National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-12
SOME EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY.
What Southern Enterprise has Done
for It-The Shipping Trade-RaiI-
roads RadiaIIng From it-CcIn-
ing Rivalry Between the wash
ingtOn and Bay Line.

last Monday at 3 o'clock. Now am something
Of a salt water and good deal of q fresh-water
sailor; and here, pledge you my wGrd, the Nose
ley is all you said of her. She is as rrm a boat
Of her class and size as floats, strong, easy in q
sea, and fast. The way she can show q clean
pair Of heels to all competitors is something
pIising. She can do her fifteen knots an hour
without cTOWdiDg. To me most interesting fea-
ture on the MOseley is the jolly little Captain
Baldwin. He is about tWO-thlrds as big as George
b. McCartee twice as active and nimble OF foot:
and three times as plucky. And yet there is
more real sailor and spirit Of command in that
small human package with the pOnderOus pair OF
whiskers and mustacse than you would dream of.
1t would do you good to see how skillfullY he
handles that boat in making his landings.
George H. Plant will take his position on
board as usual, but he has been reduced to the
rank Of suPernumerary or seyen-up captain.
We reached Point Lookout little after IL p. m.
expecting to sight the Adelaide, of the Bay Line,
ana give her trial OF speed. She had, however,
passed down ahead Of US, and SO we were disap-
pointed; The A. is put down as the crack boat
that If they came up with her they would show
her a clean pair Of heels. She reached Norfolk
forty minutes ahead of US.
There is likely to be = very spirited rivalry
carried on between these this summer, or as soon
as the Lady of the Lake is put on. Plant con-
folk into Baltimore via Washington quicker than
the steamers OF the Bay Line can. When he per.
fects his arrangements, he adds, with the BlIti-
more and Potomac railroad to run trains from
Pope's creek, he can put passengers into Phila-
GeIphia quicker than the Bay Line an put theirs
into Baltimore. This Bay Line is rich and
powerful concern, and one is surprised that they
90 not get scme new and more spacious boats,
and keep those they have cleaner and in better
order.
NORFOLK NOT WALKED UP.
1t was six O'Clock when we went fairly into the
ancient city Of Norfolk. Norfolk was not up. The
people Of Norfolk have decided dislike TO get
ting up early of a morning. When they do get
mp il is with dissatisfied air and an anxious de-
gira IN IN n har anua
with you because you come so early TO get shaved.
Then, taking it for granted that you were out all
nigh read you q lecture on the value Of good
morals. The druggist indHlges in little profan-
ity but finally gets up, spends several minutes 10
finding HIS spectacles, several minutes more 10
rubbing them, then draws you glass Of Congress
water, wondering how on earth you got into the
habit of getting up so early OF a morning. There
is lazy air about everything in Norfolk. You
hour. They have the laZiest-looking policemen,
the LATEST and dirtiest-lOOking darkies, and the
leanest-lookinR and worst-dressed poor white men
in Norfolk. Even the dogs have lazy look, and
refuse to bark at you with any spirit. They have
the worst sidewalks and the dirtiest streets and
the largest number OF toundered streets in Nor
folk. Your tlne old Virginia gentleman detests
Wellpaved streets and smooth sidewalks He
will talk stills eat stilts sleep on stills get
up on Suits In bis politics In his law in his rell
proven. He is a good enough old gentleman, but
SO stilted that you invariably feel like passing
Linn over into the next world there being place
down here good enough for him.
HOW YE ANCIENT CITY OF NORFOLK LOOKS.
like to study Norfolk; she is such quaint
looking city. Seen from the Roads one might
easily Imagine her made up Of architectural odds
been buried under the sand for several centuries
and then re-Rppeared in some unex pected and
mysterious manner, and had been suffering from
dry rot ever since. 1t stands on the extreme
point Of very big sand bank, struggling to the
ris BIT, struggling to the left, struggling every
where. Il may, at some remote period, have been
N.Ir Ee1Ak H-e NAg ~
sFw have q resemblance to that ancient aud re-
markable people. Then there are the AccOmac
Arabs quite as primitive in their dress and habits
as the persons may be excused for mistaking for
descendants of the Druids. On reaching the city
you feel that all the enterprise Of the city had
been combined to piece it out with oyster shells.
HoRFoLK's DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN.
Norfolk has her 'oId and very distinguished
humanity. met this man forty or more years
ago He came very near talking me into another
world; and it was all about Norfolk, NOrfolk's
tne harbor, what Norfolk would one day be-
commercially, socially financially and politically.
New York was to dWindle down into a fourth or
fifth class city, and Norfolk was to be the great
commercial emporium (that was it) Of the cOun-
try. This old and very distinguished citizen had
what he called very settled opinions every sub
TO express them, too. And yet, notwithstanding,
he would make Norfolk such marvellous city
Outriyalng Venice under the Republic. He had
the most settled opinion that "Sll id outsiders
(meaning Northern people) should attend to their
own business and keep out OF Virginia
met that same old and very distinguished
citizen to-day and was not at all astOnished to hear
him talk exactly as he did more than forty years
ago. He never intends to die, and will keep on
to the end Of time talking Of Norfolk and her
his musKet and went into the war, this very old
and very distinguished citizen did, 10 develop
this grand ~ idea Of making Norfolk greater
commercial city than New FORK.
NORFOLK ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Now ancient city has much imnFOved and
frightened up since the war. Indeed, she has
taken several steps towards that grand CONNER
ciRl and financial future her old and very dis
tinguished citizen has been so long talking
about. But she is not indebted to him for these
steps. Northern capital and Northern enterprise,
both we'll directed, did in ten years for Norfolk
what that fine old Virginia gentleman had been
promising and talking about for an hundred.
Norfolk IS to-daythe third largest cotton shipping
port in the country. At the close Of the war q
number Of far-seeing and public-splrited men,
with capital enough to sustain them, formed a
company with view to enlargiDg and improving
the commerce o. Norfolk, and so directing the
carrying trade Of the South as to make her
great shipping depot for the exchange Of trade
North. Boston. New York, Providence, Wash
iDgtOn ana Baltimore were represented I'm this
company, Here the cotton, rice and other South
ern products were to be concentrated and re-
that these products conld be brought by rail to
Norfolk and reshpped cheaper and safer than by
the old mode Of transportation by sailing vessels,
around Hatteras. with its attendant delays, dan
gers and increased rate Of insurance. The enter
prise was struggle at first; now 1t is great
success.
from 500 to 2ooO tons, six Of them built at VIE
mingtou, Del, and one at Boston, are now en-
ployed-four between Boston and Norfolk and
three with Providence. They go as full they
can hold every trip. Their passenger sccommo-
datiOns, too, are very hne. So rapidly has the
business increased that the company now conteu-
plate building two more ships Of 200 tons each.
The company has also rented near their docks q
large hrst-class hotel, which will compare favor
ably with anything OF its size in the North.
There is also the Old Dominion line, composed
Of seven ine steamers, plying between Richmond
and Norfolk and Baltimore and New York, and
doing q good business. This line is sustained
less important lines OF steamers from Norfolk,
such as the Bay line, to Baltimore; line to Phil
which will soon be composed Of the Lady Of the
Lake and Jane Moselsy.
RAILROADS FROM NORFOLK.
Three railroads, destined to perform an i'm
PoIant part In the carrying trade Of the country,
oke, extending TO Wilmington, N. o., and from
thence along the coast to Charleston, s. e., Sa-
these sections to this point for trsnsshipmeut; the
Piedmont Air Line, now struggling for an exist
teDce, stretching through the middle Southern
States and TO New Orleans; the Atlantic, Mlssis-
sippi and Ohio (Mahone's,) extending from Nor
folk towards East Tennessee, and already CON-
pleted TO Bristol, 435 miles. This road Is we'll
managed, and does an immense business. If ever
the Piedmont Air line gets Its come cttons c3m-
plete and in good working order Il Will perform
o very important part in attracting the products
Of the central and most fertile portions OF the
Southern States TO its line and into Norfolk. IT,
then, NorfOlk's very old and very distinguished
citizen would only stop talking politics and
looking up the history OF his ancestors il, ia a
word, he would wake up from his long Sleep stop
dreaming, and put bis own shoulder to the wheel
the future Of Norfolk would be something really
encouraging.
GREAT VEGETABLE GARDEN.
The country for forty miles around Norfolk is
a great vegetable, iruit and market garden II
would ast0nsh some of your readers to 70 down
on the docks during the season and see what
brought to this market Of q single morning. and
reshipped to all parts Of the country. Here you
will see one man putting up garden stuff" as It
Is called, for Boston, New York, Chicago. Gin
cinnati and st. Louis. This garden STUFF Is an
important feature Of the carrying trade. The
light, warm, sandy soil and the genial climate
are favorable TO the early production Of these
vegetables and fruits. The vegetable season be-
gins In early April In early May the strawber-
ries are in season. AS many as two hundred
thousand quart baskets OF strawberries have
poor people who raise these fruits and vegetables
complain bitterly about the small prices they get
for them, and the almsst impossibility OF making
O living at the business. MIddlemen have, IN
short, monopolIZed the business, some Of them
being quite wealthy. r. q. A.
Special Styles Of Goods
to be had st other clothing house in this city.
English Pineheck Suits,
Diab Devon Suits,