The Cairo bulletin., 1906-07-29

a and the eastern part of Mary
land have always been gardex
4 sections, their vegetables and
ruits going to meet the demands of the
New York, Philadelphia and Boston
markets.
Thirty years and more ago the prob
lem of how to get the products OF these
kegions to market quickly became ex-
teedngly acute At that time the method
Followed was to transport the food stuffs
o Baltimore, or some other port on the
chesapeake, and thence despatch them
north by rail. This was a slow and
roundabout method, to say the least, and
hs result none of the fruits and vege-
tables got to market in the FIRST blush
bf ripeness, and more than one cargo
spoiled daily. Norfolk was the natural
forwarding point for quick service, but
Was across the Chesapeake from the
market cities, and TO skirt the Bay meant
oss of valusble time.
As for the eersnsula, railroad CON-
munication ceased On its border At Del
mar, on the Maryland Delaware line.
From Delmar to Cape Charles, Mt the
biz of the peninsula, the distance is ninety
miles The hard, practical problem be-
|fore the modern authorities In trsnspor-
tation naatters-the railroad men-was
how to tap both regions in one and the
same way for quick handling of their
products.
One day, less than twenty-five years
hgo, a man who had retired from active
railroad management but few weeks
before, presented himself TO friend, the
nate William L. Scott. and said:
Let's build a railroad from Delnlar
no Cape Charles and connect with Nor
|koIk ard Portsmouth by boat"
VERY good" replied Mr.. Scott; but
bow will you transfer your freight Eoross
ChesEreLks Bar eEpeditiowsly"
"Ws will build powerful and fast
krInsfer tugs that will transfer loaded
rains across the bay" was the answer.
"Eut the distance is thirty-six miles,
Ind the bay az times is rougher than the
English Channel" objected Mr.. Scott.
1--WE can build the boats strong
enough and equip them with engines OF
sufficient power to make the run in three
hours" was the confident rejoinder.
The upshot of the matter was that
mir. Scott became speedily convinced OF
The feasibility of the scheme, and with
money from his private bank account and
that of the plans promoter, the New
York. Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad
was built
The ether nnsn--he who thought out
the way to put frrit, PICKED the afternoon
before in Virginia, On the breakfast tables
Of New Yorkers-wss A ]. Cassatt,
President Of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
Like other railroad men, Mr.. Cassatt
recognized that the ideal route for quick
service lay over the waters of the Chesa-
peake Bay from Norfolk, and thence up
the peninsula by rail 70 the cities to the
north. But, unlike his brethren, he did
not balk at the thought that such a long
Jerry service had never been undertaken.
Instead, when he found himself at com
parative leisure, he set about designing
boats that would perform this difficult
transfer service, and when he felt that
he had secured the right sort Of design,
he had his interview with Mr. Scott
Suffice it to say that these boats have
,een carrying the Berry Express across
Chesapeake Bay ever since, with remark
lble promptness, and that the same sys-
49,, 3. -,ow " oa@-.'ion on Lake Baikal.