The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-14
IRON sHIPBUILDING AT CHESTER.
New York Capital not Coming to Time
Some InqMiries About JnhnnK Ronoh.

New York Capital not Coming to Time
some Inquiries About Johnny Roach.
The ancient fable of ''the Farmer and the
Larks Is not yet obsolete, and it is still true
tnat IL you want anything done you must do IL
yourself. Our enterprising little neighbor,
Chester, is having this fact renewedly and forci-
Dly pressed upon her attention. Some months
ago goherpeopler revelled in golden-hued prophecies
OF her future greatness founded on the fact that
John Roach, proprietor of the Morgan Iron
Works in New York, had made an extensive
purchase of land within the city, along the
river front. We had, at the time, doubts as to
whether this purchase would result in the
establishment of any mighty enterprise and our
DOUBTS were much increased when we learned
that Mr.. Roach proposed to ''build his hulls on
the Delaware and his machinery at his New
York works." This, it seems to us, though
perhaps practical, was not wise policy, nor
one tending to the great result of lessenng the
cost of building iron ships.
Mr.. Roach, however, has as yet done nothing
toward building his shipyard, and the Chester
Democrat facetiousy asks, Chow are you,
Johnny Roach 2" and then proceeds to inquire
whether or not Mr. Roach really means business,
or is merely speculating in land 1t says that
New Workers, of whom they have expected so
much, have thus far been a failure, and thinks
that the idea that New York has any respect for
Chester is mere hurtful fallacy. 1t gives
several instances in which great expectations
founded on New York capital have come to
naught and returning to Mr.. Roach says
Now, how are you Johnny Roach? is the
QuePuOD, ana WAaJ are you going to turn into!
leviathan or a speculator? Did you come over
here and buy tract of land, and make promises,
to get the Pennsylvania delegation in Con gress
10 vote for your subsidy scheme? Out with it
or down comes the printers devil. We would
like to have you come but we sincerely believe
that if you had got your $50 000 600 subsidy bill
through you would have gone to New York
to build the said steamers. Chester would have
been land of promise. You must remember
that when the Reaney works were offered, you
did not zee it. Do you think that your big
thing will come to town."
The Democrat evidently has doubts on the
matter, and in all similar projects depending on
New York capital and says further:-"That we
are to be O great and rapidly growing place,
mostly through iron shipbuilding, few will
deny; but that the capital is coming from New
York, or that those who have thus far come
among us are anything more than mere specu-
lators, few persons can be persuaded"
We hesitate to say anything which would ap-
pear to cast shadow over this bright hope and
could scarcely be induced to do so did we think
Chester would accept the unpalatable truth, but
since she will doubtless attribute what we say
to the jealousy of supposed rivalry of interest,
1T will not hurt her, and will serve the cause of
truth, to state the simple fact that Chester is,
for several reasons, not especially adapted to
iron shipbuilding. Nature has given her some
great obstacles to contend with, and her efforts
in that line of industry have never yet been sue
cessful. For many kinds of manufacturing no
place has better advantages, but in the building
of iron ships it is doubtful if any amount of capi
tai and enterprise can make her great WI
ninqtOn (Del) Commercial.