The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-28
A PLEASANT Isl. EXCURSION.

i A PLEASANT EXCURSION.
OUR CITY EXCHANGES GIVE A DAY TO
! PLEAsuRE-A TRIP TO YORK RIVER AND
LESTER MANOR"
by courteous invitation OF Colonel III.
r. Douglass, OF the York River road, 0 Dis
patch representative accompanied a most
delightful excursion party from the city to
West Point on Saturday. It wascomposed
OF members of the Chamber Of Commerce,
the Tobacco and the Corn and Flour Ex-
changes. and so many OF our prominent men
of business attended that we really feared
that commercial pursuits in Richmond
would be altogether suspended.
The party, after meeting ut the York
River depot and exchanging salutations, got
upon the train ut 1915, proceeded to West
Point, and there were entertained by Colo
mel Douglass, who gave an abundance OF
good cheer The party spent nearly two
hours here in most delightful manner.
! They visited the town, admired its beauties,
and ate the crabs caught. in the vicinity.
We found 4 pot containing some six dozen
OF these aquatic raiders boiling upon our
arrival, and ere they could get cold every
one had been bought by our fresh-water
crab gatherers. It was graceful addition
to the usual ornamental appearance OF our
tobacconistS and commission merchants-a
string of dozen or two fresh, red crabs.
The wharves OF the company and the
magnificent steamer "Havana" were sew
orally visited and admired, and at 2 o'clock
the company were whistled aboard and pro-
ceeded to return, as they thought, home
ward. Not so, however, for they were
stopped at
| LESTER MANOR.
Here they alighted and proceeded through
Il delightful avenue to the place OF John b.
| Davis, ESQ.,, Of our city. They were first
over by whom? Saints OF good eating and
drinking, tell us! Why, none other than
Spro Zetelc, the popular Irish caterer, to
be surc He had everything refreshing for
the visitors, and after he had given them all
they wanted, the generous and hospitable
| host conducted his guests through the works,
and showed them the process OF canning,
| in which all evinced the greatest interest,
despite the great heat existing both inside
and outside OF the works.
THE CANNING WORKS.
Mr.. Davis, in deciding to 60 into the bust
ton despite the fact that the land was worn
out under an old system OF agriculture.
We anticipate the approaching No. OF the
| Planter and Farmer, which says:
| .It had still Staunch backbone, and
only required feeding to make it as fat
! and handsome rs it ever was. Its present
condition proves his judgment to have been
sound; for he can produce on it almost
ANYTHING he pleases. He has rs fine clover
and orchard grass rs any one would like to
see, and almost everything else in the farm
line except tobacco, which latter he prefers
not to grow. The estate comprises 1,1O0
acres, OF which $40 are in tomatoes. His
orchard shows 5000 peach-trees OF the best
canning varieties; $500 Bartlett pear;
1000 winesap and other good apples; april
cots and cherries. He has large graperieS,
and does much in strawberries.
"Mr. Lewis, the manager, detailed to lis
how they were giving back for what was
being taken away. The estate received i'll
the way OF manureS the past year rs fol-
lows: 1900 tons OF stable manure, largely
brought from Mr.. Davis's stables in Rich
mond; 5000 bushels Of lime; 200 bushels
| of peas used for fallow; and % tons OF COM
mercial fertilizers. The lime is burnt on
the place from oyster-shells bought in Balti-
more and delivered by schooner on the wharf
at Lester Manor, the estate lying on the Pa
munkey river.
>.Of course operations OF such magnitude
must have commensurate appointments.
The York River railroad runs through the
estate. The depot buildings Mr.. Davis
erected at his own expense, and we know
of nothing more convenient and in better
style on any road in the State, as much as
people lay stress on the architectural taste
OF General Malone. The estate shows gen.
orally in this direction a good hotel, store,
thirteen barns, stables for one hundred head
of stock, the buildings necessary to can the
wilderness of material produced by such a
farm. all OF which are ornamented with GU
polas, weather-cocks and bird-houscs, which
give to the scene charming effect The
entire farm is enclosed by a substantial oak
plank fence, with red cedar posts.
"Some idea can be formed OF the extent
OF Mr.. Dayis's canning business when we
say that the tin cans and cases alone cost him
SIS, 600 n season. The cans he has hereto
| fore had made at the North, but he is now
arranging shops to do the work Immediately
on the place. The number OF day-hands he
employs, especially in the picking season, is
enormous, and this sort OF employment suits
the negroes there exactly"
What splendid exhibit OF enterprise and
progress this Is 1Or SccLlOH uIilosI SapPeu
| bv the war and its results. Success will
surely attend such lively and progressive
ATTEMPT at the resuscitation OF one OF our
most beloved and historic sections.
THE DINNER.
4 magnificent dinner was set out in
large room in the storage-house, which was
abundantly enjoyed by every one present.
There were several calls for speeches, but
there were no responses, for the reason that
the dinner-table was held to be free from
such invasions on this occasion. The enly
formality observed was the presentation OF
case OF the Jewels of King William county
(hard crabs) to Mr.. Spiro Zetelle, which he
received with great grace and much Greek.
After day of great enjoyment, height
ened by the entire absence Of formality, the
party returned to the city with Gods
blessing for the York River road and Lester
Manor.
POLICE COURT, SATURDAY-JuStice j. j.
| Crutchfeid presiding. Mcclure (co-
lored, charged with vagrancy, was sent to
the almshouse.
| Pohnrt Reasley. trespaSsing upon the