the falls; a melancholy proof of which they at all times exhibit -that your petitioner is fully convinced that the whole of this loss may be prevented by a canal-that under this conviction he has purchased the only piece of ground over which one is practicable-& has actually entered upon the enterprize, with an intention to risque his fortune in accomplishing a work of so much public utility-Your petitioner, therefore, relying on the public spirit of the honorable Court, requests that your honors will take the premises into consideration, and grant him a Charter, by which he may be secured in the peaceable enjoyment of the valuable property, which he is about to invest in the proposed canal-& assign him a reasonable toll to compensate him for his services; & give him leave to bring in a bill accordingly. And as in duty bound shall ever pray Sam" Blodget [Granted Jan. 2, 1794.—ED.] [7-29] [Petition for Legislation to protect Fish in Cohas Brook, 1797.] To the honorable Senate & House of Representatives for the state of Newhampshire Convened at Concord June 1797 The petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of Derryfield, Humbly shoeth that where as it appears to us that the Alwives in the great Cohash brook (so Called) in said Derryfield would be of Considerable Consequence if some further regulations were had for the preservation of them Wherefore we your Petitioners pray your to pass an Act that no alwives may be Caught killed or destroyed on any day or at any time within Thirty rods of the mouth of said brook nor within five rods of any milldam or sluce way on said brook, under the same penalty as is by Law now affixed for ketching said fish on any unlawfull day and your petitioners as in duty bound shall Pray Stephen Pingry Asa Haseltine Asa Hesseltine Jun' John Dickey David Young Moses merrill John Webster Archd Gammel Charls Emerson [7-30] [Blodgett's Canal, 1798.] The Hon' Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened at Concord on the third Wednesday of Nov 1798 The petition of Sam" Blodget of Derryfield humbly sheweth That your petitioner hath expended more than Thirty Thousand Dollors in cutting a Canal erecting Dams, Locks, Mills, &c. on his own Land near Amoskeag Falls which is nearly finished and will of course in a few years be a great benifit to the public, as a property of this kind requires a particular attention both as to regulation of Toll as well as security of property and the keeping up a good understanding with whom he may have to do Your Petitioner humbly prays that he may with those he shall sell to be made a Corporate body politic by the name of the proprietor or proprietors of Blodgets Canal—and your Petitioner as in duty bound will praySam" Blodget [7-31] [Petition for the Incorporation of a Company to construct a Canal from Merrimack River to Massabesic Pond, 1799.] To the Honorable General Court now sitting at Concord, Humbly Shews, The Undersigned, that opening a water Communication from the westerly part of Massabesick Pond, so called, to Merrimack River, by the way of great Cohass Brook, by cutting a Canal, and making locks on certain Falls, and making the same Navigable for Boats and Rafts, would be of Public Utility, as there is a large Tract of uncultivated Land ajoining said Pond; the Timber of which might become valuable; & would also greatly facilitate the Transportation of Country Produe to the Sea Port Towns for Market. Your petitioners therefore pray, that they with such others as may become Proprietors with them, be Incorporated into a Body Politic and Corporate for the purpose of Canaling and opening said water Communication, & that they have Leave to take a certain Rate of Tolage to reimburse their Expendatures; and that the same be granted under such Regulations & Restrictions as you in your Wisdom shall think propper, and as in duty bound will ever Pray. Dated Chester June 3d 1799 Joseph Blanchard Wm I Folsom Ezekiel H: Kelly [Dec. 28, 1805, an act was passed authorizing the inhabitants of Derryfield, in their corporate capacity, to construct locks on Cohas brook to facilitate the passage of lumber.ED.] [7-33] [Petition for Authority to raise Money by Lottery to complete the Canal, 1799.] The Hon. the Senate & House of Representatives, for the State of New Hampshire in General Court assembled, on the first Wednesday, of the present month, of December, A. D 1799. The petition of Samuel Blodget of Derryfield in said State Humbly shews-that your petitioner, many years since saw that Nature had declared in favour of an inland Navigation into the Interior parts of this State, which Now abounds with Masts, Yards, Timber, Wood, and all kinds of Lumber, which is beyond Calculation, the Lands are fertile, and the Inhabitants Numerous, they abound in Cattle, and all other produce in abundance, all which are in great Demand, in our Sister States, but the Great distance, the Obstructions, and Impediments, so many, that the inhabitants, derive but Small advantages, at present from these goodly Lands, and must Continue So untill Art Embraces Nature, Your Petitioner Early saw this, that an inland Navigation would of Course take place, Your petitioner, Anxtious for the happy day Chearfully began this great undertaking, Although, in the Eve of Life, your petitioner determined, that Neither age, or the dread of Fatigue, should deter him from this pleasing & usefull Project, Accordingly on the first day of April 1793. He began this great Work, of Canaling & Locking Amoskeig-Falls, on which heretofore, much property, has been lost, they are Still A great Barrier, to immense property, at this Moment, theirfore it is of the utmost importance to the inhabitants of these states, that these Impediments be removed, in attempting this Enterprise, Your Petitioner has Spared, no pains, or property to Effect it, he has Already expended thirty five thousand Dollars in this Work,but in the Course of unforeseen Events, Such times has taken place, that No right Calculation Could be made, & in the event Exceeded much beyond his expectation, theirfore, to Compleat this great design, it will Require, Nine Thousand Dollars, as appears by a Late Survey of Col. Baldwins.—when these Canals. are Compleat. the Inhabitants of these states, will of Course receive the greatest advantage by them. Your Petitioner has had Recourse to his friends in the Common-Wealth of Massachusetts for assistance. but without affect. yet Nevertheless the inhabitants of Boston & NewburyPort. are not insensible of the great advantage that will derive. as well to the Poor as to the Rich, especially in the Article of Wood, which at present. is at high price in those Towns. theirfore all Classes have an Interest in the Canals, and they have their wishes that may they be finished-and would most Chearfully Come forward, by way of a Lottery. to finish itYour Petitioner. has Such Assurance from many Respectable Affluent Characters. as well as those in a more humble. State. Both in Boston; Newbury-Port, & & as leaves him. not the least Doubtfull that if your Honors should please to grant him One, for the purposes. herein Requested. being fully assured. those Tickets in the Sale would be ye most Rapid, (and with much Defference believe them to be more So,) than any. heretofore offer'd to the publick, Theirfore Your Petitioner, Most Humbly prays that Since he has taken Such pains. as well as the great Expence, heretofore mentioned of thirty five thousand Dollars. already, and is desirous to Compleat it, and to Open A Most Valuable and extensive, well Inhabitated Country; abounding with Cattle, and produce, in Abundance, by which an inland Navigation, of Trade, & Commerce will thrive and flourish, between the Inhabitants of this, and Our Sister States; Interest, & advantage, to a Very great Amount theirfore in Consideration of this great Expence-Your Humble Petitioner has Expended, in the premises afforesaid, Which is unfinished -he theirfore humbly Solicits your Honors Aid, to grant him A Lottery. to finish the same, in Consideration. that. when Compleated, will arise every advantage that an Inland Navigation to the States. Can Suggest. and in as much as his Friends in the Common Wealth of Massachusetts, So much Request it or Otherwise, to grant him Such aid as will Enable him to Compleat. and finish the work, as in your great Wisdom Shall Seem Meet, and as in duty Bound will ever pray― Derryfield 7th December 1799. Sam" Blodget [In H. of Rep., December 21, 1799, the foregoing petition was granted.-ED.] [7-34] [Relative to Locks and Canals on Merrimack River, etc.] Within a few Years past Inland Navigation. Seems to be the Spirit of Enterprise, the great & Arduous, undertaking, to cutt the Middlesex Canal, in the state of Massachusetts, from Boston to Merrimack River, Through an Inland Country of Thirty Miles has been the work of many Years, the Compleating of this great Work, has been doubted by some, but he assured, the Most dificult part of these Works are finished, and Others in great forwardness, this Work is Executed, in a Manner, that would do Honor to One of the first European Characters in this Line. in A word, the Works are So Nearly finished, that it leavs No doubt in my Mind, of its being Compleated the Next Season, this Canal, enters Merrimack-River, a little above Petucket Falls from thence, up the Said River, 29 Miles. to Amoskiege these Falls, are 47 feet 3 Inches 5 Tenth Fall, & are the Key of the great Country above them, the Locking of Which, has been underken by Mr Blodget, who has Expended 35000 Dollars in this Enterprise, by A late Survey of Colonel Baldwin, it will Cost 9000 Dollars more to Compleat this great Work, According to his late survey, the Next Falls above, is eight Miles from Mr Blodgets Canal, the next is, 4 Miles farther up, Called, Garvins Falls, Charters are granted for Locking them Both, & the Toll fixed, & its Supposed 4000 Dollars will Lock them, Turkey River, & Sewals, are the Only Falls, above, untill we reach Salisbury, they are Small, & it is Supposed will not Exceed, 600 Dollars to Compleat them, these being finished, Navigation, will be compleat up as far as Salisbury, 100 miles from Boston, the Other Small Falls, between the Middlesex, & Mr Blodgets Canal, will be soon Locked, & Cleared, So as to make it Navigable for Boats. in the Shoalest. Water. in the Summer-Season, from Salisbury, to Boston, when all these are Compleated, the advantage of Inland-Navigation will take place, which will be beyond discription, these advantages, will not so readily Occur, to every One at the first View, theirfore it will not be Amiss to mention, Some of them, the first is upon the Subject of Beef-Cattle, the great Loss that attends the Driving them from A great distance to Market, Report Says that their ware 7000 Head of beef Cattle, drove from the States of New-Hampshire, and Vermont, the present, Year, into Boston and Other Market-Towns, upon Supposition of its fact, the Charge & Expence for driving 7000 at 7/6 onely Amounts to Doll. Supposing Each Creature. lost or Wasted, by long & Tedious driving, on an Average, 30 lb Tallow, 8,750 |