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…We believe but few sail crafts are being built upon the Lakes this season, since the larger and better class of passenger and freight steamboats have come into vogue. The carrying trade in brigs and schooners is fast falling off, and were it not for the produce business of this port, much of the Lake shipping would have remained dismantled at the wharves this season. Steamboats take all the passengers, and a very large share of the freight, particularly merchandise, furniture, and emigrant's "plunder." The lumber trade from Canada - the produce trade with Buffalo and Oswego, with return freights of salt - cargoes of staves east from the several Lake ports - with an occasional freight to the Upper Lakes fisheries, and a return load of fish - constitute the principal items of schooner business. Before the introduction of steam freight and passenger boats, the schooners made profitable returns to their owners, and were rapidly increasing in numbers. Now, a metamorphose of some of the larger class into steamboats is talked of. This change of business is one of the triumphs of steam, so characteristic of this go-ahead age.80 The sailing vessels built by the Joneses were the Algonquin, Tom Corwin, Rosa, George Watson, President (2nd), Alert, Equator, Andover, Freeman, and Hoosier. The brig Hoosier is interesting in that she was launched at Black River, then towed by the steamer Lexington to Cleveland to be fitted out. By this time (1842), George had his yard in operation in Cleveland. In 1846 William Jones built the large sidewheeler Hendrick Hudson. She went into service in October of that year after being towed to Cleveland to receive her engines. The following winter, the finishing touches were added. When finished, she aptly fitted the term "floating palace." Her cabins were painted white, trimmed in gold, and the finish and style of her interior was Gothic. The cabins were furnished with rosewood sofas, cushioned with crimson velvet. Rosewood was used also throughout in the carved woodwork interior. The interior walls were covered with red damask. The side tables and sideboards were covered with white marble, and the center table with black, veined marble. The main cabin was lighted from above through quatrefoils of stained glass, and the ladies' cabin was lighted by six end windows resplendent in stained glass. Nine large and ornate chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling. A floating palace indeed! As soon as the boys were old enough and skilled enough, Augustus sent them to such distant points as Conneaut, Fairport, Sandusky, and Perrysburgh to supervise the construction of vessels. It would appear that Francis had a particular talent for designing vessels, and the other boys were excellent master carpenters. The practice of sending the boys to 48