The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-16
THE COTTON INDUSTRY
importance Of Concentrating the Business
Of the Port at a Single Point.
ADVANTAGES OF PORTSMOUTH SIDE
EMO Purchase OF u Sitc iii Atlantic
City Ward for Warehouses nr,,i
somrr"sScs Criaicisetl-~Econ in
Huiidins where tho Railroads
Have Their Terminals.

The purchase OF eight acres Of land
t1st week IN the Atlantic City Ward OF
Norfolk with u frontage on Port Wor.
den's line of Ills feet, between mo
property Of the Merritt Wrecxiug com
pany and the McCullough property. for
me purpose of erecting cotton ware
houses, congresses. etc, was The chief
. .oh,,c o. conversation between the trans
poitatioh men and real estnte dealers in
this city to-day. as The syndicate who
engineered this deal was comnosei NJ
MessrS }. w. Perry, Fergus Reid and
Johh n: Vaughan, prominent cotton
soinihissioh men or Norfolk. 1t is naiu-
rally 10 De inferred that the design is
10 esta blish on this property the long
"a lked-0t and badly needed cot ION she'd,
where me cotton coming to this port
can DE stored, compressed and simmer.
a. 4 81 oi nearly Two years options have been
tir ia on ana on by a prominent real es-
- Geaier OF Norfolk, on what Is termed
the portsmouth flats for this purpose,
indecd, 1t is said that 10 portion Of he
iiIts mas Already been purchased by him
10 control the balance Of this property.
Whioh IS now In litigation as to the
riparian rights OF the property nwnnrs
on the west and south sides of this mon
erty. '''' ~ "
The purchase in Atlantic CITY last
week therefore, came in the nature of \
surprise, all the more because of tha
isolated condition Of the property and
fts lnaccessibiity to railroad facilities.
ME. said a gentleman we'll posted
on this subject, 1.-The price of SCI. 900 paid
1or this property may seem excessiye
yet believe the demand for water
front property in Norfolk to-day fully
!ustliles the price paid, but am ra ther
inchhed TO believe this move is more in
ne nature or storage warehouses for
cotton and all commodities rather than
an attempt TO handle the cotton Of this
port at that point.
In recent article In tile Man,f,c
turers' Record by the editor OF The Viz
ginian, Mr.. NJ. Glenan. he, gives the
trade area to this port Via railroads as
,'V'i miles. From this can be eliminated
tne Louisville and Nashville system of
4,leS miles, as while that system is a
direct connection of the Norfolk and
western railroad. it has not its deem
water terminus here. Now let us anal |
we the railroad situation in this port. |
We have on the Norfolk side the Nor.
folk and Western railroad, whose fleen
water terminus Is distinctivcly there.
win lts Wharves. warehouses and grain |
e!eNator. we have on the Berkeley side |
the Norfolk and Southern railroad. 200
miles long, with its wharves and ware |
houses. and OH the Portsmouth sidn Of |
the river we have. with their whnrves
ana warehouses, the Scaboard Air Line |
lne southern railway, the Atlantic Coast |
Line and the Atlantic and Danyille ,,aiI-
road. with grand total Of 10, O96 miles
ulicctiy tributary TO this port not to
mention their close connections Nov,
every one Of these roads are large cot,
ton carriers and are so contiguous that
uhe building of the Belt line will iojn
them as one With no bridges to cross |
* REQUIRES but Il glance al Il fair ana
!I1paftiaa map Of this harbor. showing
the railroad lines and terminus Of
each to show that no matter how great
the influence, wealth or energy disnlay
eu' attempts TO deVert the channels of
commerce from such points as will give
the quickest movement entrausit aud
permit lne handling Of freight at the
lowest minimum of cost, must inevitabl
fa!L For this reason the Southern rail
way was obliged to abandon it's mill
lions OF dollars worth Of property at
west FONT, and It is for that reason the
demands for competitive commerce viii
vuu'.e .he covlon warehouses Of the flu
lure TO De built on the Portsmouth side
Oh the river close to the great RAILROAD
systems mat concentrate here nc neor
the centre OF business us the needed
property can be secured, and with rail
ROAD facllities where sufficient track
room can be secured to run as MANY
tracks as may be needed unhampered bv
city ordinances. safety gates and such
other needed protection rs crowded
thorouGhfares require
This barging Of cotton across tha
river simply TO say it goes to Norfolk Is |
cosby 20 the transportation companies. |
ana with the building Of the Belt line
must soon become thing OF the past |
Nofloik business men necessarily feel |
sore that the export trade should bio
slipping through their grasp, but con-
ccntraton is the question Of the hour.
ana certainly Portsmouth has annie
water front property If not adjaccnt. |
near enough TO the great tranSpGrtat ton
lhcs concentrating here TO give this
port the best and cheapest cotton ware
mousse service In the world 1t wOnld
matter little to Norfolk business rnan.
Noflolk over The world Is recognized az
lhe commercial centre of this port Her
present advancement in this line need
give her no cause to fear she will lose
her supremacy IN this direction for
years. Why, then. cannot q combina-
'ion DC made between tho cotton 1ner-
chahtS or this section and the railroads
to build at some point accessible To ali
railroads. and the Belt line will enable |
this. where warehouses. etc. can ha
built and cotton and all other heavy
commodities for export handled at the
lowest minimum cost. IT'S true the ey-
port trade Of this port has advanced
with tremendous strides the past wear
as various articles IN The Vrginian re-
Gently nave shown but we are 1ust in
ohe beginning Of an era OF unex optional
prosperity In the export trade New
york. backed by her hundreds of mil
mons. mas tried TO stem the tide in vain
baltimore Is scared. Then. It seems 20
me, II we expect this enormous in
crease IN our export trade let ,s nre-