Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1804-06-25

me MT. m,y convey uiefu hint to CERTAIN s'a' o.
enr fsA4sl'l
From IT, Ma,yhaJ Gazette.
Iofcph Addition anil Richard Steele, Of ia
ynou. memory, in the time of queen Anne, OF
England, employed their lplendid abilities in
writing flort periodical eHays, principally fot
correcting the foiolss Of the men and v'cncn OF
their days, espo6ng ridiculous cuitoms ana
faihions, and amending manners They have
been followed BY great number OF ingenious
men who have fuccessfuil, purified their tract,
and Therefore n7an Of the pfeie0t time, who
{hould adop, thc. plan, would be at lois tor
iubieets, unlefs he f;iou,d be constant1y borrow
inp, OK ra:hcr Reaiing their ideas.
although am a very young man, nave
Iorc w;Ihed to initiate taofe illsitriou3 writers
out | have been hitherto prevented, merely by
conGdcrmg the dearth Of new materials Hafpi-
" have diicoyercd at lait divertnS, though
n;fchievous practice, which prevails very much
n this city and which, believe, has never been
touched Upon by any writer whatever; but
which is very deleaable fhbjeet tor an eitayi't.
If deemed it TO come under the deno&inatlon
Of crime. r would not here notice It. But
many Of the perfons addicted to the practice,
are men CT worth, ard fit to be truited m mott
things . provided only that certain edged tools
are Kept out of the way. ~
But no, to keep my reader in iuipence, or.
render u,v preface tirefome beyond bearing,
will inform him at once, that qUbasing is the
fubica ( have cholen for my lire eEay.
Peradyen,ure the meaning of the terms arb'f-
tie ccbtfiine and 4ebit,lss, may not &c generally
known.
I A 4vb;Y!<y then IS a perfon, who, as foon as he
f,,s h;n,fclf out of his own houfe, near pine
fable. or baliuitrade, or finds convenient piece
Of timber o. any kind, takes out his penknife
and employs ii with great diligence and Perie-
yerance in cu,king fstters, or sotches, or tcoop-
ing, or pairing, or fhaving, sc. &c juit as his
fancy dictate.. Nay lometmes the back OF
chair, OF even mahogany furniture does not ei-
cape. The performances of tome men IN this
wav arc really furpriGng. In Jingle thinner,
wo. king onlv one hour each Sunday morning,
has = Gentleman been known, with his inall
penknife. to cut through, in fcveral places, the
rails of portico, beides cutting 100 letters and
figures on the feats, and, in fhort, producing the
necefrtv Of making an ensi'. new po1sh. except
tie Hocdf. u Or srre..", which he could not con-
venientiy work upon.
Another gentleman, whole duty it was to
take His feat at large pine table, among tfteen
or twenty others, whenever he was not engaged
in the bufinefs for which he attended, was con-
family employed in cutting letters on table,
with fine pointed penknife. At length the
gentleman who preGded at the board directed
an attendant againft the next meeting, to lay
ll,inple on the table This was, according to
expectation, eagerly fized as valuable prize,
and numerous were the unmeaning figures which
were formed from 1t.
fee, myfelf unwilling to purlue the fubjeef !;
bcfides, l fhould pay poor compliment to my
readers, If did rot leave it to them to make
the remarks which are natural and proper.
will only fay, that the notion OF the ihingie was
fortunate and happy. So long as the rage Tor
whittlcg fllall prevail, would propoie, that
faingles, which are cheap and made OF mott
tempting cutable wood, ihould be amply provid-
ed, at the puplic expence, for every public por-
tico and table. JUVENlo.
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1fwIs9s e0atsr w have heard OF w.
Sfeven5 4uatey, and various other waters, IN the
apothecary's and pcrfumer's colleetion-but
water has now made its appearance which pro-
mites to rival them all in celebrity if not falubrity
1t is AfiEGepi 4uatsr, brought in hogesheads
by Mr.. Jetferion's exprefs delire and direction,
all the wav hither from that noble itream,
and from hence it is to be conveyed to Waih ng-
ton, where, we underRand, it is to be drank by
the great perionage himfef, or at leaft great
Fart Of it, at shc celebration of the 4th OF July
" with seplanss." Vivs 10 Repusiq~.
(Eve.ig fT ]
rTIad the writer Of the above ever been in
Portland, he certainly would have mentioned
I" Mrs Skeitan's W,sfrr" ALTO, which is 70 much
known and eeeened in this quater y