Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-08-31
COMMUNICATION.


own immediate neighborhood, and
therefore only referred to my own
section which call Cathode Neck.
Not having any experience in writing
for the press and feeling my inabil-
ity to do justice to my country,
thought | would only give the ball a
little tap, hoping that some Que with
more brain and experience than my
self would keep the ball rolling, but
some aave expressed the desire that
| would say a few more words on the
subject and include more territory.
| am sure l will not be able to give
a correct idea Of the large territory
which lies to the South aud West
OF. Cathode Neck, which | call Gum
tenoak. This section extends from
Coau Stage to Farnham Church, a
country, the soil of which, | believe,
is as well suited to the raising of all
kind of trucks as any other portion
of the Northern Neck of Virginia,
but for want of transportation this
country and people have been kept
down, their nearest and best shipping
point being Barnes Wharf.
a few years ago when G. Il. Lewis
had two steamboats, OF the route in
opposition to the steamer Sue, and
gave us two trips week from
Barnes Wharf to Baltimore, / was
told by the manager of the route,
that. Barnes Wharf stood second to
none on Coan River for the months
or July and August of that year in
the amount of freight. People came
to Barnes Wharf WHO l never saw
before, have never seen since, and
never expect to see again until we
have better transportation. These
people came all the way from Coan
Stage as far back in the county as
Fanham. They came with their
freight consisting of apples, onions,
tomatoes, potatoes, fowls, calves, eggs
and in fact every thing the country
could afford. Do you ask what has
become of those people and their
freight? Let me explain. We only had
two trips n week to Baltimore for a
short while, but as soon as 9. r..
Lewis got entire control of the route
we were cut down TO one trip a week
and of course when the old pill box
lost her wheel, we had no boat at all.
The shippers would be notified to
come after their freight which
have known to remain at the wharf
a day and night, it might be a calf
or coop of fowls or barrel of cher
ries, which would be in no condition
to ship, so he would have to take it
home or be compelled to pull through
heavy sand-beds and over hills dis
tance of five or six miles to Bun
dicks Wharf. Well, suppose the
pill box made run and really came
on time and took the freight to Bal
timore, the commission men would
send the empty crate or coop to the
steamboat wharf in Baltimore and
nine times out of ten the empties
would be put on one of the steamers
that did not make Barnes Wharf and
of course would be put off at Coan,
Bundick's, Cowart's or some other
wharf, and if shipper ever got his
returns he would have to spend q
day trying to run them down. Sew
eral times these people have been
made to believe that in the near fu-
ture they would have railroad
through their section, so they agreed
to give a right of way through
their farms and many of them sub,
scribed out of their hard earnings tC
help clear the way for the road
which never came. and which is nov
a thing of the past. Some will tell yor
these people take their freight t.
Bnndick's, Lodge, or some wharf or
the Rappahann0ck river. This | viii
admit is true to some extent, but no
all; lots Of them becoming disgustet
and demorali2ed have quit growing
anything for market and grow only
what they need for family use
from the fact that the trouble anC
expense is so great it leaves nothing
for the shipper.
Now | wish to ask one question
which / hope some reader of tn,
CITIZEN will answer. The Republi
can party is charged with being re
sponsibie for the sugar trust, anG
every known trust that | ever hearC
of, except the steamboat trust. MAJ
ask if the managers of thes,
steamers are Republicans and gov
erned by the Republican party? Is tn,
Republican party responsible for tn,
steamers running so as to build "
one section of country, or rather one
set of people, while another people
just as worthy but with perhaps les
money, are held down under foot?