STATEN ISLAND JOURNALISM. 100 



accomplishment has incurred a heavy expenditure of time and money, 

 [we mean, of course, an expenditure hear;/ in proportion to our light 

 resources,] we will take leave to express our assurance of being amply 

 reimbursed, by the accessions that will be made to our subscription 

 list, and the promptitude and pleasure with which the old subscri- 

 bers will now call and settle their dues, knowing that we have spared 

 no pains or expense in placing this publication on a footing com- 

 mensurate with the liberality with which it has been sustained dur- 

 ing the past five years." 



Following the above is an editorial comment concerning the order 

 of. President Jackson, to the effect that " public officers must pay 

 their debts, or suffer immediate removal." A great deal is said about 

 the tariff, and it is evident that Democrats and Whigs Avere having a 

 lively time of it. In the following number this paragraph is printed: 



" Our Richmond County Paper (the income of which has not for the 

 past six or eight months paid the extra expense which it has been to 

 us), will be continued throughout the present volume. Our paper 

 has lately been 'got up' with considerable expense to us, and we are 

 determined that it shall be punctually and regularly delivered to our 

 subscribers. If at the end of this volume, our circulation in Rich- 

 mond County has not enlarged sufficiently to warrant the continuance 

 of that branch of our paper, we will then be compelled to discontinue 

 it." 



The Free Press contained a limited amount of local news. On the 

 27th of June, (1831,) there was an account of the robbery of Jacob 

 De Groot's store on the North Shore, on the previous Saturday night. 

 About $300 worth of dry goods were stolen. The old U. S. Frigate 

 " Constitution" had just passed Staten Island and was anchored in 

 port. July 4th there was a long list of uncalled-for letters in the 

 Tompkinsville post office. John C. Thompson was post-master. Some 

 of the names in the list are familiar to the residents of the Island to- 

 day. There was also a list of letters, remaining in the City Ville 

 post office (West Brighton), D. V. N. Mersereau, post master. The 

 "Tompkins Guards" was the name of the "crack" military company 

 in those days. The Richmond and Quarantine stage made a round 

 trip each day. One dollar reward was offered for the capture of 

 Richard Long, an apprentice, who had run away from Daniel Merrill, 

 Sr., of Northfield. On August 15th the publisher offered to sell the 



