davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
GIVING THE HORSES A DRINK
Should Not Be Given on Hot Days
Safe Plan Outlined.

How horses have died through get
ting drink of cold water when they
were overheated, on a hot day, is
something that we have all often
heard. 1t is something that has hap
pened and, when care and judgment
are not exercised, it will probably hap
pen again. But no one hesitates about
taking a drink himself on hot days,
and generally the results are not IN
pleasant, and seldom serious.
When horses are working hard in
hot weather, it is never wise to allow
them to stop and fill up on cold wa
ter. But a light drink, taken in the
middle of the forenoon and the after
noon, will do them good, not harm.
There is no better way than to take
a pail to the field, and also a double
handful Of meal Fill the pail with
water and allow it to stand with the
meal mixed in it, until the middle Of
the halliday period, and then allow
each horse to drink the half Of it. This
will be found not only a safe thing.
but a very beneficial one as well, as
it will refresh the team very much and
help them to Withstand the long, hot
days Of hard labor with far less loss
of flesh or Of condition than they
would otherwise sustain
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
HORSES AND MULES FOR WAR
Many Animals Not Particularly Need
ed on Farms Have Been Purchased
by European Nations.

(By Z. A. TROWBRIDGE. Missouri Ex-
pertinent Stationl
Inc european nations now at war
have purchased many Missouri horses
and mules, which are not particularly
needed OF course, they have obtained
some good animals, but many of them
have not been Of the best, and most
Of the mules bought were full aged.
The older mules were bought because
they could stand the trip across the
Atlantic better than the younger ones.
Some good cavalry horses were OBJ
tanned.
A few horse dealers have predicted
a high market price a short time aft
er the close of the war. They are
of the opinion that most of the horses
now being purchased in this country
will be killed, and that soldiers viii
need many animals on returning to
their farms. l believe that the mar
ket will be good, but l do not predict
any exceedingly high prices. This
country will be able to supply any de-
mands. A different situation might
arise, if the war continues for more
than a year.
Between 100000 and 100000 horses
and $4,000 and $4,000 mules were
contracted for in this country. and the
loss Of these animals to the United
States only means the taking away of
those produced between January l,
1914, and January l, 1915. With a
similar increase during the present
year, we would be able to supply a
considerable number of horses and
mules.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
THEY'RE THE SWlFTEST DOGS
Greyhounds, 1t Has Been Proved, Can
Run as Fast as Carrier
Pigeons Fly.

Comparatively few people realize of
what remarkable speed dogs are
capable. The wolf can run between
fifty and sixty miles in one night, and
the Arctic fox can do quite as well, if
not better hansen met one of these
foxes on the ice at a point more than
seventy miles northwest Of the Sanni-
kow territory, which is $50 miles
from the Asiatic coast. Eskimo and
Siberian dogs travel As miles on the
ice in five hours, and there is one case
on record il which a team Of Eskimo
dogs travelled six and one-half miles in
% minutes.
English settlers and pointers hunt at
the rate of eighteen to nineteen miles
an hour and they can maintain this
speed for at least two hours. Fox
hounds are extraordinarily swift, as is
proved by the fact that dog Of this
breed once beat a thoroughbred horse,
covering four miles in six and one-half
minutes. Greyhounds are the swiftest
Of all four-footed creatures, and their
speed may be regarded as equal to that
Of carrier pigeons. English grey
bounds. which are carefully selected
and which are used for coursing are
able to cover at full gallop a space be-
tween eighteen and twenty-three yards
every second. 1t is said that hare
at it's greatest speed never goes faster
than at the rate of eighteen yards a
coao7d Those Interesting statistics
fully prove the right Of the greyhound
to rank as the swiftest Of the quad
ruDeds.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
SUNLIGHT A GERM DESTROYER
Cheapest Disinfectant at Mans Dis
posal-Southern Exposure Is De-
sirable in Buildings.

Sunlight is natures great germ de-
stroyer. 1t is the cheapest disinfect-
ant at mans disposal and should be
taken advantage of at every opportu-
nifty.
In the construction of barns or
shelters of any kinds for animals"
says H. Preston Hoskins of Minnesota
College Of Agriculture, in extension
bulletin No. A, ample provision
should be made for the admission of
the maximum amount of sunlight. A
southern exposure is desirable; that
is, an arrangement by which most of
the windows face south. The warmth
thus provided in cold weather is de-
sirable and much of the heat of sum-
mer can be avoided by the use of cur
tains or screens.
Most disease germs are entirely
killed by direct sunlight. This has
been repeatedly shown by expert
ments."
The farmer should bear this in mind
in building his barn, stable, hog house,
or poultry house.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
pooooocco~0<-1~~o
By HAROLD CARTER



IF John Ayre were to leave me- -
said Fitton & Co., 81 don't know what
I should do"
Fitton & Co. was Henry Fitton, the
famous publisher. He had started in
the business five years before, with a
capital of a thousand dollars, and his
record since then had been one of con-
tinuous success.
Many publishers stated that they de-
sired only literary merit in their pro-
auctions, and not big names; but
Henry Fftton meant it. He had
brought half a dozen new authors to
the front. He was always represented
on the list of best sellers. But John
Ayre was the cause of his success.
Ayre was his head reader, and ap-
peared omniscient. Ayre had never
let masterpiece slip through his fin
gers. He had an intuitive instinct
which told him whenever novel. sub
mitted to the firm, was going to sue
coed. Ayre seemed able to plumb the
depths Of the human heart-in manu-.
scripts.
But not in life.
"Ayre," said Fftton & Co. one day,
Il wish you were a mixer. I'd take
you into the firm. But you aren't
You are only a mixer in theory. I
wish you were the sort of fellow who
could put little personality into your
work, make good Impressions, and
build up the business"
Il guess I'm only cut out to be a
reader" answered John Ayre.
You're darned good one, anyhow"
said Fitton & Co., and that was true.
Ayre had picked that little schoolgirl
manuscript from Arkansas, which ev-
cry publisher but Fftton had rejected.
He had spotted its human qualities, he
had punctuated ind revised it, and it
had sold into three hundred thousand
copies.
He had taken that illiterate cowboy
tale, with its marvellous realism, and
changed the title, rewriting most of
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19

with increased difficulty and added la
Dor.
The robin is found throughout the
greater portion of the United States,
the range of the species extending
into Canada and even Alaska.
While for the most part migratory
In the northern half of the country,
individuals remain all winter in many
localities where shelter and food are
assured. In eastern Massachusetts
and at some places farther west there
are cedar swamps which offer an
abundant supply of wild fruit, and
robins remain throughout the winter
in large numbers. Most of the spe-
cies, however, spend the winter from
latitude 40 degrees northward as soon
as snow disappears. They arrive in
New England in the latter part of
March or early in April, and in the
northern states Of the Mississippi val
ley somewhat earlier. 1t is difficult
to say just when fall migration begins,
as the first birds to leave are replaced
by others from farther north.
Reports of depredations upon fruit
by birds come principally from the
prairie regions of the West. This is
just what might be expected, for but
few prairie shrubs produce the wild
berries that the birds prefer and for
lack of these the birds naturally feed
upon the cultivated varieties availa-
n %
by birds in the East are usually from
the immediate vicinity of villages and
towns where there is no natural fruit
bearing shrubbery. From this it fol-
lows that an effective remedy for the
ravages Of birds upon cultivated fruits
is to plant the preferred wild varie-
ties. Of the number of plants which
bear fruit preferred by the robin, many
are ornamental and are easily OBJ
tanned. The following are a few of
the plants the robins are fond of:
Blackberries and raspberries, cherries,
wild black cherries, china berries, flow
ering dogwood, blueberries, persim-
mons, Mississippi hackberries, western
hackberries, mulberries, cat brier,
green brier, red cedar, pokeberries,
smooth sumac, pepper berries, Ameri-
can holly, woodbine, black gum, and
others.
Investigation of the food of 1926
robins from AZ states, D. c., and three
Canadian provinces, showed that 42.40
per cent Of their food was animal mat
ter, and $3.50 per cent vegetable. Of
the latter more than so per cent con-
sisted of fruit, more than four-ffths
of which were wild species.
While the robin today probably is
doing much more good than harm,
bird whose diet consists of SO large
a percentage Of fruit, may at any time
become a pest where it's natural food
fails and cultivated varieties are &C
cessible. The birds must have food
and it is decidedly preferable to sup
ply the food they desire, and for which
they will amply pay, in the destruction
of harmful insects, instead of killing
the birds.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
WANTED 1T DONE BY PROXY
Youngsters Ingenious Idea for Getting
Out of Situation That Didn't
Please Him.

Jack disliked being kissed, and. be-
ing handsome little chap. sometimes
had a good deal to put up with. One
day he had been kissed a lot. Then.
to make matters worse, on going to
the picture palace in the evening, in
stead of his favorite cowboy and In
dian pictures there was nothing but
lot more hugging and kissing.
He returned home completely out of
patience with the whole tribe OF wom-
en-.
After he had rolled into bed mother
came in to kiss him goodnight.
He refused to be kissed
Mother begged and begged, till in
disgust he turned to his father, who
was standing at the doorway looking
on, and said:
Daddy. for the love of heaven, give
this woman a kiss!"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
FRIEND OR AN ENEMY?
Robin Is One OF Best Helpers of
Farmer and 0rchardist.
Damage Done by Little Feathered
Sonssters, If Any, May Be Re-
duced to Minimum-UsefuI in
Reducing Insect Life.
(By F. L. BEALL.1

Few native American birds are more
universally cherished than are the
robins. On esthetic grounds alone
they receive free protection, partly
from the romance that clusters about
them in story and legend and partly
because of their graceful shape and
movement, bright color and pleasing
song, and close association with man
and his works.
Investigation discloses that in addi-
ton to their pleasing qualities robins
perform a very useful function in
reducing the hordes of insect life con-
stantly prying upon the crops of the
farmer. In this work a large part of
their food consists of insects and they
feed their young upon them almost
exclusively. 1t Is recognized that
birds are one of the necessary checks
provided by nature upon the increase
Of the vast number of insects pro-
duced each year; that without them
there would be a greater destruction
Of vegetation, and that certain crops
OF the farmer regularly matured
would, if raised at all, be raised only
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19

ahe attracted MS interest Immediately
less on account Of her beauty than
from the character IN her face.
4 called about my manuscript" she
said. little timidly.
All. yes! Sit down, Miss-Miss
Raymond, answered the publisher
The fact is, have a letter in the
stenographer's hands at present, ad-
dressed to you. Your book is Won
derfuI- But it is fnconclusive.
Life is inconclusive," answered the
girl, and for moment it seemed odd
To Fitton that Ayre had used almost
the same expression.
You bring your couple upon the
scene excellently," said Fitton. I'VE
were greatly impressed. The setting
is superb. In fact, Miss Raymond.
your novel has the staging of a great
success. But it doesn't end. What
end there is is tragicaI We don't re-
fuse to consider tragedy, but at least
the ending must be made clear. Now
in your book the heroine simply con-
hdes her SORROWS TO book, trusting
that the lover will see it and realize
her feelings, which shyness prevented
her from expressing. If you could
change the end"
The girl smiled YEARLY. 'T will
think it over. Mr.. Fftton," she an
swered.
4 hope you WILL" replied the pub
Usher, because our reader, Mr.. John
Ayre, thinks highly of it. But here he
is coming into my office Now, Miss
Raymond, I want you and Mr.. Ayre to
have good talk"
He ceased, for the girl had suddenly
Strengthened herself and was looking
at Ayre with the strangest expression
upon her face. The publisher had
only once seen such a look, and that
was at the same time, for its answer
was on the face of his head reader.
He looked at them in establishment,
and then he understood. And, be-
cause he was human as we'll as a pub
Usher, he went discreetly out and left
them in his Office together.
When, ten minutes later, he ven
tured back, he knocked cautiously be-
fore entering. He heard a hasty
movement within. John Ayre and
Miss Raymond were standing opposite
each other beside the desk And the
look on the face of each one made
the publishers heart very happy. For
he loved John, in spite Of his odd ways.
"Mr. Fitton, have persuaded Miss
Raymond to change her ending" said
John.
Yes" answered the girl slowly.
For, you see, know the sequel now"
Fitton's hand descended hard on
Johns shoulder.
John, he said, "if the sequel proves
a success I'm going to take you into
partnership. l believe you will devel-
op the qualities of a mixer after all"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
Errors of History,
William Tell was a myth.

william Tell was myth.
COriolanus never allowed his mother
to intercede for Rome
The duke of Wellington never ut
tered the famous words, up guards,
and at them"
Alfred never allowed the cakes to
burn nor Ventured into the Danish
camp disguised as a minstrel.
Fair ROsamund was not poisoned by
Queen Eleanor, but died in the odor
of sanctity in the convent of Godstow.
Charles Kingsley gave up his chair
of modern history at Oxford because
he said he considered history largely
a lie"
Chemists have proved that vinegar
will not dissolve pearls or cIeave
rocks, in spite of the tabled exploits
of Cleopatra and Hannibal.
The siege of Troy is largely a myth,
even according to Homer's own &C.
count Helen must have been sixty
years old when Paris fell in love with
her.
The number of Xerxes' army has
been grossly exaggerated and it was
not stopped at Thermopylae by 300
Spartans, but by 1000, or even, as
some authors compute, 1900.
Philip VI, flying from the field Of
Crecy and challenged later before the
gates of the castle of Elois, did not
cry out: 1T is the fortune of France"
What he really said was: open,
open; it is the unfortunate king Of
France. st. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
a Dull Life.


II don't know how wen get along
without you, Nora"
Thank you, ma'am."
You've been with us a long time"
"Yes, ma'am. Nearly seven months"
And you still refuse to tell us
why you are leaving?"
We'll, ma'am, if you insist on know
ing, it's because | can't stand the
company here"
The idea! Our house is frequent
ed by the best people"
IT'S not that. ma'am. l was speak
ing Of my own company. Where l
used to work most Of my friends were
chauffeurs, ma'am. The only man
who has asked me to ride with him
since I've been here was a vegetable
peddler."
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
TalIcst EiadpoIe.

A fitting symbol of the mighty for
ests Of the West is Astoria's fagpole,
the tallest in the world, which floats
the stars and stripes 241 feet above
the Panama-Pacific exposition sea wall
at the corner of the Oregon building.
The stick, for it is a single stick of
timber, is actually Isl feet long, but
ten feet of the butt is Embedded in
a 20O-ton block of solid concrete,
which, without other stays, holds the
pole upright against the wind
The pole was shaped from the trunk
of Douglas fir, which, as it originally
stood in the Oregon forest, lowered
347 feet in the air, and might have
matched its height, though not it's
girth, against any but the Hottest Of
the California sequoias. Looking up
at the great flagstaff, it is hard to
realize that it weighs upward of 46
tons, and that there is lumber enough
in it to build five ordinary eight-room
houses. Its great height gives it an
appearance of slenderness and light
ness.-San Francisco Chronicle.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19

holy family
The detectives
revolver
At the discovery twenty thirty detectives who had crowded
howl
still weapons his until they had the
peered into his
to see if he submarine
Paul unrufied
told good
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
APEX OF WASHINGTON SHAFT
iron Bands That Bind Brow of
Monument

Few persons who have seen the
Washington monument, even those
who have lived within sight Of it all
their lives, have noticed that the apex
Of the monument is surrounded with
parallel bands. Such is the fact, how
ever; and moreover, the bands are
studded with golden points The bands
are made of goId-plated iron a foot
wide and the points are spaced a foot
from one another.
For a few moments in each sunny
day of the first week Of the new year
the golden fIlet that binds the brow
OF the Washington monument is Wis
ible to human eyes. Then the angle
OF incidence Of the suns rays is such
that they are reflected downward to
the windows Of the buildings north
and west Of the monument, and the
cool, gray surface is seen to be marked
with eleven shining lines of gold.
Theoretically, a similar effect could
be obtained from some point of obser-
walton at each moment when the suns
rays are intercepted By the sloping top
Of the monument, but only an airship
could attain the necessary vantage
point
According to the original plan of
the monument, 1t was protected from
lightning by an aluminium tip that was
connected with the metal framework
of the elevator. During the very first
summer after the monument was COM
pleted, however, it was struck twice
and piece Of stone was clipped from
the top.
Experts from the scientific depart
ments Of the government were called
on to contrive a plan for the better
protection of the shaft, and they de-
cided that copper bands, studded with
projecting points, would accomplish
the purpose. Colonel Casey. who had
charge of the work, objected on the
ground that copper would turn green
and that the verdigris would run" and
spoil the appearance of the monu-
ment; he also doubted that the copper
would have the necessary tensile
strength.
So the men of science agreed on a
number of iron bands, heavily gal
vanized and gold-plated to prevent rust
ing. The bands are connected with
the aluminium point of the monument
and the framework of the elevator,
and at the base iron cables lead the
electricity into deep well, where it
haTmlessly expends its force. The pro-
lection has proved to be perfect
Youths Companion.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
Orinin of RIot+inn Paner.

Blotting paper was discovered pure
" by accident Some ordinary paper
was being made one day at a mill in
Berkshire when a careless workman
forgot to put in the sizing material.
1t may be imagined what angry scenes
would take place in that mill, as the
whole of the paper was regarded as
being quite useless. The proprietor
of the mill desired to write a note
shortly afterwards, and he took
piece of the wastepaper, thinking it
was good enough for that purpose.
To his intense annoyance the ink
spread all over the paper. All of
sudden there flashed over his mind
the thought that this paper would do
instead of sand for drying ink, and he
at once advertised his wastepaper as
plotting" There was such big de-
mand that the mill ceased to make
ordinary paper, and was soon occu-
pied in making plotting only, the use
of which spread to all countries.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19
Enoaoement by Mail Only a Joke,

I'm through with girls. Back to
the ocean for me" That was the re-
solve announced a few days ago by
J. D. Browntown, a sailor on the Unit
ed States training ship Franklin, when
he departed from Hagerstown, Md,
after girl he had never seen re-
fused to marry him. The lady's name
had been given to Browntown by a
friend. and the two had become en-
gagged by mail. But when the pros
pectfve husband appeared the girl
said: so you're the person I've been
corresponding with? Well, I'm not
going to marry you. It was all a
Joke
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-08-19

the book, except the descriptions. He
had changed the hero into a heroine
and given her blonde hair and fancy
name. That book had sold TO the ex-
tent of two hundred and fifty thou
sand.
Ayre was mystery. He was man
Of thirty-f1ve. Fitton had given him
a job out of pity four years before.
The man looked half insane. He
seemed to have been through some
mental stress which had changed his
nature. Fitton had suspected him of
drinking But Ayre never touched
liquor, and inside of a year he was
head reader.
About a week after Fitton's remarks
Ayre brought him a manuscript. 1t
was written with the pen-a thing
which would have condemned it in
nine Offices out of ten. It was in
woman's hand, and it was tied with
pink ribbon, thing which would have
killed its chances in nineteen offices
out of twenty. For usually one can
tell the type of mind that produces
fiction from the appearance of the
story.
What's this, Ayre?" inquired the
publisher.
"A good story, Mr.. FTtton," an
swered the reader. From a young
woman in Washington. am COM
PEELED to tell you that it is likely to be
the success of the season"
why, compelled Ayre?"
Because I want to ask you not to
accept it, sir" answered Ayre, and
Fitton saw that he was trembling.
Ayre left the manuscript on Fftton's
desk and walked unsteadily away.
FTtton looked after him in some aston
ishment. Then, being himself no mean
judge of the value of a book, he turned
to the books perusal.
He was fascinated by it. It was, in
deed, story in million. But when
he reached the end he saw, as he sup
posed, why Ayre had objected to its
acceptance. 1t was indefinite. He
took the manuscript to his reader.
q see what you mean, Ayre," he
said. It's a splendid story, but it
doesn't come to an end. The couple
quarrel, and the girl turns him down.
Years afterward she realizes that she
has always loved the man. She is too
proud to go to him, but she writes a
letter which remains unanswered. So
she puts her love into a book But
the story ends with the publication of
the book It isn't a story
But it's life" answered Ayre.
I'll send it back" said Fitton. won
dering at Ayre's strange manner.
I'll write the girl that it's a good
book, but We can't accept it in view of
the conclusion"
However, before the letter and man
uscript had been mailed Fitton re-
ceived a visit from the author in per
son. A very pretty young woman Of
about twenty-five came into his Office.