Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-21
I HAMPTON NEWS AND ADVER EASEMENTS.

oyster shells, and repeating the opera
zion from year to year. In other words,
the amount thus wasted. literally
thrown away without results in any
way commensurate With the cost, would
p3y. the interest on bonds to an amount
sufficient to secure splendid, substan-
tial results If the tax payers can be
convinced that it will cost them no
more to have better streets than it now
costs for miserable ones, there can be
no doubt as to prompt action In the
tine Of substantial paving.
In order to be armed with the irrefut-
able facts, n we'll known citizen has
written to the proper officials Of five
different cities similar in topography to
Hampton. for statements of the cost
par square yard of paving with the
various materials now in general use
in those cities. lie has also written to
contractors for estimates as to the cost
of Sewerng Hampton, which by reason
of natural advantages would be COM
paratively inexpensive. BY means of
these statistics the people will be en-
abled to- look long and carefully before
they are asked to leap into any expend-
ture. and they will be shown ocularly
just what they arc to receive in return
for such expenditure. They may ex-
anime the goods, learn the cost and then
buy or reject. us deemed adVanta geOus
or disadvantage ouS.
These are Il few major problems that
vitality affect the substantial advance
ment of Hampton. 1t is advancing
but in spite of them, and it is but rea-
sonable to believe that With them re-
moved. the towns progress would be
greater, Surer. more rapid, more stable
In this result, every property ow1Hr
must share in the inevitable incremcnt
Of values that must follow as the night
the day. And it is the property owner
to whom the matter will be finally re-
terred for decision.
The present rapid and uninterrupted
growth Of the town dates from the
building of the electric railway lines
which now constitute the property the
Newport News and Old Point Railway
and Electric Company's property The
East End and the West End, the two
favorte residence suburbs Of the town.
date from the building Of these rail-
ways. All along the line the railway
has attracted home seekers as a mag
net drawn through iron filings draws
them to it. The building of {: new and
competing line penetrating the city at
L different point and doubling the tran
sit facilities to and from and within
the town is now n certainty and may
reasonably be expected to develop and
build UP n section now undeVeloped by
making it easily and quickly accessible
The building of the new line will bring
more revenue to the town directly, and
DE duull1 10 lEc value OIL realty Will
increase the revenue from taxation de-
rived from the property along it's route
The Chesapeake & Ohio railway, the
great through line is also improving it's
facilities for business at Hampton pure
~ because the increase of that business
| makes this impenetrable. For the same
reason q new passenger and freight
station is among the certainties of the
near future. Every effort will be made
tc secure more advantageous freight
| traffic to and from the town.
These railway systems radiatinE in
every direction connect the entire coun-
ty into close community Of which
Hampton is the natural business cen
tire and distributing point. The in
crease of the. town in commercial inn
portance with the increase OF its ac-
feasibility and the opening up Of new
fields. The growth of the towns bank
ing business is incident with it's adj
vancement as a mercantile centre. Both
interests are strong. safe and con-
s;ervative. The percentage of business
failures in the town and the long eX-
istence of we'll known business firms
sufficiently attest it.
In short Hampton is now entering
upon an era of prosperity unparalleled
in its long history. Local capitalists
are sharing their faith in her future by
investing their money in home realty
2nd large sums are being thus invested.
No better evidence can be afforded as
to the deSirability of the town as a
field for the investment of capital.