The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-26
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from the Washington Republican,
NEW STEAMBOAT COMPANY.

POtOmRc--A Move in the Right Direc
ttou.
By reference to previous issue of ou
paper it will be seen that number o
enteTprising and influential citizens of Vir
ginia, Maryland and the District of Colum
bia have permanently organized themselves
under the name of the "Potomac Steam
boat Company" for the purpose o.
Establishing regular daily communica
tion between some convenient point imme.
diately above Occoquan bay, in the county
Of Fairfax, Virginia, and the cities O.
Alexandria and Washington, with q com.
modious, swift and safe light-draught. side
wheel steamer, to be run in the interests
of the people," and for the development OF
the agricultural and other valuable re-
sources Of the upper Potomac borders.
The distance to be included by the pro.
posed line of communication will be about
twenty-five miles, the lower twelve of
which comprises the easterly boundary of
the Northern settlement" in the county
Of Fairfax, Virginia.
This settlement includes the large es-
tates formerly of General George WASH
ington, George Mason and others, amount
ing in the aggregate to about fifteen thou
sand acres. These estates have, within q
few years, been subdiyided into smaller
divisions and are now in possession, for
the most part, of industrious. progressive
farmers from the states of New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, New York and elsewhere,
who are striving, with commendable zeal,
to transform region once waste and ne
elected to one of great fertility aud pro-
ductiveness. Under their thrifty manage
ment the Old sedge and bramble fields
have been cleared, renovated and made to
produce fine pastures and excellent crops
Of hay, grain and vegetables. Roads have
been repaired, new fences and convenient
farm buildings erected, school aud
meeting-houses built, extensive orchards
of the best grated fruits, apple, peach and
pear, planted, and large breadths set with
the grape and other profitable small fruits.
But the urgent want of these people Is q
ready, expeditions and cheap means of
getting their valuable products to the
neighboring markets. This want the en-
terprise in contemplation will entirely
meet, inasmuch as most Of them are con-
tiguous to the river. With farmers always
half the battle of their success is cheap
transportation. 1t is designed by the
Upper Potomac Steamboat company that
their boat shall be Of the most skillful and
improved construction, safe and commodi-
expense Of landings and fast enough for the
needs of the travelling public. The run
ming schedule will be very nearly as fol-
lows: Leaving the lower point of the route,
just below Accotinck creek, at 9 O'Clock, in
the morning, and touching at different
points in succession-Iona, Accotinck,
White House, Howland's, Cedar Grove,
Fort Washington, Collingwood, Fort Foote
and misunderstanding at Washington
by 8 o'clock returning from Washington
at O'Clock in the evening, and reaching
the lower point at 6 O'Clock, making inter-
mediate trips for the accommodation of the
Mount Vernon travel.
From Gum Spring, on the Alexandra
and Accotinck turnpike, public road has
been ordered and is soon to be opened to
Collingwood, one Of the principal landings
enumerated. This arrangement will save
to the travel of that direction three miles
of jolting over bad road to Alexandria
give rest to horses and economize time.
Other roads can also be opened for the
accommodation Of other neighborhoods,
and thus large scope Of country can be
benefited by this new enterprise.
This line once established there can be
no doubt that every farmer living conye-
nient to it, seeing its great advantages over
the old way of transportation on rugged
roads by slow and .jolting wagons, weali-
some to both man and horse, will be stim-
ulated to renewed efforts in his industries.
With the cost of fertilizers greatly lessened
to him, and with the offer of the lowest
transportation rates for his commodities,
more orchards will be planted, the acres
already set with strawberries, raspberries
and grapes will be increased to hundreds |;
more corn, wheat and potatoes will be
grown, more early vegetables produced,
and the fine pasture grounds improved and
turned to profit by abundant daily sup
plies Of good, fresh milk for the adjoining
cities.
But this is not the only way in which
the people of this our neighboring region
will be benefited by the enterprise in view.
Strangers inquiring for new homes in the
south, seeing their facilities and accommo-
dations for agriculture and other branches
of business, will be induced to buy
their surplus lands and become por-
ton of their prosperous colony. With
the rapid growth of the metropolis of our
great country we believe the time is not
distant when many of its citizens, with
facilities of transportation such as
those proposed, will be induced by
the beauty, productiveness, and health
of our river borders to take posses
sion of them and make for themselves
charming suburban homes to retreat to in
summer. The great wonder with al
strangers who sail down our majestic
river is that so many fine situations as are
afforded by its banks should be unoccu
pied. Around other large cities sucl
inviting places would be marked by fin,
residences, and fast steamers would toucl
all along, at short intervals, for thu
accommodation of their occupants.
Within few years variety of advers
circumstances, such as extreme severity o
| winter weather, remoteness of market
and high freights on railroads, have beel
operating to repel the tide Of migration t,
| the regions Of the West. Now the pros
pect is that no small portion of that It'd
will be diverted southwark. For ell VIII
are looking for new homes, and especial
for farms, indisputably there is no better
no more inviting region than this valley {
the Potomac. Nowhere, certainly, can b
found more genial climate, soil that wi
more amply repay the Industrious agr
1 xI.A ..x,o k.xx, v,xara