was looked upon as an interloper, and that all faces were set against him, he resolved to cut down the fare to a single dollar-and he did so, greatly to the satisfaction of the applauding multitude.

of the poor

This was a sad blow to the prospects old Dutchman, whose carriage was instantly deserted, all the fickle populace instinctively flocking to the glossy vehicle of his adversary, who cracked his whip in high glee as he dashed along the dusty and unpaved streets of Brooklyn. At first Mynheer did not know what to make of the matter, so he lighted his pipe and looked to St. Nicholas for the solution of a mystery, altogether too profound for his comprehension. One day, however, a friend unravelled it to him, and suggested the propriety of a reduction also of his price; whereupon the whole truth flashed upon him in the twinkling of an eye, and he instantly resolved in defiance of the good examples of his forefathers, to humble himself to the insignificant fare of his pestilent competitor. Now all was right again, and things went on as swimmingly as before, until the new-comer again lowered the fare-called his omnibus the "People's Line," and branded his opponent's "The Monopoly ;" upon which the Dutchman flew into a violent passion, broke his pipe into a thousand pieces, and swore by all the saints in the calendar, that he would thereafter carry his passengers for nothing! And so strange was his demeanor,

flying hither and yonder in a hurricane of hot haste and hotter disdain, that all his neighbours stigmatised him as the "Flying Dutchman;" a name which he has never been able to get clear of to this very hour.

The "People's Line," not in the least disconcerted by this unexpected calamity, also came down to nothing! and painted on the panels of the carriage the figure of a fiery old man addressing a multitude, and begging them to ride in his carriage gratis, with the motto,

'Nothing can come of nothing; try again."

This was evidently intended as a hit at the "Flying Dutchman," who retorted by staining the "Interloper," as he always persisted in designating the "People's Line," with certain Dutch epithets, which respect for our readers prevents us from translating into veritable English. Fierce were the animosities —bitter the feuds—and arduous the struggles that ensued between the belligerents. Long they lasted, and fatal promised to be the consequences to both. Every expedient was resorted to; but as neither would yield an inch of ground to the other, they both went on, season after season, running the stages at their own expense, and annoying everybody who would listen to them, with a full and particular recital of their wrongs, their wrath, and their wranglings. At last, the owner of the "People's Line,"

fairly wearied out by the obstinacy and perseverance of the redoubtable Dutchman, caused a mammoth handbill to be struck off and posted from the EastRiver to the Atlantic Ocean, in which he stated, in ponderous capital letters, that he would not only carry his passengers for nothing, but that he would actually pay each and every one the sum of twentyfive cents for going! To the unhappy Dutchman this was the drop too much; and it effectually did the business for his now unpopular and detested "Monopoly," which was denounced at every tavern by the road side, as a paltry, mean, and "unconstitutional" concern, while the "People's Line" was lauded to the third heavens for its liberality and publick spirit. The Flying Dutchman flew no more. His spirit was evidently broken as well as his pros

pects, and his horses crawled daily to and from Jamaica at a snail's pace, equally unmindful of whip or rein-evidently sympathizing in their master's disappointment and discomfiture. Yet go the Dutchman would-he had become accustomed to the occupation-it was second nature to him; and, as he could not easily overcome the force of habit, he preferred working for nothing and finding himself, to relinquishing the road entirely to his indefatigable annoyer. "His shirtless Majesty!" as some audacious poet has impertinently called the sovereign people! however, generally gave its countenance and support to its own line, which still kept up its speed and its reputation. It speaks volumesvolumes, did I say? it speaks ten thousand libraries

-for the intelligence and good feeling of our locomotive countrymen; and, as faithful chroniclers, we are bound to record the fact, that not a single individual ever applied for the two shillings, that had been so generously and disinterestedly tendered, every one being actually contented with going the whole distance gratis, and with being thanked into the bargain!

One day, however, a long, thin, lank-sided, mahogany-faced downeaster chanced to read the mammoth bill with the ponderous capitals; and without a moment's hesitation, he decided upon bestowing his corporeal substance snugly in the back seat of

с

the "People's Line;" and it so fell out that he was

the only passenger.

The down-easter was a talkative, prying, speculative, jimcrack of a fellow, who propounded more questions in a single minute than one could answer in a whole hour; and, in less time than you could say Jack Robinson, he was at the bottom of all the difficulty, and in possession of every particular respecting the rival lines. He was "free of speech and merry ;” joked with the proprietor; ridiculed the flying Dutchman, called him a cockalorum, and finally denounced him as an inflated, overgrown, purse-proud capitalist, who advocated a system of exclusive privileges contrary to the spirit of our glorious institutions, and dangerous to the liberties of the country?—and he even went so far as to recommend that a town meeting should be immediately called to put the old blockhead down, and banish him from the sunshine of the publick favour forever! "I will put him down!" said the driver.

"And he shall stay put, when he is down!" replied Jonathan, with an approving nod of the head.

At the various stopping-places, Jonathan-who was not a member of any of the temperance societies, for those institutions were not founded at the time of which we are writing-to show his good fellowship, but with no other motive, did not scruple to drink sundry villanous bar-room compounds, at