The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-20
MAKE V|RG|N|AN
LAKE TRUNK LINE
r. III. EDMONDS, EDITOR OF MANU-
FACTURERS' RECORD, SAYS
SUCH WAS ORIGINAL PLAN.

NORFOLK, Nov. 19.-That 1t was
the intention of Henry II. Rogers, who
built the VirginIan railway, to extend
the line from Norfolk to the Great
Lakes. was the statement made yes
terday by Richard H. Edmonds. edi-
tor of the Manufacturers Record, who
is at the Monticello hotel Mr.. Ed
monds. accompanied by Mrs. Ed
monds and Miss Shorey, a relative,
arrived in Norfolk yesterday from a
2 000-mtle motor trip in the South.
They will leave this morning via boat
for Baltimore.
THE announcement made recently
by the Eirglnlan railway company TO
the officials Of West Virginia that 1t
proposes to extend its line u the
Great Lakes in the carrying out of
the definite plans of Henry H. Rogers,
said Mr.. Edmonds
In May, 1907, Mr.. Rogers told me
that be believed that there was room
and indeed need for another trunk
line between the East and West and
that he had arranged to carry tho
NIrginian through to the Lakes. At
first he authorized me to publish this,
but the following day said that signs
of the possible coming panic, which,
however, he hoped he might escape,
made il unwise for him to make any
announcement as to his intentions just
then.
Had Faith i'm City.
MIR. Rogers had an abiding faith
the great advantages of Norfolk
and its future. Like other great busl-
ness geniuses of his generation, he
likewise had faith in the certainty of
vast Industrial developments of this
country Hence his willingness to in
vest his own money. s3o,000,000 or
more, in the Virginian railway, look
ing forward to completed line from
Norfolk to the lakes, opening up one
of the richest regions of America
"A few years ago the Pennsylvania
might have bitterly fought Mr.. Rogers
proposed extension, but railroads now
cannot afford to enter upon warfare
against rivals as formerly and no
longer can they absorb possible COM
petition. Indeed. the Pennsylvania
would. [ think, be wise If 1t would
turn loose It's interest in the Norfolk
and Western and let that road have an
absolutely untrammeled sway for Its
own broadcast development Even If
the Pennsylvania does not in any way
adversely influence the Norfolk and
Western, its very ownership of stock
has the same effect by reason OF the
public's belief that the Norfolk and
Western Is not free from the Penn
sylvania's influence.
Tt Is within the powers Of the Nor
folk and Western, the Nirginian, or
the Chesapeake and Ohio. to make
broad plans for developing iron ore
importations through this port for
shipment in canal cars to the in
terror furnaces. This is done on an
enormous scale for many furnaces
in Pennsylvania Indeed, President
St.lawetg,- of the Bethlehem Steel
company, is arranging to build
feet Of about a dozen great steamers
to bring iron ore from Chile through
the Panama canal to Philadelphia for
shipment to Bethlehem, The Mary
land Steel company at Baltimore,
which has an investment of about
SIS. 000 600 to 10000, 600 and the
Pennsylvania Steel company, of Steel
ton, Pa, both controlled by the Penn
syivania railroad, import their ore
from abroad.
Importing Foreign Ore.
Norfolk is so situated with refer
ence to the Importation of foreign
ore to meet the Goals of Virginia and
West Virginia that II has many great
advantages for an iron and steel
plant. The next great development
III AilG II bIt 83Au SNett liibLSlIE Will dc
on the seaboard. 1t should be at
south Atlantic and Gulf ports, but
unless Southern ports like Norfolk
are awake TO the opportunities their
development VIII be at Northern ports
and once fixed there it would be hard
to move it to the South. Now Is.
Norfolks opportunity. Let Norfolk
/ induce It's railroads to plan for the
importation Of iron ore here, and this
city will have taken long step in
the right direction.
with the proposed enormous ex-
pansion of the Norfolk hayward and
with Newport News possessing the
largest shipyard in America, this sec
ton already has the nucleus around
which to build other great plants to
produce iron and steel into the high.
est forms Of the finished product,
whether that be rails or ships, or
great guns or armor plate"