The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-04-11
Communicated
THE RIVER BOAT QUESTION.
Mr. Pratt, of Caroline. Discusses the SUB
ject-H He Does Not oppose River Boat
But Wishes Better Through
Facilities For Shipping.
Port Royal. Va, April 9, 1901.

Port Royal, Va, April &, 1901.
To The FREE LANCE:
In regard to the boat subject, viii be
glad if YOU will allow me space IN your
PAPER To express my views, and what /
think the views generally are in this
neighborhood on the action of the Busi-
ness Mems Association of your city some
time ago in rejecting the schedule pro
posed 10y Mr. Robert Beverley, Jr., and
endorsed by about seven hundred oil the
people along the river from Frederlcks-
burg to TappahannOck, on both sides,
representing the leading business men
and shippers of that section.
The plan was rejected by your associa-
ton because they considered II would he
against the interest of fredericksburg
This being the case, | am sorry they
should have considered M of such small
importance and treated us with so little
politeness az not to consider our wishes
in the least.
After our efforts and Mr. Williams
promising to try the plan II FrederlckS-
burg did not object, we blame the 30
called Business Mems Association Of your
city. The question is not 80 important
as to the number OF hours we have IN
your city to buy as it is having more
money to buy with and a reasonable time
for going and coming. Also, think the
same thing can be said of the merchants
1t is not so important how many hours
they have To fill their orders a. 1t Is TO
have the orders TO fill.
have heard of remark by one OF
your citizens that fredericksburg did not
care for the trade down the river at any
rate. but this is not worth considering
any further Veal know your merchants
are DESTROYS of obtaining our trade, ana
we had rather deal in fredericksburg II
we can get goods at as low prices as we
can at other places. because II IL nearer;
but. under the present schedule, treder-
icksburg has been losing her trade Tor
years in this section and below here. For
the reason that the steamers are so very
uncertain. il makes it very disagreeable
trim. and for parties below leedstOwn
having TO spend two nights and part OF
n day on boat in order to do any shop
ping in your city, and the distance being
only about fifty miles, | wonder that
they 90 at all for years have used the
steamers rs little a. possible for either
passenger or freight.
In shipping our produce to the Baltl-
more market. under the present schedule,
il has 10 STAY on BOARD two nights and n
day. 80 one can readily see what con
dition our live stock and perishable goods
must be- in when they are offered for sale.
Now. with the schedule Mr.. Beverley
suggested we would have day travel To
and from fredericksburg to Tappahan-
mock and for people below there. | can
think the transfer at Tappahannock
would take any longer or be more dis
agreeable than the present staying at
Ieedstown; and then, with our produce
getting to market twenty-iour hours
sooner than now. we would certainly
obtain better prices, and, with better
trevelng facilities and more money TO
spend. can't see but what Frederlcks-
burg would have been the gamer. And
if. as some claim, where one sells his pro-
duce he will buy, then why, after our
shipping TO Baltimore for years past, has
not fredericksburg lost our trade en-
tirely. with such disad yantages in trans
pOrtation az we have had in the past?
Therefore. the action of your associa-
ton in rejecting a plan we wanted with
out showing us any consideration or sug-
costing a better. makes US feel rather IN
suited. and To he dictatOrial and not to
consider our wishes in the matter, will
certainly cause us to buy somewhere else.
A river boat will be all right, but we
want especially better facilities for ship
ping orr produce and willnot be satisfied
until we obtain it.
Yours very truly.
" T Pratt.