, 1861-03-16
THE CITY,
MATTERS ALONG THE RIVER,
WHAT THE SHIP CARPENTERS
ARE DOING.

There are no more encouraging symptoms
Of season-awakening in our city, than those
furnished by the now daily increasing stir
along the river. The lake craft, for weeks de-
serted, show signs Of life, the sound Of calkers
irons, and ship carpenters AIDES, Is heard once
more. Hul1a are being examined, upper works
redtted, standing rigging made taut and ship
shape, sails and 5pars are being overhau1ed.
and the first pre]imlnaries Of the outfit Of the !
lake deet has fairly commenced. From this
time until the season closes next fall, the late
quiet Of our river and its branches will not be
resumed.
The Warehoelsemen with their bursting bins,
the grain men with quantities to arrive, and |
storage growing scarce every day, watch eag
erly these indications, and will be the happi- |
est Of morta1s when the vessels commence |
loading, to the relief OF th3 present pressure. !
The prospects of the vessel owners are at pre-
sent most encouraging, and they are entering |
into the work of retittiDg with will, and 10
an extent and thoroughness that will put the /
fleet in even better trim than usual With
this general remark, applicable to the larger
share Of the lake craft that hare wintered |
here, it is timely to notice more in detail, mat
tiers in progress at the dry docks and yards, in
the way Of building and repairing.
The most extensive Of these is the ward Of
Messre. Miller & Hood on the North Branch
above Chicago Avenue bridge, where the scene
at present is q very busy one. The firm hare
IN employ two huadred:and eight men, ane
have in hand very large amount of work Of
the classes to be enumerated
The well known lumber firm of Eldred d
Balcom lave four vessels undergoing extensive
repairs at this yard. The Brig Pilgrim has
been rebuilt, and every particle of rotten
wood taken out. She is now as sound us nut,
and better than when she first came ont. She
hes new deck frame, and upper works, las
been new ceiled with inch stuff, and viii
come out neat as a new pin to rank a l as
grain vessel for five years to come The Brig
Montezuma has been similarly repaired. The
Brig Robert Burns has been On the dry dock
and thoroughly attended to. The Brig 8. F.
Gale came out Of dry dock on Thursday
S1essrs. E. d B. are at large outlay thus get
ting their fleet in TRIM
The Schooners VIM. Jones, Wyoming,
Maine, Meridian, and Minnesota, have also
been in the dry-dock and are being repaired
throughout, newly strengthened and reftted,
The tug boat Dime and the schooner Mary
were in dzy-doek yesterday. The entire river
front Of 3lessrs Miller g. Hoods yards Is lined
with these vessels and all alive with activity
and bnstle Of ship carpenters and caulkers.
This firm have on the stocks two new YES
EnIE hnth we'll n6vnnnad T.. IL.
4. G. Norey'5 fore-and-aft schooner is to be a
very fine vessel. She is Of the following d.
mcnslons: lao feet over I'll, rs #. 5 in. beam,
II It. hold, with capacity to carry 180oO
bushels through the Welland Canal, or 10000
to Buffalo. She will cost S18 600, and will be
out by the middle Of April
The other vessel is handsome and stauuch
tug for Redmond Prendisile, rs feet over ALL
II feet beam, 8 feet hold, aud now ready for
launching. Her engines are being built at the
Vulcan Foundry Of Henry Warrington, in the
West Division, SO that she is to be Of Chicago
Workmanship throughout, and most cretlita-
bic at that
We have before referred to the admirable
facilities Of Messrs. Miller d Hood for this
branch Of business. Their dry dock is Of sui.
tlcient capacity to receive the largest Of our
] lake steamers, and it will be remembered that
| mere was docked last season, the AilWnu-
kec and Grand Haven steamer Mi1wau-
| kee. We learn from the firm that
they are receiving by railroad from Ply
| mouth, Indiana, 81 miles distant from this
city on the ?. F. W 4 c. Railroad, d supply Of
the finest ship timber. This advantage Chi
| cago enjoys in addition to lake connection
with the timber regions. The large force OF
| 20s men now in employ at this yard, are paid
as carpenters and canlkers at 50 per day, pre-
vious to the 10th Of February they were paid
$l.75. Most Of these workmen reside in the
vicinity Of the shipyard, OR within a few
squares distant on either side Of the river.
/ On the South Branch the South Branch D,v
| Dry Dosk Company have on the stocks tie
new propeller Lady Franklin for the Messrs.
Edwards which we described in detail few
days since. She ia for the Chicago and Saint
Joseph route, and is to receive the engines Of
the old propeller Montezuma, while the latter
is to be cut down into freight barge for the
same route, where she will render herself
| very useful in the fruit season, and prove
valuable connecting link between our market
and the luscious orchards across the lake.
At this same yard the propeller Allegheny
| is having new deck put in, The propeller
| kenosha was in dry dock yesterday for thor
ouyh repairs. The barque Morgan is also in
hand for redtting, and the schooner Harvey
il having new arches put in. Capt. Banta, WHO
Is in charge Of this yard, is among the fore
most in his line in the lake region.
At several other points on the river, the
ship-cnrpenters are busy. In the West Diyi-
sion just above the Milwaukee Railroad yards,
Capt. Ozier has his new tug on the stocks. A
little higher up the North Branch, just above
the Chicago avenue bridge, in the West Diri-
sion, two subtantial and shapcly canal boats
have just been finished By two brothers,
Frenchmea, whose names we could not learn.
These are as taken altogether, most favora-
Bile indications Of recovering prosperity III
our river interest The past two or three
seasons have been most disastrous, and large
ly lessened the number Of our best craft, sail
and steam. The commercial depression also
told heavily upon the appearance aud trim Of
the entire lake fleet. Owners were constrained
luckicst who owned the most vessels. Things
hare better look now, and matters along our
river amply attest it.
NorlcE--The tax books Of North, South
mud West Chicago, tor State and County taxes,
are now in the Treasurer's Office, and persons
wishing to save costs must pay Immediately.
The impression which many got from the
bills before the Legislature, that the taxes are
postponed, is erroneous, as the sale under the
law as passed must be made earlier than for
the past two years.
A PAINFUL CAsE:-A wretch named Edgar
Smith WAS fined SO in yesterdays Police Court
for yagrancy. It was shown that he had at
tempted to debauch q young girl pamea
Forbes, whose parents reside In Rockford She
has been returned to her parents.
.ABELL1s CoScERE.-It is with the greatest