Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-05-18
FW M ENqHUF.
THE NAVIGATION OF PAMUNKEY RIVER.

Time once was when Hanover Town, on Pa
munkey river, was place Of considerable trade;
and when choice was 10 he made of site i,r
the Capital OF Virginia, there were serious ideas
entertained that Hanover Town was The most suit.
able location. Then vessels came up The river
10 this place and the navigation was pretty good
To Ha2oyer Town all The produce on Pa
munkey river, as lar up as Litllepage's bridge,
was carried down the river in boats suited Tor The
purpose, and all The tobacco made on the forest
in any convenien, distance was also hauled 10
the same place. For many years, however, since
the Capitol was placed at Richmond, and Han
over Town has gone down, the river has been
but little used for carrying grain and other pro.
duce The river has about as much water now
as when il was navigated; and why il ever ceased
to become the main channel for conveying the
produce made on The river and lis vicinity,
can only be ascribed TO the want Of enter
prise, SO shamefnly manifest among Virginians.
One important consideration in the continuing
prosperity of Hanover Town was, that the pro
duce was carried there; but, when Richmond was
established this produce ceased 10 be carried, and
Hanover Town declined Immediately. But, be
cause Richmond became a place OF trade, was
that a reason why people living on the liver
should cease TO avail themselves Of the use AMI
convenience Of canal prepared by nature? BY
no means The rapid rise Of Richmond had lhe
effect otdvening trade from other places TO Rich
mond, and custom, once established, has been
kept up. Oilentimes, in observing the great ten
dency OF the people TO go into old beaten tracks
and 10 pursue The course their fathers pursued
without the slightes, deviation or alteration,
have been reminded Of the story OF The boy and
the pumpkins A boy removing pumpkins from
The field 10 The house, was observed, by one pass.
ing by, TO put pumpkin in one end OF The bag
and brickbacts enough in the other end 10 balance
Inc pumpkin. "Why my boy" said he. ri
were in your place, would carry Two PUMPKINS,
instead OF one pumpkin and so many bIickbats.
You would remove double as many pumpkins
and have no more weight 10 carry" "Bui ,"re-
piled the boy, daddy toaled pumpkins in This
way"
II many on Pamunkey river were asked,
"why do you haul your corn 10 Richmond al
cos, of sirty cents per barrel, instead OF sending
itdown The river al little more than hal of this
eXpensep they could assign as good reason as
the boy for carrying pumpkins, and no better
Now we have natural advantages, and all that is
required 10 get the benefit Of these. is simply to
look into these advantages, disregard old customs
and parental usages, 10 think how these natural
advantages may be used, and then little energy
to carry out The plans dictated BY The judgment
But one says inc IlFel Hds sudSS-l> HlICu up
has trees growing on The banks, extending over
the channel" and know not what objections
This is true TO some extent, but there is an old
saying "what has been done can be done again"
and Pamunkey has been navigated. And il ii
never had been, there is no reason why il should
not be. Let some snags be taken up, lei the trees
be cut down, lei hedges be positre'y prohibited, lei
no man be allowed 10 throw any timber or any
thing calculated TO fill up The river into il, and the
thing is altogether practicable. The people in
leres.ed in this matter ought 10 combine comb
nation can do what Individual effort cannot do
Pamunkey is as much entitled 10 SIS 900 from the
Legislature as Mataponi.
II is supposed that Ethan will become de-
pol from which considerable quantities Of grain
will be shipped, as vessels OF any size can come
10 that place. There are many thousands Of bar
rels of corn made on upper Pamunkey, and why
should all this grain be carried FIRST 10 Richmond
by The tedious and costly mode of wagoning, then
be brought up there, and shipped TO other mar
ke,s2 Why not carry il down Pamunkey river,
and let il be shipped Immediately, either from Ell
than, or some other suitable point above? There
are other articles besides grain that might be
sent down The river, and would be, il there were
boats running on the river, and that accomDo-
dalton that The farmers require, 10 send on what
ever they can spare, al cost that Will justly
their doing H. Improvements ale advancing
rapidly and there oush. to be such iacili les
placed in the power of every man, TO as grea, an
exten, as possible, as viii give Them free trade as
nearly as possible and unlramelled communica-
lions, and access 10 the markets.
But one objects 10 all this, that There is 100
little water in The river al some seasons oil the
year, for any sort OF boats" Admitted. And so
The Ohio has too little wafer al some seasons Tor
steamboat navigation, but who would argue,
that there should, therefore, be no steamboats, on
that river2 There is an abundance OF water in
The Pamunkey a, mos, seasons, enough to trans
port all the produce made on the river and its
vicinity II Pamunkey river were in any Sec
lion but East Virginia, North or West, there
would long since have been facilities in abund-
ance for carrying of the grain and other pro-
duce. A little enterprise, gentlemen, is all that
is required TO make Pamnnkey river Of INFINITE
value 10 those living upon, and near its fertile
lands, in the way OF carrying of produce. 10
be hauling corn and wheat thirty miles IN Wagons,
at cost equal nearly to one-Aird Us ralue, when
there are natural advantages IN our power, does
argue behind-,he. age spirit that IS loo bad
even for East Virginia. rAMuNhEf.
P. S. Pamunkey would be pleased TO hear the
views Of some of those living on the river.