The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-12-21
How a DetrOiter Took Morning
Jaunt In an Ash Wagon.
{ Detroit Free Press. /

uooi, anu No. iVo Invoke. Inc pound
ing increased, and 103 got up and il
gentle tones demanded who was there
" Got any ashesg'
No, confound you; get out of that.
A savage kick at the door was the re
Spouse. No 1903 seized sick of wood
opened the door and waited the clul
gently after the retreating ash-man
The missile reposed on that person,
shoulders, and that was what caused the
trouble. just as 103 was at rest again
crash was heard in the kitchen. Inves
tigation showed the principal window I,
be smashed, sash and all. An able
bodied brick rested on the floor.
1t is estimated that the time made by
103 getting into his garments has never
been beaten. All the while he kept
muttering to himself select phrases that
naturally suggested themselves as doing
Justice to the occasion. He hastily
threw on an overcoat, picked up a re-
volver and started on the war-path, while
the rain poured.
The first man he met had seen no ash
wagon. The second ditto. The third
reported an ashwagon dashing down
| Montcalm-street toward Woodward
avenue. No. 1903 reached Montcalm-
street just in time to see the wagon turn
up the avenue. He followed, and still
the rain poured on. On reaching Wood
ward-avenue he saw the ash-wagon with
it's two passengers far to the north.
One hundred and three pantingly hailed
a street car and the chase went on, while
the steady rain came down.
One hundred and three cannot re-
member how many streets were passed,
but at last the wagon turned east on a
side street, and he left the car to follow
The wagon turned up Brush-street, which
is not paved at this point, and then one
of the men got down and walked along
the side of the road, while the tired horse
slowlv toiled along in the mud Here
l03 overto k the men Of ashes Just as
they congratulated themselves on their
escape.
" | want you to settle for that window"
said 103
I" / didn't smash your window" said
the driver.
GLOW did you know it was smashed,
thenY'
What are ye givin usT" said the
other, who was a colored man.
"Thirty days, very likely" said 1903.
"Pll settle with you-quice," cried
the driver, dropping he lines and seiz-
ing the shovel that lay in the bottom of
the wagon.
"Drop that shovel" said 1903, showing
his hitherto concealed revolver under
the ashman's nose.
The shovel dropped. The asbman
evidently didn't want to shovel off this
mortal coil just then. The colored
man, who had picked up club and APP
preached to the help of the driver,
dropped the stick to keep company with
the shovel and retreated. This was
done more out of complement to the re.
volver than to 1903. All the while the
rain poured.
"Now, gentlemen" said 103, ~ pro-
pose you drive home"
81 live ten miles from here" said the
driver.
"In your company" said 103, lam
willing to ride twelve"
So the colored man climbed up be-
side the driver; 1903 climbed in behind
and sat on the edge of the wagon-box,
with his feet on a box of soap (happily,
there were no ashes in the wagon), and
the silent trio started, while the silent
rain still descended.
"Well take you through Kentuck,
where they amt afraid of your revolver"
said the ashen man.
"All right said 1903. ~ don't
want to frighten any body. / am merely
performing paneful duty" So the
procession moved on. More rain }
Down Beaubien to Ontario-street, along
Ontario to Hastings; thence to Leland,
back to Beaubien, down to Illinois, and
so ON back and forth until Indiana, Ken
lucky, Ohio and several streets had been
traversed through the worst kind of mud
and the wettest kind of rain. jogging
along Watson-street the following con-
versation occurred:
"How do you'll ike your rider cash
man,
First-rate; this quarter of the city
is quite new and interesting to me-
Q03).
"Seat comfortable ?"
Well, no, not very; but a person
can't grumble at free ride"
Better come and sit in front with
me-"
| Induh yOu) piClCI " pOdy uCIC,
expect to have to shoot one of you fel
lows, and can do that better where am. y
At this point silence and more rair
fell on the crowd. 1t seemed but &
question Of time until the jaded old
horse would fall down with fatigue
The streets were in frightful condition
The rain dripped from the hats of the
three comrades, and they were rapidly
getting soaked through. One hundred
and three remembered various little i'm
provements to his toilet which he might
have added had he not been in such 8
hurry to meet his friends of the ash
wagon.
How long do you expect to ride with
us?"
"Only until we meet policeman .
You had better drive home, Will,
said the colored person. "Im gittin
sick of this"
With an oath the driver turned to-
ward home, which was at last reached
at the northeast corner of Dequindre
and Bronson-streets.
alt was my brother John broke your
busted old window" said the driver
as he crossed the Milwaukee Railroad.
"The window was neither old mol
busted until the brick was thrown" ex
planned 1903.
"Well, if he don't call and settle it ]
will"
Cali right" said 103 as he signaled
| F. .<~L