Washington telegraph., 1856-07-02
NO. 27:
Boat Building.
The Clarksville (Texas) Standard

The Clarksville (Texas) Standard says:
From the Shreveport South Western We
copy the following remarks, which are
worthy of consideration.
We nderstand that shipbuilde RS here
and elsewhere have increased the price of
building boats from $40 to S25 per ton.
owing to the advance in wages aud scarcity
of timber. Machinery has advanced cor.
respondingy. This may retard boat build.
ing this year but will doubtless make it
better next season for those interested 10
steamboat stock. From present appear-
ances our large southern steamers will be
compelled to lay up after making another
trip or two, owing to the superab bundant tom
mage and consequent scarcity and low rates
OF up river freight. ."-Cincinnati Com.
We learn from Capt Applegate that this
determination of the hoatwrights to advance
their prices. is mainly based upon the scar
city OF suitable timber on the Ohio river
and its tributaries. This but affords an
argument for the establishment of ship-yards
at the south. more especially in Louisiana,
where We Lave almost at our doors mex.
haustible quantities of the very best shin
timber. Iron and coal are easily obtained
and with the aid of skillful mechanics, we
could turn out as good machinery at as low
prices as are now demanded at Cincinnati
aud Louisville. No place in the southwest
offers SO great inducements to enterprising
aud energetic men for the esta Adjustment of
ship-yard, iron foundry and machine shop.
as Shreveport. The number of new beats
NAL! hr.rt f,r h.
mense and rapidly increasing business done
ON Red River demonstrate the fact. There
are from 70 to 80 steamers employed on the
river, all of which em:-annually require
more or less repairing, and are forced to
proceed either to New Orleans or the west
for that purpose while if we had shin
yard and boat builders here, most of the
work would be done in our midst, and
thousands of dollars, which are now taken
from this region and 60 to enrich distant
mechanics, would be spent with our citizens.
Besides well conducted foundry would
command large business from the sur
rounding country for some hundreds of
miles, as New Orleans is now the nearest
place at which the people of north Louisiana.
Arkansas and eastern Texas can procure
machinery, or have any heavy work exc
cuted
As to the difference of prices for similar
work done at the South and West, but little
1t any now exists. Money might be made
fast In Shreveport, if our mechanics could
obtain twenty five dollars per ton for build
ing steamboat huls. Six years ago thirteen
dollars per ton was the current rate at
Cincinnati. While in New Orleans, we
were informed by Capt Miller, of the Uncle
Sam. one of the largest steamers in the ST.
Louis trade, that he had put over $4,000 of
repairs on his boat, at Algiers, Opposite the
city,) and that the work had been executed
at lower prices. and far better. than was
demanded of him by the ship yards at st.
Louis and Louisville. Work of the kind
could be done as cheap at Shreveport as in
New Orleans. Cannot some enterprising
be induced to establish yard.
marine-ways. ETC., at this port He would
be amply renumerated.