Norwich bulletin., 1909-10-30

He says there is a gentleman up in
Norwich that is wanted to represent
New London county on the state ticket,
not as secretary, but as state treas
urer, and that gentleman is Costello
Lippitt, the present mayor of Norwich.
and one by training and experience
thoroughly qualified for the RESPONSE
BILE position. Should Mr.. Lippitt con-
sent to be a candidate for state treas
urer he would have the call over Mr.
Latimer, and this local political leader
adds that as matter of justice il is
Norwich's turn for Office on the state
ticket. He did not know just where
Mayor Lippitt stood on the Buckley
Mclean contest for the United States
senatorship. nor did he care but that
he was in favor of the man from Nor
witch and would not hesitate to give
expression to his belief at the pEoper
time and place. He said flat we New
Londoners are not the whole pie in "A
republican state convention, for there
are other men of party prominence and
influence in Norwich and other. places
in New London county. and this fact
may be brought to the attention Of the
jealous and efficient aspiring politician
on the east bank of the Thames river
There have been so many false
alarms at the future Of the once proni-
nent site of the Eastern Shipbuilding
company that there are many here and
hereabouts who do not take serious
views of all reports regarding the oc-
cupancy of that most desirable site foe
shipbuilding or any other manufac-
turing purpose. Reports have been cir
culated that a wooden shipbuilding
firm was to locate there: that a steel
ship repairing and building plant was
coming, and the most persistent report
of all that the big repair shops of the
New York New Haven and Hartford
Railroad company at Newport were to
be transferred there but none OF these
.materialized In the meantime the
plant Of the Eastern Shipbuiding COM
pany has been completely dismantled
and sold at auction and carted away
even the big wharf that could certainly
have been utilized by the railroad com
pany that owns the property or by any
concern that might locate there. The
whole plant was sold at auction at
low figure and the railroad company
was not even a bidder for the wharf
property. which was sold at a great
sacrifice
Now comes a cheerful report that
looks good and which is not positively
denied by the officials of the railroad
company to the effect that a shipbuild-
ing plant was TO be established there,
backed by American and Scotch capt.
tai the main feature being yacht build
ing. p. Leroy Harwood. who has been
instrumental in bringing at least one
new industry to New London. seems to
be speaking from the book when he
declares that a lease has been drawn
for a ninety-nine years lease of the
site. conditioned that a drydock suff-
ciently large to accommodate the
steamers of the New England NaViga-
= .gs.f. n
that the lessons in return are given
option to withdraw after a specified
number of years, should the undertake
ing prove Improbable.
A. s. Chesebro the Bristol Yacht
designer, represents the American in
terests. and R.y S. Rainey aud his
brother. Paul Rainey and Morton
F. Plant will be the principal American
stockholders. Mr. Plant offering 10 take
quarter of the American end OF the
stock. The foreign end Is the Scott
Shipbuilding company of EdinbUrg.
builders of many yachts for Americans,
including Mr.. Raineys big steamer
Casandra now in winter quarters at
the Riverside shipyard. Mr.. Raney has
placed another order for the largest
coal carrying yacht in the world and
tEis would probably be the first vessel
to be built at the new plant. The new
tariff laws requiring owners OF foreign
built vessels to pay heavy ad valo-
rem tax or a big annual tonnage tax.
is given as a plausible reason for this
big Scotch shipbuilding concern locat-
ing in this country. and there is no
better site on the Atlantic coast than
the one vacated by the Eastern Ship
building company.
When the Eastern Shipbulding
company was in operation thousands
of men were employed and the result
was a general business boom. not only
to the merchants but to all building
trades. as many new houses were built
in New London and Groton and there
was activity I'm the eral estate market.
New London was prospecting as never
before. but when the big steel ships
Minnesota and Dacota were complet-
ed the plant suspended, the employees
were forced to go elsewhere, and the
bottom dropped out Of the entire bust
ness situation in New London. and the
city has not yet fully recovered from
the loss. while there was a big drop I'm
the real estate market and business
generally in Groton. Therefore the
whole people would welcome with out
spread arms the coming of this pro-
posed new industry. and at present IL
now seems that it will actually mate
rialize. for never before has plans been
so definitely stated as in this particular
instance, since the passage of the East
ern Shipbuilding company.
That there is absolute need of
summer hotel to take the place of the
burned Pequot house is conceded by
everybody. provided New London is to
continue in the list of summer resorts
and retain it's former prestige in that
respect Therefore credence was given
the report that a new hotel was to
be built on the site Of the old. when
purchase was made Of the Gilbert
property in the rear and adjoining the
present Pequot property. The reports
went so far as to hint AT the names
of the parties that were to purchase
the property and build "a new and mod
ern hotel the names including Morton
F. Plant. owner of The Griswold. and
Frank A. Munsey. owner Of the Mohi-
can hotel, two of the finest in all New
England. New LOndonerS were happy
over the cheering prospects Of a. return
of the old time conditions I'm the good
old summer time, and even on a larger
scale with such men as those named
book of the summer hotel PROPOSE
ton.
This good cheer was short lived. how
ever, for Senator Frank Is. Braudegee
the principal owner of the property
gave notice that there was no founda-
ton to the reoDrt and that he had had
not been in negotiation with Messrs.
Plant and Munsey. or with any other
gentlemen. fJr the sale o. the proper
ty. He saio the Gilbert property way
in the market and ought to be a part
of the Pequot holding. as II might be
required in case a new hotel should be
built, or even the property disposed of
for private residential purposes. The
addition made the Peauot property
much more valuable and more desir-
BILE for future use. While the senator