Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-02
||O||.LD PACKET BOATS
MADE YNCHBURG
in NEARLY 3 DAYS
Almost Unbelievable Fare
Served in Cabins of
Canal Vessels.
JOURNEY WAS HOLIDAY
FOR TRAVELLERS THEN
Ships Were Built for Comfort
and Luxury of Their
Passengers.
ny &. A. BRYCE. VI. ID.

River division of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad III its comfortable
coaches reminded me of my first trip
j from Richmond TO Lynchburg when
travel was by way OF packet boats
on the canal. Comparing the meth
DDS then and now over this historic
and picturesque route. we have gain
cd much in time saving through the
adoption of the railway, and lost
nuth In other respects, which made
Il trip In these fine packets regular
long Grawn-out pleasurablc cruise
among q lot OF genial and compa Mon
able persons who made themselves
agreeable in order TO tighten the
tedium OF a day or two of travel go
Ing only $50 miles or less
In their day these packet boats
were elaborate affairs. built for the
= comfort and luxury of their patrons
who were their guests often for n
day and = night and longer. wien
there were unavoidable delays. The
servants were usually bright mulat-
toes trained in politencss and clici-
cncy in making the travellers com
Portable. The sleeping berths We're
arranged along the sides OF the boat
in tiers OF threc-lower. middle and
uppcr-and were curtaincd off. max
ing them private. They were about
like the arrangement We find today
on our sleeping coaches or coast
wise steamers. thoueu not so c!;,b-
crate In detail.
Hest of Fare.
h. e ,ln
bright spick and span boats that they
provided the best bill of fare on their
tables TO be found in Virginia. and
this WAS acknowledged by all who
Travelled over tho line. Travcrsing
the r!dH James River Valley these
boats were always supplied with the
choicest products from the farms
and could always furnish their Ia
blcs with broilers. fat fowls. choice
butter, fresh eggs. milk and cream
10 say nothing Of lamb, veal. tender
steaks and the frcsIcst vegetables
it was also not uncommon for tho
bill of fare To include venison Killed
10y huntsmcn along the route.
No hotel in Richmond could sur
pass the splendid meals furnished.
and many persons made the trip be-
ANtt! 'NntNbuTS ana iNlcnihOnu Tor
the sole purpose OF a days rccrca-
tion and good meals served. The
passengers had fine lounging rooms
music and games in the cabin. and
when the weather was fine spent
much Of their time on deck chatting
in groups and enjoying the scenery.
AT frequent points The canal was
crossed by bridges between farms.
Usually they were high enough 10
permit the boats 10 pass under and
carry passenger seated on deck
without striking him. hut the steers
man always gave warning ms he APP
preached by singing out in loud
voice. Bridge. bridge" and when il
was unusually low he would say.
Bridge! low bridge"
Passengers Would iDucil.
This warning gciicrally caused all
on deck TO squat very low. and some
doubtful ones would sprawl Hat upon
the deck To be doubly sure OF get
ting under safely. Habitual travel
crs on canal boats got so accustomed
4 10 ducliinE when they ieard the word,
, bridge" they sometimes duckcd
when there was no bridge.
An old friend who had travelled
upon the packet boats and also on
tho liners across, told me that On one
occasion when crossing the ocean he
observed Il ncw-rich woman and her
two daughters out on deck and who
seemed very anxious 10 impress her
fellow travellers with the idea tina;
She had Travelled extensively by toll
ing what a good sa!lrr she had always
been. Our friend becoming d!sCuested
with her airs. offered 10 bet a compan-
ion that he could demonstrate that she
had never been on anything before
but a canal boat. Ills friend took Kin
up, and then and there in midocea,
and in view of many others on deck
he suddenly yelled our, bridge low
bridge" when all three nattcnet
themselves on IN. deck
Drawn by Horses.
These boats wer. drawn by three
splendid horses, driven in tandem
and drawing "a long rope whicN was
attached TO the BOW Of '.e boat aNt
allowing quite IA Lengthy play Il dis
/. from the canal The horses trave!e,
along the tuwpath--a smooth har,
roadway running alongside the cana
bank. The driver rode the near
horn and Il long whp, which h
= never had occasion 10 use. lie blew
his horn when approaching tn
locks" for the keeper 10 have IN
gates open for the boat 10 enter am
be either raised or lowered. accord
ing 10 the direction in which he va
going The horses went at - tro,
and were changed about every to
& miles for fresh relay, which va
always in rcaaincss--hOrscs champ
ing at their bits and restless for III
start when the boat arrived.
Even with this quick service. =
considered in those days, think
took day and night and a par
of the next day to make tn" tri
between the two cities. ] rcmcmbc
taking passage on q onc-mule frcigh
boat that took Il week TO come frof
8 Lynchburg 10 Richmond But thi
was real pleasure trip for me. 10
4 IL gave me time to go out in tn
" nearby fields and hunt. and me,
8 the boat whenever got tired o
IS hungry. when night came We an
r. chored and took the mule on boar
q and put him in his stall on the bOw
y end OF the boat. Then we gathcrc
s. in our cabin AT the stern, where "
M had n good supper. played checker
or cards. and frequently had a littl
IS banjo and fiddle music. after while
we crawled into our hunks and slej
& 2 ay only the care-frcc can. AT point
along the canal where there wa
H considerable curve or bend In IL
rIyer,BI have known huntsmen
ieatn Inc PACKET and HINT across n
( adjacent fields while the boat vi