The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-06-04
SUEFOLK.
a Charming, nunint old Town made new
bT Enterprise.

By Enterprise.
Suffolk, on the main line Of the Nor
folk {: Western railroad, twenty-three
miles from Norfolk, is q fortunately sit
ussod tom. The party Of which the
IErEtL1oENcERs visitor was one was
driven over the town and its surround
iucs under escort OF Mayor Primer, a
young man who unites in his own per.
son the energy and progressive spirit OF
thc New South and the hospitality OF
TIE old. ,ooo
Suffolk, q community OF about G,OCo
people, Of whom not over two-thirds
dwell within tho corporate limits, IS at
the head Of tidG.wotcr navigation on
the NausGmond river, having colnLann.l-
cation thus with the whole Atlantic
Beaboard, aud Is besides on six railroads.
two having their termini here. =,
Suffolk 10 one Of those quaint Old,
charming Virginia towns WHICH Just
happened to be there before. tho war.
Lately she has walked up and Is now q
model of enterprise and push. She is
ono Of the cities which tho Norfolk 4
Western trunk line has created along
its course, and that Line is, of course,
.er most important connection with the
outside world. She has besides the Sea-
board 4 Roanoke road, Atlantic & DAN
vile and Norfolk & Carolina, all thirty
ing and important roads, besides which
the Suffolk /: Carolina and Suffolk Lum-
Der railroad have their termlni here.
Her position ut the junction Of these
roads gives her the command OF the
whole country, and her position pre-
Cludes the possibility Of other lines to
this part OF tho coast except through
her gates, Tor close upon her one side, IS
tho broad river and as close an the
other that impossible barrier, the Dis
nal Swamp. She has twenty-five pas
genger trains and two passenger steam
ers arriving and departing daily. Yes
soils drawing II feet OF water safely mako
her harbor
Suffolk already has a number OF thirty
ing industrles-one or two OF thom
unique,
THRIVING INDUSTRIES.
There arc four large manufactures OF
finished lumber, which convert the
Carolina pine logs into flooring, mould
ing and all forms known to the market.
There is n single factory, using cypress
logs from the Dismal Swamp; factory
OF wooden butter dishes, fruit packages
and market baskets, the raw material
being gum logs abundant here, and
probably the only one in the world-a
huge mill where pine logs are con-
vcrted into kindling wood for use IN
the large cities. "Truck" or vegetable
boxes are also made here, for this is the
centre OF tho great Virginia market
gardening country, and tho great cities
arc largely supplied with the earliest
vegetables by Suffolk.
Al OF these wood working factories
run tho logs right into the mill on the
nilroad, and take the finished product
out the sape way.
There is large oyster packing house
and close to it kilns where the shells
are burned TO limo for fertilizing pur-
poses. An interesting industry is the
hugo peanut cleaning mill, operated by
the Farmers Alliance. There is a large
cotton factory, an-ice factory, Il
HnuLl IRON WOThsi bHO S144A1o0 "VAASi
two brick factories.
Just now IN important industry is
receiving its first trial here. A three
masted schooner is being built on the
banks OF tho river, from timber cut in
sight OF the work, and the builder says
no better timber grows. 1t Is hoped In
time to establish shipyard here. The
water is barely brNckish. Vessels
which lie In her harbor short time do
not need to be cleaned, us the barnacles
drop Off OF themselves.
The city is lighted by electric lights,
both arc and lncandescent, has first
class fire department and a splendid
water works, Of the stand pipe system,
the source OF supply being Lake Kilby,
milo distant and the same works sup
ply Portsmouth, sixteen miles distant.
There arc excellent schools and plenty
OF them, several fine churches and two
others about to be built, and there is
aboIt to be completed splendid town
hail and public building, costing about
$4,000.