Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-25
ARRIVED LAST NIGHT
Mr.. Coils P. Huntington ir
the City.
He TALKS TO A REPORTER
The Founder OF Newpor: News Discuss,
the Future OF the Shipbuitiins
Plant and Says Ills Visit IS
without Significance.

Mr.. Colts z. Harrington. the founder
OF Newport News ans principal owne!
of the Newport News shipbuilling
plant, is in the city.
MIR. Huntingdon, accompa MED by his
priv.S4 secr>ta:y, Mr.. S. N. Miles, an:
Vice-President Schowe!n, of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, arrived at
le:5o O'Clock last night in his tllagnifi-
cent palace car Oneato No. l. Oneato
No. 2, another private car owned Sy, the
millionaire, was also attached to the
train, Which came through from New
II. York.
The privats cars We sisetracked at
Il the Chesapeake & ONO depot, where
MIR. Huntington spent the night. This
morning at o'clock they Will be shift
ed to the sh.pyard.
Wien thu train g5ulihd into the s;a-
ton a reporter for the Daily Press
boarded Oneato No. 1. Mr.. Huntington
hata not retir~d, and was sitting in his
reception room. Although he had been
travelling sine 5 o'clock in the morning
he did not appear 10 be the least bit fu-
t!guei. On the other hand. he was COX
ing extremely We'll and seemed to be en-
joyirg the best of health. IL was late
but Mr.. Huntington did not refuse to
see the newspaper man, ana he talked
freely, though he made no direct
swers to the questions propounAed to
MIN, that is. he d.u not sp. az with any
3 d<Sree of poSitiveness regarding thr fu-
- tuce. No prudent business man does.
- what is the news?" was the first
question asked by the reporter
lsav1 that to yea newspaper boys,
I! said Mr.. Huntington. as a smile cyept
across his face. Telling the news is
your profeSSio ion.
'aMr. Huntington. is there any special
Significance aSached to your visit to
Newport News ?''
NO; I just came down 70 see how
Newport News was getting along. I
feel great interest in this place, ana
: some day, hope to Sc it converted into
grSass commercial centre. The town
has the natural advantages for the
making Of u large city. 1 have often
fSAtFSSlught that If toe Pur.tans had land
" Sst.: 80, News. what great place
S <5sscday. 1t would be .Nsw
2 "a ppartea, Mr.. Huntington,
u. Pr William Armstrong, of London,
- was negSs;s ting for The purchase of the
snipyard here. but that the option h
sshsld recently expired. Is there any
"a o1f a rrIist reng never had any op-
IS t.sal ON This plant. 1t is true, however,
yE thats1 die see him and offered to sell
| hfnl an interest in the shipyar5! This
s aeat might nave been consumnated but
/ for few little sharp traders who
n sought to, take part in the transaction.
My reason for offering to SEN Lord
Armstrong an interest in the plant was
to have an ordnance factory este blfshed
in. Newport Nzws and also to extend ths
iyar3. though it is now one of the larg-
| est in the world. l offered to sell Lord
! Armst rGIg half of the stock or if he
Wished TO have the cont rolling interest
= Mty-lve per cent of It. This, 1 say
was in the interest of the yard. would
.r not think of selling that much of the
stock If I Cid not have so much otheq
! business to engage my attention. can
not state now whether or not an ord
nance factory Will be located here W.
know not what the morrow may bsir.
Z forth
Mr.. Huntington. when it became
known that yOu bad purchased A tract
of land above thu shipyard it set ali
~ SORTS of ruTprs atloat. Was that land
Is puNhas Il for an especial purpose at
,aSsths time?"
pa a mGElent ago the shiphuiliing plant
q may be enlarged some day Business
Will increase ard We will be compeIt.G
II to increase our facilities. Shipbuifders
everywhere acknowledge the many ad-
So vantages this yard has over other pants
= and the Industry will eventually be one
KS ots th%, most extensive of its kind in tins
world
The fact that NV. Huntington is &C
comranied by the vice-president of the
Pacific Mail Steamsh Conf Inv
Strengthens the belief that nesotia tons
| are tps ndinG for the frlililing of one or
more ships for that sine but Mr. Hunt
1ngton dii not intimate that there was
n any probability that the contract would
4 he given out in the near future.
Y Mr.. Huntington stated that he would
n SprdhaGoly be. in thE, city for two or three
days. He WIN spend today at the ship
yard. -a