Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-08-02
BLEST COUNTRY, BUT UNIM.
PROVED.

have maintained, to strangers and |
home people alike, our belief that
the lower Rappahaunock Valley was
the equal if not much the superior of
the Norfolk and Eastern Shore
trucking field. This has been borne
upon us by experiment and investi-
CATION, and lately by the opinion of
others who have looked into the
matter. The sandy wastes of Vir-
ginia's eastern peninsular were
most uninviting before transporta-
tion opened them up, and there, like
here, the people relied almost solely
upon what the water would give up.
IL is true we need better transporta-
ton facilities, but just as badly we
need to keep "ashore" and look after
our lands. They are the kindest in
the world, need but to be tickled to
smile with harvest. We are too
much inclined to keep in old ruts-
no one wants to venture on a truck
crop until some other fellow has led
the way. In this way we still ply
the tongs and haul the nets and the
riches ashore that nature has pro-
vided for go ungarnered. Not I'M
til our people become more reliant
upon the soil will we catch up with
the lost thirty years the writer of
the following from the Baltimore
Sun alludes to:
81 have driven my fathers cart to
Red Bank wharf many times with
potatoes, made one load a day anC
took about week to load boat
Could We put up with that now
The Northern Neck on the Kappa
hammock river, is now where tn
peninsular was 80 years ago.
"I own farm in Lancaster count
which great many people Cal
godforsaken country. But thin
different. The Northern Neck ha
bright future. 1t has better truck
ing soil than Accomac and North
ampton, and much more of il
plenty of timber, plenty of mars
land for stock. You can go ther
and live longer on 10 cents than an
place in the world. 1t has the pt
ninsular beat to death on oyster
Barrels can be made much cheape
They do not raise much truck
because they can not get it to maj
ket. | had the pleasure of raisin
some cabbage near Wheaton whar
this year. My man raised fine stuff
We had to load on q little car carry
ing Is to 90 barrels and run the ca
out on a wharf 900 yards long an
not wide enough for wagon to tur
around upon. One day about tw
weeks ago was there and saw til
poor farmers fuss, fight and scratc
to get 500 barrels out on this whart
l was told there were 500 barrels an
the steamer only carried. 5000
Then six wharyes at 500 barre
each would have loaded the boa
Can you expect truckers to go
such place, even if the land is good
It's of no value unless they can e,
produce into market.
"Last year one farmer in Lancas
ter county planted 200 barrels {
Irish potatoes. He had to run thel
off in sail boats, and when this
done it only cost 10 cents barr,
to Cape Charles, and when they 6
there, of course, Baltimore loses.
railroad through the Norther
Neck from Fredericksburg to IL
bay, at q point between the Potoms
and Rappahannock, and thence
Baltimore by barges, or by ra
through Fredericksburg, will gil
Baltimore all she wants in a vel
few years after the road is con
pleted. A road can be built at lit
cost through this section. III
writer has had considerable exper
ence in railroading, and Captai
Thomson started me on the ol
Eastern Shore road. / don't kno
of any section now that needs ros
worse or can build one cheape
There should be plenty of capital
Baltimore to DO this, and. in u fe
years pay handsome dividend
There is little road running out {
fredericksburg now to Orange, Va
and | am told it pays better on til
capital invested than any road i
the United States.
"Let Baltimore capitalists get t.
work, and do not sleep until tn
Pennsylvania builds this road an
then run barges to Crisfeld, pu
the stuff into Northern markets an
cuts yon out again. A road throue
this section will certainly be bull
some day, and now is the time 70
Baltimore to strike. Don't Ia
behind. It's in your reach so gras
it. | saw trucker from Norfol
county this week here in the mour
tains looking for trucking land. II
was sent to me, aud l sent him I
the Rappahanncck river. He Wa
we'll pleased with what [ told hin
except the freight transportatio,
That is the only drawback; but b
said be would go there and loca
anyway. w. A. LANDLORD.
Charlottesville, Va"
AN OYSTER OMEN.