The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1913-06-28
GASOLINE ENGINES
BOOST BAY TRADE

tidewater land along the COURSE OF thr
Chesapeake Bay that divides the state ..
Maryland and penetrates deep into Vir-
ginia, has felt the influence of the COM
mercial motorooat as has few other sec
.tions of this country. This may seem 9.
5oold statement and yet statistics will so
"A long way toward proving it, while even
"a brief visit will give an optical demon
stration.
There are few loo llities in which so
many people make tleir livelihood from
the water as in the Chesapedke gion.
There may be sections which can boas,
nf having more -faring uIeir, but in
the States of Maryland and Virginia the
fishing, oystering and Grabbing inous
tries are enormous, giving employment
to hundreds of thousands of men, WON
and even children. In the developme-
nf these industries the gasoline engin
has played a most important part.
During the comparatively few years
that the internal combustion engine has
been a commercial factor there h,s been
a vast change and Improvement through
out the Chesapeake region: indeed. the
gasoline engine has done more for the
region than has any other one thing
during the last century.
BOON TO INLAND FARMER
True, the steam engine did its part,
but, even today. although the region Is
we'll covered by several lines of steam
GERS that make landing at numerous
places on the principal rivers, thest
tL,ir 10
begin to cover the territory the gaso-
line boats reach.
Prior to the gasoline engine the farmer
of tidewater land had sa1rIng craft l.
depend upon for the carrying of grain
and such cargoes that would not be in
jured if delayed in transit Only III
farmers close to steamboat wharves
could hope to send produce to the cities
of Norfolk and Baltimore, and even then
in limited quantities, for freight rates
were high and steamboat schedules wer
such as to make the sending of produ
risky.
If those conditions prevailed for tn
farmer close to the steamboat whar.
what about the farmer who was few
miles inland. Simply this. The inland
farmer devoted his efforts en- ..raiy to
The raising OF staple crops-wheat, corn
and tobaccO-hut in limited quanttit;
for the cost of hauling and FIRE:
charges gave but meager profit
With the exception of the territory
Immediately along the routes OF the
steamboats, great sections of MarylanG
and Virginia were almost wilderness
and vast areas of good farm lands
almost given away by those who s0ug-
a living elsewhere.
It,,,
pnginei boat there came the upwaI,'
trend The gasoline barge not only @
draft light enough to thread the narrow
and shallow streams to the very doors
of what had been practically inland b.
sturdy enough to run the open waters
of the Chesapeake to the centers of popu-
lation in only a little more time than
could be made by the steamboats,, no
only encouraged and made possible
raising of market produce but it en-
HANGED the value OF land.
BROUGHT NEW BLOOD HERE.
The gaso ine engine was directly re-
sponsible for the bringing OF expert far
mers from the West and these mea were
quick to See the glowing possibiire; 70
the kindly soil and the motor-5 boat tina
afforded quick communication with rc-
"ept..Ie markets
Tide water ylnad ana virginia has
been regeneratei. Today Tho Chcsl-
De&ka legion is a garden S1rt. GEput
iTnck b.; hes have taken the a.ar- Of
ronntl''s acres OF v."Sin forest "?I oil
farms, AMI it IS all due to the case 'lnt-
propelled craft that chug in an endless
procession
Few indeed are the farmers Of the
chesapeake REGION who do not own Il
moturhodt. no. as pleasure cral, hu.
as an al. unrt. Ia region as inlers p,rs-
ed with streams a. TO make a boa. al
m1a, as necessary Is horse and 'dl-
riaEn. It j. 3af natural that the people
were Only TOO glad to avail ta"m.
of Il cheap means of transportation 3N ~
the I4ui highways.
The ST evidence of II r Willingness