Thursday, March 30, 2006

Freeman's Journal, March 25 - 27, 1784

Dublin, March 26

At this period of general calamity and distress, it would become the inhabitantsof this great and rising metropolisto adopt such measures as would releve our famishing manufacturers, and be of public utility. If the heads of families would join in societies of ten, and employ a person to sweep and keep clean the footpaths fronting their doors, it would be a means of preventing many real objects from impending ruin. There are about 20,000 houses in the city and liberties, and if but one half of the housekeepers would undertake so charitable and useful scheme, it would give employment to one thousand persons ; and if each house paid one halfpenny a day, the labourer would earn 5d. daily, which is sufficent to support nature, and is certainly more eligible than giving charities ; for besides the many imposters who infest the streets, it would be more useful to real objects to get 5d. industriously than to obtain a shilling idly ; for inleness begets vice, and vicious habits are seldom abandoned when they have been once adopted. This scheme would keep our streets to perfectly clean and comfortable, and give employment to so many miserable people, that we should be no longer condemned by foreigners who are acquainted with cleanly and well regulated cities.

...

The Three Sisters, Lewis, from Potomack river, in Virginia, arrived in our harbour yesterday, with a cargo of tobacco, indigo, &c. after a passage of five weeks.

Dublin. March 27.
..
Several young men, particularly one from the NOrth, are said too have been already ruined by means of the G. R. table, established in Suffolk-street. The sherriffs and city magistrates would do well to notice this table, before numerous other imprudent youths fall victims to the polite sharpers who attend.

...

The air balloon to be floated at the theatre royal in Smock-alley on Monday next, will furnish a most convincing proof of the astonishing properties so often mentioined of that new discovery in natural philosophy. The very great strength of the fixed air will be proved, by charging the balloon so strongly, that it will bear up Harlequin on the stage, and take him out of the view of the audience. And previous to this, to obviate all suspicion of the reality of this great natural phenomenon, the balloon will be floated over the pit, boxes, and galleries. It is to be remarked, that this balloon will give a clear and distinct idea of the great aerial chariot which is now preparing toi take up two gentlemen in the course of next month, to the upper regions of the air, and towards the accomplishment of which 300l has been already subscribed. This is the only oppertunity which has hiterto been brought forward of giving a manifest proof this extraordinary natural discovery ; prepared under that remarkable pupil of Dinwiddie, the ingenious Mr. Ruddick, who lately launched the balloon at the Rotunda.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home