Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-07-20
COMMUNICATION.
EDITOR CITIZEN:

desire, Mr.. Editor, to say few
words in regard to our section, and
hope you will give it space. What
l call our section is little peninsula
lying between the main prong OF Coau
river and what is known as Mill Greek.
comprising $50 acres divided into
twelve little farms, which bid fair Il
few years ago to rank with
the best in the county. As a trucking
section, for a few years, do not
believe there was any portion of the
county that beat us in quantity or
quality, but for the past FIVE or six
years we have not been able to COM
pete with more favored sections lying
on and near Coan river, for the
reason that we have been deprived of
transportation to Baltimore market.
Those of US who still continue 10
raise truck for market have been
compelled to ferry our produce down
the river to C0an wharf. Many
of the farmers have no way, or rather
no boats of their own, SO owing to
the trouble and expense of transpor-
tation have quit the business. We
have done all we could III the way of
pleading with Mr.. Williams, the
manager of the Baltimore route, to
send the steamer to Barnes wharf.
We have done everything except get
ting on our knees to him, and | be-
lieve we would have done that if he
would have heard our cry, but he
does not pay any attention to us. He
is told that there is not water enough,
and that he will get the freight all
the same, as we are compelled to
take it to Coan wharf. Now, | am
not going to say there is water
enough, but will say this-there has
always been plenty of water for every
steamboat that ever ran on this
route to come to Barnes wharf when
there was opposition. There was
plenty of water when G. Il. Lewis
puta steamer on in opposition to the
steamer Sue, and we did not hear a
word SAID about the depth of water.
oh, yes, plenty of water, but as soon
as Mr.. l.. got entire charge of the
route the tide fell; could not make
Barnes wharf only once a week, and
that with an old pill-box that would
lose IA wheel every other trip-but let
me say right here, she did not lose
wheel or ever get ashore between
Coan and Barnes wharf.
About that time we heard some
say e. r. Lewis & Co. had sold out
TO the Weems line, with Mr.. Henry
Williams as manager. "Ch;" they said,
"You will have all the mboats
you want now, Mr.. w. is such a nice
fellow. Oh! he is so accommodating,
he will do all he can for your interest.
First stop shipping anything by the
Washington Steamboat Company;
Mr.. Williams will take care Of you."
| know Mr.. Williams is a gentleman
of the first water, but how about
our transportation? 1t is as near
nothing as any one could imagine.
We poor truckers have been working
and toiling every day since January,
1900, making hot beds and forcing
tomato plants under glass for the
early Baltimore market and We have
made very satisfactory crops, the
best think ever made on Coan river;
not satisfied with making us ferry
our tomatoes to Coan wharf he fails
to give us transportation to Balti-
more market. The warehouses have
been filed with wheat for the last
ten days, no way to get it in market,
and the steamers arriving in market
all the way from To 10 a. m., after
the market has been supplied with
tomatoes from Norfolk and other
trucking counties. The following
is sample of the returns We are
getting from our commission men:
"Baltimore, July 3rd. Dear Sir
The Northumberland did not get in
until very late today, and the market,
supplied before the beat arrived;
very few sold, prices ranging low"
Now there are bnt two things left
for us to do; we will % compelled to
quit the trucking business or have
better transportation. We can not and
do not expect it from The Weems
line. Our only hope IS daily line
from Coan river to Crisfield, Md.
ana we are gong 10 do orr level
best in that direction. Will you not,
Sir. Editor, give us your aid? Are
we to be forever deprived of all
markets except Baltimore and Wash
lngtoD; is our future TO be forever
clouded and has our sun set never
to rise again? Is there not some steam
boat company or railroad company
that will come to our aid and lift
the curtain that hides us from the
northern markets and thereby help
downtrodden, but live and in
dustrious people? We do not ask
or wish the advantage of anv. but do