The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-10
TOWN Of URbANNA,
ON PAHANNOCK
Wants to Hook On to Richmond.
but Baltimore Has 1t
Fast.
RAILROAD WILL CHANGEIT ALL
SO Near, Yet So Far-Richmord
Can Get There Easy
Enough.
RAILROAD WILL CHANGElT ALL
nY nii. j. u. HoDGKIN.

ny DIR. j. II. HODGkIN.
Urbauna Va, May a.-The tourist
who enters the mouth of the Kappa
hammock comes into historic land. The
river here is five miles wide, a long
estuary of the Chesapeake. with 100
miles OF tidewater. For many miles 1t
is great stream. with deep water and
many crccils entering II from either
side Almost all of these are OF his
,oric interest, all Of them are associated
with ante Colonial days and containing
many relics Of days long gone by.
one of these creeks. Urbaunu Creek,
needs a better description and wider
published history than perhaps has ever
been given it. Urbanna Creek Is about
fifteen miles from the broad mouth OF
the Rappahannock, on the south side
of the river, and il so audlociled that
one might readily pass by on n steamer
and fail to see it. Tho steamer winds
in between a long brcakwater, rounds
long point that almost incloses the
creek. and then, as suddenly widens into
broad. deep water. one sees on the
bank, and oU the shore of tho river as
well. a little town with history. Back.
far back In the dawn of the settlements
on the Virginia coast. John Smith first
saw and wrote of the river and Its
creeks, and 1t is a tradition that John
Paul Jones WAS Il frequent visitor here
and that he sought refuge with his ship
In the waters OF this creek---a shelter
not easy to discover. Mr.. Armistead
Gordon has a very pretty romance To-
Gated here, and makes Jones the prin-
cipal hero
uRBANNA AND SURROUNDINGS
IN THIS T'NENTIETu CENTURY
These early settlements were,
course. English. and naturally took
English names, and $50 we have for
county names MiddlcscX. Essex Lam
caster and many others imported with
the cnigrants. This little town was
settled in the year 1873 Around 1t
cluster many English names. names OF
men famous in prercvolutionary DAYS.
and long list of these might he writ
ten. But the object OF this letter Is
other than TO print old records 1t Is
with the present prefer to deal.
We have here = town OF some 500
people, most OF them we'll to do, Ger
Iainly much better OF than the mn
lority of those living in the Interior.
rach man owns his home, there being
scarcely a rented house, and these
houses bear evidence that the owners
are prosperous. We have fine side
walks an abundance of pure water
from wei, 200 feet deep which tIoWs
so freely that the waste water puYnns
me TANK full so that no other force
~ hecucd to Keep IN an abundant sun
Ply and we have this water in almost
an MONIES, with baths, sewerage and
hEhts illuminate most of the dwellings.
stores and streets, and one pcts SON,
l"e" az the local business from tho
'''ct that there are about n dozen
stores. some of these big oues.
IN the adjacent country and within
rauius OF twelve miles are other
stores. making, with those In The town.
about forty stores. ~
SOME IMPoErAN'r FACTS
"iCIiMoND OUGHT TO KNOW
Nm" now come To what | wanted
10 say ut first. All these stores AFRO
supple" from Baltimore. True. there
IL Il steamer plying between This mr.,
and Norfolk, but this makes oniy 90
ttin II Week, so that not much deoIin,~
Win mat Virginia city is done RaI,
'''lore gets the trade. all oul. nro,I,rca
T,,. 'herc Is much OF it's shipped to
,,i .i.,,,'o,c' an our supplies are fur
hi"hcd by that city, and so wo soo,,,
SIMPLY an adjunct of Balti,noro
pch"ent on her for our means 1enon
cent on her for our market. Tbcr. Il,
q steamer nearly every day from either
ms wharf IN the creek or from tbo
en mn""h as West urbanna. mile or
so away. NJ most OF the wharvec he
tween Tappahannock and IN. ,no,,,,
''c river there is Il steamer every 40,
ing. s anu COM
-, ms is wonderfully fertile VALLEY
d' ie Soii Is kindlE. producing in album
oahce almost everything grown ~, 49,
coast. Our fishing interests ,io0 s.o
source OF wealth. Oysters ana a.,
,'"o"hd. ana the RappahannocIi oys,on
mas a ii0Nor unsurpassed
ny docs not our country hourisbp
nus every natural Neutrality-suspicious.
t'Sc OF location. OF fertile soil 90
population much above the ovnr,ca "a
intelligence ana encrgy-latent cncrr,I
perhaps, but IL is here waiting Ia be-
developed. " oo
This region has no railroad. our
.ao,irSt ono Is at West Point. twenty
miles away, and almost inoccnssihio ~
account of bad roads. and twcnt,. Ill, on
- OF course, too TAR to haul produce
even hhd we turnpikeS. 1t is a matter
Oh iact that good men hive come IN
our country seeking farms and bavo
'"t ne" away because there was no wav
"a. save ny the river. which in severe
winters Is blocked by leo
LOVE TIE CAPITAL CITY
BtE CAN'T GET HERE
US NirEinians. we naturally feel thot
we would love to be i'm toucb viz M
"tatc capital. but TO get there one bas
,, 'I.HcI 90 fredericksburg. more than
.Wenty-iour hours journey. ana 800
ny rail 10 Richmond. or else go ~ e .neh
iolK (and this can only he do,n
9"'"r"aN night. and thence to pit
'n"h" ny way OF the Chesapeake 49,,
mo haiiwaN The tourney ocrns..
,i," W. w, as l have indicated, to tolso
me West Point route. is imnro ct ~ ,ako
hichnond is. ~ we read in tbc n.'
PCS, going forward by lenna pa
hounds. IL is q great commcrria, ana
, u'c' ana is growing greater. Bur RJch
is ,J hnr5 st e. not to want us, why it
y, '',u 10 say hut she has made scarce
" tentative reach our WAY
here we lie. IN the midst ~
, ,.'i, Wono erfu'iv fertile region W..
v"'ieN th"t tS'I.d support Mis-, ,asl
reop'e' AID yet we arc scarceiy sn.
r r.~" "nc 1" tinly br ,7tso we have M
.wii,i viii, ana xix nm nd seems ull-
/ Is ar old saying that franc ,oLs..
10 thc wNter so soon as 1t can, and this
makes tire road TO Baltimore easv 80
our merchants and trucls-raisers. u,,t