The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-05-21

u the ssmes-esh Nay. is"'-''"
Nay. lssl-s7l Years.
,ror the Dispatch.l
.no,, n O'Clock A. NJ. on Saturday,
a ~, "a. 1881, the first train "a materially
- ,he Richmond and Allegbanv railroad
,'s.sed aIJpion HIM.; an engine bad
s,sssed nv few days previous. and pas
l.ncer ana freight train passed. late tue
s,use evening, to the present transfer sta
tion II Norwood. ,o,.
On the evening Of the 26th OF Apr'' to,n
AZ May). le07, there arrived at tne mcu."
az James river three small vessels. nc
Susan Constant" 100 tom, Captain Cnrls1o-
nher Newport: "The Godspeed," ~ t0us'
C.ntain bartholomew Gosnold, ana Tue
Discovery. y 20 tons, Captain John Ratch1e
-sIs Sictiemore. Those vessels CAUTIOUSLY
made their way up "tbe maiestic James,
and on the 18Th (24tb) OF May, 1907, ianoeo
A. the site of jamestown. Within Few
dsvs - CAPTAIN Newport. In sbaliop, WIN
ave gentlemen, four mariners, ana Ioursees
ssilors- ascepded the river, ana on tue ~"
"a Nav fath m Junel 1907, they plantel
o.rss On one OF the isIets at the loot OF tue
ss,Is with the inscription, 'Jacobus Rex:
feo7 !, with Newport's name under ~.
xnd the waters OF the James above the
falls were not used TO any very great ex.
tent as A public highway for hundred
years or more thereafter. Ills said ''the
Rev Robert Rose, about the year lI26, nrst
demonstrated the practicabillfy OF using The
river above the fails as means OF trans
portation Tor tobacco. In 1913 there was
NO settlement on James river west OF ROCK
fish r,yer.l "Great numbers OF the inuao
itants OF The counties OF Goochland apd
Albemsrlev brought their tobacco down
the James prior to 1746, and In FEBRUARY
1745 1746) an act was pissed:
"WbeIeas 1t is found. by experience, that
tho Fluyapua-i. e., the james above the
mouth of the Rivanus-rlver Is IN some
measure useful for transporting tobacco ana
other things, but that several places 10 tue
said river are obstrueted bv rocks, &c,
&c. "Josbua Fry, Charles Lynch, Bepla-
min Cooke. William Randolph. ana Peler
Jefferson were appointed commissioners Tor
having SAID distractions remove by the
same act February, 1850 public store
house was appointed at Westham, on the
land OF William Byrd. Beverley Town. NJ
Westham, was laid of on the '6th OF june,
l75I. The streets were three poles wide.
Each lot contained bali an acre 1.-TWO chains
and twenty -four links square). Ihere were
Slots. so acres low lands, aDd1l acres nlgn
lands-9I acres in the whole. Plat recorded
June 1, 1862, and the towD established by
Act OF Assembly February. l752 li.13l. ms
act saws "the town was laid of on land lately
belonging to Beverly Randolph. Esq, de-
ceased" e. William Randolph, gent, the
present proprietary; that it sis seated
near the lower landing OF an extensive Law
iration above the falls OF James river, and
is likely 10 become The chief place OF trade
for all the upper inhabitants OF that river
and its several branches"
Tobacco was brought down the James IN
batteaux TO West Dam, and from thence u
was wagoned TO the ShoccO Inspection"
think the first public step for opening
navigation between Westham and Rich
mond was taken 10 1894, aud the Assembly
OF October, 1865, appointed the Hon. Peter
Randolph and William Byrd, Esqs, Archi'
bald Cary, John Fleming. Richard Adams,
Robert Boiling, Jr., William Cabell OF
Union Hill, Robert Carter Nicholas, John
Wayles, Samuel Jordan, and Thomas Boil
ling, gentlemen, trustees for clearing the
Great Falls OF James river; and Thomas
Walker, Edward Carter, Charles Lewis,
Nicholas Lewis. Thomas jefferson, Henry
Fry. Nicholas Meriwether. John Walker,
John Harvey, Valentine Wood. and James
Adams, gentlemen, trustees for clearing the
North branch OF James river ithe Riyanna).
In February. 1872, an act was passed for
"cutting canal through the fails from
Westbam TO tide-water."
In October, 1888, an act was passed for
extending the navigation Of James river
from the land OF Nicholas Davies ibis lands
extended up James river on both sides
tn hi IL
fslls), in the county OF Bedford, to the mouth
of the Cow. Pasture river William Ca.
bell, OF Union Hill, John Bowyar, George
Skiileron, Zachariah johnson, Andrew
Donnelly, George CIendinen, John Green
lee, Patrick Lockhart, William Mckee,
Archibald Stuart, and Andrew Moore, gen.
'lemen, trustees.
"The James-River Company" was incor-
porated 10 May, 1884, with authority "tO
cut canals and erect locks or other works
on the sides of the said river" wherever ne
cessary. I A canal had already been partially
made by John Balendine between West
ham and Richmond Turner Southall and
James Buchanan were authorized to open
the subscription-bo0ks for the company in
Richmond; Robert Taylor, John Kearnes,
and Thomas Newton, Jr., In the borough
OF Norfolk; William CabelI, Of Union Hill,
and Cbarles Irving, at lrving's Store, IN
Albemarle; Patrick Lockhart and George
Skillern at Botetourt Courthouse. and
George Clendinen and Andrew DOnnelly
at Lewisburg. "Tbe books TO be opened
for receiving subscriptions on the 1st day
OF February next" Q7S5.) "Capitai, 500
shares OF 5000 EACH" In October, 1884,
an act was passed presenting General
Washington with 100 OF these shares. In
October, 1885, the Assembly received a
letter from him declining to receive the
shares unless he was permitted 10 apply
them TO some public benedf.]
Tue act incorporating "rne Jsmes-River
Company" became law on the 9TH OF JAN
uary, 17s5.-Sse the Richmond Standard of
February 10 and %, 1879, article "Canals,"
and the Richmond Dispatch January %,
1879, Hon. Wyndbam RObertson's letter.
Since these papers were issued the James
River and Kanawha Canal Company passed
into the control OF the Richmond and ALE
gbany Railroad Company, which Is now
making such rapid progress up the valley.
The whistle OF the iron horse is strange
sound along The old canal, which has so
long echoed and reechoed to the winding
notes OF packet and freight-boat horn. It
thrills the heart OF aye ancient inhabitant -
with more OF pain, irow, than eadness;
Tor the notes OF the born are mingled with
many and many dear memory of The past,
winding in and out with recollectiOns Of
bappiest days and dearest fries DIS, like the
notes OF the horn, now gone percbance for
ever. But Time Will be aye ancient'sn
ayeoger. Tor the iron horse must Weld to its
iron hand. From - to 1740, some thou.
ssnus Oh wears or more, "the canoe"; from
1740 TO 1S40, "the batteaux -: from 1S4O
TO 1880, 1.-THE canal-boat -; from 1880 to
-, "tbe iron horse"; from - IN
"the ----." A. Ii. C..