The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-01
fCommunicated.]
The War Of lie Great American Ferry
BOatS.

46OuGSs
Out West there lived, many years ago,
two young men, full of life and energy, as
the story goes, on Goose river. William
Huntington was merchant, and the neces-
sites of travel required ferry nearly oppo-
site to his place OF business. So he obtained
charter from the board of supervisors to
keep and run steam ferry.boat. IL was tie
first craft of the kind that had ever piled in
the waters Of that famous river. The county
owned the land on both sides Of the river,
and to aid young Huntington aud his asso-
ciates in the ferry business, as the enterprise
was new and some doubts existed 10 the
public mind as to the practicability of the
undertaking, the official board gave him The
fee in one mile of the riparian soil on each
side of the stream above ard below the
point OF crossing. ..
Il was not long before the boat was puff.
ing at the new landing, and passengers asd
freigh;s we're transported in manner that
quite surprised and delighted the supervisors
and the people generally.
But the new business met sudden check
about six months after it had been fairly in-
auguraled There came cold spell Of ives.
Their. enormous SHOWS fell and melted, and
presently the banks of the river were over
| flowed, so that all ferrying was suspended.
Tom Scott was the other young man
alluded to. He WAS q brusk, clear. headed,
resolute, enterprising fellow, and had engl-
neered several county bridges across smaller
streams, and enjoyed the confidence of lhe
| businessmen oil the county and Of the town
of Tinnecum, which had sprung up, and was
| in a state of some prosperity.
| He took in the situation at glance. AT
| the next meeting of the Board of Superyi.
sors he came before them and obtained
charter to run ferry.boat south OF the Cen
trail ferry, where both banks OF the stream
were above oyerfows. He agreed to put
the ferry in operation on or before hxed
date. The Board donated to him and his
co.pariners the same amount of riparian soil
as had been given to young Huntington q
Go.
Young Scott, though not wanting in some
funds, did not have enough to purchase the
boat, build the Wharves, and man the work.
! He bad rich uncle in the East, and he lost
no time in going to see him. He soon ex.
planned his scheme to the satisfaction OF the
old gentleman, who promised him all the
aid he asked for. The papers were at once
drawn up. But just as they were about to
be signed MIR. j. Cook, who kept O small
brokerage and had an iron safe where the
citizens kept their deposits, burst up, and
the whole town and country were filled with
panic. The papers were never signed. The
young man, disappointed but not discour-
aged, went back to Tinnecum.
The Board of Supervisors met. It was
past the time agreed on for opening the
ferry route. But the public demanded an
other ferry, as the "Central" ferry was
charging the most exhorbitant tariff of
prices for transportation. Something must
be done. And young Scott bit upon the
idea which looked so fair and feasible, so
safe and promising of favorable results that
he at once unfoded his plan to the board.
He asked the board to loan him ten thousand
dollars of the county bonds, which he would
secure by lien on the boat, wharf, and fix
lures, and transfer of the insurance policy,
and agreed that he would do all the public
ferrying and allow the earnings so made to
be retained in The county treasury and placed
! to the credit of the interest account on the
bonds. Many other details and amendments
were annexed to the agreement, all of
which looked, and by impartial men were
pronounced, fair and equitable. Strange to
say the board hung fire. What was the
matter? -.--------~---
Why, young Huntington saw plainly that
If an antagoniZing and rival boat was put in
at Pier No. 80 his enormous gains must ra-
pdIy decline: and the last report Mr.. Hunt
ington made to his company showed net
earnings for the year to the monstrous sum
of Sl4 1000, with promise that bis next an
nusl report should show net gains OF SIC, 900.
The town and county became alarmed, and
It was proposed, 10 view Of the engulhng
monopoly, to change the name of the Town
m, FerryalIo surrender to the monarch Of
the riyer,-ihe Neptune of the inland sea
and bow abjectly down beneath his trident.
However, unWearied, Though badgered,
and misunderstood, ]; and calumnisted -
young Scott pressed his demand for county
aid.s75g stag .yadE ~.5sttrs1 81 ,p1ss,'s"t
Then young Huntington came beforeathe
board, J and In graceful, generous bland,
aud courteous manner toid3thersuperyisors
that the times were very hard, the county in
debt, and the people alarmed at the growing
taxes; and US they ought TO have another