Smyrna times., 1909-08-18
SMYRNA BOAT LINE TO Be
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
DIRECTORS VOTE ODlSP0SE OF
TRANSPORTATION cos! LINE
Effort Being Made to Have 1t Pur-
chased by Local Interests and
More Identified With Smyrna.


The Board of Directors of the
Smyrna Transportation and Manufac-
turing Company, at a recent meeting
held in Wilmington, decided to dis
pose of their line plying between
Smyrna and Philadelphia, together
with all the property. A movement
is on foot to have the line taken over
by local interests. For over thirty
= years, Smyrna has enjoyed the dis
tinction and privilege of having had
the best water transportation facili-
ties of any town south of Whining
ton. In that time, a great many i'm
r provements have been made under
the present management, not only in
improving the stream, but in estab-
fishing industries on Smyrna River;
also in carrying the head of naviga-
tion from Rothwell's Landing to
Smyrna Landing. All this has been
done, and much more is arranged for,
including Jetty and cut offs, which,
when completed, will make Smyrna
River navigable at any stage of the
tide, thus making very valuable to
all the surrounding and adjacent pro-
perties this outlet for the commerce
of this section. 1t has taken many
years to build up this business, and it
has been done, at times, under very
trying, conditions, and now the busi-
ness is established to such an extent
that there is no reason why it should
not be continued, and give to our
people the same facilities, and pay
well for an indefinite period. For
many years this line has been main
tanned and operated by stock com
pany, the stock holders Of which have
been, with the exception of Manager
JardiEe, residents of other localities
than Smyrna.
Owing to a change in the
management, these stock holders
have decided to dispose of their hold
ings in this company, and would pre-
fer that their holdings should be taken
in Smyrna, thus putting the control
and management of this business at
home, making it a local affair. Hav-
ing this end in view, we are placing
the condition of affairs before our
people, hoping that some action will
be taken leading to the continuance
of this very important business, under
the management and control of our
home people. Should this fail to meet
with the prompt and hearty co-opera-
tion Of our citizens by taking this
matter in hand in order that this line
may be purchased and continued. the
work of years of building up this i'm
portant industry may be lost. We
understand that it is the intention of
the gentlemen owning this company
to sell the business as a whole or,
failing so to do, that the steamers
and other properties will be sold in
separate lots, which would make it
harder for our people to gather to-
gether and control these portions after
they have been disposed of to sepa-
rate individuals. The business. as it
stands, has first-class equipment,
including everything necessary to
carry it on successfully and it will
cost a great deal more money to
supply all these numerous and varied
equipments separately than to buy
now as a whole. We therefore feel
it to be our duty to endeavor to i'm
press on the minds of our people the
Importance of prompt action in TAX
ing steps to preserve to this section
this very important steamboat line
which has done so much for and been
such an absolute necessity to Smyrna
and the surrounding country.