Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-08
HEALTH OF Mr., TR|GG
BELIEVED TO HAVE INFLUENCED
PENDING sH1PYARD DEAL.
LITTLE GOVERNMENT WORK.
Office Force, 1t is Said, VIII Soon Be
Idle, Though Mechanical Depart
mcnt Will Be Busy for a Long
Time-Dimcult to Buy Material.
LITTLE GOVERNMENT WORK.
ONCE Force, 1t i. said, win Soon Be
Idle, Though Mechanical Depart

That representatives Of the William r.
Trigg Ship Building Company, of this city.
are or have been in New York negoti-
ating with representatives of the Ameri-
can Ship-Buildlng Company, commonly
known as the ship-building trust, no one
denies but it may be added that no one
will give more than tact confirmation
to the belief that a sale Of the local
plant to the combine is In contemP1a-
ton.
Mr.. Lilburn T. Myers. president Of the
TrigG Company, has been in New YORK
several days. and there are reasons to
suspect that his mission there is to con-
fer with Mr.. Lewis Nixon, the head OF
the ship-yard ombination. It was re-
ported yesterday that three other prom
nent stockholders Of the Trigg Company
were with Mr.. Myers.
These facts and reports, taken in con-
nection with the knowledge that Mr..
Nixon recently visited the yards and in
spectcd them with greater thoroughneSs
than would be expected of the casual
visitor, even though he were ship-build-
er, are all the more significant. The po-
lite declina ton Of officers and stockhold-
ers Of the plant 10 make q statement,
either III confirmation or denial, is &C
cepted as ample concession Of the sur
misses concerning the MISSION u ALL
Myers in New York at the present time.
It is said that the yards, while hay-
ing plenty of work for the mechanical
force for some time have or will soon
have little for the clerical and office
employees to do. This is explained by
the fact that all the drafting. or most Ct
it, in connection with the contracts al
ready secured, is about completed, and
there is nothing left for the Office force
tn Il inrf ant
ment Ions, unless additional new work
is secured.
This condition Of affairs is attributed by
some to the dsab ility by reason OF ILL.,
health of Mr.. Trigg, who. while in robust
health, welded great infiu.:~ u. and vas
certainly largely instrumental in securing
contracts for government work. Now
that he is no longer able to devote him
self actively to the work Of looking after
contracts, the yard has received fewer
lately. This may be because of his dis
ability or a mere coincidence, but it is
not denied TINT it is fact that the yard
has little new government work in pros
pect for the immediate future
HARD TO GET MATERIAL.
Another reason ascribed for existing
conditions at the yards and stated as
ground for the belief that negotiations
are in progress for the merging of the
plant in the American Ship-Building Com
pany is that the greatest difficulty the
plant has experienced lately has been
in getting the material needed in ship
construction This, it is said, viii he Oh
waited by the absorption of the plant by
the larger company.
1t is very generally ass .rtHi that the
transfer of the Trigg plant to the COM
bine would be great thing for the yards.
and that Richmond has everything to
gain by the transaction. One gentleman
to some extent conveTsant with affairs
at the yard, stated last night that there
we're now employed at the yard about
90 men. and he expressed the belief
if the big corporation secured the
IT. it would be a very short time be-
there would be 500 additional men
work in the yaros.
The common stock Of the William r.
Trigg Ship Building Company is said to
be s1,0oO,0O0 or more; its preferred stock
amounts to $4,000. and it has bonds out
standing to the amount CT $500 900.
WORK WELL DVl.NCED.
The work being done by the yard IS
now we'll advanced on all government
contracts. The protected cruiser Calves
ton is ready to be launched; the reve-
nue-cutter Mohawk, an ocean-going type
of the craft, is nearly ready for delivery.
and all other work advanced. A large
tank steamer is being built for the oil
company. being but recently begun. The
revenue-cutter Tusca.'ora, recently COM
peted, was not an OF san-g,oing craft. but
was designed for service on the Lakes.
The plant itself is now worry much larger
than when it first began operations, one
of the most valuable of many additions
made being the building of the great lock,
now nearly completed. It is a very val
liable property, and has demonstrated that
it can be operated successfully, with the
necessary influence to secure contracts.
HOW VIEWED BY PUBLIC.
The reported negotiations have been
widely discussed, and with great interest
by the public. One gentleman said last
night that in his opin. IN, there was no
doubt that the owners of the plant were
willing to go into the combination, anu
that it was, to his mind. merely a ques-
ton whether the combine would take
the property and If SO, on what terms.
The hope is general, If one may judge by
expressions, that the plant may become
part of the great ship-building corpora
ton of which Mr.. Nixon is the head,
and that it may enter upon career OF
prosperity greater than it has ever
enjoyed.
INTERESTING MANAGE Slit