A RAILWAY SMOKING SALOON. We cannot recommend smoking, although we are sometimes guilty of the practice. But the moral editor of the "American Railroad Journal" assures us that the smoking portion of the community is certainly not the least respectable portion--that it is quite too large to be neglected in providing for the comfort and convenience of the public. Notwithstanding all the "counterblasts" from King James down to Mr. Lane, the practice holds its sway over men, and the Journal thinks it ever will as long as tobacco grows. "There is no use then in denying accommodations to smokers, on the ground of objection to the habit by many; and too many great and good men have smoked and do smoke, to allow of any one stigmatising the practice as vulgar or indecent." In the United States we believe there is no regular arrangement for this purpose; but it will be seen from the following paragraph from an English paper, that it has been introduced into that country, and ample arrangements made to accommodate the " smoking public" who travel :— "A novelty has recently been introduced on the Eastern Counties Railway in the running of a handsome carriage termed a smoking or excursion saloon. In size and form of build it much resembles the royal carriages on the Great Western, South Western, and other railways. Its extreme length is 40 feet, the body about 30 feet, the ends being converted into a kind of open lounge. It runs on six wheels, which are fitted with Adams' patent bow springs. The internal decorations are of the most recherche description. The seats extend the full length of the sides, and are handsomely covered with morocco leather. A highly polished mahogany table occupies the centre, the entire fitted with selfbalancing lamps. The sides are lighted by eight plate-glass windows of unusual size, while the ends are fitted up with four plates of looking-glass. Its drapery is composed of bright crimson silk formed in very graceful design. The roof presents an exceedingly chaste appearance. The groundwork is painted white, the mouldings being gilt. The general furniture is of richly carved polished mahogany. The exterior is painted a deep marone color, ornamented with gold etchings and emblazoned with the company's ciphers. Passengers using this smoking saloon are to pay first-class fare." GEORGIA RAILROAD AND BANKING COMPANY. We compile from the annual report of this corporation, the following tabular statement of its affairs, for the year commencing April 1st, 1845, and ending April 1st, 1846. It will be seen that the statements embrace the expenses incurred for making the railroad, distance between Augusta and Atlanta, from station to station, the business of each station, and of the entire road. The expenses for conducting transportation amounted to....... "motive power,............................... "maintenance of cars,.. Total expenses,............. $31,353 53 36,406 46 53,592 56 14,851 19 $136,203 74 DISTANCES ON THE GEORGIA RAILROAD, BETWEEN AUGUSTA AND ATLANTA, FROM STATION TO STATION, IN MILES AND THE NEAREST DECIMAL. The following table exhibits:-1. The numbers and names of engines; 2. Weight of each engine, in tons and decimals; 3. Commencement of service; 4. Number of miles run by each engine from April 1, 1845, to April 1, 1846; 5. Total number of miles run by each engine from beginning of service to April 1, 1846; 6. Cost of repairs to each engine, from April 1, 1845, to April 1, 1846; 7. Total cost of repairs and improvements to each engine from beginning of service to April 1, 1846. STATEMENT OF THE BUSINESS OF EACH STATION ON THE GEORGIA RAILROAD, FOR THE YEAR STATEMENT OF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS DONE ON THE GEORGIA RAILROAD, FROM APRIL 1, 1845, TO APRIL 1, 1846. Totals. 23,986 $91,459 15 $114,938 09 $190,240 22 $37,671 87 $319,371 24 HARTFORD AND NEW HAVEN RAILROAD. The railroad between Hartford and New Haven is thirty-six miles in length, and forms a link in one of the many railroad and steamboat routes between New York and Boston, which, however, is not very generally adopted by travellers, as the other routes are more direct and rapid. By this route passengers leave New York every morning, by steamboat for New Haven, a distance of 78 miles; at New Haven they take the New Haven and Hartford Railroad, 36 miles, for the latter place, which connects with the Hartford and Springfield road to the latter place, 26 miles further. From Springfield, the Western Railroad conveys them to Boston, a distance of 96 miles. Total by this route between New York and Boston, 238 miles. The report of the directors of the Hartford and New Haven Railroad Company, recently made to stockholders, at their annual meeting, exhibits the affairs of that company in a highly favorable light. It appears that the receipts of the road from Sept. 1, 1845, to Sept. 1, 1846, have been as follows: Expenses of operating and maintaining the road, and interests on bonds and loans,......... Nett income for the year,.. Equal to 7 per cent on the amount of stock issued. $228,611 74 123,483 24 $105,128 50 The receipts the previous year, from Sept. 1, 1844, to Sept. 1, 1845, were $176,984 40. The extension road was opened for business on the 9th of December, 1844, and the directors made the income of the last nine months of the year the basis for an estimate of the income of the current year, and the amount was fixed at $210,000. The receipts, as will be seen above, have exceeded the estimate, $18,611 74. The number of passengers transported between Hartford and Springfield, exclusive of way and through travel, has been, during the past year, 45,945. Between Springfield and New Haven, exclusive of way and through travel, 16,084. Whole number of passengers transported between all the stations, 196,278; of this large number, not one received the slightest injury while on the road. STEAMBOATS BUILT IN THE WEST, IN 1846. We find the following statistics in the Cincinnati Advertiser, giving the number of Steamboats built at the places named: The Advertiser says, there are at this time no less than 750 steamboats on these rivers, whose tonnage will not fall short of 160,000 tons, and which have cost, in their construction and equipment, $12,000,000. What a magnificent picture of Western progress is presented in these facts. Our steamboat commerce is only thirty years old, and a single large boat out of these 750 vessels, could take the whole annual produce to New Orleans, which, forty years ago, floated from the West to that port. BROOKLYN STEAMBOAT FERRIES. The distance from the city of New York to the city of Brooklyn, from the different ferries, is as follows:-South Ferry, 1,300 yards, or 20 yards less than three-quarters of a mile; Fulton Ferry, 731 yards; Catharine-street Ferry, 736 yards, and Jackson-street Ferry, 707 yards. In 1654, the charge for ferringe of a foot passenger was three stuyvers; in 1693, eight stuyvers in wampum, or two pence in silver; in 1752, ten grains of Sevil silver or Mexican plate, or two pence in bills of credit. During the revolutionary war, it was raised to six pence, but it was afterward reduced to two pence. It remained at this rate till the introduction of steamboats, when, by an act of the Legislature, the company was authorized to charge four cents on those boats, while it remained as before on other craft. This law remains unaltered, though the present company, some years ago, voluntarily reduced it to three cents, and since February, 1844, they have charged only two cents. The first steamboat-the "Nassau"-was placed on the Fulton ferry in 1814. There are now nine or ten steamboats that are kept in constant use on these ferries during the day, and the Fulton company keep one running the whole night. EXTENSION OF THE MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH. Miles. From New York to New Haven, Hartford, Springfield, and Boston,......... 265 507 From New York to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington,. 240 From Philadelphia to Harrisburg, 105 From Boston to Lowell,.... From Boston to Portland, (110 miles-half finished,)............................. From Ithaca to Auburn........... From Troy to Saratoga,..... VOL. XV.-NO. V. 333 JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES. NINETEENTH EXHIBITION OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, HELD AT CASTLE GARDEN, IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. THE Nineteenth Exhibition of the American Institute, which occurred in the city of New York, was attended with all those circumstances that were calculated to make such an event interesting and important. The Fair, which constituted a prominent part of this exhibition, was held in Castle Garden, at the foot of the Battery; a structure which, from its magnitude-furnishing, as it does, an ample theatre, that is believed to be the largest upon the continent-was peculiarly adapted to the display of the various articles that were collected for the occasion. This fortress was appropriately decorated for the purpose, and the accumulation within its walls of the innumerable products of agriculture, manufactures, and the useful arts, together with the interest excited by the vast concourse of spectators who daily thronged its area, gave to the occasion a more than ordinary interest. The articles of the fair consisted of all kinds of fabrics of art, machines, models, and inventions connected with the several branches of domestic industry, and, as belonging to the general design, there was also an exhibition of the most approved specimens of stock that are employed in husbandry, and a display of horticultural and floral products. During the same time, there was held in the same city, a national convention of farmers, gardeners, and silk culturists. An address by the Honorable Mahlon Dickerson, the president of the Institute, was also delivered as introductory to the occasion, and the whole exhibition received that public interest which is due to the importance of the subject. It can hardly be doubted that the objects of the American Institute are of great public utility. They tend to array in one grand display, the various products and inventions of the useful arts; to assemble in the principal commercial city of the Union those individuals who are interested in the same general cause, for mutual consultation; to exhibit the actual progress of the nation in the useful arts; to show what inventions have been made, as well as what improvements have been perfected in former inventions; to grant to the deserving and ingenious, the testimonials of merit which their industry would seem to evoke; and, finally, to collect upon one broad platform, that particular portion of the community who are interested in the progress of the country in those respects, for common counsel and deliberation. The society has been in existence for the last nineteen years, and it has been, thus far, successful in the objects for which it was originally founded. Rewards of merit have been granted to the originators of the most approved inventions, consisting of gold and silver medals, silver cups, diplomas, money and books; and those testimonials have, doubtless, tended to encourage a salutary spirit of emulous industry. If we were to specify any articles which were conspicuous in the exhibition, we might allude to the elegant specimens of cabinet furniture, embroidery with the needle, of great beauty, various pieces of carpeting, of bright color and fine texture, woollen and cotton cloths, hardware, fire-engines, iron and brass work, and various other products connected with the arts and trades. The whole scene was enlivened by a fountain which played in the midst, and by the tone of the piano, and the music of the band, that were heard above the whispers of the crowd. The Gothic arches of a portion of the hall were entwined with evergreens, and machinery of various sorts was made to run by the agency of water that was ingeniously conducted into the place of exhibition. Amid so large a mass of products here collected, it would be difficult, of course, on a casual inspection, to deter mine the actual excellence of their various kinds, or the value of the several subjects of invention here arrayed; but the whole display was calculated to impress the spectator |