The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-21
THE OLD CANAL DAYS..

whilst q large clock over the stable
announce the time,.s and there was
n great stone pitcher from whose
spout poured perpetual stream Of
cause. of which General Cooke was
strong advocate. There We're lso
many otherfhandsome old residences
to- divnrsi ~ the landscape and lend
it a human, interest.
On moonlight nights IN summer par
ties Of travellers, especially amongst the
youthful. would sit out, on tdeck. Will
sometimes with singing, occasionally
With guitar accompaniment. Il. was
also favorite amusement to got tha
boat + hands to sing at might when
tney had an sintervali tof leisure. Their
voices. we're mellow, and da'ishteul,
parts. alp correctly carried and in,
perfect time. i Il. ,75,.s% ST I,
The sleeping acc omWpd atlnnsB were
necessarily compact and narrow. but
no more SO + than the railway slenpers
Of the present day. AT DC oc.; at
night heavy barsos curtain was hung
pip, dividing the cabin into Two ;eoill-
| pa: tnents respectively forsuse 1t the,
mae and female passeng gers. Brrlhs
werc then hung up IN; rows of rhree,
and tile travellers wore packed IN fSety
much like sardines. Familiarity with
| packet boat travel however, snnbled
any one to sleep comfortably i1lithese
whilss Eassing through the locks. and
also thu trnournful and piercing sound
OF the packet boat horn that an-
nouiiced@itsh approacfito the 'loniss.=s
The fare was excellent, at least In
ante -bellum days, WHICH. fprmed tile
It was.tas good as VOL could getztn
any ordinary hotel. They laid in sup
piles of everything, tina tt. the Richt
mond and Lynchburg Sinarkets afford
ed-flsh oysters, fowls, beef, mutton,
fruits and Notwithstanding to
1 the season. They got milk. butter and
iii abundance. and of good quality.
They always had nice deserts an ud :
iiijlnct to which was plentiful supply
OF nuts and raisins. which delighted
my childish taste. When 7 remember
their little cramped Kitchen, Il wonder
4 at the quantity and Quality or the
i iremember. In particular. how good his
batter bread was. After cachsln was
cleared Oft, he1captain to ok. his seat
at the table, fand q negro rang bell
|loudly and called out 5;s5Sis
Ladies' and gentlemen who haven't
settled your fare;Tfs & lsi4- Sff1lt n i.iis5
|sWalk up to the table and you'll find
i i5ftf the Cantain there. ~ 5is
i BY the way, these captains were ex1
ceedlngly polite men, and really chiv,
alrous towards ladies'. They had q
mate, Al belieye, like the captains Of
sailing vessels.
II During the ante -bellum period an
now describing. Porte Crayon (our
!, talented. Virginia writer and arttst)
0e 9erv enter}a a9 aeserption q i
for Aafperris Magazine. aacco!apanted
by Illustrations OF his own. I think
ISthis was fabbutfthe year 1855.
!, During the war, travel greatly in,
Il creased, and indesd hacame so heavy
that an q t!onal sltlue Of racket
was put on, and by their racing with
n eaeh. OIL her. thelr speed was ao Hluctl
accelerated that they gained several
/ hours before the journeys end. Sucl
q an imp etus was given to travel ~
those days that the boats sometimes
I sank SO deeply In the water as almost
q to touch tho danger illness EaES tl5
natter the Wharf.-The pleasantness fand
\ glamor seemed to depart tin "a gren,
measure from packets boa E travel. aE'eo.
pie were Impoverished, and taH8 ~ geiL
1 eral stlli ng, could only drum UP erousf
money to- pay their fare exclusive +0l
meals. so most Of the passengers way,
eled With q lunch, and the packe
e table grAw to be thillly ATTENDED ant
the amply Supplied ma joylqi beaIi
around which the tgave7lltn E. public hat