Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-18
lEWPORT NEWS VA. SUNDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1898.

Will have cost the city in the neighbour
hood Of 100000. y brick school in East
End and 4 brick school for colored
pupils in Rockets are also building
Work has just been started on a
new city jail and emergency hospital.
ana preparations are being made to
commence work on two steel bridges
over the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad
tracks at the intersection with Twenty
itfth and Thirty-fourth streets.
Private improvements in the past
year have also been extensive and
costly The Chesapeake 4 Ohio has
replaced its old Pier No. :. which was
destroyed by fire in April of 1896. with a
fine lireproof covered structure that
Will take rank with any railway pier
on the coast. ~ new pier. No. s. has
also been built at the lower extremity
of the railroad property.
The Old Dominion Land Company
recently completed 4 new merchandise
pier at the foot of Twenty fifth street
Ihis structure was built at j cost of
$4,000 ard is netting the company
quite a handsome revenue already
The plant OF the Newport News Gas
Company. which was also completed
this; year cost together With its system.
in the neishhorhoud OF 100000.
Quite a number of laHge and Sub
stantial buildings have been built re
Gently ana others are promised for the
coming year.
The building activity Of the year.
especially during the past six months.
is unprecedented. II is estimated that
there are in Newport News today over
5000 buildings completed and 500 houses
ard stores have been started since
July I.
The building squirt was caused by the
numerous real estate sales that have
i,ecn made recently. and the demand
~ 4, ,,J- l,o. INnfA@
exceptionally good this year and pro-
perry is commanding prices that speak
We'll for the standing OF the city. Many
real estate transactions have been re-
corded in East End and North End
during the past twelve months and the
activity in building in those sections
has been noticeable.
see TWO street railway lines in Newport
News. This vii! be an advantage the
citizens need and are willing to pay for,
and the sooner the tracks arc laid and
the roads are in operation the better
vii! tire local public lie suited.
The Newport News. Hampton and
Old Point Electric Railway Company
sold cut to the Newport Sswa and
OLD Point Railway ana Electric Com
pany Which proposes to establish
coed city system and. in fact. has al
ready started Work on it. The PENN
sula Electric Railway Company has Sc
cured city franchise and will probably
commence to lay ill.,; tracks in the near
future.
Business in Newport News Is first
class. The banks make reports that
show them to be in excellent con-
dton. The old established merchants
are authority for the statement thar
Christmas trade this Year will be the
best ever experienced. Many ne"
! l,, -k,>,e rTa
I description in the past year, and the
majority of them are enjoying good
business The war had some effect on
business here. but not nearly 50 mach
as in other cities many times larger
than this. Tie fall trade. however,
1 denonft:lted that business las re
covered It's setback and the prospects
for Il good winter nre very bright.
INDUSTRIAL. NEWPORT NEWS.
Although Newport News has the dis
| tirctiun of possessing one of the largest
Industrial plants in the new word-thc
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
I Dock l'ompany-it has vet to make 4
name as an Industrial city.
The Important industries or the place
Ut this time can be cnllnlef! on the fingers
OF one hand. There are just five that
amount 10 anything--the shiDyard tbs.
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad. the brass
foundry Of Caskcy Brothers. the PEN
rany. and the Newport News Gas Com
n,ny. The aggregate values Of these
4 five plants. together With that OF all o.
the smaller branches OF Industry en-
gagcs! in Newport News will reach
SIS, 00O, 600. This INCLUDES only thcs,
businesses which are OF an industrial
i tendency.
| The prospects for the future. however.
are exceptionally brishtSand if indica-
lions count for anything the next year
Will see additions to the Industrial list
| that Will aggregate i'll value possibly
S., coo, 900 or $4,000. GEO.
The public is acquainted to some eN-
t tent with the plans of Mfr. Coils P
| Huntington the father OF the city ana
1.-THE owner Of the shpyard. It Is gener-
| ally known that he has decided to as
sociate with him here the prominent
lshipbuilders. Messrs. Nichers' Sons
& Maxim, and the prospects are that
the contract between the two parties,
looking to the investment Of some mil
liens of English capital in Newport
I News, Will be finally signed Up in the
GeAt few months.
TO use the words Of Nj. Huntington
and his agents, the great self-made
railway magEate proposes to take the
English capitalists With him in the
| Newport News Shinbuildng and Dry
Dock Company. Their capital will be
added to the plant and the facilities of
tie PLANT will be increased. but Withal
the mammoth shipyard will remain
under American control and very prob
ably will not undergo n change OF name.
The additional capital will be used to
establish large ordnance and armor-
plate plants in connection with the
shipyard, giving the Newport News
shipbulding and Dry Dock Company
facilities for turning out a WarshiD o.
any cass-battleship. cruiser, monitor.
q: gunDoat-camplete in every detail,
feat that cannot be accomplished by
existing shiryard in this country. The
local yard can turn out merchant ship
complete here except the hull plates and