Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-12-27
THE GRAND RIVER TIMES.
GRAND HAVEN, mICHIGANs
WEDNESDAY, EVENING. DEC. 27. 1854.

HARD TIMEs.-We learn from the New York
Tribune, of the 18th inst, that the cry of" Hard
Times" is echoed and reechoed far and near, par
ticularly as it respects our Eastern Cities
Thousands and thousands of mechanics and OPP
orators in the different manufacturing establish
ments are out of employment, in consequence
of the stringency of the money market. All
branches of trade are suffering materially. 1t
is stated that in New York the printing estab-
lishments have discharged two.thirds of their
employees and have reduced the remainder to
two-thirds Of days work, and that the book
binding business was never worse The Tract
Society," Bible Society, Methodist Book Con-
Germ, Harpers' and other establishments, have
been obliged to discharge a large number of
their hands, and reduce the hours of labors.-
The builders have scarcely anything under way.
Many masons, bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters
and others have left the city to seek employ.
ment elsewhere. Workmen who commanded
So day last year, can now be readily employed
at from 81 to $3.50 per day. Most of the ship
carpenters are out of employment Out of
1000 persons usually employed in the ship yards
at New York, only 237 are now at work. The
Tribune further states there has been great
falling off in the wholesale prices of dry goods,
estimated at 60 per cent. The retail trade has
seemed to revive little for few days, on ac-
count of the near approach of the holidays; but
great dullness in business generally is anticipa-
ted after New Years. Stewart, however, has
enjoyed his usual amount of trade. They say
they have sold as many costly dresses this sea-
son as usual. Stewart says women are even
more extravagant than in former years-an ON
inous sign of approaching ruin These state
ments in respect to I" Hard Tines" in New
York, are equally applicable to Eastern cities in
general. Economy and prudence are the only
safeguards against extreme want in the family
of the laborer and arizan.
New MAIL ROUTE TO MANIsTEE-We are
informed that Messrs. II. PENNoYER and II.
FLETCHER have entered into a contract with the
Z. q. Department to convey the mails weekly
from this place to Manistee. Settlers living
along this route have suffered much inconveni-
ence, hitherto, having enjoyed no facilities for
communicating by post, with the world around
them, and have thus been deprived of many
sources of enjoyment and profit, accruing to
those communities who are favored with fire.
quent arrivals and departures of the mails from
different parts Of the country. We congratulate
our northern neighbors upon this new arrange.
ment, for their convenience and benefit, and can
fbap hat ~ Ia
markable SHOWS, tired out horses, or frozen car
rers, will prevent their receiving the mails week
ly, and in due season.
sS' We have no late intelligence from the
Crimea of peculiar interest. The allies are
sending in reinforcements with all possible dis
patch We learn from an exchange that thir-
teen of the fourteen iron cylinders, ordered at
Woolwich, for conveyance to Sevastopol, have
been shipped. Each will contain one thousand
barrels of gunpowder, and all are to be sunk
upon the Russian ships lying across the mouth
of the harbor of Sevastopol, and the charges
being ignited by Voltaic battery, will soon
blow away those distractions. One hundred
and twenty gun boats, each to carry two guns,
have been ordered by the War Office to be 90!
ready and sent there. The expense of the war
is being felt seriously, in Englad, as it respects
commercial affairs.
On THOSE RAGS We are told that Just at
this time paper makers, newspaper and book
men, have great affection for rags. We are
living in an age when the cry is rags. rags I!
give us more rags! If mine of rags should
be discovered it would be of more real value to
the world than the golden hills of California.
What happy time it would produce if all the
prodigal sons should happen to arrive about this
time, clothed in rags! The house would be
made merry and the fatted calf killed for the
sake of the rags to be obtained in exchange for
clean, wholesome suit
OUR CoMMERcE.-We learn from an official
report that the imports of foreign merchandise
into the United States, during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1854, were fraction over $780,
100000. The exports of domestic produce
were between $25O,OOO0O0 and $780, 900.
The exports of breadstuffs and provisions tri.
file over $5OOO0,OOO. The trifing difference
between the exports and imports was made up
in California gold, stocks and mercantile obliga-
tons. The revenue from customs was about