Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-05
-, nv the acre and sell bv The

bave bought by the acre ana sell by the
fnot and which they attempt TO persuade
NO., are 10 be places OF commerce. Mr.
Wilmington knew that Newports News was
not n port. but point as u u called in the
M,...h states survey. He knew that IL
JIM, ,,act TO storms from all points Of
va. Vas es,,,,,ass except about one-third of the
h luz eo He knew that good fresh water
no. rover be got there; he knew that
e ~ l.,',b az what must be the harbor il
.ns ,arce amount of shipping comes to
sny -, 81 accommodation. il not % feet, but
an e. co and 20 feet of water lying upon an
, ~ depth OF soft mud, condition
,,,h,cb makes it absolutely impossible to
~nnstruct mole to give the required pro-
,ection 10 shipping; He knew that the
&c. ,ras 90 exposed that VI time of war an
p, nr, Lad could steal past Old Point and
dsstrov Il in an hour. Some Of Us saw all
,his AZ the beginning, as we see it now
throngh all the glamour of the big elevator
~ tho bic dock. and we protested in the
; M of Norfolk as we'll as Richmond,
...'..,ostcd TO the River and HarbOr Commit
Zoe AGAINST countenancing this private
s,,eculation of his own which Mr.. Hunting
,pn was fathering upon the railroad.
The people Of Norfolk once saw these ia
tol defects as others did. But now that
thev are even better understood and that
Il "a found out in addition that the few
wharves are filling up with sand so fast as
tn reoulre dredging at an outlay of some
az O06 per annunl. they want TO use that
sneculatine rival to prevent the deepening
~ lanes river, which. when properly i'm
moved and fed by tributary railroads,
will attract trade enough for Norfolk and
Richmond both.
II ia not only through Mr.. Edwards that
this feeling finds expression. IL crops
B.alpnnn1 "a mentioned
Norfolk's pre- Ience. am happy that Rich
mond has shown n very different feeling,
ACTING through her large-hearted repre-
sentative. the Hon. George ID. Wise. who,
ne happen TO know personally. gave up
tho Craftsmanship of a committee with
ALI its privileges aud took a private5
nlaco on the River aud Harbor Com
inittee in order to serve his people.
lie cot for Norfolk from that committee
lust what she asked for. Besides that,
as n member Of the Committee on
Naval Affairs, he secured the location
OF the dry-dock at Norfolk (over several
northern competitors, the only other
structure Of the sort being located at New
York; at an expenditure Of some 500. 900.
He also managed 30 secure the building or
the Texas there. which will cost S3.000,OOO,
a LARGE part Of which must he spent IN Nor
folk and Portsmouth. and he secured the
order for recouipplng the maynard there.
which cost about 100000. He knew that
there was better site at the head OF tido
on James river IN his own district; but he
knew that that site stood no chance. with
a patriotism above local jealousy he went
for what would help his State II 1t did not
directly help his constituents. And that. as
far "a know. is the feeling Of all the cltlZens
OF Richmond. They wish Norfolk we'll. and
they are perfectly willing TO divide with
her the abundant trade that ought to reacn
the Atlantic through Virginia.
FRANK G.. RUFFE.
The Committee on the Improvement OF
James River having read the above cara
of Colonel Rufiin heartily approve and en-
dorse the same.
LEWIS D. CRENsHAw, JR.,
Chairman Committee ON Improvement
James River.