The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-30

II an exposition does pay the company
that promotes II. II certainly does pay
the city that holds it within It's territory.
Norfolk Va. is the latest exemplhca-
ton Of this eact. Before the jamestown
Ter-centennias the far inland farmer knew
Norfolk chiefly as name at the bottom
OF a green almanac that he and his faith
er before him had hung each year by the
mantel-piece, and which set forth the
particular virtues OF a certain bitters.
Now. there is scarcely n news-reading
family In the whole country that has not
learned the particulars of Norfolk place
in the history OF Virginia and OF its
place In the commercial and industrial
progress Of the nation. Not only have
they learned Of that city's commercial i'm
portance. but many have put 20 the test
the knowledge gained. and Norfolk is
growing richer by the acquisition OF fac
tories and mercantile houses.
ITO what extent has Norfolk been bene-
fitted by the fair? I asked a business man
there We'll. five million dollars wouldn't
begin to cover the benefits that have al
ready accrued" he replied. while the
benefits OF the future are incalculable.'
People representing all the industries
came TO the fair at some time or other
during the seven months that il was
open. and each saw advantages for some
thing in his own line-fOr the oppoTtu-
mites in Norfolk are as varied as are
the tints on the opalescent waters OF its
wide harbors
h. frr-u.s,, F,s. 49,
saw the great war vessels swing In and
out through the roads, or lie comfortably
at anchor with miles Of elbow room TO
spare; they saw merchant ships set out
for every port in the world; they saw the
miles Of wharves that lay along the
rivers that are estUaries Of Hampten
Roads. and the opportunity was not TO be
missed. So they will build a ship yard at
Berkeley, the little city that constitutes
Norfolks eight ward. and they will invest
over half million dollars in the enter
prise.
Manufacturers who came down to see
what was being exhibited at the fair.
stopped over in Norfolk to see the cot
ton. wooden. and silk mills. the wood
working plants. and cotton-seed crushers.
and decided that it was a most excellent
location. On inquiry. it developed that
at Norfolk they would be nearer TO the
center of supplies for raw material: that
iron from Birmingham. cotton from the
Southern states. and naval stores and
timber from the Carolinas could reach
them quicker and cheaper at Norfolk
than at any other point they might con-
slider. They found that Nirginias rail-
road freight rates are lower than those
of any other Eastern State. and that the
labor problem is net yet harassing one
there.
Investigating the question of shipping
they found nine railways terminating in
or near Norfolk. their aggregate length
being per cent OF Che mileage of the
United States. They found sixty steam
ship lines with regular schedules carry
ing passengers, freight. manufactured. or
raw material TO almost every foreign and
domestic port. They found also that i'm
Norfolk ship can be loaded eight inches
deeper than in New York. because the
route to Liverpool or 10 European ports
lies by way Of the smoother current Of
the Gulf Stream. and ships do not have
the stormy passage that those going
from New York must have. And since
the distance from Chicago TO New York
and from Chicago 10 Norfolk are practi-
Cally the same. about twenty-sevcn
hours, and the frcighters can be laden
more heavily In Norfolk. shippers are
looking more closely toward Norfolk
than ever before. Eight inches depth in
the space Of big vessel means much
when computed clear across the hold
One company that expects to begin
work shortly is to take one Of the first
steps I'm helping Norfolk economize. This
F,v- 1.n
making Of small wooden knobs and orna-
mental trimmings for furniture. utilizing
the waste corners and the odds and
ends from the larger furniture factories.
Anticipating ny labor scarcity that may
arise when factories become thick in
their land and the supply OF hands may
not equal the demand. Virginia has. with
North Carolina. formed an immigration
association which looks 10 the importa-
ton Of foreign labor for mill or factory.
and for the farms and lumber camps
that must supply the raw materials.
Until the fair came" said one shrewd
business man from the West some OF
the folks Of Norfolk didn't know the war
was over. They lived just among them
selves, and didn't care much whether
the wheels Of progress hummed this way
or not The other half were younger and
more active and had a hard tug keep
ing the town moving along together.
The exposition. il seems, had an awak-
ening influence on all, for its success
depended on the concerted action of all
Norfolk people. and this promoted civic
pride. Then when civic pride came it
came with a vengeance and Norfolk ex-
perienced "A revolution that all previous
factory building. and ship building. and
cloth making schemes had never pro-
duced. Some one proposed that the ter
centennial OF the founding OF America $
first English speaking colony be ceIe-
hrated. Some say the suggestion first
came from Mr. LOwenberg, an old citi-
zen and a prominent business man. Others
say Il was Gwynne Shepherd. a young
man who for seven years tried TO get
the ear OF Norfolk business men and
make them see what fine thing the
exposition would be for the city. No
matter who suggested. Norfolk men finally
saw. They decided TO have the exposi-
ton and began 10 do things to make
ready for IT,
The city had TO be made beautiful and
healthful against the coming Of the many
guests the exposition would bring. The
citizens commission was formed with Is.
members They brought out young fel-
low from Tennessee. Eugene II. Lyman
TO act as secretary. and since he combined
Western energy with Southern concep-
tons of hospitality and civic beauty. he
made things move. He organized men
women. and children into clubs whose
primary and specific object was TO make