The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-15
TO the Editor Of the Dispctch

A week or ten days ago / wrote an aTti-
Gle for your paper which intended to sign
4" Virginian," but which. from some MIS-
take OF mine or The printer in emitting the
final ''n," appeared under the signature OF
.'Virginia." In that communication ! sug-
gested that II would be a graceful mode OF
recognizing OLa esteem for the character
of Dir. Corcorau and our appreciation Of
his generous kindness to our state to call
the young city which is about to spring
into existence at the point Of land known
as NeWport's News by his honored name.
4 writer in asubsequent number Of your
paper finds fault with my article, not by
obiecting to the propriciy OF doing honor
to the name Dir. Corcoran, but by denying
that the harbOr at NewpOrts News is safe
one, and taking issue with me in regard to
the probable growth OF Il city OF any consi-
derable magnitude at Newport's News. lie
objects also to the abandonment Of the
time-honored name Of Newports News,
which he assumes that 1 wish to blot out
from the map Of Virginia. ] am sorry to
add that he seems 10 insinuate that my az
tcie, il not inspired by Mr.. Huntingdon,
Of railroad celebrity, and Mr.. Roach, the
steamship builder, Was written IN their In
tended. 10 injure our venerable seaport OF
Norfolk and her twin sister Portsmouth.
am now compelled TO ask little space
in your columns 10 make brief answer to
these uncharitable criticisms.
Ia the first place, beg to state that
have very little personal knowledge OF
: Newport's News. | do not reside within
! one hundred miles OF it., and never saw il
/ a, ata 1rfrt-nrf
| Norfolk and Richmond. Whether q city OF
magnitude will rise up there or not cannot
affirm, though incline TO the affirmative Of
the proposition, and il | am to Judge from
the outgiyings OF the press my impression
Is sustained by respectable authority.
Nor am l sufficiently informed TO be able
to affirm positively that the harbor is per-
| fectlv safe one under al circumstances: but
this much l do know: Many years ago in
coming from Norfolk TO Richmond in 4
steamboat o storm struck us in the bay,
which caused the boat to roll and pitch so
violently that the passengers were made
| very sea-slck, but Gs soon as we reached the
point at NcwpOrt's News the water was rs
placid rs that OF a land-locked lake. Iwilladd
that / hardly think that man OF so much
sagacity rs Mr. Huntington is reported to
be would have selected this point as the
eastern terminus OF his grand system OF
transconinental railways unless he was
satisfied that IL offered great advantages as
q harbor and a site for city.
As for my having been prompted towritc
my article by any regard for the wishes or
interests OF Mr.. Huntington or Mr. Roach,
or anybody else, have simply TO say thar,
TO the best Of my knowledge, l have never
seen either Of these gentlemen, and have
never had any communication, direct or
Indirect, with either OF them, or with any
one in their behalf.
But am represented rs exhibiting an
almost prOiane disregard OF the early his
tory and traditions Of our State in seeking
to strike from her map the venerable name
OF New-Port's News. Here my critic does
me great injustice. II he viii read my
article again with little more care he will
find that / proposed nothing Of the kind.
III / am not mistaken, it IL The point Of land
which juts into Chesapeake bay at the
mouth OF James river, which for more than
two and half centuries has been known
as New-Port's News. There never has been
any city, town, or hamlet at that point
known as Newports News. l did not pro-
pose to change the name OF that peninsula
or point Of land. 1t will, trust, always
continue to bear that name. But cily-a
new creation-is, rs / assumed, about to
spring into existence on that peninsula
or projecting point, Just as the city
OF New York sprung up on the
Island OF Manhattan; and what proposed
was that thus city, this nep creation, should
not bear the name Newport's News (Which
would coniouad the city with the neck OF
land). but that II should be known through
out the world by the honored name Of