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El
=ELME
1 I
i r
OW A 'IDA „
eatarbag ftbruirg 1852.
,ftltrtW
MY OLD 'DEAR` KOMt.
Between broad fields of wheat and nom
Isthe lovely home where I was born;
The peach treee lean against the wall,
And the woodbine wanders over all;
There is the shaded doorway still.
Bat a stranger's , foot has crossed the sill.
There is the barn—and as of yore
I can smell the hay frorn4e open dimr,
And see the busy swallo throng, . 3 •
,And hear the pee wit's mournful song ;
tut the stranger comes—oh! painful proof— ,
His sheaves are piled to the heated roof.
." .
There is the orchard—the very trees
Where my childhood knee long hours of ease,
And watched the shadowy moments run,
Till my my life imbibed more shade than sun ; •
The swing from the bough still sweeps the air,
Bat the stranger's children are swinging.there.
There blibbles the shady spring below,
With its bulrushbrook where the hazel grow ;
'Twas there Ifoimd the calatnus root(
And watched the minnows poise and shoot,
And heard the robin lave his wing,
But the stranger's bucket is at the spring.'
Oh! ye that daily cross the sill,
Step lightly., for I 'see it still, '
And when yon crowd the old barn eaves,
Then think what countless' harvest sheaves
Have parsed within that scented door;'
To gladden the eyes that are no more.
Deal kindly with those orchard trees,
And when your childrerf crowd your knees,
Their sweetest fruit they shall impart
As if old memories stirred their heart—
To youthful sport still leave the swing,
And in sweet reverence hold the spring.
The barn, the trees, the brook, the birds,
The meadows with their lowing herds,
The woodbine can the cottage wall.
My heart still lingers with, diem all—
strangers on my native,stll,
Step lightly, for I love it still.
rtfinistring Spirits.
The re-union of parents arid children in heaven,
. well as of earthly friends, is a cheering and a
.60kt thought. And the idea that our departed
'lends may sometimes be near us, or wait tp wet•
ome us on-the borders of the spirit-land, is well
ited to impress the mind.
A little girl, in a family of my aequaintance,. a
rely and precious child, lost her mother at , an age
'nearly to fix the loved features in her remember
. ce. She was as frail as beautiful; and as the bud
f het heart unfolded, it seemed as if won by that
'other's prayers to turn instinctively heavenward.
he sweet conscientious and prayer-loving child,
e cherished on 3of the bereaved' family. But she
ailed away early. She would lie not) the lap of
Mend who took it mother's Mini care of tier, and
'tiding one wasted arm about her neck, would
ay "Now tell me about my maxima!" And
hen the oft-told tale had been repeated, she would
et softly, "take me into the - parlor, I want to see
'y mamma." The request was never refused,
a the affectionate child would lie for hours vitt
austly gazing on her mother's portrait. But
" Pale and when she grew, and weakly—
T artng all pan so meekly,
That to (hem she sun grew dearer,
As the mat hour drew nearer."
That hour came a t last, and the weeping neigh
ri to spe the child die. The dew of
each was already of the flower, es its life sun was
down. The little :hest" heaved faintly—spas-
1 Ail)
Do yo know mo, darling ' iptobed ; close to
er, ear, the voice that was dearest; btit it awoke
1111=111
All at once a brightness, as if Irorti:the upper
or/d, burst over the child's coloilessoouotenance.
be eyelids flashed open,The lips parted, the watt,
addling hands flex, lair, in the little one's last htt
ullire eiTurt, as she looked piercingly into the far
bave.
, .
Moth er !" she cried, with surprise acid transport
her land — and, passed, with that breath it to her
Ihefs bosom,
Said a distinznished divine - who stood by that
of joyous death :
It I never believed in the ministration or do
,inedoses before ; I could not doubt it now."
Larvae EDOCATION.—Books were the least part
, f the education of the ancient Athenian aitiietis
tus for a moment transport ourselves in thought
o Ina! glorious city. Let us imagine That we: are
wenn tts gates in the lime of its power and glory.
crowd is ss , emblerl . round- a portico. ' 'are
ring wnh delight at the entablattire, for Phidirtsla
'ring up the ttieze. We'turninto another ,
rhaps , )di-t is reeling there. Men, wOmen- and',
Witten are thronging round , him ; = the' teats= are
saning donrn their cheeks; for he Is:telytrig how
voam fell at the feet of Achilles; and ltiee`ed those
ants—the te.fribte;iTitsairSei=taWttild,
-.1 , 3 Many of his 'BA's:
We e:lter the public place.; tliere is a ring of
55 ;tis. all leaning it'irth with sparkling eyes, and
-":utes of expectation, Socrates is pined against
he famous atheist from lonia,and has just brought
I " Hit° a CUnitadiCtiOLl terms. )3UI we are
llt
terrupted, The herald is crying " Ream for the
?Tugs!" The general assembly la- to meek.— ..
the People are swarming in on every side, him.'
Istsation is made : tt.Who wishes to speak
T here is a shout and clapping of hands; Pericles is
siotaiung the stand. Then for , a play of Sophoelds,
sad away to sup with Aspasia.-...Macaulay.
,
2ht Tiniatm Apple Dumpling has it 4 1 dev
il', who thinks this a great world: Ile says at the
office they charge him with - all:the:pi.they do •'find,
w hite at the hum they charge shim• With till-the pi
they don't find. tie setting to "doubt the f 0 proprie.
tY''of the proceedings.. ,
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r ;07 *Tut; F :
.IjitAtit bAgAtei
••:,.
:To the Canal Conumissiimers:T
t GziTttliteris.--I'bitaif the honor to'• submit The
followihg repilki upon the North Branch Pei . folli;ill
. inti . e.inal, Which has _been in..my chaige, ai r ent
peer, since the resumpilokoloperationsthereon.:ur
the.latter part of the•year 1849. •: Awn° formal re
port has beettfettiOted ln:tegatd.te this work Vine('
'that of 1841, it thriy,n6l be inalipriipriatel6 recapitu
late, on:this °ceasing, something) of Psi istory and
progress since-its commencement: :The canal; for.
, rnerly designated - at the' a North Branch Exton
-thou," 64664 frpih the termination of theliiished
,North Branch canal, at the head.ol; Wyoming irtil
ley, in Luzerne county, along the Valley of theSus
,quehanna, a ilistance of 9711.100 . W-files, to the line
dividing the Atntes Of I l i entirtiliatfia and NeW York,
ordyreguiriiii about pfiventeen miles.of canal - to be
made to connect with the whole - .eltain of .internal
navigation of that State. • ,
In theyeai 036 thirty-fiveand"three-fourths miles
,n 1 this work, commencing:at the village of Athens,
in Bradford county :.(about four milers below the
State line,) and ending at Wyalusing creek, were
placed nnder cent*, and in' 1838 al( of the
peaty . bluff =firms between the latter point and
the mouth of, Lackawanna -were also contract
ed fur, the portion between the State line
and, the village of Athonii(fbar miles) net haiing
been located until tje present year. The entire
length Of this improvement, as before stated,
.. is
ninely-teur and twenty-one hundredths miles, ; and
the lockage, from a level assumed at the State linb to
thb level of the Wyoming division, two hurtled
and eleven,and a half feet. Some idea may be form
ed of the magnitude of the work, and the dal-tout
ties encountered in iteconstruction, when it is stated
that for on id of its length it is located along the
foot of etee roc bluffs and p<4rtially in the river,
11 .1
requiring fo -, his d' ialice of over thirty-one miles,
a slope wall f r the- protection of the -bank. This
walling was/nosily done before the suspension of
the work in 1841, and has served to protect the
work in an admirable manner against be encroach
meats of the river during the highest and most vio
(entice floads.? Upon the work placed under con
tract in 1836 and 1838 such force was employed as
the annual appropriations justified, until the year
1841, and the sum of two millions four hundred
and eighty-four thousand nine hundred and thirty
nine dollars and sixty cents were expended at the
time of suspension. The-whole length of finished
canal at that time was thirty-two.and a half miles.
The finished sections and incidental work was not,
however, connected so that any portion of the line
could be available ,for navigable purposes. The
details of the location are in the reports of 1836,
/37, and '3B, and can readily be referred to The
progress and condition of the diflerent descriptions
of work prior, to rUtpelition are Set forth to detail in
a report I had the honor to submit to the Canal Com
missioners ar the close of the year 1841, and to
which reference may be had. In the year 1846 I
made. an examination and an estimate of the cost
of completing the North Branch canal, for a compa
ny which had been organized under an act of as
sembly, and-at that time I was of opinion that the
work could be brought into - use for a sum tat little
exceeding eleven hundred thousand dollars. I ad
l_vert to this estimate and report for the reason thait
- has net unfrequently been quoted in the discussion
of the , propriely of . resuming and completing the
work.
I am still of the , opinion that if the wcrk had been
resumed at that time, and promptly prosecuted un
der the auspices of a judicious company, that it
could have been brought into'use for the sum then
estimated. A large amount of perishable work,
whip, at that period (1846) would have been
available for a few years after completion, is now
so far decayed as to render' its entire renewal at
-solutely necessary. It wilt alio be borne in mind
that at the period , in question, the amount of public
t i,
work in progress throughout t e Union was small
compared with that now in th market, and that it
maybe safely stated, regarding gtipply and demand,
that work can not be done for less than an advance
.of fifteen to twenty per cent , ugon prices which
would have been remunerating in the year 1846.
'By a reference to - the report of 1811, to Which I
have lietetofore alluded, it - will 'be seen that the
.amount of work remaining to be done, 'computed'
at the then existing contract prices, was one million
foufliOndred and fourteen thousand one hundred I
and sixteen dollars and ibree'cents. We now come '
to the period of resuming the work .under the au
spices
ot the Commonwealth.
• As soon as, the CanalCommissloners were notifi.
ed of the firosppropriation towards completing , the
North Branch, Pehttllvatiii.afied - ciii 1849.) and
the wort placed finder my.eharge,as chief ; engi
,neer, I proceedsd, to organize a corps,,and re-locate
and prepare for contract twentyorisseetions,•arnonnt
ingin the eggregate, to a length of eight and one
foirth';trrileir;' aiitl . 806011'101y on the ,i9tli.irf No
v,anriber4B49, this amount of ,work was allotted to
contractors. The work firm selected -to be placed
in progress, embraced the heavier Nuficsedithis, and
did not include`apy mechanical stiticium liable to
decay or injury: From the paucity of the appropria
tion, and consequently limited amount of Work thus.'
under way, it was with difficulty. that any coriiiiil-
etableforee of laborers could tau ihduced , to, the
line, IMO but a Small, amount of .work wa s: done,'
until the spring of the folloWing• year • ' -
By the act of the 10th May, 1850, en' rulditiorial
appropriation of ,two hundred' find fifty, thousand '
dollios - was made towards!completihg this work,
and on the thirdof June of that year,-Usvairrlireet-
ed bylhe Canal COrnniissionets to'preliare tt*lit- i I
iiiiOuriiiir? k;ooni , 03: 14 . 0' w o rk: on the Islli arid
,'
19th of July, 1850, proposals wetsreceived• tor
seventy-three sections (aggregate length thirty-ser-.
en add a at in:il6.b Iwo, danie across.; the
,Sas-
queliansta river—thei,masonry xg : ten, Aqueditot
twentponel ' ocks.and: nine ettivettc" -- .11 ii thu6 ten ;
~, . 7. , .. ..,, •_•-• ~ •4, ,, . _ -- a= '.. i
ME
,t'a..l:,:•') YY::.::,:
ME
MEE
OM
"' '3'
':x9l Itt 11+141%1'
- : • s'.r 3
~:~ two ~a':•r~~ ~_
01, Ni!
tcr. ,
=EMS
.4naeg : , #tii i ! FA ci
porluatlce DE4tie pia J VisetiltilY ib
1849, and of May to, 1850; is torty.ftve andlhreet
fourth nines: The working Sees,ti of theyear 1850
haneia4 helbi s e iddir alletied
to, was-placed under contract, and at the, , ,elnse 01
that:Bscat year, the total value of work donee was
one hundred and forty-three thousand two hundred
and,sixty-four,'dollars and eirieteencentis. , By The
aeterAsSeinbly ",the."l:s4 - 11 prj'„ll.4l, U,.ferther
appropriation of one hundred and seventy-fiverhou
eand dollars wee specifically Made; aunt a contini
gent appnrriation of one•balf The' surplus revenues;
glcr pOipi othr apprupcialwns, to be , applied to
the completion of the North Branch canal., fdview
of the limited:amount of work we had. been =able
to aeconfpliali;np te'theelese of the year' 1850, it
wasdeemed advisable t early in
,1851" to receive
proposals for all of the sections (except the repairs
to those formerly finishea) remaining to be placed
under contract; and accordingly, aßer due notice,
bide ware received on the'234 day of June - last,
which were canvassed by the Canal Commission•
era in the latter part of July following.
By the time that'the board had examined the pro
it became mattirestthat 'all of The eiisting
appropriations would be,eihausted by the close of
the fiscal year, and hence the prudential course of
declining to incur Rinker liabilities on the part of
the State,. until the means were appropriated to meet
them.
By the tabular statement, which accompanies this
report, it will be seen that the whole amount of
.work done from the lime of resuming opeiations
on
, this canal in 1849, up to the 20th October, 1851,
is six hundred and six thousand five hundred and
forty-eight dollars and eleven cents. This state
ment, however, only embraces the work done en
der contract for sections and mechanical work, and
does not include the disbursement., for cement for
the masonry, iron and spikes for locks, fencing, re
moving buildings, instruments, stationery, printing,
superintendence, engineering, and sundry inciden
tal, expenses. These latter expenditures ale not
subject of estimate, but are paid on billscertified by
the Engineer to the Superintendent, and appear of
record on the books of the latter.
The value of work done from the Ist December,
1850, to the 20th October, 1851, is four hundred
and sixty-three thousand two hundred and eighty.
three dollars and Ginety-twoVents.
I have, in the tubular statement referred to, only
brought up the estimate of work done to the 20th
October, instead of adopting the usual custom of ex
tending it to the end of the fiscal year; for therea
son that at the former period (20th October)( the
whole amount of appropriations was expended.—
Since that date a considerable amount of work has
been done; and several-of the contractors Contin
ue to prosecute their jobs, and intend doing so dur
ing the winter.
It is much to be regretted that means could not
be obtained for pushing on the work without inter
ruption, as every' stoppage not only goes to increase
the ultimate cost, but seriously affects the business
operations of the contractors, as well as those of all
connected with or dependent upon its progress.
During the remarkably favorable season just clos
ed, the greatest poseible amount of work was done
that our limited means justified, and the tine is now
in such state of torstardness that in all of the year
1852 it may be finished, and brought into use early
in the season of 1853. The following recapitula
tion of the tabular statement is here inserted to avoid
014 necessity of retetence :
The toialestimateteost of this canal, dating from
the time of its resumption in 1849, is one' Million
three hundred and ninety-eight thousand nine hun
dred and fifty-seven dollars and eighty-seven cents.
he amount appropriated by the several acts of
1849, 1850, and 1851, is five hundred and seventy.
fve thodsand dollars; to which, it we add the con
tingent appropi Wien of 1851, assumed at filly thou
sand dollars, which rum, deducted from the total
estimated cost, leaves seven hundred and seventy
three thousand nine bundren and fifty-seven dollars
and eighty-seven cents as - the amount yet to be ap
propriated fur completion. I had hoped, until re
cently, that this canal might be finished for a sum
considerably less than my estimate of 1841; but the
amount of perishable material used in the datis,
locks, ,bridges, and waste, weirs, and, has,
alter the lapse of twelve years, become so far de
cayed'aelo require renewal, forbids the idea that
'it can be completed much below that estimate.
A heavy item of expenditure occurs 'in the re
newal of nearly the cntire body of dam No. 2. It
was not until the present season that this work was
opened up so as to ascertain with certainty wheal
it it might be , relied upon, without placing new
and sound tiMbers,instead of thoseepartially decay
ed ; and it hasbeen deemed prudent (to make it
sate beyond Contingency) tebuild anew nearly the
whole of this Structure. To guard against injury lo
"10 ctinif from the lateral, streams, which might le
sultfrom afreshet timilar to-that al July,: 1850, it
became necessary to materially increase the water
'stay cora
!To efrect ililinbject six small aqueducts and six
culverts lave been added to the bomber that had
always been -deemed adequate, and three ague.
ducts substituted for culverts; also, the capacity of
other culverts materially enlarged. One instance
occurred (that at Gardner's.creek, on section 177)
where the flood in the creek made an additional
channel and out let rendering tun aqueducts neces•
easy, when but oneirad beep contemplated. SoMe
difficulty, has been experience.l, and additionalcost
incurred,- from the presence. of luirkisand at. two
points on the line._ This otters on section No. 80,
vherethe hacation of the lack was Changed . end the
level raised, passing . the
. rpticiisand' points, and:
cribbing resented t¢ jot' tilitpurpsp at, retaining the, '
towing path.
On section No. 191 it mitt forma necessity:to re
sort to piling :or the topoclation fit the . agifsdnit over
the Lackawanna, Mutts materi ally-ro- dm ex
pense Of construction: 1 Arlwo points on the line
the land - Aides fromithe alliantainiiide have rend
• )-1-roz.if I , IZ oi 1-;,:sr,- - - --41 r,7 41r , t•'?•Ct'Jitri, 3 {.:ll `,T97.f P.•
s •• / • tel../ ../-1 421,,
DEMUNCINTION , `..rIt.OII'IANIVQIIAILTEIt,4 I PiI'z ,, --: Z , = 4 " , `-''; , 74 7! allot e_ g ol,4ss vl
` !" . '3•!til =41.3 Nt' ,'_' , l3-t".tt- 1,3 ; — tt‘tl2;s P. 1•1-: . 4 7 0 j. ttl :4111•Iti" . ! • .IP3.l:_tt •i it!
10.) frz•s,:— 143c131:,.:1; Ca*
Itra ,q W+11? 3.f0 lo+4.`e) fil.ict,&:; t4tvi.::-.
+ 1 ; . ;;IP:ItAt
4 t.:4 151
•
?5 1 .0 01 01r!e Pf 3abl e 6 9 ' —l / 1 1{ . i t l l lhi l A rn—.Bll 2 e7ll Vi thr t 60.4
.00 1 ?9,9402 (iiii4' 1 411. 11 1: 0 . 13 0 1 4e1 1 4 644,4 1 0 1 ,J
heavy. stone, pogo; the clod ifterliki l hall
hate been brottp,ht intolokti • •• '
Orikeerinnn finietibd Eiitee tike l rearn7
eighteen Inilesy which-, Added to the finished work
prior to suspettilion- (thirty.t*G ‘erni: &half antes)
given fihy- an 4 re hill tailed stir the 'pertitm emir.
"[deed.' -
I have trequeutly beert.sslcefigte quessisiis wily
the monies appropriated to . the:Notth Branchcanal
have not been, aPplied istvards bringing into, use
PA'e, j . l.'ll l 9,'Sef;lY`tiil l 4" Tlty. 0010
question, its, that this, canal-. foams:the connecting
link in thevresit chain of internalnavigation of the
Statek of Neu yorkknAPenitssltaniii and Is main
Ifs/Jib - aye es a w/v4e. It is tine, Ilia( a loChl eas
iness in lumber, coal, aterchatulize,' &a., might be
done upon a portion cstit, but judgment
sufficient to make it ayaxingwork, '•,'
The,gretit and iegreassititMarket for our Coal and
iron to.be fanny in the State of New Ycirk, Skittle
yond there in the- reg,ion - of the great lakett;•is what
is to nuke the North Biancheanal (as a whole) equal
in point of productiveness, not. superior, to the
bete paying canal Owned by'Penniyhrania: Is it
not therefore, the dictate Of wisc:ent ansl,sound pet.
icy to raise the peans at once for a vigorossaprose
cution, and early completionM this valuable and•
important wcrk'l We how havelan investment in
it of over three Millione, one hunched thonssnerdol.
lam The interest on this inyestment, at, six per
cent. per annum, would c in four years, nearly equal
thesum now required•to eon:Vete it. Bat I beg
to remark in this - connection that the slim 'eitima
.
ted for completion is upon the , assumption that means
wilt be provided for progressing without delay.
If ibe money ig only to be obtained. in such sums
as to consume four or five years in 'aecirtriplishieg
that which may be done in fifteen or, eighteen
months, no human foresight, nor professional skill
and experience can determine, with any degreekot
accuracy, the utmost cost.
It will be readily be perceived that every feat's
delay is productive ol loss, in_the decay ol the me
chanical structures--the hilMg in the canal from
the mountain slopes and ..various contingencies, in
addition to the increased cost of superintendence
and engineering, to say nothing of the interest on
the investment.
No portion of the public works of Pennsylvania
has superior, if equal rescources, from which to
draw a tonnage to make it highly remunerative, as
the North ifranch canal.
Anthracite coal, of superior quality, and in quan
tity sufficient to produce a million of toris - for one
hundred generations, is at the Southern end of the
work we-are considering, and as I have before eta.
ted, an ample field for an immense consumption is
beyond its northern terminus. The rapid increase
in the consumption of this article, fully justifies
me in the opinioh that
.before five years shall have
elapsed, after the completion of this canal,' at =least
half a million of tons will pass northward opOrt it
annually, to say nothing of the lion, lumber, salt,
plaster, merchandise, Bw., which most be carried
both ways. Now in thisone item of anthracite coal
we have a sore and refiable"teinnage, more than
sufficient to pay the interest upon the whole cost of
this canal. Assuming five hundred thousand tons
ofcoal as the basis of our valculations, an 1-this one
item would yield at the rate of toll fixed by act of
Assenibly (one cent 'per ton per mile ), for ninety
kiur miles, the sum of foar hundred s and arairiiity
thousand dollars. The interest upon the whole
cost of this work, if we assume tour millions as the
maximum (and it cannot reach that sum), at six
per cent. per annum, would be two, hundred and
forty thousand dollars, to which add lofty-seven
thousand dollars, being nt the rate of live hundred
dollars per mile per annum for skierintendence
and repairs and we have two hundred and eighty.
1 seven thousand dollars as the sum necessary to be
received to pay interest on cost and maintain the
navigation, annually ft is thus shown that the
coal tonnage alone - will yield one hundred and
eighty-three thoutand dollars, annually, aver the
amount required for maintaining the work and
paying the interest oh its entire cost. , '
ft may be said that this is an exagge'ratedstate
ment of tho coal business, bur my deliberate judg
ment is, that I have assumed a entailer amount
than the result will shoW to'be true.., • •
In this view of the question, I 'am strengthened
by an examination of .the statistics of this
product of Pennsylvania. By reference to these ta
bles, it will be Peen that die product'of the year 18-
49 t only_ five years past). was a little over tvrtamil.
lions,• three hundred thousand tons,mrhile the pm.
'duct of 1851 veal reach nearly, if not quiteitorir
millions five hundred the:lspm! tons, and it is be
,lieved that.the market has been.as active dining
the year 1851, as at any former period since its in.
troduction intelkenerat Use. ' • '
likonPideririgihia probablO reyenue to be defil
ed fromahe North Branch canal, T hive. omitted
l uny estimate of tonnage, other than anthracite coal
because thave an abiding cor.fidence, that merely
as an avenue for this article alorie, it Would be a
highly productive work , but it would be by no
means deficient in ether art lees of tonnage, which
would go lo swell the receipts larg,ily beyond what
has been
,atated Let us corn Pare its adiantages in
thje respect, with
,the, Dela:save ,division al the
.Pennsylvania canal, which.has become a product
ive work, -at very low rites of 101 l upon coul.
Upon this aivisico of ih State works Wife its Com:
patctively, a small amount Ql retuta.freight, ,while
ft:waits locality and conneetkins,ifie North Branch I
canal must carry southward plaster, salt, lime, •ce-
Pentr. illinttetb And. mi#celkFteßul4fiejOir•ti4 ox.
_change lor..the coat arid iron senilnorthstard.l • In,
fact, my deliberate .opinion. is, that kr afew learn .
after' thie•Wrirk mists be brought into Use, Afs tubb
tiers and Only' bit lirgited .,; b the
amount .ot tonnage that can be, pseseciverkit4,lThe
condition 61 title "work,•aml the prospectiit'oftemot
. 1
teeming a highly, teduirterativa iitie'ltiitffidit the
p , e" ity" forefkAndiyidual
n°,;(4PVsßc!cAlioßM ii;0 1 40. P; r 11 ; 14 0 citild"bd
completed in the shortesCpeseible. ,firae r even,il
theylnidfo'ruallelaerifieesno raisefhe money for
its accomp,liplarnem„ not
" Y 44 l1 1 . 11 ;:e4 0 1A a'fiou"Oc,iali t elicY ihat..wo'uldgovern
iodisiduals similarly Circumstanced,. especially
when the sum verprimd, could readily , be robtained
by ottaiaa . qpar; if not' ff . sin tilt in.eincum•
Th,i'aigns'Of teenaifien iat.i4sted
isroxentent, thiniohey. have a right te'surk_e prompt
completion of it. For more titan ten years, lose
'residing along the line, hale weantint 'awe
havenandinconveniericep
red and divided by an- unsightly, partially finished
work, andfloring‘all that timeyin tto portion:of the
Commonwealtftl»ive'lire taxes , necessary folnis2
taih die eielit of the Sta e , :been More cheerlolly
and prodiptly paid.
, At the.time of the greatest commercial and State
embartilismeitt;when the-idea of repudiition was
not only entertained but expressed, and that too, in
p,ottinns . e) the State having-cosily improvements
made at the expense of -the Commonwealth, that
doctrine, found lito -ndsocates'eniong. the people
of the North Branch. They met all the require
ments of the - State authorities,. patiently await
ing., the lime when deferred justice would be Met
ed out to' them" itt the-completion of their long cher
ished but neglected improvement. They do not
Legislature
go to theo ask an expen Imre upcin
markof rhm btful, characters. The, tonnage, to make
•
it profitable to the State, is at its sontherivend,ami
an ample Market beyund its northern term inns—a
markdt n ciept,not,only to .'make Produce the
intereiti upon its whole
,cost, but to yield largely
beyond that limit, in aid of the. liquidation of our
State debt. In conclusion I cannot , too strongly
urge the policy of an immediate appropriation of
one handred•thonsarrit dollies, to meet the 'pleas
ing demandi of those'esnitisictora who are urging
'forwardthe'ii work, and before: the close of the ap.
preaching session of the I t egislature, an , additional
sum, sisfficient to complete 'the canal early in . the
season' of 1851
- All which is respectfullj submitted.
• WAII. 8.. FOSTER,', Ja.,
I C. E. N. B. Pa. CanciL
Tommos, Dec. 30,
.1851
Philosophy of Eating.
Use but two or three kinds of food, beside bread
and bitter, at a single meal, and never eat anything
between meals: You should eat at regular bons,
and trt three times a day, with Iwo intervals . of
not Icris than five hours each, nor more than six.
Cold water retards digestion,. and so does any
quid,llf much it taken during or soon after a meal;
balfaglass at a meal is Oucrog,h. Fro.'uil • an fridur
and a half after a meal until within , half an hour of
the neat orter,•you may drink as much.vrater as you
desii 4 e ; it is best, however to drink but a swallow
• t -
or two at a lime, interval of half a minute
or more ; otherwise you may : take mum than na
ture requires before you-know it, just as in eating
Last.! It too m itch linid is taken during meats it di
lutes the gasiric juice,thns weakening the pow ers
of digestion, and retaining the food longer in the
stomach than is natural ; It also causes acid stra
ach,theartburn, tallness, , behrbinpi,' and bad blood,
prodneing, according - to circumstances, a "dryness,
or ri masa, or scalding sensation in the throat as to
• T
do indigestion& from ether causes, whether. from
quithir or quantity of Matt
All .errors as to diet arises from quantity or quali
ty, and I propose one safe rule to each, applicable
to 41 persowand under all circumstances. .
As to quality, the general rule into eat that wi ich
you( like beet, and which you find by close obser
, ~
potion and experience is followed by no uncomforta
hie teeling about the head, hands,: feet or stomach.
, ( .Aa to quantity, take asmuch at one meal as will
rilleve you to become decidedly hitigry by the,next
meal;this' consecutive
observations;
can only be ileterm:ne by consecutive
observations; but remember, never swallow an
auttn-of food unless you are hungry ; never li tome"
a particle of food on yonrselt ' The brute creation
cannot be induced to eat Or drink,!it slightly ill or
expited, guided only by, their poor blind instinct,
arid we who are as much higher than they, by the
" reason" that is within Os, 'onglit'to feel ashamed
to fact less Wisely ;' and yet nine-tenths of all our
'aiments,ittuite and chronic, enteß here ; and rune
(The of them all might be cured , thus, if taken in
reasonable time, and if properly ereevered in.
''' The finer all food is cut with a,knife, before put
info the mouth, the sooner and easier it isdigesteil,
ors the same principle that s lame piens, of ice plat
ed in a vessel eerie . writer wilt 'require a longer
time to melt, than it it were first dissolved into
many small pieces .The 'grastrie juice d i ss olves
sciffd lend from s , illiet)l I inwards, hence load, ea
*lolly all kinds of meat, :Should be cut up into
pieces-nbt larger than a item, before it iii plated in
(el Meet, taking hi as many pieces at a time as is ,
1 ,
c nvenieut. ,-This iireeaution .would' not be needed
were persons to' at slowly, and masticate their food
I
properly ;' tint oar natiorial habitsore otherwise, nor '
i I there efitich hope of 4 speedy change in this re- !
~,
petit. • ,
Tlir. BEST is Lat--".l.am Ilan,!' said Jeremy
May I nr, 44 into the hands of publicans and Bermes
iters, and they luivirtaken . all , tram me. What
tet me kink Asoiii me! They have lelt me
,son•and qicioripfire and,water, a loving wife, many
friends to pity ine, antlsome ttheelieve me, : and .1
An Am iliteoarke';-endfuhlessif' list, they have
of iaif'eit etvay rny . rainy' ceutiteninee and my
e;heerlul spirits, and azooideoninienee ; they have
eitill•left me the providrpoe of ‘ Gitt, rind ell the pro
oiiiiss of theGospiii,andmy religion x and my hopes
of heaven, and my charity to thelm too. • And still
t sleep, and ftest, and eat, andldrink ; 1-read and
can niiglibot's, pleasant
seit:thei'viiiiiiies of 4mnd-beauties, and
Oelightia all that in which-God 41iiiiihtio, that is, in
ittoa tectyditloirtz-itf the' whole creation, and in
r • •
!
•rj.l , ; 6.; ,:‘, ..'.'47
ft.t14. 7 ,lerrt Zhcitigtl.l6'
=MIOSAiI
'greif avocation of life, no matter what it tuy
be; ties its eccentric features and 4 ! eluiratieni's
are always finimi whose peizitiltrifiba Mark !bilis
. Withiri especial slam/. Among odr river Mak:-
Whose Jives are more variegated than any abet—
this 'realities lel paitleolai . pin`rtliti s ehlor thitat
to:all.sorilt of, Society, mingling, in friendly com
munion with ell grades of people, from the pauper
to.the prince,- the witless end the witty, the Wien
and the wise, the rough and the refined, their op
portunities to read nature moutitainixe above all
that pbilarrophea ever written . Show us !be cap
win. of a western steamer *fin cannot assert drepre•
else location of a man's soul by his eye, an see as
though hewers but a sheet of glue ; and this fee-
Thy; which.he has acquired by practical experience
and the instincts of association, enables him to make
himself easy anywhere among men, and accom
modate himself to the -tailed notions Ole varied
people. In fact, he is and is not like the chamiart
—he is no far as his individual intercourse with
men goes, in assuming their colors, but is not,. eo
far:as the fabled existence on air is concerned, u
that_ don't pay the wood bills.
There are some quaint characters on our waters,
and their anecdotes of river life would make en
amwinguolleo•ion.—such an one as would be worth
the attention of any enterprising tollater. Some
of the "yams" of these quaint old captains out-hood
Hood himself; and contain more of the material of
humor than would furnish texts fore prolific author 4
life lime.
There was once a steamboat coming op the Mis
sissippi one dark night, and the captain according
to " time•honored imager," was playing. cards in
the social hall. The mate stepped in—
" Captain out of wood—not enough left . to make
the water hot enough to shave with."
Ring the bell," replied the captain—" Plow a
light, andiscare some op along the shore."
The. mate went out, and the captain Went on with
the game. lu a. few moments the mate returned.
ti Found a boat int." -
The Captain lett the table, arid Went out..
".How do you sell-your vrood !" shouted the
the captain to the people at the yard.
" Two and a half."
".Too much," said the captain. " However,
take a cord or Iwo, and look further."
A couple of cords wore taken in, the game was
resumed in the social hall, and the boat sweat
on.
A half hour elapsed, when the toata : again fp
peated.
,
", Out of wood, sir." , .
Bell tutrklight—my deaf' •
The orders were obeyed, anil.the mate again art.
nounced a IFbottlard. _ The carain went on'.
" How do yon sell your wood!"
" Two and a half."
"Too high. but will take a couple of coria 411
we cal do better."
As before a couple of cords *tie taken In,
not twenty minutes elapsed before the Mate seam
appeared. •
the belt," '
" Better take morti,,tbis time:"
"Show a light."
"It's done sir."
' In a few moments, a woof yeo Was aseht
B
" rung up," and the steamerWrent in,
" What's the price of pour_sreed
"Two arid a half."
" Two and a halt be d— -d !" cried the esp.
twin.
" %yell, captain," answered the woodman, we,
will put it to you at two and a quarter, alt this makes
the third time I have wooded with us to-night I"
The captain had nothing to say ; but took the
wood, and- got quickly out of that still current,
which the boat was unable to stem. The !t—
-wee so solemnly slow that the captain himself use
o say she must have been , intended for ; a hearse.
She is the same boat which the newspapers once
said made the trip from New Orleans to Louisville
in six days and-Lfour weeks.
o-Gocific said he married to obtain respectabil
ity. Joh Wilkes declared he wedded to please
his friends. Wyclierly, in his old age, took hie
servant girl to wife
.to spite hi 4 relations. The
Rams ans, have a col of a widow who was in
conso!able for the loss of her husband that she leek
another to keep from fretting herself to death ;ala
we read of a Catholic who deo:tired lie would
never have taken a second wife,but having a chance
to marry a l . protemant'gid, he took her to be the
means ofsaving her soul. A young and rather
"fast" gentleman of our acquaintance married a
lady nearly old enough to be his grand mother
because he owed a , bill of ally dollars for boanl
The bargain, lie after wards feelingly described, aka
hard, one, declaring that he went off cheap—chrt
cheap.,
TN A DILEMMA.- We were nand' amused by an
inetdel t which a friend or ours related to us the
other ti y. A gentleman who had been absent foe
a considerable time, and who, during his absence
had raised a pretty luxuriant Crop of whiskers, mus
taches, &e, v ailed a relative, whose ehild—tin art
less little girt made no demon Ira ion towards saint.
ing Urn with a kiss, as wilt seal.
" IVliy said the mother, " don't you know
your Uncle Hiram? Why don't you give him a
kiss?" -
'"Why, ma," returned the little girt, with the
most perfect simplicity, " I dont see any place !"
SLOW ASO SURE.-If men were 'content to grow
rich
more
more plowly, they would grow rich
more smelly. If they would use their capital
within reaL4onable limits. end transact ith it only
io mach business as it could fairly control, they
woultrbe far less liable to liise it. Et:restive pro
fits always involve the 'felinity of pest risks—as
is a lottery, in which ti statue hig h Ivo, there
in fiC , a vat proportion or
• .
7,!s''''•
.•
'.5 4 ;
- fp.:
. - =iv",
c . • I.
=NM
Iwo; tip-