The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-11-24 00:00:00, page 1

By MAJOR GENERAL
VALENTINE JONES,
COMMANDANT of New-York, &c.
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS it hath been represented to
me, that the boatmen, and others who
bring fire-wood to this city, exa& the most ex
orbitant prices for the fame; and that unless
some regulation be made, there will be no
bounds to their extortion: To remedy which,
I have thought fit to issue this proclamation,
and do hereby order and direst, , that no more
than Five Pounds currency, shall be demanded
for a cord of wallnut wood; and Four Founds
a cord for any other wood.
And whereas some of the boatmen, and
others, who have usually supplied this city
with fire-wood, may endeavour to distress the
inhabitants, by defining from bringing the
fame at the above Rated prices: To remedy
which, I do hereby give notice, that on due
proof given against any such persons, their
boats will be seized, and given to proper per
form to be employed in bringing wood to this
city.
And to prevent impositions on the part of
the propietors of wood, and their detaining
the fame from the boatmen ; I do hereby order
and dired, that they fell the fame at a rea
foriable price ; and on their refufing so to do
(of which due proof is to be made) their
wood will be seized and confifcated ; and the
persons so refufing will be punilhed for breaca
of public orders.
GIVEN under my Hand, in the city of
New-York, the seventeenth day of No- ,
member, in the eighteenth year of his
Majesty's Reign.
Valentine Jones, M. G.
And Commandant of the city of New-York, &c.
By command of the General,
John L. C. Roome, Sec'ry.
By ORDER of his EXCELLENCY
Sir HENRY CLINTON,
Knight of the moil honourable Order of
the BATH, &c. &c.
H7HEREAS a Proclamation,, issued from
this Office, bearing Date the 15th In
stant, giving Notice to such Inhabitants of
Long-Inland and Staten-Bland, as were in
want of Salt, to cure the necessary Provision
for their Family's Use, the ensuing Winter,
that upon their producing to the Superinten
dant of this Port, or his Deputies, a Certifi
cate from the Justice of Peace next to their
Place of Residence, that they were proper
Persons to be trusted, would be allowed to
carry, from New-York, any Quantity of Salt,
not exceeding three Bushels for a Family.
And whereas it appears that the Mode pointed
out by the said Proclamation, for obtaining
Certificates, is inadequate to the Purposes
thereby intended ; public Notice is therefore
hereby given, that such of the Inhabitants of
Long-Bland, &c. as shall hereafter apply, at
this Office, for the said Quantity of three
Bushels of Salt, must produce a Certificate,
from the Commanding Officer of the King's
Troops, on Long-Bland, or from a Field Offi
cer of the Militia of the County in which
they reside, that they are proper Persons to be
trusted, and that such of the Inhabitants of
Staten-Island, as shall hereafter apply for the
fame Quantity of Salt, must produce, at, this
Office, a like Certificate from General Camp
bell or General Skinner: And in order that
due Attention may be paid to this Proclama
tion, Authority is hereby granted to any Per
son or Persons, to seize all such Salt as they
mAy difeover, on board any Vessel or Craft,
or that may be transporting, by Land, through
any Part or Parts of Long-Inland or Staten-
Island, unless accompanied with a Permission
from this Office; which Salt so seized shall
be the sole Property of the Person or Persons
seizing the fame.
'ANDREW ELLIOT, Superintendant.
Superintendant's Office, Nov. 18, 1777.
To be LETT,
A SHOP, cellar, and two furnifhed room?, with the
uxof a kitchen, in Smith-ftrect, next door to
Mr. Seabury's, - -+
Monday, November 24, 1777.
NEW-YORK
AN D
WEEKLY
ASSIZE of BREAD. Flour at 30s. per Cent.
A White Loaf of the fineftFLOUß, to weigh
3 Ib. 40Z. for 14 Coppers, and in the fame
Proportion for Loaves of a lesser Weight.
Published January 10, 1777.
Containing the carliefl entices
^ Printed by HUGH GAINE, at the BIBLE and CROWN, in HANOVER-SQUARE.
From the London Magazine, Maj 1777.
Remarks on the Epithet " Good Fellow."
MR. Locke, in his Essay on Hu
man Understanding, very sen
sibly animadverts on the abuse
of words, It is certain there
was but too much reason for it,
and, at this day, there appears as much oc
casion to censure that practice, as in Mr.
Locke's time. However, it is not my inten
tion to enlarge now on the inconsistency of it,
I shall confine myfelf to one instance of the
kind, and that is the epithet " Good Felloe,"
generally bellowed on drunkards.
The original use and design of words, was,
for the immediate communicating of our
ideas ; almost every word has some diftinft
idea annexed to it; now so long as we do not
pervert the use of words, by annexing to the
fame words different ideas, language conti
nues to be intelligent, and we are perfectly
enabled to understand each other, and reason
on variety of fubjefts; but when men, either
through wantonness or ignorance, make use
of the fame words to express ideas as opposite
in their nature, as the poles are with refped
to each other, it is most certainly the grossest
insult on the original design of speech. To
address a drunkard by the appellation of " Good
" Felloe, is not only an abuse of words,
but involves a manifeft contradiction. Every
reader, who has any knowledge @f the English
grammar, knows that the adjeCive “ Good"
implies that the object alluded to, be possessed
of desirable qualities, which a drunkard, as
such, is not. The substantive Felloe fignifies
a mean wretch : consequently when these
words are addressed to any man they involve
a manifeft contradiction. '—Chrift held the
word Good so sacred, that he reproved the
young man, mentioned in scripture, for ad
dressing him as a mere man, by the appella
tion of " Good Master." But the moderns in
this day, prollitute the word Good on almost
every occasion, and never more than when
they call a drunkard Good. There is no vice
(save murder) which, in my opinion, degrades
human nature more than that of drunkenness.
Some probably may fay, that gluttony is more
detestable ; to which I answer, they are the
fame ; the diftindion (if there be any) lies
here ; that the one gorges victuals, and the
other guzzles down liquids.—The latter seems
more beallly, as it deprives men of the use of
reason, and reduces them to the fame level
with brutes, —in effect they are.equally glut
tons. I remember to have heard one of the
votaries of Bacchus fay, " that to condemn
drinking was to utter blasphemy againll the
gods, and a satire upon ail mankind." I
imiled at the notion he framed of divinity,
but at the fame time was furry to hear a
charge laid to all mankind, which only re
lated to some individuals. It is certain that
drunkenness is a vice that is very common ;
but allowing that the greatest part of mankind
are given to hard drinking, it surely does not
follow from hence that all mankind are drun
kards. Neither does its being so very common,
render it less reprehensible, or make it less de
testable, any more than the contempt ,of vir
tue diminishes its genuine beauty. However,
I am persuaded that the indulgence they meet
with from the rational part of mankind, pre
vents them in a great measure, from difeo
vering their real meanness and deformity.
The epithets “ Good Fellow, Jolly Soul,"
and such like ridiculous terms, make them
to conceive themselves somewhat extraordina
ry, " Heroic Spirits," and what not ! where
as, were they but treated with the contempt
they deserve, it probably might be the means
of exciting in them a sense of shame, and
contribute to reform their behaviour.'—lt is
aftoniihing to think how mens senses have
been debased, and their ideas corrupted by
continuing in the state of rioting and dissipa
tion for a succession of years. A friend of mine
once related to me the following dory, which
he was ear-witness to.
A jolly toper, soliciting an acquaintance of
the fame stamp, to accompany him into the
country for a few days on a party of pleasure,
and to pay a visit to another of their boon
companions, who resided a few miles out of
town ;'the other objected, alledging that bu
siness of importance required his attendance
at home.
Monday, 19 Min. after 5
Tuesday, 3 Min. aftei 6
Wednesday, 44 Min. after 6
Thursday, 19 Min. after 7
HIGH-WATER at NEW-YORK, this Week.
THE
Friday, 2 Min. after 8
Saturday, 45 Min. after 8
Sunday, 33 Min. after 9
New Moon the 29th.
It is a notion llrangely prevalent among
many, that getting drunk together is the ce
ment of friendfhip, and that it is utterly im
possible to subsist without. When a man has
occasion to go abroad, let his business be ever
so urgent or momentous, if hf negleds to ap
point a meeting at a tavern, and pay his fare
well, he mutt be branded as a pitiful fellow.
I by no means condemn the drinking a glass
together if opportunity offered ; it is laudable
and harmless when conducted with decency
and order, and confined to the bounds of mo
deration ; but amongst topers there is no me
dium; if the mailer of the treat does not
" keep it up" until day-light in the morning,
he is looked upon as one of a dastardly spirit.
They imagine ^OO, they shall appear dull
rogues, unless they diftinguilh themselves by
some extraordinary atchievement. Accord
ingly some " heroic spirit," more enterprizing
than the rest, gives the signal in the true
Buck-stile, " Come my Bucks ! let's kick up a
dust !" Smash goes the punch-bowl, and the
whole apparatus on the table, chairs, looking
glaffes, &c. are facrificed as an offering to
Bacchus. —After this they sally forth like a
troop of banditti, perhaps a fidler in the train,
most miserably persecuting, or rather murder
ing cat-gut, and may literally be said to aft
in the character of Orpheus, making the beasts
to dance around him. It is difficult to de
scribe what noble instances of wit and genius
are displayed on these occaficns. After having
given fufficient proof of the harmony of their
vocal powers, by vociferating in the highest
key, they now fall to muscular force. Carri
ages, carts, butcher's bulks ; in a word, every
moveable object in their way is overturned,
displaced, or broken.—After having exhausted
their more than Herculean rage on these un
refilling harmless objects, they, return in tri
umph like so many C^fars or Alexanders,
and account over the concluding bowl, their
no&urnal exploits; and compliment each o
ther as droll geniuses, and infinite in faceti
oufnefs and humour.
The firft made use of every argument his
mind could suggest, but without effeft ; at last
he was heard to pronounce the following
words with particular emphasis. " Why man,
we shall have such fun as never was known ;
besides, we shall be as drunk every night as
David's sow I" —This argument was not to be
withstood: it was irrefutable. The idea of
being " as drunk every night as David's low,"
made so forcible an impression upon his mind,
that, all his former objections vanished in an
instant, and he immediately fivore he would
share the delicious fun with him.
Is it not the grossest abuse of words to call
that man Good fellow, who not only thus de
grades himfelf beneath the brute creation;
but makes use of every artifice to reduce
others to the fame standard ? He looks upon
iras a magnificent exploit, when he Has per
suaded, or even forced a poor ignorant inef
fenfive man to over-charge himfelf with li
quor.—Your Good-fellow will shake you by
the hand, and swear that he loves you in his
heart, when at the fame time his design is to
deprive you of the use of your senses; and
will call you unmannerly clown, if you de
cline drinking 'till you fail beneath the table,
that he may have the opportunity of indulging
in a brutal laugh.
The Good-fellows are generally what we
call good-natured, which makes them more
agreeable, and consequently, more dangerous
companions, as they have a greater opportu
nity of playing upon the passions. Good-na
ture is an amiable quality, and generally at
trafts our esteem; though, in faft, it reHefls
no merit on the pofeffor, because it is consti
tutional. When the phyfiognomift told So
crates, that the traits of his countenance in
dicated he was naturally prone to drunken
ness and anger; the philosopher owned th,e
justice of his remarks; yet (to liis immortal
honour) this fame Socrates exerted such forti
tude and resolution, that he triumphed over
both these natural weaknesses, and became the
pattern of felf mortification, sobriety, and
placability. Now this was truly meritorious
in one whose natural disposition was averse to
these virtues.—But what in my opinion renders
drunkenness inexcusable is, because it does not
seem to be a natural weakness incident to man
kind in general: I have known numerous in
fiances to the contrary, and I need only ap-
Wheat per Bushel, 9s. od.
Flour, 308. od.
Brown Bread, 255. od.
Wed-India Rum, 6s. 6d.
New-England do. ss. od.
GAZETTE:
THE
M ERCU RY.
PRICE CURRENT, in NEW-YORK.
Mufcovado Su^ar, 51. 10s.
Single refin'd ditto, 2s. 2d.
Molasses, 2s.'6d.
Beef per Barrel, 90s. od.
Pork, 51. los.
Jordan ant )Porn^Ut
OdCQ7©QO0 dCQ7©QO®00033%0 00030000OOCOSCOC 0000 0000OCOObOOOCOOOOOOOOCOOGOCO0C03Qocag
Dr. RYAN's
Incomparable Worm-defiroying
SUGAR PLUMB S,
Necessary to be kept in all Families.
SO exceedingly palsied by all People who have had
of them in Great-Britain and Ireland, jor their
tranfeendeht Excellency in the defraying Worms oj all
kinds both in the Bodies of Men, Women, and Children,
by not only breaking the Knots in tteDuodenum or Gut
next the Stomach, but, the, pass through the smallest
Faffages of the Body, and purge awa, tbofe ropy and
Jlimy Humours which are the cause of tbofe pernicious
Fermin, and the Source of many other Disorders; they
are one of the bes Purges in the whole World for gross
bodied Children that are apt to breed Worms, and have
large Bellies; their Operation is mild, fa,e and plea
sant; the, wonderful, cleanse the Bowels of all fliff
and clammy Humours which flop up the Parts, and
prevent the Juice of Food being conveyed to the Liver
and made Blood, which is often lire Case with Children,
and is attended with a ba d Belly, finking Breath,
frequent Fevers, Rickets, and a Decay of Strength in
the lower parts : Likewise fettled Aches and Pains in
the Head, Swellings, old Sores, Scabs, Tetters, or
Breakings out, will be perfectly cur'd, and the Blood
:and Skin refored to its original Purity, and Smootb
nefs ; they purge by Urine, and bring away the Gra
vel, and effectual, cure all Obfruato^s ol the Urine,
or Ulcers in the Kidneys. They at once firike at the
true cause of the Scurvy, and entirely defray it, and all
fcorbutick Humours and Effects, Root and Branch, so
as never to return again ; and what makes them more
commendable is, they are full as agreeable to both Tafe
and Sight, as Loaf Sugar; and in their Operation as
innocent as new Milk.
I bavsby these Plumbs cured a great many Children
of Whooping or Chin-coughs, and Agues, which Dis
tempers are very common and troublesome to Families,
and the Want of these Plumbs are the Ruin of many
.Children's Conjiitutions.
These Plumbs enrich dnd sweeten the whole Mass of
Blood, carry off all gross, corrupt and putrid Humours,
and create a ffejb and healthy Complexion in such &.j
are assessed by any putrid Matters.
The Plumb is a great Dieuretick, cleaning the Reins
of Slime; it expels Wind, and is a sovereign Medicine
in the Cholick and griping of the Guts. It allays and
carries off four Favours which occasion many Disorders
in the Head. It opens all Obfruftions in the Stomach,
Lungs, Liver, Reins and Bladder \ causes a good Ap
petite and helps Digefion. It batb beenfound won
derfully faccefsful to such Persons as are going into
Chronical Difempers, as Afbmas, PhthiJicks, or Sbort
nefs of Breath, Dropfes and Yellow Jaundice. Now
I hope all impartial Persons are fatisfed, that the Me
dicine which works upon such Humours, will almost
teach an, Diflemper, if not too Jar gone,face Corrup
tion and Putrefaaion are the Fore-runners of all Dis
, cases ; therefore no better Pbyfick can be taken, Jor- all
Ages, Sexes and Coxfitutions, Jrom Infancy to dr. old
Ag^. These Plumbs are highly ferviceabie to the Fe
male Sex,from the Age of 14 to 20 Tears, and from
40 to 50. Each Box containing one Dozen of these
Plumbs, Price 8 Shillings, with Directions. Sold by
Hugh Gaine, in New York and by no other Person in
America, unless by bis Appointment.
peal to every man's confeience to support m y
opinion. Are not moll young men averse to
hard drinking ? Do not most of them confefs^
that after the firft draught, they detest the
very fight, of liquor ? Nature exclufne of
grace forbids intemperance. Nature indeed
does invite to sensual enjoyments, but intem
perance is incompatible with the name. Men
voluntarily become sots and drunkards through
a mistaken notion of fieming manly, and
fooliihly imagine that sobriety and effeminacy
are iufeparable.
It is a melancholy reflexion to confider how
many beatiful youth have in a few years ener
vated a good constitution by excessive drink
ing, and finally fallen a facrifice to Bacchus ;
who, had they been temperate, might in all
probability, have been an honour to their
Maker, by dififing benevolence around them,
relieved the indigent, and been ufeful mem
bers of the community, by raising up a fa
mily of children in the practice of industry
and piety.—Are my readers blell with a good
conilitution ? has nature been liberal in be
llowing upon you elegance of form ? has flic
diffufed on your cheeks the rosy slush of
health ? Be thankful and humble. Would
you preserve the blessing, and enjoy the boun
ties of nature? Shun the sorceress intempe
rance.—Let no Bacchanalian persuade you,
that a bloted pimpled face looks more mas
culine than a healthy florid countenance. Be
not enamoured witli the appellation of " Good
fellow," but rather endeavour to merit the
character of a " Good man."
Penrith. C. G.
Fine Salt, Bs. od
Coarse Salt, Bs. od
Indian Corn per Bu. 6s. 6d
Coffee, is. 9!
Chocolate, 265. per Dp.