Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-02-09


was agreed that Riley Vaughn could moi
know anything fbout education. be.
cause he was not himself educated. II
was even said-and this came to Riley's
ears-that he was prejudiced against
education Even Hamp's mother was
discouraged. Hamp was always potter
ing" she said, instead of attending to
his books.
"Why," she said, che is been fooling
with spring on the hill back of the
house the whole season through. He's
laid pipes to bring the water down here,
and now he's turned the whole house
into q mill" Then she would show her
visitor what Hamp had dorA, He had
constructed an inevalous water-wheel
with which to make the most of the
power afforded by the spring, and had
set it to variety of tasks. A stretch of
line shafting passed under the door of
the house, and bands were passed
through the floor to the churn and the
sewing machine, and even the sausage
chopper could be attached at will. "I
don't deny that it's handy, and saves
work" said his mother. "And now he's
made sort of fan in the dining-room,
and has set that going, toe, SO that it
keeps the flies off the table. If we had
baby in the house, I believe he'd
make the water rock the cradle. But
it's discoursging about his studies. Mr..
Penruddock is in despair, and says he
don't know what is to be made of the
boy"
The summer proved to be very dry
one, and the gardens especially suffered
for water. When the people began to
complain, Hamp had an idea. He al
ways had an idea when an emergency
arose. He went into his mothers gar
den and worked all day, digging a
trench down the middle, and making
little trenches at right angles to the
main one, so that each bed was sur
rounded by them, and the larger beds
crossed as well. He was very careful
to keep all these trenches on one level.
When he had finished, he laid drain
from his water-wheel to the main
trench, SO that the waste water, after
turning the wheel, was carried into the
garden and emptied into the trench.
Little by little the main trench filed;
then the water trickled into the smaller
trenches, and as the spring from which
it came was neyer-failing one, the
garden was supplied with water
throughout the dry, hot summer, and
such garden nobody in that region
had seen that season.
People said that Hamp See certainly
was handy sort Of boy; but they were
sure to add, "Its pity he is SO dull"
One day old Riley Vaughn was offer
ing extravagant prices for horse, mule,
or OK teams to haul stone. He had
taken contract to supply from his
quarry the stone for the railroad bridge
over Bush run, and now the time for
delivery was near at hand, and no teams
could be had. All the horses were at
work on the crops, and it began to ap-
pear that old Riley must either lose
money on the contract by hiring horses
and mules and teamsters at ruinous
prices, or forfeit the contract itself. He
tried in every direction to get mules
and wagons, offering twice the usual
wages, but still he could get very few.
He was in real trouble, with loss of
several thousand dollars threatening
him.
One day Hamp, who knew what
trouble Riley was in, went down to the
creek, and, cutting several twigs, began
setting them up at a distance from
each other. and sighting from one to
the other. The few teamsters who were
at work watched him curiousIy, but
could not make out hat he was doing,
he went up the creek with his sticks,
moving one Of them at time, and al
ways carefully sighting from one to
another, or rather from one over
another to third. In this way he
worked up to the quarry, which was
Immediately on the creek, nearly
mile above the point where the bridge
was TO be built. When he had done,
he walked back, examining the banks
as he went ; then he presented himself
before Riley Vaughn.
"Mr. Vaughan" he said, ssPye an
idea that will help you out of your
difficulty" x
"Will it hire teams to haul stone 2"
asked Riley.
No; but it will enable you to haul
stone without teams"
'sH it will. Well, let me hear what
it is, " said Riley, changing his purpose
while speaking.
'sRaft the stones down. said Hamp.
stNow look a-here, Hamp See," said
old Riley, sTve stood up fer you, an
said you want no Ounce when every
body else said you was ; but this here
looks as ef they was right an i was