The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-27
Mr.. R. h, EdmondS Tells tho virsinlan
What He Thinks Of EgIi0Is.
SHE WILL HAVE 100000 INHABITANTS
within II comparatively Brief Period
Roads. Practically Omr. WIN Have
This Popuintion-.Au Admirable
Analysis Of Advantages Here.

at the Cham berlin Old Point. for a Few
days rest. In an interview With u Viz
Einian reporter Mir Edmonds. in dis
cussing the business interests of this
section, said:
mo one can study The vast forces that
are concentrating around Hampton
Roads without being deeply impressed
with the fact that they guarantee Il
rate of progress and prosperity such as
few sections of this country have ever
enjoyed. This combination OF faNors is
as unusual as Ii is powerful. | cannot
recall any other place in the United
states that has such Il rare cOnccntra
ton of gigantic railroad influence, for
eign and domestic commerce, increasing
manufactures ana an immense health
and pleasure resort business. or rail-
roads That nave Il Scaboard terminus II
Norfolk. Portsmouth and Newport
News, which TO all broad and compre-
hensive considerations affecting world
Wlue trade interests, may be counted as
one place, You have the Pennsylvania
system through it's Cape Charles Line,
The Chesapeake and Ohio, which drains
the great New river coal section OF
West Virginia, and by means of it's
Western connections reaches the grain
ana provision producing sections of the
far West; the Norfolk and Western that
likewise opens NJ Il direct connection
TO the ocean for vast Western area.
and to that add the powerful position
II holds by reasons of being at present
the only line that reaches the Fiat Ton
or Pocahontas coal field, justly regard
ed as the most noted coal in the world I:
the Seaboard Air Line. the Southern
railway and the Atlantic Coast Line
three systems that control 10000 or 49,
600 miles Of road draining the entire
Central South and much OF the South
west. In addition To these great sys-
TENS there are other important lines
Such as the Atlantic and Danvillc. the
Noriolii Southern and others, and to all
OF TINS vast aggregation you may add
an almost unequalled transportation
system by water Such q railroad con-
centration 1t il difficult To match The
cities around Hampton Roads are Just
now beginning 10 feel the effect of the
vast trade and commerce that must
inevitably come from the work of these
roads. From Hampton Roads the coal
shipments are now aEgregating about
4,O00.G0o tons n year The grain exports,
a new business for Norfolk, will make
Norfolk and Newport News combined
one OF the leading grain shipping Gen.
tres of the country. The almost magi-
cal increase in the establishment of di-
rect steamship lines from these two
ports to Europe is everywhere attract
ing great attention. These direct
steamer lines will enable the railroads
TO vastly increase the general cargo
stun coming from the West. and which
mas heretofore gone mainly through
Northern ports.
n NEW SHIP-YARD.
The Newport News ship-yard and the
Government yard ut Portsmouth give
10 Hampton Roads two larger and het-
Ter equipped shp-building yards than
can be found at any other one point in
the United States. one necessarily aids
ana supplements the other. Moreover
there Is strong probability that in
view OF the prospect for a steady in
crease IN our navy and mercantile ma
rine ana in the building of ships for
foreign Governments there may soon be
located in this section n new ship-vard
mat IL built will surpass in size and in
Nestment Mr.. Huntington's $1,000 O0O
plant at Newport News. This has been
under investigation for some time.
PRINCELY HOSTELRIEs.
With the liygeia and Chamberlin at
Old Point and the Princess Anne M
virginia Beach you have hotel ac-
commodation to attract health and
pressure seekers that can hardly be du-
plcated i'll the country. The immense
value OF such hotels To any section can
not be over-est!mated and when the
extent of the business of these three is
considered 1t will be seen that through
me ie slilpioymeht OF labor, the demand
LOT ioodstuffs created. the money ey-
pended, and their influence for mate
rlil prosperity they far exceed in value
the good mat would come from an equal
investment in manufactures
II all OF these influences are consid :
ered IN connection with what nature has
done for the section-its proximity IN
the ocean, its great truck and oyste,
interests and the increased attention
mat is being given TO manufactures-it
VIII be seen that You have here a CON
cehtration of influences that ought WITH
IN very brief time-that is brief I'm tho
history OF city-give the towns and
600 people. ''e' o0V'
The South is now entering upon f,
period of progress and prosnsrity si,r a
passing the dreams of its most sntbn-
siastic friends. All of the predlctinns
OF those who for some wears have
sought TO outline something of the com
ing advancement of this section are now
10 De more than fulfilled Not many
years ago, when predicted that South
ern iron would become n leading factor
IN pennsylvania iron markets ana dic.
tate the price at which Pennsvlvanio
furnaces must sell in order to hold thnir
trade, the statements were rncoivaa
win incredibly. Many so-called cmi-
nent authorities ridiculed them Rmi
after this had all been accomnlishnd
prediction that the South Womb a,,
port iron to England was regarded nc
even more Visionary. To-day. however
me south is protitably shipping iron "a
england, as well as to almost every
other European country, e4S
THE SOUTH'S SUPREMACY
Southern cotton mills are dic,ot,ro
me price OF cotton goods, and thei,