The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-28
COLONIAL BEACH
CROWS \ [ RAPIDLY RI |.
From Obscure Resort to d
Town in a Short
While.
a DOZEN OR MORE HOTELS
The Summer Population Now
Numbers Several
Thousand.
Especial to The s-Dispatch.)

Especial to Tho Tines Dispatch.)
CONFORM, VA May 27.--Colonia Beach,
q 'the little town on the Potomac" is
growing IN size and Importance and at.
tracing attention that even surprises It's
sanguinc promoters. From Il little village
that accommodated several hundred
summer resortcra'' few years ago, 1t
has developed into a town of consldcra-
bic Importance and great promise.
Many OF the uninvltlng cottages have
given place to costly, beautiful and com,
modious mansions OF modern design and.
a arrangement. a dozen or liore we'll
Z equipped hotels aud many large stores
and other business establishments are
proEperIng, and Indicate constantly in
&5creasing business i3$a s5
Several thousand people summer at Co
i lonial Beach. and the permanent. all
thc-year-around population of the place.
Il is much larger now than any ono sup
posed 1T ever could be; and, by reason.
Y Of this, the town Is a source Of large,
revenue to the farmers and truckers of
q upper Westmoreland and lower King
George, since. they find ready sale there
for not only eggs and chickens, but for.
4 all manner of vegetables, fruit and other
! products of the farm.
Shrcwd and experienced business men.
( have faith in the future of the place,
q and capitalists Of Washington and else
n where Tire making large investments
there. Many new and important enter
iprises have sprung into existence in the.
+ rast twelve months. Among these Is
Il n thriving newspaper. published weekly
4 So great has been the demand for houses
OF late that nearly all OF the carpenters
s for5iniles around e have found lucrative
employment there. 81
,8t4 THE WHEAT.
Reports from representative farmers
h IN various sections agree that the wheat
& has greatly improved during the past.
ten du ys, and that present Indications
arc for good crop. Some few complain
that 1t is "headng out too low. Ell
\, that the hoads are too near the ground
But some, on the contrary. argue that
Il short straw does not necessarily mean
Il a small yield sS
Corn is coming shp we'll and all crops
and the pastures have improved q good
deal since the drought was broken bS
A fine rains a week ago.
Many old fields OF worn-ont, soil are
being fallowcd and prepared for cow.
peas. to be seeded tho last of this month
and In June. Notwithstanding the un-.
precedented high prices of seed peas. 4
larger area will be. cultivated in shiny
Z son than ever before, }st4
= gThc scarcity of shnd in the Potomac
and Rappahannock this spring IS n sub
ject Of much comment among the fisher
y men and lovers OF these fish. Some Of
< the fishermen In King George are OF the
opinion that but few shad can come UP
the rivers. because of the large number
of modern traps and nets nearer inc
mouths Of the rivers. sz
" Fishermen are almost hilarious over
Fl the early advent OF surgeons this Spring,
: and some OF them are making extensive
preparations for catching these big fish,!
The surgeons themselves do not com-g
8 rnand very high prices - the markets
after the first Of the season, but their
roe sells for fabulous pr ces. and 1t Is
from this that the fishermen realize so
largely when surgeons are any ways
plentiful Some fishermen here have real
lied as much as SIS from the roe of one
4 sturgeon-this. besides the amount for
which they sold the fish.
MANY NEGROES.
The colored people Of Washington have
begun their regular Sunday excursions to
Somerset Beach. in this county. and he
who wants to see a mighty multitude of
colored folks In n group can he accomrno-
dated by peep at Somerset Beach on
any Sunday from now until the first or
middle OF September. The steamboat
loads from the city arc met at the beach
by hundreds of "darhies" from all sec.
lions of this county.
Mr.. Galen r. Smith, OF this neighbour
hood, has mechanics at work erecting n
q substantial pier at Fair View, on the
Potomac, where he will establish n regu-
lar Steamboat landing right away.
Mr.. Thomas ii. Tolson. of Shamrock.
this county, has assumed command rs
+ captain of the4tug "a. j. Hoole, of
New York, which is engaged In general
towing on the Potomac
SIS Mrs. G. yV.sRogers. who has been spend
Ing some time in Washington, has re-
turned to her home here