The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-30
a Prosperous senpor..
(From New York Sun. 2Sth.l


Our esteemed contemporary. The Nor
folk Virglnian. in reviewing a years
trade at that growing seaport, presents
picture that is not without its inter
est to the Union. The trade move
ment OF Norfolk Is not vet absolutely
large; The total outward value for the
year was under sl2.O00.c0o. but for the
year before the total was under Sc. O0O,-
600. The striking matter in this show
ing Is the rate of increase; the export
more than doubled. The figures further
snow That by far the greater part Of
the increase was secured during the last
half Of the year Moreover. that rate
OF export during these later months
was such that If maintained during the
coming year the total for 1897 would
double that for 1886; or. in other words,
would be quadruple the export OF 1895.
ON general principles result 50 OK
IRENE as this seems unlikely to be at
tanned. ON the other hand. the figures
AFFORD the necessary warrant fnr the
expectation that the business of 1897 will
be treble that of 1885, AS an example
of mere increase the case of Norfolk is
typical of those of New Orleans, VIII
mington. Galveston. Mobile. Charleston
and savannah, though, except rs 10
New Orleans, the scale OF Norfolk's
operations Is n much larger one. Com
| hning her movement with that of Bal
| timorc, W. find the CapcS of Virginia to
have become one of the largest sea out
lets In the entire country.
But further inspection of our CON
temporarH'S figures shows steamships
! regularly laid on for Liverpool, Bremen,
Hamburg. leith, Belfast, Dublin. Glas-
| gov. Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp,
| Bristol and london. The interest in this
| enumeration lies in the fact that it
| shows all OF Norrolk's necessary con-
ncctions for the export trade north of
Bordeaux To have been already cStah-
| lished. The only port of the first con-
sequence omitted is Eavre. The mana
ger of one of the freighting companies
IS quoted by Cur contemporary as say
| ing. I'VE VIII send ships TO all the At
| lantic and Mediterranean ports. The
| great objective next To be reached with
American cotton at moderate freight
| rate Is Japan" If favorable con-
| nection with the new Japanese lines
| could be made nj Mediterranean port
| the business must attain handsome
proportions. The only competing route
| for some time should be via San Diego
| for the trans Mississippi staple. But
| that route cannot soon become chear
one for want OF general trade.
Much the most interesting feature of
| this Norfolk exhibit Is found in the de-
| tails OF the cargoes. While cotton and
corn are still the staple. neither show
| any such relative increase as meat pro-
| ducts. to which iron pig has lately been
! added IA an Item by no means insight
| ficant Norfolk had secured n respecta-
| bic cattle trade several years ago. but
| the addition of packing-house products
| In large quantities is the new thing.
| Thus our contemporary leads us up To a
| concluding paragraph under the title
| The Greater Norfolk" in which the
| spirit of prophecy Hits its lay to the
| sound of the timbrei. Yet In this tri
! umphant note there seems a spirit of
sweet reasonableness. The Greater
| Norfolk is to be understood as embrace
! ing Gosport and Portsmouth, and ap-
parently some villages of only local
fame. We are Informed that the popu-
!ation within radius of three or four
miles around Norfolk Courthouse now
numbers 100000 sOuls-a fair start. 1t
will be allowed on the road to becoming
a place; an especially fair start on the
part Of a spot that. setting out to h1u-
BILE Its trade yearly, makes an Initial
success in the effort. Baltimore. not
New York. is the prototype Of the kind
of growth that lies before Norfolk. a
fact akin to that once horne in upon an
improvident hare who raced n tortoise