The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-03-16
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS.
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future,

ne pastorate OF the First Presbyteri,
church IN Washington, D. g., whi,
he has held for four years. His tin
is in demand for great work outside
the pastorate, and be will be as bus
, out OF the pastorate as in it. He wi
give some of his time, it is sal,
to literary work. And, to be sure. afte
his long and brilliant career as a faith
full minister of God, men will no
grudge him this seeming relaxation
from hard duty in his approaching
years of old age.
AS the question of better roads h as
greatly concerned people generally O
late, the following suggestion taken
from New York paper, is at least In
teresting:
Crude OIL is found to be a cheap and
IN efficl5nt agent in making good
country roads. At a recent session of
he Missouri Good Roads A ssociation
MAJOR M. Meigs, civil engineer, of
heokuk, Iowa, described experiments
made in this direction, and said hat
they had all proved satisfactory. A
barrel OF crude oil, costing at the wells
~ cents. hesaid, was sufficient for the
treatment OF strip of road 100 feet
long and IL feet wide. The oil mfngle,
with the earth and forms waterproof
crust, with surface almost as smooth
as asphalt. The discovery was made
through accidental leak in an oil nine
near a Pennsylvania town, which turn
I'd notoriously bad and muddy piece
Of road into a good one; experiments
n the same line were Instituted, and
ney we're attended with complete sue.
'ess. 1t further experience gives the
anne confirmation of the utility of the
process 1t will become most impor-
ant factor in turning bad roads into
ood ones, work which now engapesl
ne attention Of the country in a great
r degree than ever before.
Occasionally yon meet one who saws =;
aat poor boys do not make their way s
ut OF obscurity and over difficulties
ke they did in days gone by. But y
ley do. The editor of THE COMMON !,
EALTH we'll retains the memory r;
little house in Harnett n
unty near where he taught school n
fore he went to college. One OF our "
ost obedient and respectful Abel .,
US came every morning from that c.
tie house in his little short Jacket. oil
her tangled hair and with freckled OF
'e, to dangle his little legs all dav III
m the high backless bench. mol
thought much about him, but We
'rked him then for possibilities which ~ ~
it,. dl
often come to boys in his environ :.
nts. Now and then we have heard ;.,
'ut him, and once Or twice we have he
n him during the stretch of wears ut
It has led him from childhood to the fro
'ngth OF young manhood and we ~. W
mot express with what pride we
q the following notice of him a few tw,
s ago in the Little River Record: in
January II, 1887, G. H. Biggs en- ant
ID Bule's Creek Academy. He and ies'
mother lived together In little
se rented from Bro. J. A. johnson.
did not know how to mend shoes
v did be make a support? Easy mas
"6AA' LILO OouSuI al OK, rented Q0l
e land and managed to 20 to school carr
OF his time. Before school closed in tne
he would stop long enough to exc
It his corn and yet manage to keep
his classes. He was always faith I
% his duties in the school room and is
became noted as a declaimer of wou
lc pieces, and won a medal for best He
amation in 1896. to I
Though just beginning in Gram stag
and Arithmetic on entering school. whl
Don obtained certificate to teach He
le public schools. The people said safe
Id it we'll. To-day he is considered ury
Of Harnett's best public school own
hers. The nice little home has has
paid for and he is one of Harnett's him
Il citizens" is i'd
pie,