The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-01
NORFOLK K'SPUSH TO
THE FRONT
North Carolina Power
Makes Progress.
Chy's Rapid Strides in Past Few
Years--Some Tar Heels Who
Are Prominent in
Banking There.
BY w. III. BAGLEY.

| BY w. III. BAGLEY.
| Norfolk, Va, April 30-No city i'll
the South has developed during the
| past few years with the same rapidity
as Norfolk. The great advantages of
this city by the sea have been shown
! to the world and publicity is to a
great extent responsible for the prog
ress which characteriZes the city's
growth.
The superior harbor advantages af-
! forded here and the fact that this city
has a rich territory from which to
draw both retail and wholesale trade,
the opportunities that have been Of
fered here to investors looking for
quick and substantial returns, the su-
perior locations offered manufactur-
ers, and the advantages of lower
freight rates than interior towns, with
the largest number of transportation
lines, both rail and water, made Nor
folk just such material AS the pro-
greSSiVe business men and capitalists
of this section desired in their search
for an opportunity to build a great
city.
Norfolk owes its greatness to the
State of North Carolina to no small
degree. The people of this city are
Tar Heels in sentiment. Their votes
are cast for Virginia officials and they
are controlled by Virginia law, but
more than sixty per cent of those who
make this the most enterprising city
in it's section have Carolina blood
flowing through their veins. Recent
ly an official of the jamestown Ex-
position Company was referring to the
large contributions made by citizens
of Norfolk and said that of the first
/ ht1t n f-iI iI,,ti
the largest, that a large majority came
from North Carolinians who have
adopted this city as their home
Norfolk is fortunate in having just
across the Elizabeth river, the city of
Portsmouth, which is itself almost as
large as Norfolk city. Portsmouth
| is really a part of Norfolk. Business
conditions are almost identical, rail-
road and steamship terminals of great
importance are located in that city
and the banking and commercial life
of Portsmouth is keeping stride with
Norfolk in progressiveness 1t is a
matter of only a comparatively short
time until the younger generation of
Portsmouth effect the consolidation of
that city with Norfolk and Berklev a
good town in like location, after which
Greater Norfolk will probably be the
| largest city in the South.
The varied industries, the superior
banking facilities, the progressiveness
of the wholesale men who have estab-
lished this as one Of the most economi-
cal markets in this country, the ad-
VantageS of transportation lines lead
| ing in every direction, the favor of
capital, all operate to make Norfolk
great.
Almost every one OF the greatest
/ manufacturing concerns in this coun-
| try have branch factories or ware
houses in Norfolk offering employ
| ment to thousands; being tlv termi-
nal of every transportation line enter
/ ing it's gates there. are hundreds of
| railroad men living here. Factories of
! great importance owned by local caDi-
tai induce skilled labor to settle here,
the great navy yard of the govern
ment located in Portsmouth, distrib-
utes daily much of Uncle Sans mon
| ey for the upbuilding of this city.i
marines and blue Jackets and sailors
| from merchant vessels contribute TO
| the success OF the great local bust
| ness, and there is scarcely 2, dies. ra bic
element that Norfolk has not to some
degree at least
Norfolk is the richest centre in Tide
water Virginia. The most cu'Dred
and refined social life is found herL
the best of educational advan- lsas are
to be had in this city. Every appear
ance of the city to the eye of the
casual visitor is pleasant. Efforts re
being made to so cleanse this city that
| it will have an inland to Vii rcruta.
| ton, but the efforts thus far haze n,t
| been successful.
| The reasons for the close r.,c'i,n-
ship of Norfolk to North Ca DINA
does not require detailing.
Some of the institutions OF Norfolk
are like down home" institutions as
Norfolk people call North C4ro,na.
In the Norfolk National Bank the
| president, president and a rua-Cr-
Ity of the fifteen directors are E., IN
! North Carolina. The only official Who
isn't Tar Heel is the popular cash
ler, Mr.. A. 3. Schwarzkopf
| President Caldwell Hardy, of The
! Norfolk National Bank, has reflected
great credit upon his State. MIR. Hardy
| is one of the most popular bankers in
America. He has been honored with
! the presidency of the American Bank
ers' Association, the highest honor in
the gift of the bankers of the United
states Mr.. Hardy is also president of
the Norfolk Bank for Savings and
| trust His name is prominently iden-
tilted with nearly all of the big indus
tries of Norfolk. He has the strong
est personality and wins friends
| wherever he travels
c. W. Grandy, ce-president of tbe
Norfolk National Bank, is a native Of
Pasquotank county. He was born nj
the old Grandy homestead near Eliza
beth City. In Norfolk he is one of tba
most influential men in almost every
phase of the city's life He is a di-
rector in other financial institutions
besides the Norfolk National Bank
| w. ID. Rountree came to NorfoIic
from Wilson, n. C. He is a member
of the firm of w. d. Rountree &. Co
and is interested in many other i'm
portant concerns here. He is a diron-
tor of the Norfolk National Bank
F. 5. Royster, another bank direc-