Smyrna times., 1883-05-16
Bringing the Steamboat to
Smyrna Landing.

On Monday afternoon by invitation
of the Messrs. Tygert, twelve or fifteen
of our citizens boarded the steam tug
ALidG at the granaries at Smyrna Land
ing for q little excursion down the
creek to Rothwel's Landing and back,
to view the creek and its possibilities
recollection of the youngest of the
party when Smyrna Landing was the
busiest commercial spot in all the re-
gions round about: when 10000 to
$4,000 bushels of grain have been
deposited in her granaries in single
day: when her wharves held hundreds
of cords of wood and in the early Sum-
mers, like quantities of bark and huge
piles of lime,-thc traffic presenting
the animated scene of scores of teams
waiting turns but eager to effect the
object which called them there. Now
the place is as silent commercially, as
it used to be active. Even the quick
resound of the caulker's hammer and
the builders adj is not heard in con-
structing the home of the sailor and
the craft that made him the master of
the commercial relations between us
and those we tratfickcd with up or
down the river.
The changed condition of circum-
stances about us,-the destruction OF
our forests, the railroad with its more
speedy transportation, Sc, had much
or in fact all to do with this, but the
loss of the forest traffic is in measure
counterbalanccd by the increase o
fruit, grain, berries and all kinds O
farm products that now find a ready
sale, whereas, in the days when grair
and wood were the single staples, they
would not pay in many cases for thu
transportation; in fact there being NJ
demand for them. The question nov
is, can this lost traffic be restosed in
new relation to the community? 1t i
believed it can. The object in asking
the eXcursionists 10 make Il trip on tn
,, Aida was for them to see for them
selves. Since the establishment of til
phosphate works and the transports
: ton line from ROthwell's to Philade
phia, (the most Of the grain from tn
western districts going on the cars) tn
! creek between these two points ha
been slowly filling up with sedimentar
9 deposits, and in many places it is no
only about five feet deep at high waite
The Messrs. Tygert think that con
= paratively small expenditure, SON
J. $4,000 or upwards, with a dredgin
Z machine will enable them to do mo-
" of the fruit, grain and coal traffic
the Landing, thus saving the most
. the farmers two-thirds of the presel
: distance that has to be carted betweC
: this town and the boat. in the peaC
. season it would be of immense adva
i tage to shippers, enabling them to pic
y longer with much less worry to the
- teams in reaching the boat in time, IL
y one being less than q mile and Il
other p miles. The Messrs. Tyge
are ready to take the initiative in til
important movement, but there are
k number of Others owners of proper
q at and near the Landing while the
h are still others who will be great
as benefited by the change who mu
le share part if the work is to be COZ
rs pleted. If it can be commenced wit
d out delay the freight traffic may so,
Is be commenced at Smyrna Landin
l., and when sufficient water is obtain
to the John Z. Tygef will run the
ut where will be established the hea
a quarters Of the Philadelphia a
re Smyrna Transportation Company.
IN The AIidd made the run back in Il
lg than a half hour, and the excursions
I'd not only enjoyed the trip but EXPIRE
n ed themselves Us favoring the ent
a prise in both its utility and practi,
1T bilitY.