The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-04-13
? Weems Steamboat Company,
of Baltimore City.
Baltimore, April 3, 1901.

The Weems Steamboat Company,
of Baltimore City.
Baltimore, April 3, 1901.
f.. W. Stearns. Secretary Business Mems
Association:
Dear Sir-l have received your letter oi
the 18th containing a copy OF a resolution
passed ut your meeting held April 2nd,
requesting me to put a river boat To run
between your city aud Orbanna on u
schedule suggested by the association,
and to continue to run at least one
through boat To Baltimore.
have given the mQtter the cOnsidera-
ton which it's Importance demands, and
am sorry 10 say that at this time 1t
is impossible for me To comply with your
request. wrote you ON the 10th OF last
October, in reply to similar request.
that did not think that day boat on
the river would pay, but that If you
thought il would aud would guarantee
us the actual costs. | would give up the
use of the boat and comply with your
wishes: and on the 18th, in reply to a
letter from you ON the 18th, sent you
the probable cost of running boat, as
YOU had suggested. have neverrecelyed
n reply from you 10 this communication.
Within the last few months n large
number OF people between fredericksburg
and Tappahannock have asked for better
facilities for shipping. both to Fredericks
burg and to Baltimore. In Obedience 10
their wishes have arranged a schedule.
to 20 into effect next June, that | think
will not only accommodate them, but
give the desired shipping facilities to
fredericksburg. Ii is proposed to run
boat from Norfolk To fredericksburg,
calling at all wharves ON the river, ana
arriving in fredericksburg In the after
noon, 80 that passengers will not be de
tanned on the boat all night. This steamer
will leave fredericksburg for Baltimore
in the morning, stopping at all wharves
on the river asfar as Tappahannock, and
will leave Tappahannock for Baltimore
direct. thus giving the shippers an oppor-
tunity of getting their produce IN market
the morning after shipment. IL II also
proposed that the steamer leaving Balti-
more on Tuesday for fredericksburg shall
have the assistance OF another bOatirom
Baltimore, to stop at the lower wharves
on the river, so that the fredericksburg
boat will only have tOcallfOr passengers
and mail at many of the wharves, thus
enabling it TO reach fredericksburg in
the afternoon. The boat leaving here ON
Friday for fredericksburg will run IA at
present. arriving there Saturday night.
This arrangement will give to Freder-
icksburg three boats IA week between that
city and the river, and will. think, be
sufficient to carry all the freight and pas
sengers. only hope that your assocla-
ton will push the business so successfully
as to enable us in the near future to put
on more boats and give more facilities.
Another matter to which ! wish 20 di-
rect the attention OF your association IL
the rapid filling of the river, which now
prevents our boats from reaching your
city or leaving it at regular hours, they
being unable to cross the bar except at
or near high water. | wrote some time
ago TO Col. Allen, who has charge OF the
river improvements, and asked him 10
have some work done at once, provided
there was any moneyat his disposal that
could be applied to that purpose, ana
telling him of the urgent necessity for
prompt relief. He promised TO look into
the case, and TO send an engineer to Fred
ericksburg to zee what could he done.
Since then have heard nothing from him,
and | would respectfully suggest that
YOUR association takeup the matter with
him and try to get something done, as !
fear that, if the filling up continues, navi-
CATION will be entirely suspended before
fine next River and HarbOr bill is passed
by Congress.
Yours truly, .
Henry Williams,
President Weems Steamboat Company.
Mr.. w. d. Scott, of the Weems line, was
present. and explained the schedule to be
adopted. Messrs. Carter, Cole and Me-
Cracker spoke on the subject.
Ex-President Brent then offered, and
had read, the following letter from Mr..
james II. BohannOn, of Baltimore:
Baltimore, April 9th, 1901.
T. n. Brent, Esq:
Dear Sir-Not having heard from you
since talked with you last fall | write
to ascertain what the prospects are at
this time of placing a steamer on the
Rappahannock. Experience teaches me
that we can expect very little from the
Weems line people. and II you are DESTROYS
of putting q steamer on the river, Ill
take 81 900 worth of stock. In my esti-
nation, now is the time to start. II you
decide to do anything along these lines, |
shallbe pleased to hear from you.
Yours very truly,
James II. Bohannon.
1881 w. Lexington st.