The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-03-17
a little SIGN.

A sale OF properly WAS announoo" -
this paper on yesterday morning when
may be hailed as sign of coming events
1t was no great movement; but, with all lss
circumstances, it is one that is encouraging,
bearing as it does upon most important
interest and having right direction. j
This was the sale Of the marine railway
and lot where it is located, together with
the hull of the unfinished vessel on the
stocks near it. The purchaser was the ceie-
brated shipwright Mr.. JOHN G. ABRAHAaAs'
of Baltimore. The unfinished vessel was
commenced just before the war, when
Richmond was on the high tide of prosperl-
ty, with q grand future before her. Mr'
ABEAHAMs was the builder, and she was
destined for the Virginia and Liverpool
line, lust then established by some OF our
most enterprizing citizens, who had out q
little while before sent forth their first Ship
the Virginia Dare, which was caught IN
Europe by the war, and was there sola'
Mr., ABRAHAMs will now finish this vessel,
which has 80 long slept upon the stocks.
Richmond is an eligible locality for ship
building, and is point from which a most
prosperous foreign trade may be conducted
Our people found this out before the war,
and their enterprise was rapidly moving
in that direction. We have no doubt OF the
revival of this spirit, and look upon the
sale of property to MIR. ADEAHAMs as the
first step towards it.
Before the war We had thirteen tlne ships
and briggs clipper built) engaged in the
Rio trade. All save one or two Of them
were captured by the Federal navy and
confscated. We had twenty-four or five
very large square-sail schooners, built
under the superintendent Of DAVID
CuRR1E, and owned by him and others,
engaged in the coasting trade be-
tween Richmond and northern ports. All
these vessels were built, We believe, by Mr..
ABRAHAMs. They were admirable vessels
very feet, and finer specimens of marine
architecture we're seldom seen.
We have the same motives for embark
ing in this commerce now that we had
then, but not the same means. We will
have to wait awhile; but that We shall ere
long have the means we do not doubt. In
deed, in o few years we shall have direct
communication with the Ohio and Missis-
sippi through the Chesapeake and Ohio
and the Virginia and Tennessee lines,
when we shall have it in our power to
supply the West with the coffee which we
shall be able to bring in return for our flour,
which must ever take the lead as the favor
lite breadstuff of South America.
Mr.. ABRAHAMs will Immediately repair
the railway, so that ships may be examined
and repaired here; and we hope to see the
yard attached to it appropriated to ship
building. We have the timber in Virginia,
and soon we shall have variety of mills
and FORCES here that will give the ship
wright everything needed in his trade i'm
mediately at hand.
Let no man despond and ask ,chere and
ho,o. But let every one think and act as
though these things were certain. The
storm cannot last-the clouds must be dis
pelled-and who says there will not be a
bright day then! We should be so certain
of this that we may picture in our minds
eye the bright future Of Richmond-her
busy multitudes, her active commerce, her
hundreds.of factories and blazing chimneys,
and her port full of shipping. To work
patiently and steadily with this scene con-
stantly portrayed in the future is the GER
tain way to its realization.