Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-03
TALK OF NORFOLK BOAT.
No Certainty About Tourist and
Guide Running to the Rappahan-
nOck-COurt Decision on Wharf
Question Clears the Way Some.
what.
lFrom saturday,s Norfollz Pnot.,


(From Saturdays Norfolk Pilot
The matter of an independent line
of. steamers from the Rappahannock
has taken a new turn and IN the
minds of some of the business men
of Norfolk it is doubtful question
as to whether an independent line
for the local trade with that section
would be paying investment. Sec.
retary Lumsden, of the Chamber of
Commerce, is enthusiastic in his sup
port of such a proposition, while
Secretary E. Harvey Daughtrey, of
the Board of Trade, thinks that the
wholesale merchants of the city DO
not have a sufficient amount of trade
there and are making no particular
efforts to increase what trade they
have.
Yesterday Mr.. Lumsden was asked
what progress was being made to
have an independent steamer put on
that trade. lie said that the plans
was being pushed along very rap
idly, and it was now about certain
that such line would be put on.
Some few days ago it was an
nounced that the steamers Tourist
and Guide, now plying in local and
Carolina waters, would probably be
put on the Rappahannock river route,
One of the members of the firm of
Odell Bros. now states that he does
not believe the project will be carried
out because he thought it would be
found that the steamers were not of
the character to be serviceable to
the institution. Both are stern
wheelers and draw very little water
and have great deal of super-struc-
ture. This alone would make them
unfit to make the trips. While they
might get along very we'll in sum-
mer time they would be of very little
service during the stormy season of
the year. The Rappahannock trip
Is very rough when a heavy NOR
wester is on, aud while trip in one
of these boats would be bad enough
when the waters through which they
have to pass are normal it would be
utterly impossible during a heavy
storm.
Secretary Lumsden, of the Cham
ber of Commerce, locks horns with
the Secretary of the Board of Trade
as to the business end of the transac-
ton. Mr.. Lumsden says that the
trade of Norfolk merchants with
that section of the State is at this
time very large and that it is con-
fstantly growing. He says that the
merchants are constantly adopting
measures to push this trade and
they are constantly reaping the re-
ward of their efforts.
After stating this fact Mr.. Lums-
den saiG: "You can get very good
steamer for $50, 900, one that would
meet all the requirements, and this
steamboat by making two trips a
week the year around would easily
do business to the gross amount OF
$4,000. Now, from What l am able
to learn the steamer could be run on
liberal basis, everything included,
for about $4,000. This would
leave net profit of about $4,000
on an investment of $4,000, and
you know a 90 per cent. investment
is not to be had every day."
The Secretary said that about two
weeks ago Judge Waddill decided in
the United States court here that
the landings now built along the
Rappahannock river could be used
legally by the general public as well
as the Weems Line, to whom the
wharyes belong, or by any other
steamboat line, the terms to be ar
! ranged on basis satisfactory to both
lines, or in the event that an under
istaBdiug could not be reached, by
isthei United States court. This deeis-
ion in itself would settle the matter
of good landing places.
g Mr.. Daughtrey, on the other hand,
does not take such rosy view OF the
situation. He says that after an
economic management the Weems
Line people had demonstrated be.
yond the shadow of doubt that
the trade between Norfolk and
points on the Rappshannock will
not Justify any company in operat.
ing a steamer between the two places
exclusively, and if the steamer could
not be run at profit it would be
hard to get anyone to take hold of it.
"When the matter came up some
time ago." remarked Mr.. Daugh,
trey, ''I started ont to see what
could do to remedy the situation
and | found that / had an uphill
job on my. hands. l went to a
number of merchants and asked
them what they were doing to 10
crease their trade in that section Of
the State and found they wer,
1 n