The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-06

region. y 1icu has nOW become 80 inpOT
fart part n 0ur growing city
Before having this paTt Of The town Dc
4. proper % ssv something ~ The Cansi.
which AZ The period 81 whirh Sc arc now
writing. cTePi along the bottom o. the
hills and ended 81 the basin in the town
below. Those % our readers who r.
call the canal lately superseded hy ihe
I Richmond and Allegheny Railroad.
must NOT suppose il Ea- the rrst
improvement ~ ihe kind made
slcnE the valley o. The james river.
Late in the las' century General Wash
inZt0n. among other commentators
urged the correction ~ the sisters OBJ
the james from Tide wsfer 90 those ~
the hanawLa 10 The West Whether tle
work was undertaken ia Consequence %
This wise suggestion Il NOT determine
The venerable aufhor OF Richmond in
By-g0ne Dav- seems tD D. ~
this opinion Bui ihefe IS reason
90 believe thai The original pupo.e
n IFS constructors was only 90 furnish
safe navigation around the falls ~ npid-
az James river and shat ii Vas an after
thought which looked f0 the u.timafc
connection Of fle tao great rivers ~ fhe
state BE this a. If may we cannot
undertake the discussion OF this subject
here. Al the time our FIRST canal Wa-
built rhe citizens of Richmond and the
people az the eastern part az the state
could not have feif much Interest in the
wiiIs ri the West The valley ~ tAe
james above and below. and She country
back towards Charlottesville afforded
most Of the traffic upon which The town
lived and this was brought in boats from
one direction and ty wagons from t1e
other
WesiLam. about six miles shove Rich
mond 0n ibe river bad been an .mF1f-
iant manufacturing place during tle
Revolutionary war isproiucfs chiefly
iron. hal been brought 90 tae f1wl %
open shallow boats managed 1y polling
and pushing them up and down amid
The uncertainties and DANGER NJ fle
river Sometimes they had been hauled
90 town in wagons hut this was FerT
expensive transportation Tie first canal
was commenced 40 thar place and came
to within three miles ~ the city where Is
stopped. Afterwards 10 was again un-
derfasen from the cifr. and buiit uD Or
The terminus 0f the former This WAS
very narrow and primitive form Of water
carriage The large barge drawn bv
teams OF mules and horses could NOT have
been used ON d. The boats universally
employed were long. narrow haueaux
covered over on one end and drawing
only iew inches NJ water They were
manned hy TWO hands. who used pole.
and q long sweep in the rear of the boats
in guiding them down the river But
upon getting into The canal 40 Mestham .
q pole armed with am iron spike was
passed between sort of rOw-lOck 90
either end Of The boat. while s stout ne .
gro man walked the t0wpath pressing .
forward the other end 0t tie pole and .
thus leisureiy propelled The Gliding
Lucy or The Lazy Jane down t0 her
destination. We Womb. by DO means .
underTate the value of This primitive
mode OF water-carria-e These beats
could accommodate about six or eight
.ogshead- Of tobacco. together with
many other articles. butter. chickens
and cured bacon hams. Their return
freight was made mp Of dry goods. mo-
.asses, wrought iron and furniture II
was under The impulse OF This traffic that
the ti0urish.ng village OF Carrersviile
grew and the town OF Columbia thriyed
when Lynchburg and -cOtisville were
scarcely more than ferries.
II was This modest lifie canal skiuing
along the base OF the hills from Westham
10 Richmond, and relieving the nayigs-
tors Of the river on their peri.0us jour
leys up and down that suggested the
yrander scheme Of reaching the water.
Ji. the far west But I. bore another Re-
alton 10 the affairs NJ the town 10 ifs
eastern end, which should not be over
OOked here. II must be- remembered that
Richmond 40 the time of which we speak
bad only about twelve OF thirteen thou
iand inhabitants The "Brickr0W.
lr what is now that part OF Main
street. near the Oli Market bridge
Tss the only paved street in che
own Consequently after q long rain
be highways, and even the sidewalks ,
gere almost impossible 90 pedestrians
j he public had no fashionable prone ;
lade wherein 90 dispOrt themselves OT ,
haunt their linery Franklin street was O
mere roadway between houses 20 long Z
II was either dust or mud. a- 9
ho weather might allow 80 its upper {
md just beyond what j. now Linden :
ow, ponds OF water OF rugged gu..ie-
we're formidable obstacles % pleasure
trolling ia that direction
The gIass-coyeIed and smoother parts r
i the town were too remote Oh invite Z
he presence ~ ladies. and were Zener- r.
lly given up % cows. goats. and de- a
Iepit horses, Og the boys and ;he.I r
Ough pastimes The older people bad :
% depend upon driving out in their c1r- 2
iages for an airing while the Younger ]
ither rode horseback OF took their Z
hances af0Ot with proper defense b
gainst the terrible sidewalks AT thai j
ay there were 100 buggies. no fast-tr0t- +
ing horses. and no young lady could
e induced 90 drive ont with "a young 4
enieman In gig Horseback par. f
les were frequently made up, and :,
amOu5 habit was % take these rides be-. ID
ore breakfast. Such in brief We're o
ONE 81 the customs of the Richmond e
when DO search OF outdoor I
1ercise After. however the canal had @
cen finished q promenade was afforded G.
lem which met al the requirements OF %
le time. except iu the worst weather 81
or could there have been devised or q
lanncd a more beautiful and enticina a
athwav along which the CAV and the i.
ad might alike find enjoyment The
pprOach 20 this promenade was chiefly
y fiith-street corner where Major
ibbOn then lived. now Rev DR. HOges =. o
own towards the canal Before reach s
lg the latter, path turning TO the right 4
I'd 20 a small bridge above. oger which r
ngle men and married, lovers and n
liiors, and vigorous old men had 4
, pass before they could reach the u
lysian walk
Ia different parts Of he world 4
ANY Of us have seen promenades ii
nd b0uleyards, decorated by art o
1d adorned by nature, but we viii ven h
ire the assertion that none Of these u
assessed the charms that made the walk S
. the bank OF the old canal surpass- Il
lgly attractive. As soon as the sun b
cyan 20 decline, groups of people, many b
dies aud gentlemen IN couples, with Z.
ow and then a solitary old man. cane in a
and were 10 be seen making their way y
a II n 4 3D.