The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-13
8 0 NORFOLK
Interesting Interview With Gen.
eIaI v. D. GrOner.
THE Price Of PROSPERITY

E $50 ss1f n eif,f htt CG.Speration Ncces.
sssS unry-so Me Very 1nporannt Stn,c-
en- ts- Tho & future bright win
s Pronlise. s {$
sss since the close. OF the war few citizens
ssSsAs SSsssrfolk hnre been more intimately ii,
all the trade interests Of
SSEsse Ysa1d section than General virsiliius
49, ffoneft& His thirty years experience
with the more inporta mt
sss hst es lof4 land and water transportation
to and from our harhor have
SIS isen95 him a knowledge Of the fields of
ISL ts9ppiy, and of the extent of their posi-.
which enables him 10
sssSsp pssaakSS'pltn authority OF the commercial
notwithstanding ACHIEVEMENTS which
55ggata within the reach OF our people and OF
sss8 enc g means by which SO desirable n result
81 tS;HfiE be accomplished
ssSsss Shortly fter the close Of the Wor,j,s
ssssh Aa1rs sRat Chicago, knowing the excen
s5ls'I1onal opportunities which, as traffic
sssssalan agerS Of the Columbian commission
had enjoyed for study
80 $500 Tne methods by which other COM
s'4#sSInuEn1GeS had solved successfully prob
s@sAsTnss kindred to our own The Sirrinian
ssssSSushts to obtain from him for the bcnc-
III III or ats readers some statement ulont,
FL iine above suggested. But obstacles
sSa9 ave arisen from time to time until yos
81 sssterday, when our reporter. was fortunate
ssssssehough to catch the General ut leisure
Hing to talk, though he disclsim-
hss geo any desire to be understood as claim
q 49, - 20 inonopol1ze acquaintance with the
I. Sub1efe Many other persons In Nor
Il 9olk, he said, 'apprcciate as well as T
Al 90 me causes which have retarded
s}EsiNsorfollSs growth in the past, and
81 HnTeaten TO prevent the near f,,lfilmcnt
SS92t ner. destined greatness but they are
E33sSept silent, as have been, by rellc-
81 fance 70 appear ofiicious, and by the
8 tpr0neneSS OF human nature to lei things
4sHalne their course
liver since can remember contin-
IA lied the General, "yes ana before that
saasEI know from reading old papers and
ss9fEeports, the speedy greatness Of Norfolk
"a has been predicted as q certain fact be-
ss1caIse5 Of natural advantages. That
Il i ines are existent In unsurpassed degree
s3s9 saS unden1aele; geographical situation,
fortunate relation to the
N neAds OF supply, propinQuity to the I'LL
isp innate markets, and a hundred others.
ssii.sYae ct, had these advantages been less nu-
g anerousj perhaps our progress had been
more rapid, because our own cxcrtions
S$;SPould probably have been more active
81 and persistent.
1T is not true Of the modern cities,
sSSaghich have made the most phenomenal
Asstrides both in this country and In on
that they have been endowed by
ssSsala1aiture at the start with advantages
s3}oYer their competitors. One Of the
SYgreatest centers Of shipping now In
SseefGne world, the queen of marine industry
3 &El1d the home Of 4 vast commerce. is the
/; st5cOttlsh city of Glasgow, which literally
~ conquered nature by cutting a way to
SSESfistne sea The most splendid capital In
III europe, st Petersburg, was bullded by
labor on wooden piles. AT
& Eanta started with no superiority to any
sifother cross roads in the hill country OF
sstSGeorg1a, and her wealth and Importance
sst are now glorious monument to the
& fpluck and faith Of her people. Chicago
81 had no natural advantages over St.
U 54i4Ou1s or Cincinnati, has overcome diff
81 culies with which Milwaukee and De-
11sS5fa'ndt are not confronted, yet how she has
s5eou tstripped them all TO be bountirully
SaendoWed by Providence may in the case
sTa Oh community. as is often the case
.:i.sNiCh an individual, lead to too great re-
4 s5sliance upon these circumstances and too
2xsfltttle endeavor to reap the possible har-
VEST
Sssss&i.HTe have waited for others to do that
5sirHVh1ch has been within DIR power and
sAtreach to do from the very beginning,
,@aand while Of late years there has been
"a measurable aWaking to the necessity
iaSof# home effort, and while as a conse-
nj quence, Norfolk has now put on the
sASulde OF progress and begun to take
~ her proper place still it is true all this is
SS SiSgst quarter century later than need have
ana 1T as true also that the mca-
s&sure OF success already attained is but q
titbcElHAHlSI Inc emu or which still de-
s&fpends upon the maner in which orr
ssehome talent and home capital add their
sSeyeight to the impetus which better con-
NJ INJECTIONS and outside investment have
s3sgiven.' -
sS2S@ Vow is an opportune time for all Of
iiFSSfi1ls to take Stock Of our former mistakes
$iOf omission and commission, and to add
Jour unite or might-as the case may be
Il ITO the wheel or our city's fortune Our
Unnatural advantages have attracted no
3 zee to lis. Many lines of well-euuipped
sssgsatlroads make us the necessary debark-
va ng point for the products OF the vast
land fertile sections of the South, South
invest and West. Immense volume OF
Ssfreight will seek these lines ana travel
in the wake Of traffic, but it still
sgremains for local enterprise to deter
2ssss11line whether Norfolk is to be the bene-
dietary or the mere transfer point Of all
asHhiS trade and all these people. We
&c you are a poor cook, buy
81 81 g, S$x.r0k h0CL fo11oxu J;rect;o,,c