The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-09-16
WESTERN GRAIN FIELDS AT NORFOLK'S DOORS
Enorrnous Possibilities in the Future Grain
Export Business Of This Port.
GRAIN SHIPPING NAGNATE LOOKS OVER THE GROUND
President Of Illinois Grain Dealers Association Desires
to Establish Export Point Here.
SHIPPING lIAGNATE LOOKS OVER THE G

the best things on earth, for without
such conviction no city will develop
as rapidly as 1t should. Indeed, the
chances are thatit won't develop at ALL
A cfty which has attained the metropoli-
tan mark, which includes all the reuuis-
ties and essentials of a great, thriving
town, is unlike Topsy, who lies growed" ;"
NO city Just grows. 1t has, to a very
! large extent, TO be grown, like some
valuable plant, with infinite care, pa
tience, vigilance and industry.
| The people Of Norfolk have been be-
| ginning to realize that the future of
Norfolk is even now partly behind her,
and that It Is substantial and logical
! conclusion, rather than a Daseless or
even prejudiced. prediction.
| This port with dts great natural and
artificial advantages over other Atlantic
coast export points, will, in the course
of time. become more than the rival of
any of them. y little judicious push
Ing Is likely to make that time brierer
and produce the desired results quicker.
a KLONDIKE STRIKE.
These reflections, or rather reiterations
! or what has been said in the columns OF
The Virginian many times over, are
engendered by the fact that 1t Is also
Il great thing for n growing <city when
people outside OF 1t begin to believe in
|
| suit Is combination for progress which
nothing short Of infinite interposhion
| can destroy
1t Will probably hurt the feelings of
| New York and Baltimore exporters, and
surprise the people of this city to know
that at the present moment there are
one thousand OF the largest grain deal
ers In the world, each owning from one
to nfty elevators exporting one hundred
| b1ic oh al
nually- standing ready to divert this
immense trade from Baltimore, New
YORK, and other points. where the grain
| Is now sent for export, to Norfolk, and
all these men want and ask for is facili-
Ties here for handling their goods, and u
proper inducement from the railways
| REPRESENT slOO, O,ooo, 900.
| These one thousand men are banded
| together, (at least six hundred of them
are. and the others will be by next June)
under the name of the "I1linois Grain
Dealers Association" an organization
whose members represent, at low es-
| innate, an active invested, working
| productive capital OF one hundred mil
lion dollars, worth considerably more
than one hundred cents apiece, in which
respect they are better than Uncle
Sans dollars, which are said to be the
best In the world
Besides Its present six hundred mem
bers, hailing from every nook and cor
ner OF the State Of Illinois, the associa-
iron has on its rolls Il number of com
| mission merchants and brokers, assort-
| ed as follows: Two In Baltimore. n
| score in Chicago; four in Campaign, I'll
four IN Cincinnati; four in Decatur, III.
one in Detroit, and four in Indianapolis.
me organization disclaims any inten-
tion of monopoly: was formed for the
purpose OF mutual protection and bene-
lit, but actually promotes friendly com
| petition among It's members, in which
respect its differs a few degrees from a
trust. The president Of the association
is Mr.. 5. S. Tanner, OF Minier, Ill. one
of the largest exporters in the State a
member of two well known firms
QuigE, Tanner & Co.. and Quigg, Balls
| BACK ~ Co-and in every way 4 bust
ness man-wise in his day and genera
| ton.
CONSIDERABLY SURPRISED.
a short time ago MIR. Tanner decided
to bring his wife to Virginia Beach, and
incidentally, he had a mission to look
| around I'm n general fashion and sea
what Norfolk had in the way of induce
ments to offer his people In the matter
of securing their trade.
Mr.. Tanner came. saw and was con-
auefed lie admfS that he Is com
pletely captivated by what he has seen
and learned, and is convinced that there
is no point on the Atlantic coast with
the opportunities of Norfolk, or with
ITS future.
Mr.. Tanner was seen at Virginia
beach yesterday by representative of
The Ffrginian, who found him in the
waiting room of the Princess Anne bus
ily engaged In disposing Of some of his
extensive correspondence. He is com
parativeiy young man, hardly more
than thirty, somewhat Zimmerman-lIkc
in his proportions, being rather tall and
spare, with dark hair and eyes, the lat.
ter as bright as diamonds. The reporter
| found him to be the embodiment of b,,s
iness-Quick. energetic, shrewd, sensible
and well informed, especially In refer
ence to his own line of business. He
was perfectly frank In his statements
and said what he had to say with can
dor and pointedness that was refresh
ing. He had thirty minutes to talk in.
and he improved every one of them
CAN HAVE THE BUSINESS.
Yes" said he. II am the president of
the Illinois Grain Dealers Association.
the largest organization of It's sort in
the Union. We do more business now
than all similar associations put to-
gether. Our members represent about
SlO0 600 Of invested capital and ex-
port annually about 10000, 600 bushels of
grain. This Is low estimate. We have
GOO members now. We will have !, coo by
June when we hold our annual meet