davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
COUNTRY ROAD-MAKING.
A Matter That Is Indiffcrently Under.
stood Everywhere.
[From the Hartford Commit !

1t is matter of universal comment
with travellers that country road-making
in the United States is either a lost art
or to-be-acquired science. The aver
age selectman or road-agent of country
town is usually deplorably ignorant of
the first principles of making good
road. Nothing will so surely advance
the growth and well being of a town us
well-made ard well-kept roads. No part
of its domestic economy will more Ger
tainly repay the outlay. Nothing more
bespeaks the intelligence and character
or public spirit of its citizens. In En-
gland and most of its dependencies the
roads are made directly by the state or
under its supervision. As a result, the
contrast between English roads and
those of this country is much in favor of
the former. A common and natural
mistake of most towns in this country is
that an intelligent farmer must neces-
sarily know how to make a good road,
but the reverse is the fact. Road max
ing is subject requiring study and
a knowledge of the nature of soils. not
often considered by any but engineers,
or those to whom such knowledge is n
necessary adjunct of their business in
life. A well-made road even in our
climate and with the wide differences in
soil ingredients, will last for years,
whereas ordinarily the item of repairs on
our roads means an entirely changed
thoroughfare, the pitch, watersheds and
general character being more in
the way of experiment than scientific
and practical renovation. The
country road-maker commences by
throwing out the "big stones" on to the
side of the road, retaining the smaller
ones, when by thoroughly "bedding"
the big stones the best possible founda-
ton is had /; and, with covering of
smaller stones mixed with gravel, or
even with good loan carefully narrowed
and scraped, road-bed is formed which
will defy both rains and heavy teams.
Generally the tyro devotes his time tc
heaping up the material in the center
with such slope as often to interfere
with locomotion, and which heap the
first heavy team resolves into deep ruts,
vitiating its usefulness for any but SIM
ilarly hcavy'team, and for it only with
constantly-increasing strain on the
horses. Yankee ingenuity has invented
capital road-malKing tools, which need
out intelligent application to developing
such thoroughfares rs would make them
admired, i'll place of being a reproach
and shame. Our country is rich enough
to place the roads in the hands of such
government MS will insure their perfec-
ton, instead of leaving them to town
officials without the education or expert
ence necessary to an accomplishment of
the object. Most of the roads east of
the Connecticut river are sandy, and
this fact, together with the indifference
or ignorance of those in charge toward
improving their character, necessarily
impedes and retards the natural and
growing tendency of city people for
building and living in the country.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
EIewents OF Popularity in Texas.

1t was plain to see MS soon as he en-
tered the sanctum that he was mad
about something. Very likely his name
had been mentioned in the proceedings
of the Recorders Court in connection
with the charge of inebriation. He was
laboring under intense mental excite
ment. It was some time before he could
control himself enough to speak.
"I-have-come-to- to see about
s--Recorder's-Court- business" he
gasped, painfully.
"It's the rule to publish the names Of
all those who get drunk and are fined.
Can't make any exception in your case. /"
"That's not what I'm complaining of
want my name in the paper as having
been drunk but you got my initials
wrong. am going to run for city
Office, and l wanted to use that issue Of
the Neaos as a campaign document. It
would have made me popular with the
boys, and here you go and get my name
wrong, and some ether fellow will get
credit for it.
"Well, what do you want?"
81 want to be indicated. want you
to come out in card stating it was me,
John Shocks, and not Isaac Shocks, as
you have it, who got drunk and smashed
gas-lamp want it to be understood
by the voters that was the man whom
six policemen took three-quarters Of an
hour to take to the lookup, distance
of only $50 yards. I've been slandered,
and if am not put before the public in
my true light I'll bring suit for dam
ages. That's what got drunk for, was
to get my name in the paper so people
would know 1 am duly qualified. -
Galveston NetCs.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
NO. -.

only f799, 600, as compared with E1,217..
600 in 1878. There vas 1882 bills Of
sale registered in 1875, as against 800 in
1878 and 444 in 1876. The County
Court ejectment suits increased from
5,942 in 1877 to 1901 in 1878 and SOL
in 1879. The execution Of the DEGREES
in these suits by the Sheriff increased
from 1896 in 1878 to2, 676 in 1879. Tho
increase OF ejectment suits in the High
Court of Justice was only In Con-
naught and 20 in Ulster, while In Lem
ster there was an increase Of 1859, and in
Munster 14l. As to other creditors, the
amount recovered by ordinary civil pro-
cesses increased from El00, 900 to f4SC,
$40. The number Of such DEGREES exc
cuted was, 5000, rs against q .678 in
1878 The grcss total of ejectmcnt pro-
ceedings increased from 2,517 to 8, 526.
OF this increase of 1909, no less than
92S were in ejectments for non payment
of rent. The amount OF compensation
for disturbance granted in Ulster, where
non-payment Of rent does not forfeit the
right TO compensation. was f5, 900, being
only Gao less than in 1878, while for i'm
provements there was an actual increase
OF $3.50 In the other three Provinces,
notwithstanding the increase in the num-
Der Of ejectments from 1,776 to 2, 428,
the amount of compensation for i'm
provements granted showed decrease Of
81, 1914, or 40 per cent, while under the
head Of compensation for disturbance
there was q falling off of e. 1868, or AS
ger cent. London NeWs.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
COnundruIns.

When is q wall like fish, When il
is scaled.
How does stove feel when full of
Goals? Grateful.
Which of the reptiles is mathema-
tician? The adder.
When is boat like heap of snow?
When it is adrift.
When is n doctor most annoyed?
When he is out of patients.
When is literary work like smoke?
When it comes in volumes.
Why is the letter Ct like the sun? Be-
cause it is the center of light.
What is that which shows others what
it cannot see itself? A mirror.
Why is the letter N like faithless
lover? Because it is inconstnnt.
How does COW become landed
estate? By turning her into the field.
Why is whispering breach of good
manners? Because it is not allowed.
What is an old lady in the middle of
the river like? Like to be drowned.
What word may be pronounced
quicker by adding a syllable to il?
Quick.
Why is miser like man with n
short memory? Because he is always
forgetting.
How does sailor know there is nun
sea (see).
Why is fool in high station like n
nan in balloon? Because everybody
,ppears little to him, and he appears
little to everybody.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
- -------.--------------
Andres Prophetic Poem.

During the years 1879 and 1880 Andre
was on duty in New York, and took q
leading part in the social life of that
city. he accompanied Sir Henry Gin
ton at the capture of Stony Point, June
|, l779, and wrote RI aidde-camp upon
the glacis of Fort Lafayette the terms of
capitulation conceded to the garrison.
He kept careful diary and frequently
wrote squibs in prose and verse for the
loyalist papers, and in August, 1880,
composed at Elizabethtown burlesque
poem entitled 1.-The Cow Chase" in
three cantos, amounting to seventy
quatrains. The subject was the attack
made by Gen. Wayne upon block
house hear Bulls Ferry, two or three
miles below Fort Lee, in order to drive
in some cattle from Bergen Neck. Bya
singular coincidence the last canto of
this poem was printed in Riuiagton's
Gazette, Sept. %, 1850, the day of the
poets capture Mt Tarrytown. The last
stanza is as follows:
And now I've closed my epic strain;
tremb,c AZ show II,
Lost this same warrior drovcr, Wayne,
Should over catch the poet.
1t happened, singularly enough, that
Gen. Wayne was the commander of the
post mt Tappan at the time of Andres
execution. The original of the "Cow
Chase" in Andres autograph, is still
preserved, and underneath the above
quoted lines an American pen has added
the course commentary
When the epic strain was sung,
Tho poet by the neck was hung
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
Speak a Cheerful Word.

Did you ever so ont in the mornine
with heart so depressed and saddensG
that pail seemed spread all over the
world? But ON meeting some friend
who spoke cheerfully for minute or two,
if only upon indifferent matters, you
have felt yourself wonderfully ligltened.
Every child dropping into Your house on
an errand has brought in ray of sun
shine which did not depart when he went
his way again. 1t is blessed thing to
speak a cheerful word when you can.
1.-THE heart knoweth its own bitterness"
the world over, and good words to such
hearts care like apples of gold in pic
lures of silver" Even the strangers We
meet casually by the way, in the tray
elers' waiting room, are unconsciously
influenced by the tone we use. 1t is the
one with pleasant words on his lips to
whom strangers In strange lands apply
for advice and direction in their perplex-
tiles. Take it as compliment if some
wayfarer comes to you to direct him
which street or what train to take; your
manner has struck him as belonging to
one he can trust 1t is hard sometimes
to speak pleasant word when the shad-
ows rest on our hearts; but nothing will
tend more to Tighten our spirits than
doing good to one another. When you
have no opportunity TO speak cheering
word, you can often send full beam of
sunshine into the heart of some sorrow
ing, absent friend, by sitting down and
writing q good, warm-hear.ed letter.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
His Exact Age.

When Uncle Reuben Clay, IN old dr.
key of about seventy winters, dropped
into Detroit tobacco store, and was
asked his age, he promptly replied:
Wall, sab, | reckon Tge about as
nigh 70 vars ole as dey can make EN-. "
"If you can't read, or write or cipher
how can you tell?'
"Tze kept de dates in my head, sab,
an if you'll take pencil kin prove my
age in no time tall.
One of the loungers prepared himself
with pencil and paper, and Uncle Reuben
proceeded:
"Now, sab, in what var did Columbus
disklver American
"In 1892.
"Den sot dat down"
Why, what has the discoverer OF
America to do with your age?" asked sew
eral voices.
at makes no diffunce, sab. TIE got
to git some pint to reckon from, IN i
take dat one kase it's dc handiest. Put
down 1892"
Yes"
"Now, den, when was de revolushunary
wa ftp"
"In 177G."
EXACTLY. Take dat from 1892 and IL
leaves how many
"Just 28i years"
"Dat's k'rect. Now when did dey
fight de next wa'?'
In 1924. Take that out and it
makes difference Of thirty.six years,
and reduces the figures to 248."
"Dat's all right" said Uncle Reuben
as he bent over the figures. "Now, den,
in what var did my great-grandfather
land in ole virginny3"
"Why, how do know You must
know if any one.
The old man scratched his head, looked
over the figures md said:
Oats kinder Gurus. De ole man
comes in dar some WHARF"
All the men began to laugh at him,
and the old man got up and tied on his
comforter and said:
You white folks needn't feel so mighty
peart kase you fink you've got an ole
niger i'll box. TIE gwine ober to see
my son George, an George he'll take n
piece O chalk an de bottom Of cheer an
begin wild dc day dat Cain killed Abel
an run my aige down to dis very nav
min quicker'n de smartest O. you kin rub
a SO heelp'-Free Press
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
An Anccdote Of Gladstone.

The man il moro interesting than any
of the parts he has been called TO play;
but we come to understand the man bet
ter by seeing how he shapes and molds
these parts. As an orator, his conspicuous
merits, beside his striking countenancc,
dignified action, and voice full, rich,
and admirably modulated, are fertility
and readiness. He seems to have always
at command an incxhaustible store Of
ideas, reasons. illustrations, whatever be
the subject which he is required to deal
with. OF all great English speakers,
probably no one, not even William Pitt,
has been SO independent of preparation.
Even Fox, swift and rushing as he was,
was great only in reply, when his feelings
were heated by the atmosphere of battle,
whereas Mr.. Gladstone is just as ami
mated and forcible in an opening, or in q
purely ornamental and uncontentious
harangue, ms in the midst of parliamentary
strife OF tho many anecdotes TINT are
current illustrating his wonderful power
Of rising to an occasion, one may be given
which has the merit of being true. On
the afternoon when he was to make an
important motion in tho House of Com
mons, a friend, happening to call ON him
between two and three o'clock, found
him just sitting down to make some notes
of the coming speech. He laid aside his
pen and talked for a while, then jotted
down few heads on paper, went down
to the House before four o'clock, found
himself drawn into q preliminary contro-
versy of a very trying nature, III which
he had to repel so many questions and
affonLu that ~ xvoa IN 81 utx hafnra ho rs,o a
to make the great speech. He then dis
covered that, as he had left his eye
glasses at home, his notes were practi-
cally useless, put them quietly back into
his coat pocket, and delivered with no aid
to his memory, and upon that one hours
preparation, a powerful argument inter-
spersed with passages of wonderful pas
sion and pathos, which lasted for three
hours, and will always rank amongst his
finest efforts. -.Scribaer's Magazine.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
An Interesting Puzzle.

Perhaps some of our readers are not
amiliar with the following puzzle A
Young man asked ali old man for his
laughter in marriage. The answer
vas.
"Go into the orchard and bring in n
arccl of apples. Give me one-balf Of
he whole number, and the mother one
alf OF the balance and half an apple
1ver, and the daughter one-half Of the
cmainder and half an apple over, and
ave one left for yourself, without cut
ing the apple, and then, if she is will
ng, you can have her."
He solved the question; and how
uany did he bring? Fourteen, us you
IN easily prove. The old woman was
have one-half of the balance, which
ould be three and half, and half an
pple over, which would make four APP
lies for her. There would be three
.pples left, of which the daughter was
0 have one-half and half an apple over,
shich would give her two, and leave the
over his own, without cutting the
.pple."
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01

Hope for the Drunkard.

= inebriety is curable, as the Boston
TGUeler asserts that it is, by the follow
ing method, then is there hope for the
victim Of this base passion--drink That
Journal makes the following assertion:
''An incorporate person can easily supply
himself with The remedies used at all the
inebriate asylums, and be his own physi-
clan, at his own home, without the neces-
sary expense and publicity of visiting
the Washingtonian Home or any other
public institution. His laboratory need
only contain small quantity of cayenne
pepper, pot of concentrated extract of
beef, and few grains of bromide of
potassium. When the desire for alco
holic drink recrus, make tea from tho
cayenne pepper as strong as can be taken
with any degree of comfort; sweeten it
with milk and sugar and drink. This
tea will supply the place that glass of
liquor would fill and will leave no
injurious effect behind. Repeated
daily as often as the APPETITE returns it
will be but few days before the sufferer
will have become Disguised with the
taste of the pepper, and with the appear
ance of this disgust disappears the love
of liquor
1.-The fact is proved every day. The
extract of beef is to be made into beef
tea, according to the direction on the pot,
in such quantities as may be needed foi
the time being, and furnishes cheap,
easily digested, and healthy nutriment
it being made to stay on the stomach
when heavier articles of food would be
rejected. The bromide of potassium is
to be used carefully, and only in case of
extreme nervousness, the dose being
from fifteen to twenty grains, dissolved
in water This is public exhibit of the
method of treatment adopted at the in
ebriate asylums. In addition thereto the
drinking man should surround himself
with influences which tend to make him
forget the degrading associations of the
bar-room and lift him upward. He
should endeaver, SO far as his business
avocations will permit, to sleep, battle,
and eat regularly, and obey the laws of
health. BY the adoption of this course
theoretically and sincerely, no man who
has the will to reform can fail to do so.
Hundreds aud thousand can attest the
truth of these statements.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01

long for some patent method for con-
vincing every man, woman and cnild,
who is poor, unhappy, or wants pin
money, that they cannot rush into litera-
ture pell-mell, and make money at will
Above all, should like legal penalty
imposed upon every one who sends :
"f first effort to me- 1t is an equal
"effort" and by no means my "first "
for me to read their poetry, and for them
to write it. l am fast becoming a
misanthrope from the amount of trash,
garnished with neither sense, grammar,
rhyme, nor metre, that my fellow crea-
lures perpetrate with view of fame and
fortune. Will anyone ever convince this
crowd of imbeciles that to write even
decently demands previous cultivation,
information, and common sense; or that
real genius is like any other diamond,
and needs careful cultivating and polish
ing? Isuppose notl-Atiantic Magazine.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
Where the Smash Was.

Reporter-"I wish to ascertain some
of the the particulars about the recent
accident on your road.
Superintendent" What road?"
Rep.-"W Why, your road?'
Supt Own no road"
Rep.-"Are you not the Superint-,i-
dent of the -Dlazes-S Smash
Crash Railroad?"
Supt am. Why didn't you ask
that bcfore?"
Rep.--"Well, now, about this acct
dent"
Supt What accident?"
Rep.-"Why, the recent accident.
Supt.-"There has been no recent ac-
cident.
Rep.-"Why, didn't train run off
the track yesterday, smash half a dozen
cars to kindling wood and kill five or six
people?'
Supt. Where?"
Rep-"At Gimlet Falls Station"
Supt.-"Where is Gimlet Falls?"
Rep" Where? Don't you know"
Supt.-"I am not called upon to
know Prove to me where Gimlet Falls
is"
Rep.-"Well, this is cheek"
Supt.--"No, it amt; it's business. -
NeaO York Graphic.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
Stealing AMOther,S Comfort.

Any one who has stopped over night
Mt a large hotel has been disturbed in the
small hours by persons walking in the
halls as heavily and carelessly as if it
were midday Guests who are up late
seem thoughtless of the quiet of those
wrapped in slumber. Such conducts sell
fshness of which any sensible person
ought to bea shamed.
A grave gentleman at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel once complained of it to the genial
clerk. 81 am surprised" he said, "that
you harbor thieves in this house."
Thieves, sir? Harbor thieves?
What do you mean, sir? Explain, if
You please"
II mean that had something stolen
from me last night by one Of your
guests
1--WE are all exposed to sneak thieves,
SIR"
"Bnt this was not sneak thief. 1t
was guest in the house, sir, and quar-
tered as comfortably as I was"
"This is very extraordinary, sir.
What was stolen from you, sir, and at
what hour?"
The gentleman answered with great
earnestness. cat 2 o'clock this morn
ing some most precious sleep was stolen
from me by one of your guests, and with
pair of boots"
Was not this guest one of the meanest
Of sneak thieves?
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-01-01
Elephants and Tigers In South Africa

The district of Uitenhage is Just now
rather overrun with wild animals of the
larger kind, and an hours ride from the
town would bring sportsmen into the
haunts of elephants and tigers. On
Monday morning, as Mr.. Fourie, of
Wolvekop, was coming into town, he
passed through large herd of elephants
at the Coega. Gen. Nixon's estate, Bal
moral, seven miles from town, is actually
overrun with the huge animals; and they
have become very troublesome ON the
generals farm, Doom Kraal. occupied
by Col. Ashburner, tearing down the
fences, destroying the crops and scatter
ing even the prickly pears in all direc-
tons The place is about eight miles
from Uitenhage. The farm, Kamachs,
which adioins Uitenhsge, and may be
reached in twenty minutes, is just now
subject to great destruction from porcu-
pines, bush bucks, and tigers.
On Sunday afternoon last Mr.. Harry
Marshall, of her majestys customs, mar
rowly escaped an encounter with tiger
He was spending the day with Mr.. Clarke
at the farm kamachs, and in the al ter
noon went for quiet stroll, gun in
hand, along the kloof to the favorite
picnic spot near the dam, and suddenly
came upon a tiger drinking at the stream.
He impulsively leveled the gun at the
beast aud pulled the trigger, but the cap
missed fire. The animal then, with
snarl, assembled the celebrated wild fig
tree, the bark of which is scored all over
with the names of pleasure-see who
have from time to time visited the spot
Mr. Marshall attempted a second time to
fire, with no better result than at first
It then occurred to him that it might
possibly be fortunate for him that his
gun refused fire, for had he wounded the
brute it certainly would have attacked
him.
Mr.. Clarke's ostrich camps have been
greatly disturbed lately by tigers, the
spoors of which have been found in the
camp, and on one occasion the tigers
hair found on the CLAW o. n bird indicated
an encounter, in which the ostrich came
off victor. A grand hunt upon the farm
will shortly take place, at which some
exciting sport may he expected. The
danger that Mr. Marshall escaped may
be guessed by those who remember the
crouching and scratching that Mr.. Hay
some years ago from q wounded tiger.
The brute had been caught in a trap,
and sprung at Mr. Hayward as he APP
preached, literally biting his wrist
through and scalping him. Mr.. Mar
shall animal has not yet been captured,
although parties have been on the look
out for him ever since. - Uitenhdge
Times