Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-03-19
Busy Scenes at Huntington.

THE IMMENSE FREIGHT BUSINESS AT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. FROM ST. LOUIS
FOR RICuMoND-THE 'sROUsTABOUTs''
high wATER-PINAFoRE, &C.
correspondence of the Staunton VINDIcAToR.l
HUNTINGTON, W. VA,
March 10, 1886.
Missing the regular boat for Wheeling
was compelled to remain over one day
and a night in this little city, the western
terminus of the G. u 0. Railway, and
thought few items might interest some
of your readers. We found the Ohio On
regular rampage and nearly level with its
pa; ks, It's broad golden bosom covered
with drift and the natural debris accompa.
nying high water, and it's depth we were
informed about 6fty-6ve feet III the chan
neil AS transfer point the business
.'boom" has struck Huntington with force,
as day and night with scarcely any inter-
mission-long lines of cars are arriving
and leaving laden with freight OF all kinds
and boats are discharging and loading,
creating hustle and rush that would do
credit to the wharves of some large cities
During the past winter it seems splen-
did stage of water has been had all the
time and with no ice to impede navigation,
as has already been the case since the road
was completed here.
THE AMOU Mt OF FREIGH HIT TRANSIT ERRED
TO AND FROM THE STEAMERS
has been without parallel i'll the history
of the young city. In addition to the
large quantities of freight brought by the
regular railroad packets, this route has
been found cheap and quick outlet to the
seaboard for grain shipments. from points
as far West as st. Louis. The distance
from that city to Huntington via. river is
about nine hundred miles; from here to
Richmond four hundred and tWenty-one
miles, showing the distance to be but Ill
tie greater than to New York by rail or to
New Orleans via: water. -Four huge bar
ges arrived yesterday direct from st. Louis
with
SIXTY THOUSAND BUSHELS OF WHEAT
which is being elevated into the cars for
shipment to Richmond and the James
River wharves. There are now here about
three hundred car loads of grain, and for
weeks the rolling stock OF the railroad has
been greatly inadequate to transport the
freight as fast as it arrives. 1t IS an in
teresting sight to witness the rapldity with
which a large steamer discharges and re
ceives her cargo, arriving frequently with
fifty or more car loads of miscellaneous
| freight, loaded down to the waters edge. A
small army of ''roustaboutS' las the la
borers are termed), whose only occupation
| is to assist in loading and unloading these
| steamers greet her arrival with all the fer
vor of the African. and almost before the
| boat is made fast long line of men in
single file are trotting from her decks at a
double quick with boxes, bags Of grain,
huge sides of bacon, ETC., to the trucks on
the incline which are run by steam from
| the wharf boat to the cars at the depot.
These men work hard but get good wages,
averaging about twenty cents per hour.
and frequently when two or more boats
reach here at the same time and require
prompt discharge, their bidding for labor
makes it pan out handsomely for the
"roustabouts." Day and night, Sundays
not excepted, the work goes on and no
time is lost.
The new ''Bostona,' the largest steamer
that reaches here, land by the way most
elegantly discharged and received her en-
tire cargoes from the platform near the
freight depot, the river being higher than
since Us, and boats foated along level
with the streets. their stacks and pilot
houses overlapping many of the houses.
One fact that will strike a stranger most
forcibly here is that the colored people
male and female. young and old, can rec
ognize any boat that plies here regularly
by the whistle when a mile or two distant,
and rarely ever make a mistake.
In addition to the immense business
done at the depot proper here, a short dis
lance above the CITY is the coal "tipple''
or grain elevator, an incline where thou
sands of ton of ore, pig-iron, oil, grain and
coal are transferred. This part of the
business is under the personal supervision
of Capt. B. T. Malloy and w. N. Kinney
both well known in "Ole Virginny,' the
latter your former townsman, and who
has been connected with the G.. u 0. fol
many years Mr.. Charles W. Hunter il
the Company's General Agent here and
J we'll sustains the reputation ne has ever
: enjoyed as thorough freight agent. HI
has small army of employees under his
management. and his pay roll each month
is a large sum. The town is placardeC
with brilliant posters announcing
THE MILES JUVENILE PINAFORE TROUPE
from Cincinnati, Ohio, for the 18th. AnC
strange as it may appear that little opera
has never, that is really qaeuer, teen per
formed here. l hear, however that theil
little opera house has had some stars from
the boards of the Grand Opera House 8
number of times during the winter just
past and another is billed for the coming
week. Why is it with our cosy and ele
gait Opera House we have no stars or first
class entertainments from the larger
cities? Echo answers: ''Damfno."
Yours,
On THE WING.