I’m playing with this ruby gem https://github.com/zolrath/marky_markov which generates Markov chain texts. I’m feeding it that well known gem of Canadian literature, Susanna Moodie’s Roughing it in the Bush.

Here’s my script, once marky_markov is installed:

#!/usr/bin/ruby

require 'marky_markov'
markov = MarkyMarkov::TemporaryDictionary.new
markov.parse_file "moodie.txt"
puts markov.generate_10_sentences 10
puts markov.generate_200_words 2
markov.clear! 

and I pipe it to an output file. The result is pleasing; rather sounds like Susanna’s been hitting the sauce on those long winter nights trapped in the cabin in the bush of (comparatively tame) Canadian wilderness.

Behold!

—–

By this policy liberal provision is made for free grants of wild land in Canada.

Fusileers, and had been severely wounded in the Orkney Islands; he was a great and glorious destiny.

Canada became the great land-mark for the prosperity of the woodman’s life.

Bare feet and rags are too common in the Province a noble and progressive back country, and add much to improve the agricultural interests, and have given to Canada some of the country Dominion and Local Governments are now doing much to open up the resources of Canada, by the Government to the Province a noble and progressive back country, and add much to open up What the backwoods of Canada are to the saucy familiarity of servants, who, republicans at heart, think themselves quite as good as their employers.

less restricted by the construction of public roads, and upon each other as mutual enemies who were seeking to appropriate the larger share of the Province, but one of the mightiest empires that I dared to give my opinion freely on a subject which had engrossed a great and rising country.

class; and have led to better and more productive methods of cultivation, than were formerly practised in the council for the reproduction of the iron horse, and the love of books and book-lore and realize the want of social freedom.

Intensely loyal, the emigrant officers rose to a man to defend the British emigrants, who looked upon each lot is clearing five acres and erecting thereon a small house, which will be granted to heads of families, who, by six annual instalments, will be given, without any charge whatever, under a protective Homestead Act.

Our print shops are full of the new townships has been said to prejudice intending emigrants from making Canada their home.

In their zeal to uphold British authority, they made no excuse for the space of three or four years, landed upon these shores.

They feel more independent social life than in the cultivation of a great and rising country.

Macdonald is premier—has done wonders during the last four years by means of its Immigration policy, which has been most successfully carried out by the Hon. rapid strides she has made towards the fulfilment of a great boon to the settler, but it would have been converted into fruitful fields, the rude log cabin of the excellent constitution that we now enjoy.

Our busy factories and foundries—our copper, silver and plumbago mines—our salt and petroleum—the increasing exports of native artists.

To try his fortunes in Canada.

—–

Incidentally, I just ran the same script on some of my own writing on video games and archaeology. Very meta archaeogaming. Result is over here.