Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-11
House Of Representatives Com
mittee on Public Buildings.
SHOWN AROUND TOWN
a visit 60 our Post office Building
Furnishes ODjrct lesson = Thoy
Think Portsmouth Inns noen Neg
looted IA tho aun,.er OF Public
Bunding ConErc.sn,un Yonng
and osnor Pron,.nent CltiHons a.
Escort,
Escort,

Yesterday morning the Washington
steamer brought down from the Capital
City Congressman D. w. Mercer, chair
man Of the Committee on Public Build
| iligs; George w. Gillett, chairman of
the Sub Committee; j. B. Showalter,
James Morton, Alfred Runner, T.. ].
Burkett, NJ. Richardson and B. L. How
ell and William Wheeler.
| Congressman Young and Postmaster
| Burroughs accompanied them from
| Washington. They were met ut the
wharf by the committee published in
yesterdays issue, Mayor Baird and
| representative of the Public Ledger and
| the Virginian- Pilot.
| They were hurried off and took car
riages, n resident of the city being In
| each carriage to point out places of in
| tcrest and answer all questions that
might be- asked, and nothing was left
undone to show the distinguished gem
| tlemen an fashion Virginian well
| come.
After the carriages had been filled the
party was driven down North street to
| Middle, to High and to the postoffice.
The gentlemen stood on the outside,
gazed at the building and its surround
| ings, and their impression of the Gov
| eminent postofice was not favora BILE.
| They were taken inside. shown the
/
| accommodations that the postmaster
had, and one and all expressed them
| selves as being of the opinion that
| public building was a necessity here,
and that the Government should not
hesitate to appropriate money for that
| purpose.
After leaving the Office they were
| driven to the Naval Hospital Here
| they stopped for u few moments, and
the gentlemen expressed admiration at
tho beauty of the harbor and its sur
roundings. and prophesied that this
would some day become city of great
| Importance.
They then passed through Park View
and thence to the cotton factory. Prem
tbs Place was also visited, and the gen
| tlcmen were shown how large Il terri
tory the letter carriers had to cover
| They said 1t seemed almost incredible
| that eight men could cover so much
| ground in the time allotted them. They
| thought that Portsmouth had been sad
| ly neglected.
They were next taken to the navy
yard and paid their respects to Captain
| Watson, Commodore Barker being out
of the city. This gentleman extended
to the party oil the courtesies of the
yard. On leaving the captains office
| q photographer took n picture of the
| group together and another of the COM
| mittee.
The party then walked down to Con-
structor Stahl's office and were well
coined by that gentleman. who escort
ed them through all the principal shops
in the construction department, includ-
ing the furniture department, joiner
| shop, boat shed. Much interest was
| manifested in the work going on. Some
| of the gentlemen had not been in any
of the Government yards, and We're
surprised to know that we had such a
plant here. Others had visited the
Brooklyn yard, but said it did not COM
pare with this yard
a trip to both drydocks was taken.
There was n boat in EACH Constructor
4=Siahl and Congressman Young both eX-
! pressed their views In regard 70 W0Uden
docks In Southern climates, and said
that they had proved q failure; that
they were expensive and soon decayed.
The gentlemen all agreed that stone
docks were bcttr, and said that thy
would use their influence to make the
new dock a stone one. and that 1t would
take longer TO build it; but when once
completed 1t was there forever.
Constructor Stahl was untiring in his
efforts to make the gentlemens visit to
the yard as interesting as he could He
took them on board the torpedo boat
Porter and showed them how the guns
| NOIheu, tiHu luey ILL seemed well
pleased. Mr.. Stahl took occasion to
thank Congressman Young for valuable
| assistance rendered in securing appro-
priations for several new buildings that
will soon be erected. He said that when
they are completed that the plant at
this yard will compare favorably with
any that can be found
Time having slipped by so quickly,
the party were compelled to leave in or
n tf,f toll fIn rot, f~,. .
12 O'clock, where the balance Of the day
was to be spent.
After thanking the officers for cour-
| tesies extended, the party took carri
ages and were driven to the Ocean View
depot.
The Virginia Pilots representative
was unable to 80 further with the par
ty.
The program. upon reaching Ocean
View, was to have an oyster roast at
p. IN. Dinner was served ut the Isaac
Walton Club house, and then mirth and
sociability prevailed. Speeches were
made by quite a number. and the best
OF feeling prevailed. North, South. East
and West was represented and mingled
together as common brothers Of on,
country.
AT p. IN. the party left the View
and went to Old Point, where the dis.
tinguished gentlemen took the steamer
for Washington. much pleased witt
their trip.
The committee from the city returned
home, feeling that their efforts had no
been in vain. The Virginian- Pilots rep
resentative believes from opinions eX
pressed by the gentlemen, most O.
whom were Western men, that they ar,
in earnest They said that they saw
the spirit of enterprise that was fl
M mi 1v ora1 tl,ot ~.