The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-21
BY MARY wAsHIyGroy.

In recent newspaper, / noticed
proposition that the old packet-boat
Marshall should be exhibited at the
Jamestown Exposition.l1t Is now used
as house boat few miles. below
Lynchburg, and believe 1t Is still in
quite o good state OF preservation as
1t was built originally In q careful and
superior way. Moreover. It enjoys the
melancholy distinction OF having been
used to convey the- remains OF Stone
wall jackson totLexington for in ter
ment. This old boat, Il exhibited, would
no pdoubt serve as 4 Pleasant reminder
to many elderly persons OF the old
packet days.
The James River and. Kanawhai
Canal twas founded, 7 believe, some
time between 1870 and 1850, and lit
was considered q decided advance in
modern progress. as uptto that time
people either had to travel by stage
coach. or in their private conyeyances.
and the farmers sent their; produce
or else by huge, covered :wagons,fofte
with teumUof four, horses. Consequent
~ 1t added Immensely to their con
yenience when they were able to ahip
their produce by fright boats, and the
more 80, as these boats would stop at
any point along the line q the canal,
insteadSof merely receiving freight ct
fixed stations, as the railroad oes
Occasionally. even now hear an old
farmer wishing forfthe old canal days,
on account Of the above-nanied ad-
vantage. :sEss. +
Between 1850 and 1860. packet boat
travel was at Its zenith, and las the
travelling public along its ~ line. con-
sisted mostly OF wealthy or well-to- do
there was really elegant and charming
society on board the; packets. and
this mode OF travel admitted tof q de-
gree Of sociability i Impossible on the
railroad cars. In the. first place, It was
SO 'lesurely that IL you were not all
ready acquainted with Iyour fellow
passsnksgs y9q a9 se9f hs sT1sy
was at an end.a The boats Travelled
only at the rate OF fpurs1niles, an hour.
though theyhad relays OF tines hor es.
which were changed every twelve
miles BY the way, the tow-path which
was! level and kept u nice order. at,
driving. The trip between Richmond
and Lynchburg (about 1+5 miles) took
nearly thirty-six hours totaccompltsh,
a ipacket-bont leaving leach one OF
these cities late on Monday. Wednes-
day andI Friday afternoons, and reach
Ing the other city on "Wednesday, Fri
day and Sunday mornings. There was
also a limo Of packets running be-
tween LXnchburg end Lexington, and
| Lynchburg and Buchanan At Balcony
Falls. abova Lynchburg, the canal d.
| vided into two forks. one going ia
Iex!ng toni and the other to Buchanan
| This part Of the routee Ind very bold
| and picture squsn scene cry, 4 characterized
by high cliffs, hills and even moun-
tains. Between Lynchburg and Rich
mond, the scenery was far less bold
\ but neverthel ess had q tranquil beauty
OF its own. tliei lowySrounds growing
broader and broader as you approached
! Richmond,f and you could see great
4 wide and beautiful exphnAes lot VIII nt
| corn and tobacco. In fine weather, the
4 passengers sat on the deck,a nhattlne
| and watching the Wnliling Landscape
al the boat glded past, the bushe
and trees along the canal being grace
fully praped6 with clematls or trulnpe
vine In the summer, whilst the latte,
also ranpprotusely over the fences ant
outbuildings In view Sometimes ~
party OF passengers would get Off an.
walk from one lock- to another, whcr'
this IdistNnce between them was,tShort
(soioral Cocke's estate n" Rren1o. 'fiWa
cons idered one of the great SHOW
placoa along the line Of the canal
! everything was in such "applaipll
ortlnr." tho rocks picked up and mad,
into fences, and the CROPS lpxurlnA
ana GErefully tended. The n'anslo2l
y rose 1pto view. statel,' ana Imp oAln9