Evening journal., 1913-08-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Prediction Of a Famous
Railroad King
BY Holland.

In a conversation which had with
the late c. p. Huntington, about a
year before his death. he outlined
briefly his view of what the future
commercial and industrial growth Of
the South. and especially Of the
States which border on the Atlantic,
was to be-
The government at Washington, e"
said Mr.. Huntington. has always
and I think with great wisdom
favored the improvement of the riv-
ers which flow into the Atlantic
south of the Chesapeake, as well as
the navigable rivers which empty
into the gulf. My own opinion has
long been that the navigable waters,
or the waters Of the Southern States,
which can easily be made navigable,
coupled with the improvement of
harbors. would tend greatly to in
crease the commercial and Industrial
growth Of the Southern States.
"As a railroad man | have never
had any jealousy of navigable rivers.
| realize that the railroads bring
traffic from the interior to the navi-
gable streams and receive traffic
from them
in the days before the war. Rich
mond contributed large commerce,
much Of it going to the West Indies,
some of it to South America. In
my opinion. the noblest harbor upon
the Atlantic coast. all things consid-
cred. is that Of Hampton Roads.
am glad to see that my own forecast
of what the future of Norfolk as a
great commercial port and of New
port News would be is shown by
actual experience to have been cor
rect Wilmington has superb po-
sition and the city ought to grow
rapidly. being the natural port
whence may be shipped the abundant
resources of the state of North Car
olina. Savannah and Jacksonville
are to become great commercial cen
tres
"I have. however, learned TO enter
tain the most enthusiastic views re-
specting the commercial future of
/ New Orleans. It's position Is unsur-
passed. II is TO receive and to dis
tribute the immense commerce which
will float upon the Mississippi river.
Il is becoming a magnificent railroad
center. presume that some day n
canal will he cut connecting the Gulf
of Mexico with the Pacific. II will
never he a real competitor in a
harmful sense to Americacn rail-
roads For It viii create a commerce
which will be of benefit to American
railroads. especially those which
penetrate tho Southern and South
western States.
Sometimes ] have been asked how
! explaoined my interest in and con-
ident expectations for the CONNER
cial and Industrial development OF
the Southern states, and how II hap
pened that / knew so much about
traffic across tho Panama isthmus.
We'll, 7 suppose that IL Is in great
measure due TO early Impressions
which were made upon me while
was travelling extensively through the
Southern States When was a very
Young man ! visited almost all of the
States of the South. having engaged
in a business which called me there
That was before our Civil War,
saw Hampton Roads and Norfolk
and. young as I was, 7 realized that
there was stupendous commercial
possibilities for Virginia and for the
South in thar superb harbor. ] was
greatly impressed by the wonderful
possibilities of the State of North
Carolina Il had every variety OF
climate. from the temperate in The
mountain regions to subtropic along
Its ocean front. learned, too, OF
the magnificent deposits of iron and
coal in what is now the Birmingham
district.
This. afterward, when | and my
associates built the Southern Pacific
railroad system. I had constantly in
mind. Much 7 had seen and learned
while ] was travelling through the
South on my first business trips. Tha
time I did not get into the South
west. but l did learn enough to real
izo. as I believe. that New Orleans il
destined to become one of the worlds