Chronicle & Gazette (Kingston, ON), Aug. 9, 1834

p.2 Cold Water Society - water in harbor unfit for any domestic purposes; should get drinking water out in the lake using a Durham boat.

To the Editor of the Kingston Chronicle.

Sir, - The spirited remarks made by you in your paper of the 26th ult., respecting the conduct of some of the Forwarders at Prescott and Brockville towards the Steam-boat St. George, having called forth something in the shape of a reply from Messrs. H. & S. Jones of the latter place, I consider it a duty I owe to the public to make a few observations upon that letter.

Those gentlemen admit the charge made against them, but endeavour to palliate their conduct by the following language, "we are often pressed with freight for the Upper Country and have invariably endeavoured to ship it by the first boat, for the benefit of our customers; to our great annoyance the St. George has passed our wharf, and when freight could be procured elsewhere, refused to take any from us." With respect to my having refused to take freight from those gentlemen, I say positively that this never occurred but twice, once last autumn, and once early this spring, and under the following circumstances. When the St. George commenced running last August, I told Mr. Morris, (Agent for the Canada Inland Forwarding Company) and the Messrs. Jones, that I should endeavour to reserve space for an equal quantity of goods from them and the Forwarders at Prescott - that it would be necessary for them at all times to inform me on my arrival at Brockville, on my Downward Trip, what quantity of goods they wished to send by the St. George, as otherwise I should be obliged to take a full cargo at Prescott, whenever it should be offered. They agreed to my request, and I was always informed by Mr. Morris of the quantity he wished to send by me; but the Messrs. Jones seldom thought it necessary to intimate their wishes to me in that respect. When I refused to take goods for them last autumn, they did not advise me of their having any for me until after I had filled up at Prescott. At the same time I was obliged to leave about 5 tons of the goods Mr. Morris had in store, as I had scarcely left room for the ten tons which he said he should have. Mr. Jones came and expressed himself very warmly to me on my declining to take his goods; I stated to him that I was not made aware of his having any to ship, as he had not informed me of it in time, and in justice to the Proprietors of the St. George, I could not leave Prescott half loaded, when there were plenty of goods, upon the "venture" of getting the remainder of the cargo at Brockville; yet even then, though inconveniently crowded, I took several packages for them which they were anxious to send up. Early this spring before there was any up freight of consequence, I called on my return from Prescott at Mr. Morris' wharf to take in the small quantity of goods he had for me, and just as I was leaving the wharf for Kingston, (where I was requested to return as early as I could, to take in a large quantity of household furniture) Mr. Jones came to me and said that he "wished me to go back to his wharf for a few packages of goods" I told him he should have informed me of it before, that I was then behind my time in consequence of the late arrival of the stage at Prescott, and that I was obliged to be at Kingston as early as possible. His reply was that "he did not mind it - it was of no consequence." - I have frequently taken goods from the Messrs. Jones since, and never refused to do so, on being notified in time of their having any for me, according to the understanding I had with them. Why then, may I be permitted to ask, have they not used their influence against the St. George with respect to passengers until lately? Unless for the reason you have given, that the St. George took goods from Kingston upwards for 2d. less per cwt. than from Prescott and Brockville.

With respect to its being reported "that I said I would not accommodate them" I think if they had wished to act fairly, they would have come to me, and have asked me whether I had said so, and whether I intended not to accommodate them. I can safely affirm that no expression unfavourable to their interest ever escaped me, although it appears they do all in their power to injure the interest of the St. George.

I never had the least difficulty either with Mr. Morris or Messrs. McMillan, Link and Co. Forwarders at Prescott, and I feel satisfied that those gentlemen will say that I have endeavoured to accommodate them all in my power. I may also confidently appeal to Messrs. Crane, Hooker & Co., upon this point; the difficulty that arose last year between them and the Proprietors of the St. George about the terms of receipts is entirely of a different nature. I have endeavoured to do my duty to the public, as strictly as I was capable of, and with every desire on my part to please all parties, notwithstanding which, the Messrs. Jones of Brockville, and Messrs. Crane and Co. of Prescott, for reasons best known to themselves have refused giving the St. George either freight or passengers, and in consequence of this, the owners of this boat have declined to run her to Prescott and Brockville any more this season.

I never interfered with Messrs. Jones' business by telling merchants about Kingston not to send them their produce, and I have never attempted to put one shilling out of their way; but the Messrs. Jones admit their having written to Mr. Smith at Paris not to pay the freight charged, although they knew that 1s. 6d. per cwt. was the price charged and collected from other merchants at that late season of the year. They interfered further with the St. George, by advising Mr. Gillet of Port Hope not to pay his account for freight last October, because the goods were landed at Cobourg, when it was expressly understood that they might be landed at either place, as the weather permitted; and in this instance they could not be landed at Port Hope.

I am Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

J. Harper.

Steam Boat St. George, August 1834.

p.3 The following steam-boats have unfortunately had their shafts broken, and are temporarily laid up, viz. Great Britain, St. George, Cobourg and Britannia.The Brockville is now up the Lake, and the Kingston started thence from this port today.

Appropriations for Harbors - Among these appropriations at the late session of Congress, were the following for Harbors in the state of New York.

Oswego Harbor $30,000

Big Sodus Bay 15,000

Genesee River 20,000

Blackrock Harbor 12,000

Buffalo Harbor 20,000

[Sackets Harbor Courier]

The Stockholders of the Commodore Barrie Steam Boat are requested to pay a further instalment of 10 per cent on their Stock to the Treasurer on or before the 1st Sept. next.

By order, Thos. Kirkpatrick, Sec. & Treasurer.

Kingston, Aug. 6th, 1834.

St. Lawrence Canal - plans and specifications available for lock gates and culverts; tenders will be received until 10th September. James Hume, Sec'y Brockville, August 8th, 1834.