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SHIP BUILDING IN ORGEON.

From a private letter, received at the office of the Boston Chronotype, under date of Milwaukee, Oregon, October 1," we learn that one of our New England ship and steamboat builders, Mr. William L. Hanscom, who, within a few years past, has built several fine steamboats and ships in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is now constructing a steamboat, 160 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 64 feet deep, in Oregon, for Lott Whitcomb & Co., to run on the Columbia River. The shipyard is established on the Willamett River, at Milwaukee, a small, but enterprising and rapidly growing town at the head of ship navigation on that river, and eight miles from Oregon City. The facilities for ship-building at Milwaukee are considered equal, if not superior, to those of any port in the United States. The keel of the steamer now building there is all in one piece. The tree from which it was taken was cut within a few rods of the yard, and measured 124 feet to the first limb, and at 155 feet 8 inches it was cut off, and hewn out 9 by 14 inches. There are two saw mills adjoining the ship-yard, constantly employed in getting out timber for the ship-builders. The land at Milwaukee, and in its vicinity, is excellent, as may be seen by the heavy growth of pine, fir, oak, cedar, and hemlock timber, standing thereon. The climate is delightful, being, for the most of the time, like our " Indian Summer." Oregon is fast becoming populated with a hardy, active, and enterprising people, who will ere long supply California, and most of the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean, with ships and vegetable produce. Her timber land, fertile soil, and the character of her citizens, bespeak for her an enviable reputation among the civilized nations of the world.

FRAUDS BY FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS.

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The Boston Courier notices a remarkable instance of fraud committed by foreign manufacturers upon the Bay State Shawls. As is very generally known, the Bay State Mills at Lawrence, Massachussetts, have acquired great reputation for the manufacture of this article. They are known all over the country. They use a particular label on each shawl, the most prominent and striking part of which consists of the arms of the Bay State. Some foreign manufacturers, who desire to impose their shawls on purchasers as the shawls of the Bay State Mills, and do not scruple to appropriate to themselves the reputation which has been gained by that company through its fidelity and skill, have simulated their trade mark, and placed it on shawls sent into this market. We are glad to see that they do not dare to forge the name, "Bay State Mills,” their attempts being confined to the arms and engravings, and size and general appearance of the label, and calculated to deceive those who make only a cursory examination." As these shawls are in very general favor in New England and New York, and the counterfeit may find its way thither, our merchants will do well to be sure to purchase the genuine article.

MANUFACTURE OF CONTINUOUS RAILROAD IRON.

It appears by the Baltimore American that the Mount Savage Iron Coompany's Works, near Cumberland, Maryland, are engaged in the manufacture of continuous railroad iron. The rail does not differ in form essentially from the usual T rail, but it is divided into two sections longitudinally, and a continuous rail is thus obtained by breaking the joints. This, it will be readily perceived, is an important improvement, entirely obviating the liability to give way at the joints, which is experienced in the use of other patterns of rail. The Utica and Schenectady railroad company, in New York, after thoroughly testing the rail by twelve months' trial, have contracted for the supply of 1,000 tons of it, the larger portion of which has already been sent forward. With this rail a greater speed may be obtained over the road, with equal safety and less wear and tear to the road and cars, and it will no doubt soon recommend itself to general use.

A SILVER MINE IN VERMONT.

The Chronotype says, that a bed of silver and copper ore has been discovered about three miles southeast of the village of Brandon, Vt. The ore is incorporated with milk quartz and argillaceous slate. An average specimen analyzed by W. H. Sheppard, minerologist, gave 31.13 per centum pure silver, and 17.09 of copper. Messrs. Chapin, Mandslay & Stewart, have undartaken to work the mine.

RAILROAD, CANAL, AND STEAMBOAT STATISTICS.

MIAMI AND ERIE CANAL, AT TOLEDO, 1849 AND 1850.

Like most of the large channels of internal commerce, this canal exhibits a handsome increase of business during the season of 1850 over that of 1849.

We have before us a table made up by the canal collector at Toledo, showing the receipts and shipments by canal up to November 15th, 1849 and 1850.

The increase of tolls at that point, (being the lake terminus of the canal,) over 1849 is near $12,000, or 17 per cent. This indicates an increase of business equal at least to 20 per cent, the tolls having been reduced on several articles of transport. The following table will show the receipts and shipments by canal of the leading articles for the years 1849 and 1850, to 15th November.

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Tolls received in 1849, $69,723 33; in 1850, $81,465 06.

It will be seen from the foregoing table, that in a few articles there has been a falling off, while in others there has been a considerable increase.

Flour, since 1848, has decreased, owing mainly to the increased demand at Cincinnati for city use and down river consumption. The wheat crop of 1849 being short, accounts, in part, for this decrease.

The diminished receipt of corn was owing to winter and spring shipments down the Wabash, which was then in an uncommonly fine condition for steam navigation.

A large increase took place in salt, fish, barley, wheat, coffee, copper, cordage, crockery, grease, gypsum, hides and skins, ice, iron, leather, powder, pot and pearl ashes, shorts, saleratus, sugar, stearine, tin, soap, wool, and a few other articles.

Specfic tables like the above, are chiefly valuable to the general commercial reader, by making him acquainted with the course of trade, and the condition of the country furnishing marketable products.

BRITISH STEAM NAVIGATION IN THE PACIFIC.

It has been for some time understood, says the Liverpool Times, that arrangements had been concluded between the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and the United States Mail Steam Company, for the conveyance of passengers and treasure between England and the ports northward of Panama. We have since been placed in posession of the precise terms of these arrangements, which are of considerable interest to all persons engaged in the Pacific and California trade.

On and after the 1st of January, 1851, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company will book passengers from Southampton throughout to California, and the ports on the west coast of Mexico, by their steamers, departing on the 2d and 17th of every month for Chagres, and connecting with the semi-monthly mail steamers plying between Panama and San Francisco. The rates of fare vary, according to the description of accommodation engaged, whether single or double cabins, either aft or forward. The passage money from Southampton to San Francisco is fixed at £97, £102, £112, and £122, respectively; to San Blas, £81, £86, £96, and £106; to Mazatlan, £82, £87, £97, and £107; to San Diego, £87, £92, £102, and £112. Besides these rates, it is announced that a limited number of artizans, emigrants, &c., to be victualled on the same footing as the ship's crew, and finding their own bedding, will be conveyed, when there is room for them, from Southampton to Chagres, for £20 each; and by arrangements made with

the Pacific (American) Company, the total charge from England to San Francisco will be £51; to San Diego £46; Mazatlan £41; and San Blas £40. In all cases the passage money does not include the expenses of transport across the Isthmus of Panama. The Royal Mail Company have concluded immediate arrangements for conveying passengers and treasure, in like manner, to the above from England, to the ports southward, and Panama. The ports included in this scheme, touched at by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's (British) steamers, are as follows:-Buena Ventura, Guayaquil, Payta, Lambageque, Huanchaco, Casma, Huacho, Callao, Pisco, Islay, Arica, Iquique, Čobija, Copiapo, Huasco, Coquimbo, and Valparaiso. The rates of passage money from Southampton to Valparaiso are fixed by the joint companies at £82 158., £87 158., £97 158., and £107 15s., respectively; to Callao at £62 10s., £67 10s., £77 10s., and £87 10s.; and to intermediate ports in proportion to their greater or less proximity to England; the expenses of crossing the Isthmus in all cases being defrayed by the passengers.

The American mail steamers leave San Francisco on the 1st and 15th of each month, and the British mail steamers leave Valparaiso on the 26th of every month. To ports south of Panama, there is, therefore, at present only a monthly communication; but, by arrangements with the Admiralty, the Pacific Steam Company will, towards the close of 1851, commence a bi-monthly mail, so that passengers will then be enabled to proceed to any of the Chilian, Bolivian, Peruvian, and New Granadian ports, by the West India mail steamers, leaving Southampton on the 2d and 17th of every month.

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RAILROAD ENTERPRISE OF INDIANA.

It is a subject of general remark, says the Indiana State Sentinel, that there is no State in the Union where railroad enterprise is more widely spread than in Indiana. Whether we look East, West, North or South, we see our enterprising citizens engaged in constructing railroads; while at the capital of the State all the roads seem to center in noisy uproar upon our Union track, by which they are connected together as extensions of each other. We give for future reference, as well as to show how true the above remark is, a brief statement of the railroads, completed and in process of construction in Indiana from the best sources we have at command, and which we presume is nearly correct:

Madison and Indianapolis....
Shelbyville and Edinburg..
Shelbyville and Knightstown.
Rushville and Shelbyville..
Indianapolis and Belfontaine...
New Albany and Salem....
Jeffersonville

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Lafayette and Indianapolis.

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Crawfordsville and Lafayette.

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Evansville and Illinois..

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TRAVEL ON THE HUDSON RIVER RAILROAD.

Some idea of the travel between New York and Albany, may be formed from the fact that over six hundred thousand passengers passed over the Hudson River Railroad during the first nine months it was in operation. When the road is completed to Albany, the travel will be still further and largely augmented.

FREIGHT ON THE COLUMBIA RAILROAD.

This road is owned by the State of Pennsylvania, and run by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. It extends from Philadelphia to Columbia, a distance of 82 miles. The following table exhibits the number of cars and amount of freight weighed at Columbia for the fiscal year ending the 30th November, 1849, and 30th November, 1850:

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The amount of tolls collected at all the offices of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, monthly, from its opening in May, 1848, to November 1st, 1850, was as annexed:

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The canal has suffered considerably this year from freshets; but the aggregate of 1850 will, without doubt, exceed that of 1849 several thousand dollars. This work has not been as productive as anticipated, thus far, and the probability is that it never will be.

COLLINS'S STEAMSHIP ARCTIC.

The Arctic is the third of Collins's line of American steamships, and was built by Wm. H. Brown, of New York. She is of three thousand tons measurement; length of keel two hundred and seventy-seven feet three inches; of main deck, two hundred and eighty-four feet; draught on her trial trip, eighteen feet; when fully loaded, nineteen: height, from bottom of keel to officers' promenade deck, fourty-four feet: breadth of beam, forty-six feet; greatest sectional area of displacement, seven hundred and eighty feet. Her engines are made by Messrs. Stillman and Allen of the Novelty Works. They are two in number, have each a cylinder of ninety-five inches in diameter, with ten feet stroke, working expansively for half its length; the diameter of the wheels is thir

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