The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-03
roR THE yIn6ISiAE
To The Merchants Of LJmchburg.

ron THE vIn6IsiAE
To The Merchants Of Lynchburg.
II is a subject which presents an unaccount-
ability TO the mind, why it i, that the nayiga-
tors OF james River, from the Fuls upwards,
nre allowed to practice 80 many impositions
with impunity. Goods, particularly OF the
grocery kind, cannot be sent up ourriver with
ont (some exceptions TO the contrary being
pillnged Now the law upon the subject of
such deprfdations is OF rigid character hut IL
is rarely, ii ever, enforced. The merchants
and others interested in getting good from
below, ought 10 come to an understanding tn
see that the law has its operation whenever il
is siolaicd--that redress he taken--that exam
pies be made in cases OF roguery aud default
en- the river | presume that the law il very
generally known, or I would here insert il =
A writer in "Thc Press" more than year
ago, made extracts from it, apparently for the
information Of The hoaimen, as well rs for the
cdilGation OF the merchants and factors. II
an observance of the law were TO be cxacted,
we should not see SO many cases OF bareipced
robbery on the river by the boamen, and eff
hontcry in demanding pay for depreciation,
rogurry and destruction. boatmnn will now
bring mp articles, which, when received, are
very deficient IN " eight aud measure, and CON
tend impudently for freight, rs If the articles
were delivered by him in good order. To
correct this abuse, in such cases, the owner or
Consignce should have the boatman taken up
according 10 the law on the subject and striped
or sent to the ponltentiary, rs the case might
be--and we should then see and hear less of
depreciation, pillaging and stealing of goods
by the boatr1en, and their claiming, with
threats end defiance, frcights upon loads when
the stenline is much greater than ihe carriage
amounts to | must again remark that these
observations are not made against all the boat
men on our river Some few of these men
are as honest rs any other men, and deserve
we'll OF the merchants but the generality of
them come within the scope of these charges.
There is another abuse in relation to the
boatmen on James River, which, although of
minor importance, yet deserves TO be noticed,
as An evil requiring correction The custom
is at present to give TO the hands OF each boat
with a load from LynchburG TO Richmond, 70
lbs. of bacon and bushels of corn or meal.
A boat requires three hands TO navigate it in
this passage. II is known that during the war
a half pound Of bacon constituted the meat
part # Il soldiers ration, and TINT this allow
nncc was sufficient is evidenced by the fact
that no complaint vas mace on the score of lis
seuntlnrss. BY this rule, let MS see what would
be necessary provisions TO n boats crew from
Lynchburg 10 Ricfmond There are, a. alren-
dy observed, three hands to n hoet--7 dnys
passage from thisto Richmond. isa longer time
than the proper nverage--now, according 10
this rule, the finding of the three hands OF The
boat, Ut n half pound each of bacon per day,
would be 10 IL lbs The finding OF the hands
from Lynchburg to Richmond, is NIL that the
shippers from the former TO The latter place
ought TO furnish--beeause it is not just thatthe
shipper of produce down the river should lind
provisions for the bouts crew, with difc-
rrirt persons load, mp the river But let us,
by way of showing the monstrous character of
the abuse, suppose that the shipper of load
down the river should find provision. for the
hands in their return and what quantity OF
bacon then should be given to each boat p
To come up the river from Richmond TO
Lvnchhurg, will require 10 TO II days on an
average--thcn, days down, with II mp, al
lowing days detention in Richmond, would
make the entire trip 30 days, which, by the ar
my RUE of provisions, would make the guam
tity Of bacon TO be furnished to each boat's
crew, 80 lbs.
This custom, and those abuses not only
throw n loss upon the shippers of produce and
owners OF goods of the cost of the Surplus
provisions, and the amount of injury sustained
upon goods, but the passage both up aud down
the river are rendered more tardy by them
"hu 'h' bHH'htss VI tue tHlIioNtlS VI iHC pcaNS
become thereby less active-for r kind of trat-
hc flows out OF this state of things which takes
much of the time of the boatmCu TO carry en-,
and hence il is that 50 many grog shops are on
the river between i.ynchburg and Richmond
Although this address is made TO the mer-
chants of Lynchburg, nevertheless the citizens
OF Lynchburg generally, and all the country
connected with the town, are in;ere sted IN the
change of this CUSTOM and the correction OF
those abuses, II there was not much risk
arising from the dishonesty of boatmen, in
sending up goods from Richmond, we should
have, probably, not less than tea times the a
mount of goods sent 10 Lynchburg as is now
received and the trade and prosperity OF the
town is just as n,nch concerned in the amount
of goods received as in the quantity OF tobacco.
The adventure of goods to our market should
he as much encouraged as the sending OF to-
hacco va il. Again, ii there was not such ha-
card in conveying goods from Richmond to
Lynchburg, there can he no doubt but Ken
lucky and many other parts of the west would
choose this conveyance for the transportation
OF their goods, which would have tendency
! to throw much additional trade into our town.
Should these few hasty remarks have the eff
feet No interest those in the subject of them,
whose duty--whose welfare-are concerned,
the writer will consider himself amply COM
pensated. A CITIZEN.
CoNSUMPTION"
1 Under the above title, viii be found, on our