Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-02-13
ON THE BOOM.
A Stirring Letter From One OF
Lancaster's Stirring Men.


EDITOR CITIZEN:
The old Northern Neck of Vir-
ginia--and, indeed, all Tidewater-
seems to have taken on new life in
the last few years.
The men who fought aud gave
four years of their life in the strug-
gle at last came home. Those who
were so fortunate as to get home
found all that would have served as
foundation for new endeavor was
swept away. Discoursgement and
in many cases broken health made
conditions 80 hard that the people
stood still and there seemed to be a
pail, as it were, hanging over the old
Commonwealth, and for long time
the struggle to build up the old
State seemed almost fruitless, but at
this time, when everything looked
against her advancement, the young
men came to the rescue with the
rich blood of patriot fathers, and
the zeal of true men, took the helm
of the old ship aud with the chart
handed down to them by their fore
fathers, guided her through the
breakers and shoals, and she now
sails upon the deep commercial
wave of prosperity and wealth.
What would our peopele have
thought if they had been told few
years ago of things that now exist
in Tidewster? Banks and factories
OF different kinds have sprung up
as if by magic, aud the shores of
the historic old Rappahannock and
Potomac rivers are dotted with in
dustries of nearly every kind. Fer
tilizer plants, factories for canning
tomatoes and all kinds Of fruits,
ice plants, shirt factories, steam
laundries, pickle factories, 80 num-
erous they can scarcely be counted;
yet Notwithstanding this they have
all been successful, and thousands
of dollars are made by each and all
OF them. / have yet to hear. of a
single failure.
The town of Urbanna, once SO
slow and said to have been laid out
for city at the same time Philadel-
phia was, is now booming with in
dustries of various kinds, filled with
live men and merchants that seem
to be untiring in their efforts to
push her to the front. And on the
opposite side of the Rappahanno
a little lower down, is the thriving
town of Irvington, where one of the
best local papers in the State is sent
out to the people, urging them to
greater efforts, and is a power for
good. This town is also leading of
with factories of different sorts; a
National Bank that is wonderfully
helpful to the people; male and
female academy that is preparing
the sons and daughters of old Lam
caster and other counties for higher
schools and colleges. And then there
are Kilmarnock, Reedville, Wheal-
ton-almost every town and village
has caught the spirit Of improve
ment and is gaining strength all
along the line.
The farmers and truckers are also
improving their lands and growing
crops on lands that are susceptible
of improvement and adapted to the
growing of all profitable trucks,
fruits and cereals. And will here
say that the man who wishes to en-
gage in truck farming can find in
Tidewater Virginia what he wants.
Now, Mr.. Editor, what has started
all this new life in this blessed old
county? Who can say? Is it that
the Lord is blessing us in our efforts
to put down the evil of intemper-
ance, that has been working so
strong against regligion in our
midst? Our onward movement for
good seems to have commenced about
the tine We began our crusade
against the liquor traffic, and while
We have not entirely succeeded in
driving it out, yet with the con-
tinued efforts of good men and
women We will succeed.
In closing will say, Mr.. Editor,
that all the farmers and truckers
want is more and better labor, and
boats enough to take our produce to
market ON time. We, the shippers,
have lost a great deal by the failure
of the Weems Line to put our pro-
duce into market in the early morn
ing of the day that it is due in Bal
timore, and while Mr.. Williams,
President of the Weems Line, is an
accommodating gentleman, we feel
that it is due his patrons, who are
doubling up the freights every year
expressly for his line, to make a
strong effort to put them into mar
ket in the early morning of the day
they are due, SO that we may have
the benefit of first prices on fresh
stuff.