davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Grant and Blaine Reconciled
By E. J. EDWARDS

Il am sure that General Grant
would rejoice if he could make it up
with Blaine, and l am certain that
Blaine has grieved greatly over the
misunderstanding which has interrupt
ed the friendship long maintained with
Grant. 1 am going to bring those two
men together, although don't know
exactly how to do it."
Why don't you invite them to dine
with your" EIkins was asked.
NO, that wouldn't do" was the re-
ply. Each man would suspect that
the other had put me up to that. [
think there is a little pride that
stands in the way of their reconciIia-
ton"
A few days later Mr. Elkins said
that he had given the matter much
thought and he was satisfied that the
only way to bring about the reconciIia-
ton was to cause Blaine and Grant
to meet as though by pure chance. 1t
was evident to EIkins' confdant that
Elkins was planning already what
would appear to be an accidental, IN
expected meeting between Grant and
Blaine A day or two later Mr. Ell
kins appeared before his confidant
again, and he was as radiant as a
child.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Hamlet Traditions Violated

bohm Trees takes second place in
that respect. Tree, when he came to
study the part, accepted Fechter's
conception of the physical appearance
of Hamlet as the correct one, and ac-
corded Fechter high praise for ven
turing to portray Hamlet as a blond.
against all stage traditions.
But said Mr.. Tree, at the time
of his visit to this country, about
twenty years ago, Il went somewhat
further in my presentation of Hamlet
than Fechter did. While carefully
studying the play, I discovered that
Shakespeare depicts Hamlet as having
worn beard, and beard therefore
added to my makeup"
But. Mr.. Tree, where does Shake
speare give Hamlet a beard?" one of
his auditors asked.
81 refer you to these lines in the
second scene of the second act of the
play, where Hamlet is speaking" said
Mr.. Tree:
Am I coward? Who calls me a
villain?
Breaks my pate across? Plucks off
my beard
And blows it in my face?'
81 also felt that l was justified in
following Shakespeare's delineation
by making up Hamlet as fat man."
continued Mr.. Tree. ''Fechter did not
! have to do that, for he was very cor
pulent at the time he began to play
Hamlet. Perhaps you recall the line
spoken by the queen of Hamlet in the
| second scene of act five:
He's fat and scant of brea@h.
Beerbohm Tree, however, in play
ing Hamlet wore the conventional
black costume But not so Richard
Mansfield, who thereby made one of
the most striking departures from the
conventional Hamlet In the history of
the English-speaking stage. Mr.. Will
liam T. TAFT, who is a high authority
on dramatic presentations in this
country, in speaking to me of Mans
fields Hamlet said:
Il think. after all, that the most
daring and absolutely unique portrayal
of the personal characteristics of Ham
let was that which the late Richard
Mansfield ventured to make.
Mansfield was familiar with the his
tory of Denmark and with the Gus
toms of the Danish people. He was
born within sight of the peninsula Of
Denmark. He was a very high au-
thority upon Danish history. And it
was in accordance with the historical
! fact that he dressed his Hamlet in red
velvet.
"Of course, it caused a great deal
| of criticism, to which Mansfield simply
replied that he had been faithful to
! history, since red velvet was the color
and material with which the royal
| family of Denmark up to the sixteenth
| century garbed themselves when in
mourning. However, a Hamlet dressed
| in red velvet, true though it may have
| been historically, did not seem to
| American audiences SO appropriate
! for Hamlet as the dark velvet cos
tune usually worn; and I am sure
! that Mansfield, who was a stickler for
! historical accuracy, was greatly disap-
pointed thereby, though outwardly he
may have shown characteristic disdain
for the public's opinion"
! Copyright, 1911, by E. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
NEW NEWS of YESTERDAY
By E. J. EDWARDS =-=

7 am the happIest man in Wash
ington," he cried. 4 left Grant and
Blaine yesterday afternoon sitting
side by side, engaged in the most
kindly and familiar conversation. You
know, Grant came to Washington a
few days ago. You may know that
Blaine for some time now has been
occupied with getting together ma
terial for the book which he intends
to write, a sort of Renaissance of his
life as a member of congress. Those
two incidents-Grant's arrival and
Blaine's book-gave me the hint for
the meeting"
EIkins was asked how he accom-
plished the meeting so that neither
Blaine nor Grant would be suspicious
of his intervention.
mo, no, | shall never tell that;
those two men must never suspect
that they met except by accident" Ell
kins declared with great positiveHess.
IF I should tell it to one person how
they met l should be likely to tell it
to another, and that would spoil the
incident"
And so far as I know EIkins never
told to anyone how he brought about
the meeting between Blaine and
Grant-a meeting that resulted in per-
feet reconciliation, so that from that
day forth, until the death of General
Grant, the two remained fast friends.
Copyright, 1911. by E. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved.)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
ophir Farm, Ben Holidays Magnifi-
cent Country Estate, Got Its San
quine Builder Into All Kinds
of Legal Trouble.

In the midwinter of 1881, l spent
part of an evening with Ben Holiday
in the library of his home on K street,
Washington. Though once he had been
wealthy, Mr.. Holiday was at that time
in financial reverses, and it seemed to
me that he was also something of an
invalid. 1 could not realize, as l sat
chatting with him, that he had been at
one time the most famous of Ameri-
can eXpressmen, that he had organ
lied, and in a sensational manner, the
Holiday Pony express, by which mails
and passengers were first carried over
land from the Missouri valley to the
Pacific slope before the building Of the
Pacific railroad; and that he had also
organized and put in operation the
greatest fleet of coastwise steamers
that then sailed, or has sailed since
probably, along the Pacific coast from
Alaska to southern California.
Mr.. Holiday had taken up a tenn
porary residence in Washington for
the purpose of securing a congressiou-
al appropriation in payment of very
large claims which he had established
for service for the federal government
to maintain a postal line between the
Missouri valley and the Pacific coast
I asked Mr.. Holiday if the delays he
was meeting with in securing acknowl-
edgment of his claims had affected his
health; or if he were recovering from
a temporary illness.
There came into my hosts eyes 8
momentary flash of the power and de-
termination which were Characters
tic of Ben Holiday when he estab-
ished his overland mail and passenger
stage service, the very line that had
so many encounters with the Indians
and the buffalo herds.
No" he said, you have to wait a
long time sometimes, If you are going
to get a claim paid by the government.
The government of the United States
is the worst debtor and the harshest
creditor in the world. OF course, the
government pays its fixed obligations,
like interest upon bonds; but it is a
master hand at staying off just debts
{ knew that and was prepared for it,
and can wait a good While yet. There
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Fechter Made His Blond, Tree Beard,
ed and Fat and Mansfield Dressed
the Melancholy Dane in
Red Velvet.

How should the character of Ham
let be portrayed upon the stage? That
is a question that has been a more or
less bothersome one ever since Shake
speare's day.
The traditional Hamlet is a dark
haired, dark-skinned, black-robed fell
low, lean Of body and smooth of jowl
and chin Yet there have been sew
eraI instances of striking stage varia-
tons from this presentation.
Recently l told the story of how
Charles Fechter, who won great
reputation as an actor, first in France,
then in England and finally in this
country, where he came in 1870, was
led to portray Hamlet as blond
through the hearty support and ap-
prevail of his good friend, Charles
Dickens. Fechter's argument was that
the Danes have always been light
haired, fair-skinned people, therefore.
Hamlet was of that type; and Dickens
agreed thoroughly with Fechter, whose
blond Hamlet created a great Juror
both in this country and in England,
where Fechter first played the part
in the sixties.
While F'echter's is the most note
worthy blond Hamlet in the history
of the American stage, perhaps Beer
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09

combine, pool their funds, employ an
agent and buy abroad, at cost plus
expenses, the number of mares they
desire to use.
The club mentioned sent an agent
abroad last year to investigate mat
tiers pertaining to horse breeding. In
Belgium he found an ample supply
of good, heavy pure-bred mares which
could be purchased at reasonable
prices. He interested several mem
bers of the Draft Horse Breeders So
ciety Gle ChevaI de Trait Belge') to
do the work necessary in Belgium. AS
a result of this arrangement twenty
head of selected, registered two and
three-year-old Belgian FLIES were
safely landed at Norfolk last Febru-
airy and since then we are informed
that a carload has arrived almost ev-
cry month. With the exception OF
three mares the imported animals
have been sold to farmers in the dis
trict. The mares were carefully Sc
lected with reference to sOundness,
uniform type, conformation and color
and laid down at Norfolk at from $500
to $4,000 each. They are not of
fered for sale to outside parties. Sc
Iected by the Belgian society and han
died by the Commercial club all COM
missions have been saved, so that
these imported mares could be sold to
farmers at prices they could afford to
pay. It is expected that about one
hundred mares will be so placed in
the Norfolk community every year
and the enterprise may be ex-
tended to include cattle and sheep.
Two very nigh-class young Belgian
stations have also been imported for
use in the community and are offered
to purchasers of the imported mares
at the low service fee Of Sic. The
stations are golden chestnut in color
and of great size.
A similar plan no doubt could be
followed for the purchase and impor-
tation of pure-bred mares Of the other
foreign breeds.
The Illustration shows group Of
pure-bred Clydesdale mares, the breed
which stands second in popularity in
Wisconsin as draft horses.
We shall be glad to receive express
sions of opinion from Wisconsin
breeders relative to the scheme out
lined above. If a number of our
breeders decide that they would like
to import mares on such a plan, or
as direct or joint buyers, it seems pos
sible that arrangements could BIS made
f,,1I o,,+
iect.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Price He Paid for Vanity

is one thing that I have done, how
ever, that has come nearer to break
ing me dow physically than any 9th
er thing I have done in my entire
business career. 1 am paying now for
a little vanity"
Mr.. Holiday stopped for a moment,
looked at me with penetrating and
inquiring glance, and then asked:
4 suppose you have heard of the
Ophir mine?"
Of course, l had heard of that mine
and the stories of its fabulous rich
ness; it was California mine which
Mr.. Holiday had owned, but which
brought him financial disaster, after
promising for time to be a producer
of wonderful riches, hence its name.
Well" said he, II thought the mine
was going to make me rich as Croes-
us; and 1 determined to spend some
of my wealth in building a great cas-
tie in the center of the greatest pri-
vate park owned by any American
citizen up to that time. I bought a
great tract of land, several thousand
acres, lying between White Plains,
Westchester county, New York, and
the Connecticut state line. Upon it l
built the finest castle that had up to
that time been erected in the United
States. I entertained people just as
the owners of great estates in England
do. l called the place Ophir Farm.
and there was a great deal of talk
about it in the papers. It stood me in
about million and half; and it and
the 0phir mine got me into all kinds
of trouble. There were lawsuits and
foreclosure proceedings, and that was
about all I got out of an attempt to
crafty a little personal vanity. II I
get my claims paid by the government,
may be able to hold on to it."
A year or two later, announcement
was made in the newspapers that
Whitelaw Reid, the editor of the New
York Tribune, who in 1881 had mar
ried a daughter of D. o. Mills, had
bought Ophir Farm, and that it was to
be his country home. 1t is Mr.. Reid's
country home TO this day; and since
his purchase of Ophir Farm there have
been entertainment in it which sur
passed in splendor and in the illus
trious character of the guests any of
the great entertainments given there
by Ben Holiday, who died in the late
eighties, when he had owned it.
Copyright, 1911, by E. ]. Edwards All
Rights Reserved)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09

Using pure-bred mares for the home
production Of the seventeen hundred
and forty-five pure-bred stations need
ed in Wisconsin to, displace the grade
and mongrel or scrub stations now
used, ought to be profitable. We are
pleased to be able to state that intel
ligent farmers are of like mind regard
ing this subject and are securing pure
bred mares as opportunity offers.
During 1911, more pure-bred mares
were bought and brought into the
state than during any other year of
the past decade. This is shown in
Circular of Information % which is
just issued by the Wisconsin expert
ment station.
Such mares, however, have en-
HANGED almost 100 per cent. in value
during the past eight or nine years
and are now so high in price that
farmers hesitate to buy. When the
price ranged about $500 to $500 for
first-class, registered mare they
were not afraid to buy; but double
that figure proves prohibitive in a ma
jority of cases.
The need of large number of pure
bred mares is as pressing now as ever
before in Wisconsin. The demand is
for young mares Of good breeding and
quality and the imported mare is still
the faYOrite, but getting beyond the
pocket book of the average buyer. It
is now generally understood and ap-
preciated that pure-bred mares can
well earn their living by daily labor
on the farm and at the same time re-
turn a handsome profit by producing
foals. The demand for mares, there
fore, is keen in this state and a sim
liar interest is being shown in other
states. Elsewhere plans are being
put in practice to aid farmers to buy
pure-bred mares at reasonable figures
and similar plans should be devised
and introduced in Wisconsin While
imported stations are in demand and
coming into the state in increasing
numbers yearly, rapid progress in the
elimination of our 1,745 grade and
mongrel or scrub stations can only
come from the home ownership Of
pure-bred mares and the home produc-
ton of a majority of the stations
The Commercial Club of Norfolk,
Neb., through the efforts of G.. L. Carl
son, is setting an example in enter
prise which is being watched with in
terest throughout that and other
states. 1t possibly offers solution
of the problem in Wisconsin and at
least suggests that our farmers who
desire to buy imported mares might
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Monument to NJ. Munkacsy

Michael Munkacsy, the great Hun
garian painter, died in 1900, and i'm
mediately after his death the Society
of Fine Arts of Budapest started a
movement for raising a memorial. In
the course OF eleven years the fund
has continued to grow until it now
amounts to 10000 kronen; but al
though two competitions have been
held, the models submitted have not
been satisfactory to the committee,
and the project still remains to be
carried out. Instead of proceeding
with it at once, the society decided to
have a monument erected over the
place in the Kerepes cemetery, where
the mortal remains Of the painter
were inferred; and this subsidiary
plan has been carried to completion
The monument was designed by Ed
ward Telcs. 1t is hewn out of sand
stone of a pale bluff tone. The obelisk
stands about 20 feet high, and at its
base stands a female figure upholding
a wreath. This figure is about double
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Summoned as Witnesses.

Whenever Rev. Scion Jefferson
called on Aunt Candace it was her
custom to set a plate of gingerbread
before him and then ply him with
what she called g 'igious 'spoundin's."
'Wha TO does de Lawd send cpl
denies into de land?" she asked him
one day.
When folks get so bad dey must be
removed, some of 'em, Sist' Candace,
den de Lawd permits de coming OBJ an
epidemic" said Mr.. Jefferson and took
a large bite of gingerbread.
''Uh-h!" said Aunt Candace. EFF
dat's so, how come de good people
gets removed along wild de bad ones? p"
De good ones are summoned TO
witnesses" said Rev Scion, fortified
in spirit and clarified in mind by the
gingerbread, although slightly embar-
raised in his utterance DE Lawd
GIBBS every man a fair trial Youths
Companion.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
Easy to. Understand,

When Senator John E. Hessin and
laughter of Manhattan were doing
europe and Asia last summer, says the
Kansas City Journal, they took a mo-
or boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
II the party was New York minis
er. When the party had finished the
ide the minister asked tho boatman
he amount of the bill. The boatman
old him. 1t was exorbitant.
L can readily understand why
Thirst walked Oh the water here" said
he minister
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
CANADA'S CENSUS
A THlRTY-TWO PER CENT IN
CREASE IN THE PAST TEN
YEARS.

That Canada has come rapidly to
the front in the past ten years is am
ply shown in the results of the census
recently made public. The population
Of the Dominion is now placed at
7,0S1,S69, which with outlying points
to be heard from, may bring it up to
IA millions as compared with 5.371,-
315 in 1901. Though these figures are
large, they do not present a total as
large as was expected but they do
show greater increase of percentage
in population for the decade than any
similar increase in the United States.
The highest percentage ever reached
by the Republic was 24fo; the per-
centage of increase in Canada for the
decade is 1920. Thus it will be seen
that the provinces west of the lakes,
with the great broad fertile acres
ready for the sowing and immediate
reaping of grain and the Valleys of
British Columbia capable of producing
fruit with which to supply it's neigh
boring provinces east of the noun
ta1ns, have attracted numbers, which
has exceeded the most optimistic of
the expectations of ten years ago.
Upon the prairies Of the ten years
ago there was but a spare scattering
OF people; but today, no matter in
which way you go, take any direction,
and you ind homes and farms and
good ones too, occupied by the very
best class Of people in good sized set
Elements with plenty of room for five
or six times as many more. The pop
ulation of Alberta is set down at 372,-
9l9, as compared with 73, 022 in 1901;
Saskatchewan 453,50S as compared
with 1920 in 1901; Manitobas Asa
691 compares well with it's 255.211 in
1901; and so does that of British Co.
lumbia-362, 76S as against 1852 in
1901; but in territory as large as
this a population of 1,643,0 is little
more than disceTnible in point of num-
bers. The work through it has been
great. Look at the towns that have
been built up; it's cities, Winnipeg
with 1876, 900; Vancouver with upwards
Of 100000; Calgary with $4,000; Ed
monitor, Regina, Saskatoon; Leth-
bridge; Medicine Hat, Moosejaw,
splendid cities-none better any
where; well maintained and equipped.
These have come with existence and
been built as they have been built by
reason of the splendid agricultural
country by which they are surround
ed. The population is scarcely dis
cernible. A population ten or twelve
times that shown by the recent
census could be easily maintained in
even greater wealth than that which
maintains the present numbers. There
Is certainly a wonderful future for
Western Canada and that which goes
10 the development of the west will
enrich the last. This is the growing
lime in Canada and what has been
lone in the past ten years is but a
beginning. The next decade will
show a far greater advancement In
he meantime Canada is bidding well
come the progressive and industrious
citizen. The invitation is a standing
one. At the forthcoming land exposi-
ion in Chicago, Canada will have one
IF the best exhibits of farm products
hat has ever been made and it viii
De we'll worth while inspecting it and
getting information from those who
nay be in charge.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09

gestion and sometimes serious diff
Guilty. One should be careful to see
that in the feed or bedding there is
nothing of this character to cause the
difficulty.
During the fifth week the milk is
gradually changed to skim milk. The
amount is not increased until about
the eighth week, when the calf can be
fed eight pounds twice day. A
small amount of grain and dried Glow
er or alfalfa is placed before the calf
after it is ten days to two weeks old,
the grain is fed Immediately after
the calf has taken the milk. The
feeding pals, stable and calves are
kept as clean as possible and plenty
of pure air is provided. The calves
are kept on a cement floor over which
are laid boards to keep the calves off
the cold cement. The stable should
be kept warm.
A small amount of corn silage is
fed after the calf is a month or six
weeks old During the first summer
the calves are fed regularly in the
barn and turned out for exercise in
shady paddocks or during nights only.
Up to "a or 80 months of age. the
time the heifer drops her first calf,
she does not receive more than three
pounds of grain per day. From the
time she commences to eat grain, as
a calf, she is fed az much as she will
relish up to this amount, which, with
skim milk up to the age of six, eight
or twelve months of age, depending
upon the supply Of skim milk. corn
silage and hay, is sufficient to pro-
duce a very satisfactory growth. Our
grain mixture for calves consists Of
a mixture Of five parts whole oats.
three parts wheat bran, one part
corn meal and one part oil meal Wa
ter and salt are supplied daily, as the
calf wants it
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-09
WHAT'S THE MATTER
WITH YOUR BABY !?

The young mother-and many an old
one, tools often puzzled to know the
touduess Of its crying does not neces-
Sa-ily indicate the seriousness of its
trouble. 1t may have nothing more the
matter with it than a headache or a feel
ing of general duIIness. It cannot, Of
course, describe it's feelings but as a
preliminary measure you are safe in
trying a mild laxative.
Nine times out of ten, you will find 1t
is all the child needs. for its restlessness
and peevishness are perhaps due to OBJ
struction of the bowels, and once that
has been remedied the headache, the
Sluggishness and the many other evil
denCes of constipation and Indigestion
will quickly disappear.
Don't give the little one salts, cathar-
tic pills or nasty waters, for these will
act as purgatfves, and they are too
strong for child. In the families OF