The Washington herald., 1909-04-03
50 . DC - Herald.

4scl4iIOdQs the oftUvJ.UOU coal line from the
coal fields Of West Virginia to the sea,
was formally declared open for tramc
to-day by Henry II. Rogers. the Standard
OIL magnate. who. almost slngle-handed.
built the line from his own personal
funds.
The great feature Of the opening cere-
monies was the reception given Mr.
Rogers by the business men OF Tide
water Virginia. This reception, which
was held in the rooms Of the board Of
trade. was attended by over LOCO per
sons. who formed long line, that
marched UP and shook hands with the
new railroad magnate and congratulated
him upon the completion OF his railroad
Many from Afar.
Among those who called at the recep-
tion were the local and other business
men from along the line OF the Virginian
Railway, who arrived here on a special
train this morning. II was the biggest
gathering Of representative business and
professional men which has ever been
held IN this city
Twain. Mr.. Rogers arrived at the Busl-
ness Mems Association in an automo-
bile He entered at once into the spirit |
Of the reception, discoursing freely, and /
shaking hands with ali callers. Mr.. |
Twain was in his happiest vein. and had |
some pleasing remarks TO make. Many /
congratulations were extended Mr.. Rog-
e-s on the completion OF his splendid |
road.
OF course. he was glad II was finished, |
and hoped that it would prove a success ]
and be OF big advantage TO Norfolk and /
Virginia Owing 10 the number Of peo-
pie whom he had 10 meet. he had but /
few words fer any one Immediately 4
after the reception Mr.. Rogers and his /
friend returned to their hotel.
Norfolk Host of Big Crowd.
Norfolk Is to-day the host Of Henry |
II. Rogers, the builder OF the Virginian I
Railway. with party Of celebrities and /
capitalists, and 500 merchants from along
the new road, who came TO participate
in the formal opening OF the trunk line.
Mr.. Rogers and his party arrived this
morning on the Old Dominion Line
steamer Jefferson from New York. They
L.
haven Hotel. where they viii remain un-
I'll Sunday. when they leave here for an
inspection Of the line.
In the party besides Mr.. Rogers were
DT. Samuel L. Clemens Mark Twain. Il
former Attorney General James NJ. Beck.
Melville f stone, Charles Lancaster. a
capitalist from Liverpool and London:
George H. church, treasurer Of the vir-
ginian Railway, Henry H Rogers. f..
fscrrun T. nit. .1f /
Evarts Benjamin. Mr.. Rogers son-in-Iaw.
W R. Coe, another son-in-law: R. W
Ashcroft. secretary 10 DR.. Clemens; Ur-
ban BroughtOn, a third son-in-law, and
Franklin G. Brown, a director Of the Vir-
ginian.
Virginia Merchants Arrive.
Just before the arrival OF the Standard
oil magnate and his friends, a fourteen
coach train arrived in this city from
Salem. Va, bringing aboard It the scO
merchants. They rode in dav coaches.
but did not mind that Some OF them
might not have felt comfortable In a
Pullman. anyway. Automobiles met the
up-cOuntry tradesmen and whisked them
of 10 hotels, where they were break
tasted as the citys guests
II was an enthusiastic crowd, all wear
i2g the Virginia colors-orange and
white
Take Trip Around HarbOr.
The morning vas spent on the water
seeing the harbor. and this afternoon
tho party assembled at the board OF trade
20 meet Mr.. Rogers. They were served
a buffet luncheon. and tonight thew
went 10 various theaters as the guests
Of the hospitality committee.
They will return 10 their homes 70
:
first solid passenger train to move over J
the eastern division Of the new line.
This hospitality Is IN line with Nor
folks effort to capture the trade OF tbs :
newly opened up sections of Virginia
and West Virginia
Opens Pier To-day.
Tomorrow morning the party of can
italists win go 10 SewaH Point, where ,
they VIII witness the opening Of the
great steel coal pier now ready to go into ,
commission. There now lies alongside
the pier the collier Everett, OF the Massa-
chusetts Steamship Company, which win
receive in her hold the first car of coal ,
10 be hauled to the terminal by the Vir- {
ginian. For the first time the new dump
ing machinery built for the pier will be
exhibited publicly. and II viii be demon
strated that the new cOaling station can :
handle cargo fuel with greater facility
than any station in the world. At least.
this is the prophecy Of the builders Of
the line.
Norfolk Tomorrow night will give the {
visitors S2O-a-plate banquet Of 20 covers. [
Thls promises to be the greatest event of r
the celebration here. Never before has :
this city ever undertaken so elaborate a :
banquet. At this time Nj Rogers VIII
be presented for the first time TO the Z
citizens OF Norfolk. but he will make
no speech. At least he said so TODAY s
when a representative Of the press an d
preached him The railway owner saws 7
that he Is not a speechmaker- Neither :
is he addicted TO interviews. He declined
10 talk for publication. He would not ,
even say that he was pleased with the
investment which he had made in order :
10 build the first real proprietary rail-
road in this country.
Mark Twain BaIIs as Spokesman.
He smiled and turned TO HIS friend
Mark Twain. saying that the humorist
was professional talker. and would be
the spokesman OF HIS party. DR.. Clemens.
however. demurred. He said that he
talked only for money and no longer for
fame He admitted that he was now IN
corporated as Mark Twain, Inc and
said that by chartering himself he had
played joke on the copyright lawmakers
Of Europe. He continued that while he
had TO go to oxford. England. occasion
ally 10 have his doctors degree. renewed.
he never could get a title over there. He
is afraid that they VIII let him die be-
fore finding oct that he is worthy Of a
dukedom. But on railroad matters he
did not talk
The nearnef be oar,. 20 q -. -...s