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VOL. III.—No. 35. HARPERS-FERRY, VIRGINIA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1824. Whole No. 139. l’UllLISIIEI), WEEKLY, BY JOHN S. GALLAHER & CO. CONDITIONS. The FREE PRESS is’published at Two Dollars per annum, if paid in advance ; Two Dollars and Twenty-five Cents, if paid at the end of six months; or Two Dollars and Fifty Cents at the expiration of the year. A notice to discontinue, must be.given at least a week before t^e expiration of the term subscrib ed for, and all arrearages paid. %* Advertisements will be inserted at the rate of One Dollar per square, for three insertions, and Twenty-five Cents per square for each subsequent insertion. The postage must be paid on all letters and com munications, or they will not be attended to. WEEKLY ALMANAC. APRIL, 1824. SUN RISES. 1 Thursday 2 Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 7' Wednesday 54 43 42 40 39 .5 38 5 37 SUN SETS. MOON S PHASES. 6 16 ZVJJ 17 18: to 65 20 21 22; 23, m K! O ^ S o -a ? p g g p dj= We are authorised to announce DANIEL MORGAN Esq. as a, candidate, at the next election for delegates to represent this county in the Legisla ture. (kT We are authorised to announce JOHN T. A WASHING TON, Esq. as a candidate, at the next election fah' delegates to represent this county hi the Legislature.' (PT Wc are authorised to announce Map B RAN I ON DAVENPORT as a candidate, at the next election for delegates to represent this county in the Legislature. stone mwm* Tmmmm FOR SALE. THE subscriber will sell this well known tavern, at present occupied by himself. It is believed to be equal to any country stand. Besides the necessa ry buildings, gardens, &c. there is at the door a running pump of as good water as any in the state. With the tavern he will sell a few or more acres of land to suit thSikurchaser. He will sell with it his masr & siw bsee&s, if the purchaser prefers buying- them al so. The mill house is of stone, and has in it two pair of French burrs ^nd one pair of corn stones, with all the necessa ry machinery driven by two overshot wa ter wheels, all in excellent repair. An ample supply of wheat can easily be ob tained. THE LAND Consists partly of river bottom of the best quality, and partly of fine upland for wheat, See. and the timber is abundant. There is in the whole tract upwards of three hundred acres. There are on the land several houses and many fine never failing springs. This property is situate in Washington County, Maryland, on the Potomac river. The great south western road from Balti more, through Fredericktown, Harpers-* Ferry and Winchester, to Knoxville and Nashville in Tennessee, passes through it. This road is much travelled at pre sent, and the travelling will increase in consequence of the erection of a bridge at Harpers-Ferry across the Potomac, which will be commenced in a few weeks. The contemplated Chesapeake and Ohio Canal has been located through this pro perty; and a turnpike from Harpers-Fer ry to unite with the Baltimore turnpike at Fredericktown, has also been located through it, and no doubt will be made. This property affords first rate scites for a Distillery and Tannery, as over head water can be easily commanded from a never-failing spring of excellent water, there is an abundance of timber on the land very convenient; and bark-in great plenty can be procured in the neigh borhood. It is also a good stand for a store. The tavern is about three miles from Harpers-Ferry. In consequence of the expenditure, monthly, of at least fourteen thousand dol lars at the armory at Harpers-Ferry, by the United States, many advantages are enjoyed by the citizens of the adjacent country, not to be met with in other pla ces. To those acquainted with the property, a further description is unnecessary, and strangers are invited to view it. It may not, however, be improper to observe that its locality is such that every public im provement in this part of the country must materially enhance its value. The price will be moderate and the terms of payment reasonable. -CASPAR W. WEVER. March 24, 1824. ♦ INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT. From the Hagerstown Torch Light. Mr. Bell—Through the politeness of a friend I have been favored with the pe rusal of the Report of the Boar.d of Canal Commissioners to the General Assembly of Ohio, and herewith inclose some ex tracts from that Report, being pursuaded that they will be read with interest by your subscribers. W. u In relation to the general policy of constructing canals, wherever the fea tures of a country will permit, and com mercial intercourse may demand, no, change of sentiment has taken place, ex cept a more thorough conviction of their utility and profit, which has been the re sult of further investigation, and of infor mation derived from experience. The decided preference which canals possess over every other method hitherto devis ed for the improvement of inland com munication, is becoming every day more apparent. The construction of the Grand Canal in New York, has thrown addition al light.on the science of canalling, and more strongly illustrated its benefits, than any other work of the kind ever perform ed. “Difficulties have there been, encoun tered and overcome, of which no ade quate idea can be formed, without an ac tual inspection of the work; and in com parison with which, the most serious ob structions presented to the construction of a .canal across this state, dwindie into comparative insignificance. In viewing this work, we behold what a single mem ber ■■four confederacy can, in a few years, unassisted, perform by calling forth and directing with wisdom, the energies of the people. We here behold a commu nity of self governed individuals, of com paratively recent establishment, under taking and accomplishing a work, which would have immortalized the greatest and most absolute monarch on earth, with the wealth and power of an empire at command. Is there a citizen of the United States who is not proud of this mighty effort of his countrymen, or one who does not wish to see the state of which he is a member,*, imitate so noble an exam ple ? Few things contribute so much to the honor and prosperity of a state, as a strong attachment, of her citizens to their common country; to its government, its institutions and its character. This is the secret chain which binds together in one great family, the numerous indivi duals of which a state or a nation is com posed, the secret spring which makes them alive to the general interest of the community; to its honor and reputation, and ready to make personal sacrifices for the promotion of public good. Without this feeling a state is composed of a mul titude of uncongenial spirits, held toge ther rather by necessity than from choice, atid continually neutralizing any effort, which may be attempted, by clashing in terests, or jealous animosities. “No nation has ever become great wfithout some national character; some general affections of the people, some object to excite the pride of her citizens. Perhaps no better method can be devis ed, to accomplish this object, than to de sign and pursue with ability some lead ing measures of state policy, some great work which will call forth the exertions, concentrate the affections of her citizens, and even flatter their laudable ambition ; some effort in which all may feel a com mon interest; an achievement, which will cause a glow of exultation in every bo som, at the thought of belonging to state, that has merited the admiration of the world. Though the construction of the great canal of New York is a work so grand and imposing, it advantages to the public are not less apparent. The bene fits which have already resulted from that work, although it is not yet com pleted, are so great, as to stagger belief, if they were not capable of proof amount ing almost to mathematical demonstra tion. “That every saving in the expense of transporting the surplus productions of a country to market, is just so much add ed to the value at home, is a proposition too evident to require proof, and too plain to need illustration. We accord ingly find that any article designed for distant markets, increases iu price, where it is produced, in exact proportion to the diminution in the expense of conveying it to its place of destination, unless af fected by accidental circumstances.— Taking this as a criterion, it is ascer tained, by information derived from au thentic sources, that on the productions of the country exported from the single county of Monroe, situated on the Gen nessee river in the state of New York, and the property received in return, more than 275,000 dollars was saved during the last season; in other words, so much money was put into the pockets of those who raised that produce for market, and those who received such articles as they needed in return. This benefit has re sulted solely from the Erie canal, and the j sum thus saved to a small section of coun \ try, would more than pay the interest for one year on all the monies expended in the construction of all the canal lines in th t state, which were then completed. This fact alone, speaks volumes in favor cf canaLs^avigation, and ought to carry conviction to the mind of every ref ecting man. “ It is found from observations made on the New York canal, during the last summer, that one horse of a medium va lue, is capable of moving on the canal a boat containing 25 tons of freight at the average rate of 25 miles per day. When we consider the number of horses, wagons and men, required to move the same weight an equal distance on the best roads, we shall cease to wonder at the diminution in the price of conveying pro duce to market by a canal navigation, and its consequent increase in value, where it is produced. “ Wheat, ot winch there were near 500,000 bushels flowered at the mills in & near Rochester on the Gennessee rive:', during one year ending in November last, was worth no more than 50 cents per bushel, before its price was affected by canal navigation. During the past sea son it has commanded in Rochester, from 94 to 106 cents per bushel, owing entirely to the canal navigation, between that place and the Hudson river. “ We are apt to consider works with which we are unacquainted as fraught with difficulty in their construction, and of doubtful utility, when completed.™ Thus we view the making of a turnpike road of the most perfect kind, as a mea sure within the reach of a small compa ny, for they are common in some parts of our country; whilst a canal of the same extent is thought to require an ex ertion, which none but a powerful nation, or an absolute monarch, is capable of making; for canalling is a science to which, until lately, we were strangers, and even now, a knowledge of it is but partially diffused. Yet experience has shewn, that a canal on favorable ground,* can be constructed, nearly as cheap as a turnpike road properly formed of stone; that, the canal is most easily kept in re pair, and that the facilities which it af fords for the transportation of property, are ten times as great. “ Many people seem to think that every dollar expended in public improvements, is so much lost to society; that it is an nihilated; gone out of existence, never more to return. Such opinions are found ed in error. Even public works, which are erected for mere show and ostentation, which afford no profit and are of no poli tical benefit when completed, do not ne cessarily diminish the wealth of the com munity by whom they are constructed; if to effect these objects, the rich are tax ed, money is drawn from the secret re cesses in which it has long lain unless; the labor of those, who would otherwise have remained idle, is put in requisition, and by this labor alone the work is erected; the money still remains in the country, but has only changed hands, generally for the better. If, then, a work useless in itself, does not necessarily detract from the wealth of the community; one of great public utility, can hardly fail to add to that wealth. It is believed by many men of extensive knowledge and enlarged political views, in New York, that the construction of their great ca nals would be beneficial to that state, even admitting those works to be aban doned the moment they are completed.— Such has been the general spring given to industry ; such the amount of labor put in requisition, which would not other wise have been called forth; such the benefit arising from- the distribution of money in the best possible manner, that the inhabitants are now better able to pay the interest on all the monies bor rowed for that work, than they would otherwise have been to pay their ordinary tax without it. But fortunately this is not required of them. They now reap the benefits of that magnificent under taking, without even feeling that they are taxed to pay the interest of the mo nies expended in its construction. “When, we may ask, was a nation ever impoverished, in consequence of the construction of works which had for their object public utility or convenience?— *Such as that on the margin of the Potomac river. We may safely challenge the history of the world to produce an example of this. Perhaps nothing has so much contribut ed to national wealth and prosperity, as the construction of roads and canals,— They not only add to the value of the arti cles transported on them,butgive a power ful stimulus to industry, by increasing its profits. Let it also be remembered that as we reduce the labor expended in the transportation, of any article, there re mains so much more, which may be ap plied to the production of that article. “A nation is not always rich in propor tion to the gold and silver in her posses sion; but in proportion to the productive industry of her citizens. Spain & England are examples of this; the one, possessing for centuries the exhaustless mines of the new world, has been continually poor ; while the other, without a single mine of gold or silver, has been able, from the industry of her citizens, to subsidise king doms, and wield at pleasure the destinies of Europe.” STATE OE THE WAR IN PERU. Extract of a letter, dated Lima, November 7: “I really do not know when this war in Peru is to terminate—we, however, do know, by the arrival of the Penelope on the 3d instant from Arica, that the army under Gen. Santa Cruz, has been totally routed by Valdez, in Sicasia. The Pa triots have lost all their arms, and have reached Mosqueg.ua, to the number of about 2000, out of from 5 to 6000 that were of them. “General Bolivar is at Lima with 2500 men—Riva Aguera is at Truxillo, at the head of from 3 to 4000 men, and will acknowledge no authority whatever, unless -he is allowed to continued Presi dent. Bolivar has written to him, desir ing him to come to Lima with his troops, but not being willing to acknowledge him as President, he has refused to obey.” “It is said that Boiivar is about to march against him, and then a cival war will burst out between the patriots, while Oanterac, who is posted .between Lima and Cuzco, and who has 6,000 men un der his command, is actively employed in watching their motions; and, if he should fall upon the one or the other, let victory incline to either sidevthere is but little doubt that Canterac will overcome the exhausted victor, and, thereby, ouiT independence will, in a great measure, become jeopardized.” [_Buenos Ayres paper. The Journal de Commerce, of the 23d of January, states, that officious persons have taken, great pains to circulate a re port that Lafayette was about to remove to the United States. It is easy to per ceive the drift (they add) of these ru mors, which are calculated to deceive the public respecting the plans of this able defender of his country’s rights. It is not to be expected that Lafayette will abandon his country as long as his voice can be heard in the cause of justice and liberty. Soould he ever quit France, it is to be presumed that he considers lib erty as irrevocably lost, or sheltered at last from attacks of ignorance and cor ruption. Extract oj a letter received from a brentlemanm Mount Holly, (N. J.) under date of March 9th. “ Yesterday morning, our Coroner was called upon to hold an inquest on the bo dy of Adam Eager. The jury, after a careful examination, declared his death was caused by blows inflicted on his head, by which his skull was broken! The. man who committed the horrid deed, was committed to Prison last evening, and confined in irons. His name is Job Powell; both of them had families and lived under the same roof; were in habits of intoxication, and have had frequent quarrels before. The weapon used by Powell was an Axe handle.—They lived 2 or 3 miles below this place, on the Ran cocas.” A northern paper contains the follow ing recipe to defend the roof of a house from the weather and from fire : “Take one measure of fine sand, two measures of wood ashes well sifted, three of slackened Ihne ground up with oil; laid on with a painter’s brush; first coat, thin, and second thick.” I painted on aboard with this mixture, and it adheres so strongly to the board, that it resists an iron tool, and put thick on a shingle resists the operation of fire. I used only part of the mixture; what remains is in an iron pot; water has lain on the mixture for some time without penetrating the substance, which is as hard as a stone.