davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17
CURRENT WRECKS A BRIDGE
Twenty-Seven Big Tlmbers Are Cut
Through In One Day by Aid OF
Electricity.

One of the most ingenious uses to
which electricity was ever put was in
the wrecking of bridge over the Wa
bash in Indiana.
This bridge had been purchased by
the county authorities, who intended
TO replace It by steel structure erect
ed on the old piers and abutments.
The owner agreed to remove the
bridge in 80 days.
The chief difficulty lay in the short
time agreed upon for the removal OF
the bridge. Several wreckers to whom
the matter was submitted declared
that it would be impossible within 80
days to pull down the old bridge with
out injury to the piers.
The structure might be blown up
with dynamite, but the explosion
would also destroy the piers. Were it
fired. the heat would crack and injure
the masonry of the bridge. The 30
DAYS expired, and an extension of one
week was granted.
The owner was at his wits end,
when he CHANGED upon an electrician
Who proposed, not to blow up the
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17
REVIEWS ANTIQUE WASHSTAND
Long islander Sells Piece OF Furn''u'0
for Fifty Cents and Buys lt
Back for $50.

An elderly Long Islander once at
tended an auction of old furniture
Among the articles for which BIDS
were asked was a heavy marble
topped washstand. The Long Island
err bid ten cents for 1t, and as he was
the only one who spoke the wash
stand was knocked down to him
rather to his dismay, as he had 10
have it conveyed to his distant home
For several years this ten-cent antique
was an occupant of the barn, Its mar
BILE top being removed and the interior
of the stand serving as receptacle
for cans of paint.
One day a clerk from a furniture
store in the neighborhood called at
the Long Islanders and accidentally
caught sight of the unappreciateo
washstand. He made some inquiries
concerning it, end eventually pur-
chased il for so cents. The clerk TOOK
his purchase to the store, gave 1t e
thorough renovating and it became a
handsome piece Of hardwood furni-
ture. the marble top adding the fin
isbing touch. Not long after this
transformation the elderly Long
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17
Bell Must Be Tuned.

The general impression is that the
tone of a bell is largely a matter OF
accident, but this is not so. A bell
must be tuned the same as a piano
or any other musical instrument Ev-
cry bell has five sounds, which must
blend together in perfect harmony.
and this is accomplished by shaw
ing down certain parts until the de-
sired harmony is secured. In the
event of shaving too deep the bell is
not injured, but the tuning operation
is prolonged, as other parts must be
operated on and cut away to a CORE.
spending degree.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

by Mrs. Slater, another wealthy widow, who is
the sole occupant of this palace save for the
IS servants who minister to her needs.
Wealthy widows, it may be added, have not
shirked the responsibilities Of house building.
Indeed, on the contrary, it seems to be one of
their fads. Mrs. Letter. in addition to her
town houses, has lately been building a sum-
mer cottage" costing hundreds Of thousands
of dollars on the North Shore of Massachu-
sets near the summer home of President Taft
Mrs. Hay, widow of the late secretary OF
state, has built magnificent mansion in Cleve-
land; Mrs. Pullman and Mrs. Marshall Field
have ordered new homes from plans which
they had a hand in making; Mrs. Hit has
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

built splendid home since the death OF her
husband and the wealthy Mrs. Wyeth of Phila-
delpha had her nephew-arch1tect carry out
her ideas of distinctive home.
In point of achievement, however, unques-
tionably the greatest of all the house build
ers in the coterie of wealthy widows is Mrs
Albert Clifford Barney, who Inherited one
fortune from her father, Cincinnati p1o-
neer. and married another. Mrs. Barney Is or
a most artistic. temperament and is indeed an
artist of no mean ability in both oils ana
water colors She spends much time in Paris,
where she and two Of her daughters, VINO oe-
vote themselves respectively to painting ana
sculpture are much in their element Wnen
sba &c tr this country Mrs. Barley divides her
time and her boundless energy between inc
staging OF Greek plays and other amateur tne-
atricals of most ambitious character and the
designing and building of houses for love OF
II These unique habitations that che creates
Mrs Barney sells or rents, and be 1t SAID 10
bor credit that she Is a clever enough business
woman TO make her art profitable in dollars
and cents as we'll as in personal Satisfaction.
Tn the field of philanthropy American WIG
ows have of late years accomplished So nlu0n
GOOD as to make these bereaVed ones as
class the most respected and most ADMIRE"
contingent of American NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The generosity of Mrs. Phoebe Hearst IN gooo
works has insured her pace loI OH Il1ii0 i.4
our real hall of fame and Mrs. Harrimans git
Of a splendid park to the state OF New YORK
bids fair to be but the first of series OF no
+oh1a benefactions Mrs. Russell Sage is an
o+bar woman who in comparatively -ofl9l
uidovhood has helped the needy IN many
WAYS and the late Mrs. Gardner HuODaru
widow Of the man who reaped the greatest
financial rewards from the invention OF the
telephone. was lavish during her lifetime IN
good works. ..
There is one group Of widows in the Unit
cd States in the members OF which-tor all
that they are most of them living very qu1
etIv-the public is bound to take keen inter
est This group is made up Of the widows OF
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

brains for a plan of escape from them
is with him still Palmer, who was
born comedian, was also fleet Of foot.
One day on scout duty he was cap
tured by two Confederate soldiers.
When his captors started, one on
each side of him, he recited every
joke and comic verse he knew.
The previous spring, when "secesh"
talk was on every tongue, he had
spoken at the usual school "exhibi-
ton" giving a prepared lecture on
the paramount topic in the character
istic humor of that period. 1t was
nothing but idiotic dribble that came
to him as he trudged merrily toward
the Confederate camp at Centerville,
Va, bound for Libby or Andersonville,
but it is still fresh in his mind. This
is the speech he delivered
Ladies and Gentlemen: | have riz
to give you warnin' and make some
what of a speech. I say that a crisis
has ariz and the wheels of govern
ment has stopped. The machinery
needs greasin' and the biler is busted,
and we are like bob-tailed ganders
floating down the stream of time We
have had our harmony disturbed and
have been driven on the quicksands of
the Potomac. We have threatened to
dash everything into splinters, but we
will eventually pick ourselves up be-
fore we are gone goslins. The at
trapian knocks the adjacent Joyous
regions of violent voice and whispers
in our ear for peace, but you give us
no peace. The peace has gone flick
ering through the gloom of the other
climate to aid the miser in his dun
geon and the great Alexander, who
fitted the battle of Hunker Bill, and
who, with agony, despair and frantic
shrieks, cried, oh, gravy!' Peace is
for the southern confederacy and I
don't care a darn, for she's a whole
horse and time, sure"
Palmer's harangue. accompanied by
sweeping gestures and heroic poses.
threw his hearers into spasms of
laughter. They didn't know Just what
he meant, but 1t was funny. The ora
tor resumed:
Already l see you travelling in
solid phalanx, with shouts that make
the earth ring while you come down
upon your opponents like a thousand
or brlck on rotten pumpkin. Blood
has got to be poured out of your Cd.
ponents like soap suds out Of a wash
tub, and every one OF them that has
soul as big as the white of mig
gers eye has got to fight, bleed and
die for you. The north may don their
rusty regimentals, grease the locks
OF their guns, put in new flints. grind
their old scythes into swords. mount
their little airy horses, twelve abreast
blast the little rocks and blow up all
GODS creation, but still jefferson
Davis will remain"
This is as far as young Palmer got
in the muddle of nonsense. His aud
itors were frequently doubled up with
laughter
They came to a fence on the edge
OF wood, and the two southerners
climbed over, confidently expecting
their prisoner to follow. He, however.
hung back and instead of mounting
the fence broke off his speech. jumped
back suddenly and darted into the
| woods like a deer A few Intellectual
bullets followed, but before night hs
vas back in his own camp.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

exactly the same with every span. be
tween the turning on of the current
and the fall of the span an hour and
40 minutes elapsed. Then the mass
of timbers fell into the water well In
side the piers, so that they were unln-
jured.
The cut made by the hot wire was
sharp and clean, and the wood was
not charred more than an inch from
the place of fracture.
The current was first turned on at
about five o'clock in the morning, and
at two in the afternoon the last span
crashed down to the river bed
Scientific American.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17
a BALL FOR BABY

through the perforation in the card
board and then proceed to fill up the
hole by drawing the wool through and
through over the cardboard until no
more will pass. Cut it and tie it be-
tween the two circles and remove
these by tearing them away.
The ball should be sewn on to mar
row satin ribbon, blue or pink, as the
case may be, and to this ribbon
should be attached a quantity Of little
gold or silver bells, which will Jingle
merrily when the ball is swung to and
fro by the ribbons.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17
[yTSRMIERGIsF]|
! Aw AIN~A
H' ~ WAR]
fSSN2|Ss<SYI 49, ~
FlJNNy TALE FREES SOLDIER
civil War vetersn Relates Unique tx
perience During War-Cap'ors
Laugh and He Runs.

Amateur public speakers or persons
who have difficulty in remembering
'impromptu" remarks would DO Wen
to consult Capt. A. R. Palmer OF Ohi-
caeo commander of Meade post. u. A
R.. for an infallible cure for such lot
getfulness. This would De MY
recipe:
Get yourself captured in war and
entertain your captors with tunny
stories until you have them of their
guard, so you can escape. Everything
YOU say will be stamped indelibly on
YOUR mind" The rule has held good
for fifty years for Captain Palmer'
Every word of a senseless Jumble ne
repeated to amuse a couple OF Con-
federates in 1861 while he racked MS
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

bridge, but to burn it apart. His pro-
posal was gladly accepted.
Each span of the bridge was COM
posed of nine chords of three timbers
each. The q stills were to be cut
simultaneously, so that tie span would
drop between the piers into the river.
The cutting was to be accomplished
by burning through the wood with
loops of iron resistance made red-hot
by the passage of the electric current.
Fifty-four resistance loops were
heated to wreck each span, and the
spans were wrecked one at a time.
Sufficient current was used to heat the
iron wires cherry red. The result was
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

Letter, widow of the Chicago
multi-milIionaire and mother
of the late Lady CuT7on,
late vicereine of India; Mrs.
George NJ. Pullman, widow of
the car builder; Mrs. Thorn
as r. Walsh, widow of the
Mining King" Mrs. Mary
Scott Townsend, widow OF
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

If ever love is stitched into gift
it goes into the one that celebrates
baby's first birthday. One of the pref
test presents, which will give the
little one great Joy, is a large edition
of those balls which the happy
mothers of today delighted to fashion
as children with two circles Of card
board perforated in the center.
Instead of making the circles an
inch or two in diameter, make them
full six inches in size, and use pink
and white or pale blue and white wool
of very fleecy type. Tie the wool
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

Islander and his wife visited the fur
niture store, and when the wife saw
that beautifully polished antique
washstand she fell in love with it, for
it Just filled her ideal. Her husband
seemed to have a suspicion of the
truth, and endeavored to distract her
attention. But the affair ended by the
woman purchasing the stand for $40,
and it is now one of her most highly
prized poss essions.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17

fhe Pennsylvania coal and oil magnate, and
Mrs NJ A Hanna widow of the late United
States senator from Ohio.
Mrs Hannas life since the death of her
husband we may here digress to explain, has
illustrated how great is the latitude of life
omen to the modern wealthy widow in con-
trast to the circumscribed existence of the
erage widow of prominent official of cen
tury ago who upon the death Of her husband
was wont to retire to his plantation country
seat and live in the utmost Quietude If not in
actual seclusion. After the death of her hus-
band Mrs Hanna lived for time in a fash
Ionable hotel in Washington. Then she built
a large house and occupied it for time, later
disposing of it to a prominent army officer.
Next she had a special apartment arranged to
her order In one of the largest of the new ho-
tells in New York, even providing a special
kitchen for Maggie" her Jewel" OF cook.
Then desiring q change, she hit upon the idea
of her present program of life, which calls for
an extended sojourn in Europe each spring
and summer and winter residence In Wash
ingtcn where she has two apartments or IA
rooms each in fashionable apartment house
Mrs Hanna's 2S-room apartment might
seem pretty pretentious residential establish
meny for lone woman to maintain, but 1t IS
scarcely a circumstance to the enormous -FOUR
story mansion erected at the national capltai
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-17
Just the Thina.

Figg-What are you having carved
on the photographers tombstOne7
Fogg-Taken from life. - Boston
Transcript
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
Notes On Camping and Tramping From tha Boston Hera1d

T IDIl llb bOSlOu 11eTdlu-
 Hiking" across country, which has become one if the most enjoyable fea- lures of the Boy Scouts life, is equal ly available for girls. If they go in a large group or party and have the experience of camping out all night, they will have no end of fun. Mrs chief scout of the Boy Scouts of Amer iea has taken group of New York girls to Maine, so that they might get the experience of living in the woods and tramping across country, 'as the Indians did Such trips are within the grasp of the average girl. If she can get someone older than herself to or ganiZe a party. There Is great fun in tramping with pack. sleeping in the woods and eating thing that you cook in the open--nothing ever tastes so good. As far as baggage. the lea t you carry the better but there are certain essentials. and in large part y many hands make light work" Khaki clothes and hats are the most durable, and good heavy shoes are necessary. With a little study one can find just what she would need on such d trip and
 many things can be learned by con
 sulting books on the subject. A walk of 10 miles with pack Is quite cough
 with dip" in nearby lake or river
 of resting and putting up for the night
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
NAME OF ST. JOHN
How a Governor of Kansas Was Once
 FlOOred

From the Kansas City Journal.
 There is a town in Kansas that bears the name of St John. And ex-Gov. John P St. John of Olathe is of the firm opin- ion to this day that it was named in his honor It is mighty good town and To- cated in one of the most prosperous com in the whole state. It has fine buildings many automobiles, owns it's owr electric light and water systems, Is a county seat and Is peopled by one of the brightest lot of residents any town ever had But it wasn't named after John F. St. John.
 Along about the time the county of Sta afford was organized St. John was gov error of Kansas, and the town of St. John wanted to be made the temporary county seat. The town of Stafford, to the east side of the county was .an- didate for the same honor, and ere the matter was settled the fellows who were conducting the campaign for St. John had tc indulge in bit of sharp practice. They did it by representing to the then Govern or St John that their town had been
 named in his honor and that he couldn't
 fairly go back on the town Tn us irving
 hour
 Governor St. John fell for the trick and
 went in to help the town with all his might and main. With this weight thrown in it's favor it had easy sailing over Staf- ford and carried off first blood in county seat war that attracted more or less at ltention later on.
 The joke of the whole affair Is on Gov ernor St. John. The town of St John Was settled by Mormons in the early 'Os.. be fore there was even a county known as Stafford, and later was given over to 2 colony of negroes. The MormOns haf named the town and called 1t St. John after the Apostle St. John. It was little known until 1t bobbed into prominence aa
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
GENERAL TRADE
 IN BETTER TONE Dun and Bradstreet Make
 Weekly Report MUCH CONSERVATISM Railroad Buying Shows Expenditures Are Still Being Limited-New Construction Work Being
 Pushed With Much Vigor
MUCH CONSERVATISM

New York, September 1.-R. G. Gun X Co. s weekly review of trade tomorrow will say:
 A better tone Is noted in general trade, not alone at New York city but at most iobbing centers of the west and south west.
 New construction work Is being pushed with vigor as indicated by the very heavy bookings in structural steel shapes. This Is by far the most active of the finished departments of iron and steel. and if the present demand is maintained, the volume of business during the current year is expected to surpass even the high rec ord of 1906
 Railroad buying, however, suggests that expenditures are still being limited, al- though recent rail sales total about 25- GOO tons and contracts for some 2OOo tons are reported pending, with con- siderable tonnage in view for export Ad- vices from the Pittsburg district notes more favorable conditions. Inquiries are in the market for deliveries over the first quarter of 1912, but some reluctance IS shown to accept business that far ahead. A better volume of business is noted in primary and secondary dry goods mar kets, cotton goods buying having been stimulated a little by the revision of sta pie prints. Purchasing of print cloths is decidedly better, one printer being re- ported to have purchased 250.0o0 pieces Of wide print cloths for delivery during the remainder of the year. Converters are also placing more business for forward delivery on odd styles and there is some increase in the inquiry for brown and bleached cotton. Prices incline to great CT stability, but as whole the market is undergoing readjustment. There IS more trading in dress goods and bet ter house trade is noted in the past week than in any week of the fall season. There is a better call for stock goods | and little inclination to expect conces- sions.
 Trade in footwear is of fair proportion with the volume of sales somewhat larger than while ago, but little improvement | is noted over last week. Wholesalers and retailers are buying close to atual needs and are consequently in the market Ire ouently. Further strength has developed | in domestic hides and especially In the hacker market. with sales of one fourth | to one-half above the low point or | fortnight ago. Foreign hides are mostly | unchanged. Leather is in steady demand, | but in most kinds sales are only of mod
 crate quantities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
Bradstreet's Report

New York, September 1.-Bradstreet tomorrow will say:
 Numerous visiting buyers continue to be in evidence in the countrys leading markets, thus making for more or less activity in house trade, but notwithstand- ing this, reports continue to display a greater degree of irregularity than usual at this stage of the season. The situation as a whole is character ized by a marked degree of conservatism, which finds expression in small lot pur- chasers but significantly more prompt shipments are desired. So far as rela- tive activity is concerned, dry goods, mill linery, notions groceries and hardware lead in point of demand with the spring wheat northwest sending in the best re- ports. Reduced prices on some makes of manufactured cottons have apparently superinduced a better demand for these goods, but withdrawals of discounts on blea ched goods tend to offset the full ef- fleets of general downward revisions, fol- lowing the passing of last seasons high record.
 Rail trade Is still very quiet, having been rendered so by a week of wet weather.
 In the industrial lines there Is a good deal of idleness. this being especially no- tieeable in the textile interests north and
 
 Retrenchments are also being enforced by the railroads, thus making for less employment. and the labor situation as re- gards some of the country's leading west ern railroads has become more critical.
 Price cutting is quite marked in the iron and steel trade, and new business is not of an encouraging volume. Collec- tions are slow. Business failures in the United States for the week ending August | 31 were 164, against 19s last week, 179 1 in the like week of 1910, 166 In 1909 21O in 1908 and 130 in 1906, Business failures in | Canada for the week number 90, which contrasts with 39 for last week and 25 in l the like week of 1910.
 | Wheat, including four exports from | the United States and Canada for the week ending August 31 aggregate s07s,- I'll bushels, against s.422 476 last week ant | 1.924,1SS this week last year 1 For the nine weeks ending August 3 exports are 23.224934 bushels. against 12. 9s5.573 in the sponding period las | year.
 Corn exports for the week are 129 77 bushels. against 329,61O last week and PIG ] 409 in 1910. For the nine weeks endine August 31 corn exports are 4475503 bush els. against 2,312, ,405 last year
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
Maps Beat Walsh

Chicago, September -Four times the great Lajoie stood before the great Walsh today, and three times the great Lajoie struck at the thin air. But that was not enough-there was team play and hitting in the keenest sense of the word, which means that there was hitting at crucial moments. Cleveland won, to 1. And besides 1t all, there was Chouinard, who stood calmly In front of second base while Olson played the old hidden ball stunt" and was touched out. It was the feature of an otherwise featureless game, and when Comisky's team had a chance to win theyD failed. Score: R. H. E. Chicago ....... 900 900 001---1 1 o Cleveland ...... 001 100 000-2 ? Batteries: Walsh and Block; Gregg and smith. Time, 1:55. Empires, Mullen and Evans.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02

candidate for the temporary county seat of Stafford county.
 Its opponent for the same honor was possessed of some pretty persistent boom CTS and if it hadn't been for St. John hitting upon the clever trick of making Governor St. JohH believe the town had been named for him at least half dozen years before he was elected governor of K ansas, the story might have been writ ten different at this time. As it was 1t served them in an hour of distress faith fully and well, and for many, many years ,ex-Governor St. John has lived on in bliss ful ignorance of the true story about the town he supposed was wearing his name lin his honor.