The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-01-31
FREDERcKsByRe Va
Communicated.
The Question Of Better River Service
Won't Down

To The Free L,noa:
I thank you for Publishing my letter
and calling attention TO iis object in
your editorial, hut cannot agree with
you in your contention that the plan I
proposed would not be self-'upporting.
Does The Free Lance speak ad-
visedly when II says that Z" except
for heavy shipments on she lower river
the boats would travel to Baltimore
at a loss?" II so. she public would
like to see its iieorss on earnings and
expenses ol ibe b9ats Unc,r aha plan
suggested. Only ono boas sud olie sFeN
would bo needed Tor 10 work 7 vet
ture tie asse-tioo tha- saeIe 65nld 81
found some iDdly,Suals o. companies
that 'vuaa sa giad q pay 81, the ex-
pehse7, Scf1 fef 49, ,etrir enS "a
Mr Williams good intereat 80. ais
money for the earnings on the river
from TappahAnnock to fredericksburg.
even at she present volume of business,
and why does The Free Lance think thai
there cannot be bat slight increase in
the business heFe9 Oar land Is 90 good
or better for trucking than the land On
the lower river; villages are springing
up there and outsiders coming in.
This is not ell due 30 the oyster interest
there is more available labor here than
in the oyster section for trucking. So
far As "Retting the people to pledge
themselves not 10 90 20 the railroad on
one side and Potomac on the other side
and not 10 ship by sail vessel" that
old trait OF human nature, called self
interest, is the surest guarantee for
patronage. The reason the people are
driving 20 miles TO railroads and are
going 30 the Potomac for quick travel
is because Of the abominable service
they get on this river. Give them
quick schedule travel hire in the day
time and trade that belongs to this river
will come back here and NOS be forced,
aB at present. 10 go elsewhere outsiders
will come 10 invest here and what will
build up this section will help the
Weems Line and Fredericksburg, as
most Of our people deal there. We
want to get closer 10 Fredericksburg,
les genial and enterprising merchants.
and not take as long togo and return
as It would TO take q trip to Boston.
Now the trip is all in the night, going
and coming, and people have to wait
from two to twelve hours for the boats.
The Free Lance seems ~ think the three
boats as they were run up to Januafy
better scheme than the plan ] sug.
gessed. There is nothing better about
the way they are or were run. We get
the leAvings of the whole system; Il is
and has been extremely unsatisfactory
to the people on tho river. We had far
rather have one boat twice a week each
way 10 the day time on something like
schedule time and getting 60 Baltimore
~ hours sooner than now, than 10 have
three or four boats running indiscrimi-
nately At all hours In the night and
eight TO twenty four hours behind time.
Won't tbe fredericksburg people help
us work up this scheme? believe they
will. We must have better facilities,
and she Weems Line is In better shape
TO give them than any one else. They
are running 3 new line on the Potomac.
We appeal 10 them TO help US. who
have contributed to make them what
they aze. All we ask is decent SER
vice here in keeping with the times;
we want no philanthrophic service We
are not objects Of charity yet, though
II present conditions continue we may
become 90. We only want our rights;
other sections have gotten theirs. Let
us ask for 3 trial Of this plan and see If
it will not be practical, self-supportiDg
and sasisfsctory to all concerned.
Robert Beverley,
caret, Essex 90 Va