The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-31
Norfolk and the Railroad Systems.

/ y
From the Norfolk CVd) Landmark.
There has been frequent mention in Vir-
/ ginia papers ABOUT the improvements going
/ on at Newport News, OF the immense ad-
vantage that will follow to the state of
/ Virginia IN building up this end OF the
/ Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
/ But our people must not lose sight Of
/ of what is now being done, and what we
] may expect in the future for this port.
I The steady increase in receipts from the
! Norfolk ana " eStern under It's present able
management, aud what we may expect
/ from other railroad connections here, is
/ already being felt In the enhanced value OF
| real estate and the increased sales and bust
/ uess of our merchants. The outlook for
Norfolk is very bright. The western con-
nectiOns OF the Norfolk and Western
through Cumberland Gap will give US more
direct communication with St. Louis than
we have ever had
We already have very large volume Of
freighlS from the Memphis and Charleston,
the East Tennessee, Virginia aud Georgia
road, that come TO us from the No folk and
Western road. This business, some months
ago, it will be remembered, as threatened
to be diverted by the proposed lease of the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia road
t. the West Point Termininal S stem.
This moUe is Tlol0 in an embarrassed con-
ditiOn on account Of dTCto0oniStic legiSta-
ton in Georgia, 1oAach has redounded
greatly to the interests of our state. and
lUe hare strong hopes that this great roll
ltnle Of business lOll not be in any iUtSe
interJered loith hereafter. But the
source from which, we expect to
gain the greatest gain in building up our
Seaboard is what we expect 10 draw from
section of country that, has contributed
very little heretofore towards this port.
In fact, lOe propose 10 dFdW the cotton and
turpeRtine business that has hereto fore
found an outlet at ,Hitt1ington, Charles
tOn Sauaulah and BlfsitAslcicic directly to
as by the proposed s8cteaSiOn Of the sea-
board route thrOugh1 North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia to Florida.
The great advant ge that will result to
Norfolk when this line is completed through
the states of North Carolina, South Caro-
lima and Georgia cannot be estimated. 1t
viii make it what it deserves to be, a great
shipping point for the Sou h Atlantic ports.
IL is well known here that Mr.. John NJ. Robin
son. who is the financial head of the system,
has completed all his arrangements to make
his connections through Monroe, n c..
Chester, S. c., on to Athens, Ga. There
he Will connect with the Macon AMI
Covington road, already built and now
owned by Alexander Brown and others Of
Baltimore. From Macon south the Florida
and southern will be used, which will soon
be finished to Palatka, Fla. With this con-
tlnuous line completed, which will lie done
as soon as men and money can do it, it will
be seen that the products of these states
Will ii its natural outlet right here. 1t
will greatly increase our cotton receipts,
and the immense advantages that we have
over the minor ports in depth of water
will be great inducements to cotton mer-
chants no desire to ship through to Liver
pool, or to New York and Bos on
Go 10, 81,
the important southern states as far as the
Mississippi river by the Norfolk and West
ern and connecting lines. The states of
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama
anu Mississippi will find an outlet through
Norfolk on the completion of Mr. Robin
sons line. The states Of North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia aud Florida will
find this city the most convenient channel
for such products as they ship Of any on the
South Atlantic coast.
Competitive lines to this system are
greatly embarrassed by pending IegiSld-
ton, and it IS an iU-lUind that bIolOs no
one some good. Norfolk Ldbored for gears
to receiUe the advantages 1Ohich notU seem
to JoH naturally INTO her lap. This port
viii never be SATISFIED until it is the recog-
nlZ ID port of one of the great Pacific rail-
road systems. Baltimore is too near to
New ork to attract much attention; and
while Newport News, on account of its be-
ing lacked by Mr.. huntington, apparently
has some advantages over Norfolk now, we
are satisfied that when this traffic can be
diverted from ports on the Atlantic her
south from Memphis, that there is no other
on let that Will command as great attrac-
lions as Norfolk.
In fact l0e are satisfied that If Mr.. jan
Gould fails to secure an outlet for his
system of roads that 1lOIU center at Mem
pDiS through The states of Alabama and
Georgia, he tCtU be necessarily driven to
this point, ds he is seeking point that 1OiI
make him haze advantages ouer other COM
petitorS. Norfolk Is certainly the pl ice that
he will come to if let free to act without being
influenced by other powerful corporate MS
He is afraid of unfriendEy LegisL0tion,
and has expressed disgust At legislative III
ter1erence III southern states, a d has great
dlstrust Of ST. h legislative Intentions
our state has dtlcdyS been rery liberal n,
granting charters to railroad corpora
tiOnS. IN fact, | don't thinks there is any
state an the uni0n that has been more lb-
eTdL We haze redped Gerry great adudnt-
ages from this course, and to-ddu zoe hare
more prominent systems in the territory
OF Virginia than in any other southern
state and we have the satisfaction of know
IN that ether large railroad systems are
seeking TO build through our territory to
our seaports. The natural consequence is
That our seaports, that for years have been
prosperous, are at last becoming the most
importan5 south of Baltimore.
Five years time will show, if the increase
IS maintained, that the Virginia ports will
do as mucl shi Jment as all the outhern
ports, except Ne o leans Tn S is all due
TO the liberal 20 icy that invites these large
systems into our state X.
SHINGLES.