking powder, therefore, care should
be exercised to purchase one that re-
tains its original strength and always
remains the same, thus making the food
sweet and wholesome and producing
sufficient leavening gas to make the
Very little of this leavening gas is
produced by the cheap baking powders,
making 1t necessary to use double the
quantity ordinarily required to secure
good results.
You cannot experiment every time
you make a cake or biscuits, or test the
strength of your baking powder to find
out how much of it you should use:
vet with most baking powders you
should do this for they are put together
50 carelessly they are never uniform,
the quality and strength varying with
each can purchased.
Calumet Baking Powder is made of
chemically pure ingredients of tested
strength. Experienced chemists put It
up. The proportions of the different
materials remain always the same,
Sealed in alright cans, Calumet Baking
Powder does not alter in strength and
Is not affected by atmospheric changes.
In using Calumet you are bound to
have uniform br rad, cake or biscuits, as
Calumet does not contain any cheap
useless or adulterating ingredients sd
commonly used to increase the weight,
Further, it produces pure wholesome
food, and is a baking powder of rara
q 1EAF 1f1n n lNY
leading physicians and chemists II
complies with all pure food laws. both
STATE and NATIONAL. The goods ara
moderate in price, and any lady purchas,
ing Calumet from her grocer. If not sat,
isfied with it, can return it and have heI
money refunded.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Invention That Edison Was Paid
For in Experience.
He Sold His Microphone Carbon
Transmitter to Big Corporation at
Its Own Price and Concern
Made 300 Per Cent Profit.

While chatting one evening in the
winter of 1892 with Thomas A. Edison
IN the library of his beautiful home
at LIeWellyn Park, New Jersey, l
asked him what, in the way of money
returns, his invention of the mean
descent lamp and his apparatus for
SO dividing the electric current that it
would be available for lighting had
meant for him. He looked up at the
Hght, which was glowing over his IL
brary table, and for a few moments
appeared to be making a mental cal
culation, and then he said: THAT in
Ventlon brought me my first real cap
ltal. l should say, at a rough calcula-
tlon, that it has brought me about
three million dollars already"
After pause Mr.. Edison went on,
With his characteristic smile: "That
IS, after all, a very small part of the
real capital this thing has created
| should say that the electric light
has created about three hundred mil
lions OF new capital, and l don't think
am far out of the way in saying
Ihat II furnishes support to a million
persons, estimating the average family
OF an artisan at five persons"
But didn't you get a large capital
out of your microphone carbon trans
mftter?'' asked. THAT was the in
Vention which made the modern per-
fected telephone possible"
Mr. Edison smiled broadly.
Il suppose 1 got paid in large part
for that in experience" he said. st
had a good many things to learn about
business in those days"
You may remember that the West
ern Union Telegraph company, after
the telephone was demonstrated to be
a practical invention-that was about
1876-planned adding a telephone sys-
tenn to its telegraph lines. To every
one 1t seemed certain that there was
to be severe competition between the
Western Union and the original tele-
phone company for the telephone bust
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01

nouncing that lone Indian woman
had been wandering among the set
tiers and could not give an account
of herself Hitchcock sent man and
a horse for her and a week later she
was brought to camp. The soldier had
found her surrounded by frightened
white settlers, who in their alarm had
put a rope around her neck. All the
woman did in response to the threats
was to burst into tears and cry inces-
sanity. She was about thirty-fve years
old.
When not spoken to she was quiet
Colonel Hitchcock sent for a skillful
interpreter, who tried all the southern
Indian dialects, but could get no re-
sponse Colonel Hitchcock was in a
quandary, but one day he pointed to
the fire and asked her what it was.
ficer recalled was of the Chippewa
tongue. Colonel Hitchcock had been
long on duty among the northwestern
Indians and picked up many words
He tells how the unfortunate woman
face lighted up when she heard the
colonel use words she knew. Imme-
diateIy he concluded she had strayed
from the northwest. On being ordered
back to Jefferson barracks Hitchcock
took the woman with his command
and putting her on trading boat sent
her a thousand miles up the Missouri
river, where she found her tribe.
OF this incident the diary record Of
the officer says: Il have often CRATE
fully thought that II l had not hap
pened to know few Chippewa words
she might have wandered on and on, a
harmless derelict, till she died of grief
and starvation or became a victim to
some party Of enraged and ignorant
neoDle"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
ENTERPRISE IN ADVERTISING

A Berlin theater manager may dis
pute Americas right TO be considered
the champion advertiser. Recently
the following advertisement appeared
IN all the newspapers in the German
capital just at the time when new
piece was to be produced Young
lady, orphan, with $4,000 at her dis
Sosal and proprietress of one of the
most important retail businesses in
Prussia, wishes to meet a young man
capable of managing her business,
with a view to matrimony. No spe-
cial business training necessary, nor
need he be possessed of means
Write NJ w. B., guardian. No
agents" On the morning of the rep
resentation each of those who replied
to the advertisement received
beautifully autographed note stating
that as 1t was important to ascertain
whether the lady was likely to please
the applicant as to good looks, etc.,
she would be with her guardian at q
certain theater in box number so and
So on the following Monday evening.
The theater was crowded with young
men and during the play the lorg~
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
SNAKES WITHIN A SNAKE

c. B. Dyche, rural mail carrier of
Virginia, had a thrilling experience
in the foothills of the Blue Ridge
His route lies through a mountainous
section noted as the abode of many
species of snakes. and late in the
afternoon Dyche reached the serpent
stricken territory and noticed a large
moccasin basking in the sunshine.
He determined to put into execu-
ton a mental threat he often had
made before to exterminate the coil
ing denizens of the infested place, so,
dismounting from his vehicle, he Sc
lected a monster moccasin for his
initial battle Seeing the approach of
an enemy, the reptile made a dart for
a crevice in the rocks, but the Gus
todian of Uncle Sans affairs was too
quick and caught the reptile midway,
cutting it in two.
To his horror, reptiles by the score
began 90 pour from the separated
parts of the snake and began to
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
She Is Not Taught to Look Upon Her
Masculine Contemporaries as
Possible Husbands.

One great advantage that the Amer
lean girl has over her English sister
an advantage that is partly the
product of, and partly helps to form.
the delightful ease and spontaneity of
American life-is that she is not
taught to look upon her masculine
contemporaries as possible husbands.
The sense that marriage is the nat
ural destiny of women is weaker in
America than in any other country in
the world, certainly far weaker than
in England, where the girls. though
they are not trained to look up mar
rage as the be-aIl and end-all of life,
as are the girls of France and Ger
many, are still far from regarding it
with the detachment and composure
Of American girls. This is a differ
ence that for its proper treatment
would ask a whole volume in itself
l can only note it in passing as ons
that reaches far down into any really
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Tale OF Tuo Commanders

delegate from New York to the first
national convention of the Republican
party. He had been the chairman of
the Republican national committee in
the first three national campaigns
participated in by that party, and
again, in 1872, he was made chairman
of it's national committee. He it was
who, following his reelection as gov
ernor of New York in 1860, sent more
than $4,000 volunteers from New
York to the front before he left office
in 1868, and for six years after va
eating the governors chair he prep
resented his state in the United States
senate. So, when his funeral was
held in the old brick Presbyterian
church on Fifth avenue, in New York,
many distinguished men, both in pub
lie and business life, were present,
though the day was one of the worst
of the winter, with the rain falling
furiously and the wind blowing vio-
lently. President Arthur, who in the
early part of the Civil war had served
on Governor Morgan's staff, was one
of his pallbearers, and Capt. Frederick
G. Wagner, who, as provost marshal
of New York, helped greatly to quell
the draft riots in 1868, was one of the
ushers.
Along the aisle in which I served"
said Captain Wagner, there came
period when every pew was filed eX-
cept one. Into it l showed two late
arrivals, and as it was the pew l in
tended to sit in myself I asked them
if they would be kind enough to look
after my overcoat and umbrella until
my official duties were over. AS the
larger Of the two politely responded
that they would be pleased to do so, it
flashed across my mind that l had
seen him somewhere before, and next
there came a faint recollection of hay-
ing met the smaller men, also, on
some previous occasion. But not I'M
til it was almost time for me to take
my seat did it occur to me who they
were. The larger one was Gen. Win
field Scott Hancock, whom l had
really never seen before, but with
whose much-published likeness l had
become thoroughly familiar when
Hancock had run for president; and
his companion was none other than
Gen Phil Sheridan. Neither was in
uniform.
ITO say that l was Inundated at the
thought that l had asked those two
distinguished generals to keep watch
over my oyercoat and umbrella Is
putting it lightly | determined to
apologize at the first opportunity, and
after the funeral services were over I
turned to them and said: Gentlemen,
you must excuse me for having asked
you to perform this service for me.
did not at first recognize you
Instantly there sprang into Gen
eral Sheridan's eye his characteristic
twinkle, and little smile played
about his mouth. Well he said hearth
ly, If the president of the United
States can serve as night Waterman
in the treasury department building, it
can't be beneath our dignity to serve
as watchmen over the overcoat and
umbrella Of any one who has any part
in this funeral
And the man who was destined
soon to become the head of our army
thus set me at ease, General Hancock
smiled in cordial approval"
Copyright, 1910, by E. ]. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved.)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Oppose InstaIIment Plan,

The sales of articles on the install
ment plan to enlist men of the
army win not have the moral support
Of the war department
So extensive has become the prac.
uce and SO frequent the purchase OF
articles Of luxury that steps have been
taken to put a stop to the system.
In accordance with a decision just
reached the war department will de-
cline to assist in the collection Of In
stallment debts unless the obligation
was incurred with the knowledge and
consent Of the officer commanding the
company or detachment to which the
debtor belongs.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
The PIay Censor

You may not burlesque a statesman
on the stage. That discovery was
made by Sir W. S. Gilbert in 1873.
Sir William had written play en-
titled THE Happy Land" in which
three of the leading politicians of
the day-Gladstone Ayrton and Lowe
were introduced. The play appeared
in due course at the Court theater and
all London focked to see it. Then
the censor interviewed. There were to
be no personalities. But the three
politicians were easily recognizable
even In their disguise. The whole
Joke" writes Miss Edith Browne, a
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
MONKEY COMMITS SUICIDE

Believers in the Darwinian theory
of mans descent from the monkey
tribe might claim additional proof of
the doctrine in an incident which oe-
CURED recently at Red Bluff. Cal,
where a monkey committed suicide
by hanging himself with a piece of
quilt The animal had shown some
ill-temper, and had been punished by
its keeper. In a sulky fit, it was put
to sleep in its cage at night as usual
Next morning the monkey was found
hanging dead to the roof of the cage
It had torn the strips of quilt, formed
them into rope, and deliberately
ended its own life by hanging.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Little Story Told of Two Great
Commanders.
How Gen. Hancock and Gen. Sheridan
Watched Over Usher's Coat and
Umbrella at Funeral of Edwin
Dennison Morgan.

Recently I told how Chester A.
Arthur, shortly after becoming presi-
dent of the United States in 1881, act
ed as night Waterman in the treasury
building for ten minutes. Today's
anecdote is supplemental to that, in
a measure, in that the former incident
has some part in this one.
In February of 1883 there died Ed
win Dennison Morgan, at the age Of
seVenty-two years. He had been a
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01

squirm and wiggle around the barrier
In front, behind and on either side
were moccasins, and he soon saw it
was battle which would terminate in
kill or being killed He determined
to sell his life dearly and gave no
quarter, and when the battle ceased
the carrier had twenty-four and one
half snakes to his credit He Gays
the half snake that sought shelter in
the rocks still is living.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01

grew stronger, and within three months
I was perfectly well woman.
81 want this letter made public to
show the benefit women may derive
from Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable
Compound Mrs. JOIN G. MOLDAN.
2115 Second St., North, Minneapolis,
MINI.
Thousands of unsolicited and genu.
Inc testimonials like the above prove
the efficiency of Lydia e. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound, which is made
exclusively from roots and herbs.
Women who suffer from those dis,
tressing ills peculiar to their sex should
not lose sight of these facts or doubt
the ability of Lydia E. Pinkham'a
Vegetable Compound to restore theu
health.
Ifyou want special advice write
to Mrs. Pinkham, at Lynn, Mass,
Shewill treatyourIetter strictly
confidential. For 20 years she
has been helping sick women in
this way, free of charge. DOn't
hesitate write at once.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
ODD OLD CHURCH CEREMONY

Every September a certain Sunday
is set apart in two or three villages Of
England for the ceremony known as
Clipping the Church" This word
clipping means surrounding or en-
bTacing, and is performed by the chill
dren and congregation forming a cir
Gle with joined hands all round the
church, singing special hymns for the
occasion. The most famous place
where this strange Sunday ceremony
is still extant, as it has been for many
hundred years, is the pleasant Glouces-
tershire village Of Painswick near
Stroud. The parishioners after their
procession and ring round Painswick
church gather at the chancel door,
from which as customary a sermon is
preached.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Freedom of American Girl

vital comparison between English and
American girlhood. 1t is far more
significant and carries with it far
deeper implications than the narrow
ness of the average American girls
activities and interests by the side of
those that are cultivated by the aver
age English girl, a narrowness that is
most Of all observable in the sphere
CT public life.-Harper's Weekly.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
ROMANCE OF A MONASTERY

A woman of great beauty, Countess
Kluzinska. has been arrested after
passing 10 years as a man in the Rus
sian monastery of Solowestk.
The countess, who is now about
forty years of age, was the heroine of
a much discussed love affair. A duel
fought between her lover and her hus-
band ended fatally for the latter, and
the lover, conscience-stricken retired
to the monastery Solowestk.
The countess, unable to bear the
separation, adopted the strategy men
toned above in order to be near her
lover. She gained access to the con-
vent, and for IS years lived there un-
suspected.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-01
Some One Must Do II.

]. Pierpont Morgan, at one of the
sumptuous dinners that he gave in
Cincinnati during the recent church
congress, praised the power of adver-
Using.
Mr. Morgan's eulogy concluded with
an epigram quite good and quite true
enough to be pasted in every business
mans hat.
IF dealer" he said, docs not adj
vertise his wares, it is ten to one that
the sheriff will do it for him"