The Cumberland News of Monday says: “In a few more days, perhaps a fortnight, signs of life will again be seen on the canal. During the winter months the boat builders along the line and here in particular have been busy overhauling the old boats and building new ones. Since the season closed Messrs. Merten Sons, Bareis and the other builders have constructed in the neighborhood of twenty-five boats of the average size. All of these have been launched with the exception of two or three, and these will slide off of the ways in a few days. All signs point to a great amount of business being done on the canal this coming season, and Mr. Nelson Read, the superintendent at the end of the line, says the prospects were never brighter. At 11.30 o’clock Saturday morning the water was turned into the canal so as to permit the launching of two new boats at Merten’s yard, and in the afternoon it was turned off, the canal basin having filled. This morning at 10 o’clock the Potomac will again be turned into the canal, this time to stay. On or about the fifteenth of this month traffic will be resumed and everybody will get down to hard work. There are now ready for the season’s business nearly 200 boats, and when newly constructed ones are finished that number will be greatly exceeded.”