The Ferris Wheel, Volume 4, Number 3[b], Saturday, September 26, 1896 Page: 3 of 6
6 pages on 3 sheets : b&w, illus ; sheet 49 x 32 cm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
GAIL DODGE'S LIFE.
A WOiVIAN WHO HAS LEFT HER
MARK IN THE WORLD.
The Life-Lonf Friend of James t.
Blaiae-Her Early Life as a SchoolTeacher
and Governes--Wav a Fomcible
Writer.
HE late Abigail
Dodge, 01 Gail
Hamilton, was Dest
known piobabbl
from her pungent
and rather eiratic
writings and the
strong espousal ot
the political fortunes
of James G
Blame.
She was of a family
of four brothers and one sister. She
was born in Hamilton, Mass, in Apiil,
1833. Her father's name was James B
Dodge, and her mother was Hannah
Stanwood of Hollowell, Me Jacob
Stanwood, a brother of Hannah, was
the father of Mrs.James G Blaine, and
thus the relations, cemented by friendship,
between Miss Dodge and the
Blame family came about Miss Dodge
,as led into close friendship with Mr'.
Blame, and a; the death of the latter
she became his literary executor, being
in possession of all his papers and
documents of value to her as his authorized
biographer She was engagedGAIL HAMILTON.
(From an old print, reputed to be the
only picture Miss Dodge evei had
taken )
as frequently as nei health would peimit
on Mr Blanme's biography from the
time of his death until her illness ot
lest year, and it : thought her untiring
devotion to t'he work was instrumental
in bringing about that prostiation.
The scene of her birth was a
ramblnig old house, now standing near
the Methodis: camp meeting grounds
It belonged to Gail s grandfather, Jonathan
Dodge and there she lived with
her parents until the old man died
The family proper ty was then divided,
and James Dodge with his children
moved to a smalt house neea the Wenham
Station
Miss Dodge had begun to acquire
considerable success anu prominence
as a writer when her father and mother
died, and she then was able to
buy the place vt hich she made heI
home. Miss Dodge atended the public
schools in Hamilton until she was 13
years old. She then went to Cambridge
to Dr Alvah Smith's school
This was a fashionable old training
school in its day for the young folks
of the old colony families Thence she
went to the Ipswich Academy in Ipswik,
kept by the Rev John P. Cowles,,
and there the finishing touches of her
school education were received. This,
too, was a celebrated school in those
times, though now only a weatherbeaten,
deserted old building and a
revered memory remain Miss Dodge
then had attained her twentieth year,
and as a starter in taking care of herself
she determined to teach school. A
place was offered her in the Hartford,,
Conn., high school Hei peculiar independence
as brought out in that.
Gail refused to pass any examination
to prove her fitness for the place. The
committee members firmly insisted that
such were the conditions all young
teachers had to undergo. Mi!s Dodge,
however, was obdurate.
"If you don't like me," said she, "you
can fire me I can try it, and later dexelopments
will be the best tosts of
my capability
Try it she did, and a pleasaurt impressiron
it was that she made.
Miss Dodge as a pupil had been quick
to learn and bilhlant in the expression
of her thoughts Her scholarship,
however, was not considered as thor
'
ough or finished by her teachers as
that of her sister, Hannah. Her quickress
and gift ot expression and communication,
however, stood her in good
stead in the schoolroom, and is not a
little the element to which she owed
success s, a water and "maker of
books " Frcm Hartford she entered the
family of Prof. Bailey ,the mathematician,
and former editor of the Nationa'
Era, as governess. She occupir
position for some time, and lei,
engage in literary pursuits Gali
ilton, as her books show, was
and vigorous writer. She thworks
off with steam engine
She said she had no literary
She did the greater part of
ing in the morning and gav
ernoon to recreation,
walking or riopedastr"a,3 she put it, of outsitne irritation,
hMlts, translated into a homely illustiation,
means that she was something
like the Irishman, who ' when he saw
a heJd hit it " She needed some eausf
to excite her interest, or zome measure
tf arolr'e her contempt, to start hei
pen Tler writings, as a result, are
largely polemical, dealing with curreial
topics and questions ot controversy.
Her b) le of thought and manner ol
expression are vigorous ,and masculine
'I he latter characterization, together
tith her pseudonym, led many to mis.
take her sex She selected Gail from
the latter part oL Abigail and Hanmi-.
ton from the town of ner birth
Some of her best known books are
"Countny Living and Country Thinking,"
"Woman's Worth and Woman's
Worthlessness," ' Scientific Farming,'
"Our Common Schools," ' What Thinlk
Ye of Christ?" a study of the testimony
of the English Bible, "A Battle of the
Books," and "Woman's Wrongs." Miss
Dodge's peculiar onslaught on political'
methods and politicians that displeased
her are known This same inde.
pendent, self-assertion marks her ir
her social relations She was little
known to the villages ac Hamilton
,despite the'"fact that her life has beer
passed there She traveled much. A
Pullman car conductor tells an amus
ing story of his experience wita her
Miss Dodge and Mrs Blame were once
traveling together on a pass made out
for Mi' and Mrs Blaine The conductor
looked at the pass and then quiet
ly asked which was Mrs Blaine. That
woman nodded, and the conductor ther
asked Gail for her ticket "Ticket,
said she, 'why, I am Mrt Blaine " And
she was for that trip. Shrewd a:
Miss Dodge was. however, she occasionally
was taken in. Au illustrator
was the faith she placed in Mrs. Howe
:ad hei woman's bank scheme Misc
Dodge was indignant with the newspapei
s when thev star ted to expose the
iraud, and herselt weNar so ar as tc
wi rte an aiiicle loi the Allan' ic MonthlI
in defense
H}ALE JOHNSO.Z.
The Ptlohilition CnjlltdAte fir thie irt
Pt eslden14v.
Hale Johnson. candidate for VicePresident
on the national pohlibiuor
ticket, is a good, patriotic citizen, with
worthy and spotless record He was
named foi John P Hale, the free soil
candidate tor Pi esident in 1852, was
educated in the common schools,fougnt
for the flag of his country trom the
time he was 17 until he reached his majority,
and when peace was restored he
became an instructor in a public
school Mr Johnson moved with his
family Irom Indiana to Ill.no s after the
wai. In 1871 lie carried Maly E Loofbuniow
of Washington Court House,
Ohio. In 1875 he was admitted lo the
bar of Illinois, and since 1877 lie has
practiced in the town of Newton wilh
Judge James W Gibson tor his partner.
Mr Johnson was a republican before he
became a prohibitionist. He served the
republican party as delegate to its local
and state conventions and might
have had no small honor in return had
lie aot preferred to retire from it
Since that time he has been prominent
in prohibition politics and was named
for governor by the state convention.HALE JOHNSON.
Just as he was developing as a strong
candidate he was transferred to ,he
national ticketHow a Jeweler C('leans Jewels
First have your little box of jeweler's
sawdust. To clean the jewels some
warm water, castile soap and a c oft
brush iare necessary A few drops of
ammomna in the water will be a nelp
Scrub them very gently with the brush
alid F. little soap The brush will removo
the dirt undcr the stones very
easily. Rinse well with hot water, dry
in a towel and put in your sawdust till
needed The latter will absorb all moisture
th'
is left, and, when shaken off,
will 1 -' very brilliant Put
-e after wearing
'I a long 4 o
r)arti.
'9,SERYANTS AT HOME.
WHEN IN CHARGE O0. THE
HOUSE HAVE A GOOD TIME.
Objectionable Behavior and Noise-The
Man Who Lives Next Door Is Unable
to Get Any Rest-Their Annual. Throe
Months' Picnic.
HAT'S the matter,
old man* You look
tired "
n^V T'~The g'm-ting en
Monday morning
had the peculiar
intonation that indicates
a suspicion
ot a prolonged
search for relaxation
on Sunday and
its subsequent effect
on the nervous systemrn, 'says the
New York Times.
"Look tired' I a'm tired, and I'm
cross and ugly Do I look as if I had
been attacked by nervous dyspepsia,
almost exhausted by St. Vitus' dance
and then lett on the rack for hour s7"
"Well, not quite that, old man."
"Then I'm in luck The tact of the
,matter is that I was out of the house
only three 'hours yesterday and then I
went to Harlem and back in the cable
cars They were the only restful hours
I had between early in the morning
and midnight Why9 Because I was
the victim ot the confidence of two of
my neighbors who hax e closed
their premises and gone to the
country and have left servants in
charge Do you catch on9 Well,
some of your funny friends on
the press don't come anywhere near the
actual facts when they bring out every
year the pen-woin descriptions of the
antics ot servants during the absence
of families It my neighbors' servants
would dress up in the fineries of their
mistresses, and occupy the parlors I
wouldn't mind, because the damage
would be 1o the feelings cf those who
should be concerned, but when they invite
their sister, cousins, aunts and
neaiei relatives to jamboreces in the
tear yard or basement and distuib my
peace of mind I'm ready to kick
"The rear oi my house is about thirty
feet Irom the side ot a large apartument
house that has tenants that are as
quiet as thev can be, usually My favorite
room is in the rear, because it
is cool and shady there My sufferings
began in the morning ,while reading the
papers and I thought 'they 'wouldn't
last long, but I didn't know the meaning
of servants' invitations The quiet
old gentleman whc , lo^ed the apartments
in the second story and went
with Ins wife and daughter about a
month ago, leaving a servant in chaige,
would have been surprised if he had returned
unexpectedly x ester day I judged
from the conversation that the seivant
had invited her brother and sister
and two ousins to spend the day with
her in veiy nicely rui niAhed rooms. because
they took possession ot the parlor
and proceeded to make themselves
comfortable The young men were in
themrshnt sleeves, and they appiecitead
the iestful qualities of the lounge
by drawing them to the i indows and
gathering all of the sofa pillows they
could find and sti etching out at full
length on them Between snatches of
all the new tunes of the variety halls
iwere remarks on thp eccentlicities of
the tenants.
One tounid a Flen( h text book and
tried to instruct the others in the p)onunc'latron
of Fuench Another who
thought he had the voice of an elocutionist
recited from one of the claspecs
that the old gentleman prized
Magazines and illustrated periodicals
amused them lor awhile The mixture
of slang and good literature was not
very edifying Atter lunch they turned
to gossip and the details of picnics
on previous occasions Tihe laughter
and loud talking jarred one's nerves,
and I think I would be willing to pay
a month's rent for the old gentleman
if he had returned and found the party
in possession. I couldn't read and I
could hardly wiie a letter and my wife
couldn't get her usual afternoon dcze
lIate in the afternoon the visitors wentaway and I thought we would have a
quiet evening, but that's where I made
a mistake
"My M ite remained at home, but I
went out foi a breath of air. When I
returned I 'heard the most exasperating
noises from the basement and yard of
the house adjoining The seri'ants in
charge there had invited their friends
or relatives to spend the evening, and
the way *hey carried on was disgraceful.
The fact that the front of the
house was dark with drawn curtains
was no indication that liveliness should
not be expected behind the gloom The
contrast of the quietne.,i in June, before
the t mily departed .... (
noisines July was rhe
spermno'
servants should bo allowed to ha-v
some fun, but it is doubtful w'hethez
zheir masters ,and' mistresses would
knowingly permit them to have thal
fun elsewhere than the neighborhood,
they ace willing to seek at other times
The reflection on the behavior ol
some servants should not be applied t(
all The servants that have respect foi
the families 'they seive, yare qule' and
orderly and they ace as observant of
the requirements of a respectable locality
as any one could desire They aid
in there solution of the servant question
The outbreaks of others make the solution
more difficult.
THEIR BONES GO HOMC.
Lively Trade in the Shipment of Dead
Chinamen.
The bones of every Chinaman *whc
dies in this country are sent back tc
the celest'ial empire for interment, says
the New York World. They are shipped
in large boxes from San Francisco under
the ,designation of "fish-bone" at
the rate of $20 a ton. This fish-bone
fiction is in order to evade the rule
of the steamship companies, which
charge full passenger rates for the
transportation of dead bodies. Nearly
every Chinaman who comes here is
under the care of the Six Companies
They sign a contract guaranteeing to
return the bones of the dead for burial
with those of their ancestors On
every steamer leaving San Francisco
there are invalid Chinese steerage
passengers who hope to live until tzy
leach their native country An agreement
exists between the Six Companies
and the steamship managers which
forbids the burial of these Chinamen
should they die at sea and the S!x
Companies furnish 'coffins ot the peculiar
Chinese pattern for use in auch
emergencies When a Chinaman dies
at sea his body is embalmed, placed in
a sealed coffin nad lowered into the
hold The expense .s paid by the
other Chinese pax-ren.geis and stewards
oi the ship, all ot vaihom belong to that
race AWhen the ,-,.ap reaches Hong
Kong the cofimh .. e delivered to the
Tung Wali hospital. v hich gives them
to the sui, vinvg liields in China
Eveiv Chihnaman among us is supposed
to be registered ai the Tung Waah hospital
and 'with the Srx Companies at
San Francis(o
Lunching on EgS Phosphate.
"On the broiling days." says a busy
wc-man, foodd is very distasteful. I find
myself ignoring luncheon hour, and
then in the middle of the afternoon am
exhausted in consequence One needs
nourishing food thiough such strain of
weather, but not heating food. If I
cannot eat at noon I ta. itdat go out
and get an egg phosphate There is
both nourishment and a little stimulant
in this d ink I take care to go to a
place where I (an see the fresh 'gg
broken into the glass, which I find
more appetizing and nourishing thanll
the extract used at some soda fountain
counters About 5 o'clock I get a s.cond
one, and in this i ay I get through
a broiling day with comfort Twn raw
eggs, I find, aie sufficient nourishment
from breakfast to dinner, both of
which meals I force nmiself, if the inclination
ir lacking, to partake of Physicians
say that systems weakened by
fasting succumb easily to the itffer ts
of heat, but on the other hand. hot
meals in the middle of the das for one
mho must go on working through the
heat of the afternoon are not to be rncommended
lt seems to me the egg
phosphate diet solves the problem
Progressive IfHainmock Parties.
A piogressive hammock paity is
something new At one recently g cn
m a smaller Wisconsin citv each guest
upon arrival was presented with a tiny
half square ot cardboard on which was
v rotten one-halt of some chosen subject.
Partners \ eie found 'bv maltching
these cards, the man having the latter
half of the subject being privileged
to sit Ioi five minutes with the ';irl
who held the fist part of the subject.
The lawn presented a very pretty picture,
hung as it was with Chinese lanterns
and hammocks and having rugs
spread over the grass Ovei each hammock
hung a card-boai d each bearing a
line The couple whose cai d bore the
same inscription as that above the
hammock occupied that particular one
Among the subjects were An Ideal
Boy, An Ideal Gl 1, Love Spoons 'ind
Chaperons Each man conversed for
five minutes upon one subject, and then
progressed to the next hammock wlioe
conversation upon another topic NIas
renewed After each hammock had
been visited the girls voted as to which
man had entertained them in the best
manner, and he won the prize
The Woman of It.
"Now, 'dear, I have one tavor tl' ask
f you."
it's granted."
'hen please don't tell
never loved before
;d that you
' r girl* INDIANA'S ICE CAVP
Ra arkable Pheromenon That
Been Explained.
One of the most remarkable ^
phenomena discovered in recent
has just been reported in the so,
west corner of Brown county, India,,,
* says the Cincinnati Enquirer It
near the diminutive village of Elkir
ville. At its entrance, which is cor
. pletelv overlapped by the trees, t'
] cold air is painnly perceptible. T
winding way leads to a subterrs
. cavern ,which is fully fifty feet b
the surface This huge apertui
very like a broad vaulted corridor
is known 'to tihe natives as the de
chamber The air of this apartm'.
X is near the freezing point It
trimmed with glistening rock form,
tions, which reflect the light an
D sparkle with the brilliancy of cour
less diamonds. From this point a nuna
her of 'halls lead off in a confusing
manner, but the one to the ice vault
is evident from the cold blast that
comes from. it.
The descent to, this natural corridor
is similar to the rocky decline at th
entrance of the cave, but not over o
dogen yards within the frost from th,
lice vault is plainly visible and fui
ther on it is thick on all sides, like that
crust that is formed on the pipes os
an ice plant. A little further on the
descent entirely 'ceases and here the
walls are frozen hard like the ground
in tae middle of the winter. Then the
narrow way leads to a mammoth chamber
and this large natural opening is
known as the ice vault. In this great
subterranean aperture, which extends
fully 100 feet in width, the ice towers
in a miniature mountain, appearing
like a dozen icebergs heaped together
The frost-lined walls and ice-sealed
dome present a frigidness which would
.bring the shivers to a seasoned Esquimo
Here the ice stands in a solid
mass, extending downward 'to a depth
which would be folly to conjecture
Some 'have advanced the theory that
the air is forced through under-passages
of the earth with such pressure
as to make the strange formation,
Some have attributed the cause to an
underlying bed of alkali, whose chenmical
change to a gaseous form has produced
the phenomenon Others have
thought 'that the interior heat of the
earth, acting upon the iron pyrites, or
fool's gold, winch largely abounds in
this country, is the true source of this
unparalleled discovery. Still others
think the sudden expansion of the caibonic
acid gas given off by the heated
limestone, which is also common in
this country, could have easily produced
the ice But thus far the theorieas
are nothing more than speculation,
and further than the factThat~tH~
iTecas
e exists and is, indeed, a remarkable
phenomenon none has been able
to finther determine
An Ideal Antiseptic
Hlermitine, or electrolyzed salt
water, besides its use as a disinfectant
for sewerage, is now employed as
an antiseptic in Parls hospitals Dr
Proger, chief surgeon of the Deaf and
Dumb Children's asylum at Asmeies,
recently told the Academice de Medicine,
as the result of long experiments,
that "the electrolyzed saline water is
neither caustic nor irritating, it may be
applied to the mucous membrane as to
the skin, it instantly removes all bad
odors, stops all putrescent fermlinertation,
kills microbes more effectually
and rapidly than any other antiseptic
cleanses and heals fetid wounds and
sores. and hastens healing; it is an
ideal antiseptic Consequently, it appears
to me ot the utmost importance
to make it known, and to draw atrention
to all the applications that iL may
be put to, both from a domestic point
of view for deodorizing and cleaning,
and from a medicinal point of view as
an antiseptic and healer par excellence
" Dr Proger used hermiinae
with success in cases of angina. coz ;'a
and incipient diphtheria as well.
Children's Centennial Bulldilr.
*The children of the state of Tenniessee
'are erecting a building for the centennial
exposition, to take place nextspring at Nashville, andl some very
unique ideas are being carried o e All
exhibits will be for children and by
children, showing children's v ork
Children's organizations of the .wholA
country 'are invited to contribute their
ideas and valuable sleelneiis of any
sort Little Miss Lizzie Pearcy, 13'
years old, daughter ot the United State.,
consul to Coloni, suggested a very
unique idea which is to be cai red out.
She proposed wvr'iting to every Untiel
States consul at foreign parts of taea
world, over 200 in number, and ask,na
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
[Ezzell, Frank]. The Ferris Wheel, Volume 4, Number 3[b], Saturday, September 26, 1896, newspaper, September 26, 1896; Ferris, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth18874/m1/3/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ferris Public Library.