Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-14
NEWPORT NEWS BOOMETH;
SEAPORT TOWN LOOKS UP
Hustling Chamber of Commerce DO.
ing Things-New Industries
Coming.
ENORMOUS HORSE BUSINESS
Virginia's Great Seaport Profits by
European War-An Enormous
business in the Horse Traffic.
Mighty Shipments Being Mndc.


NEWPORT NEWS. VA. February l3.
The war III Europe has hurt some
Virginia towns and many other towns
in this great and glorious country that
are not in Virginia. but In a way 1t has
helped some other towns Newport
News is ono OF the towns that mas
been helped. and helped nightly. The
local columns Of The Times Dispatch
and some of its other columns nave
been telling from day to day about the
large shipments OF grain and horses
and other things that have been going
on, from Newport News to the Euro
pcan countries that are now at war
but the magnitude of this horse ship
ping business and how 1t helps along
in commercial way has never been
explained In these or any other columns
SO far as | know.
AS matter OF fact the Newport
News people have been trying To keep
this big horse business a secret. ana
they had good reason for so dong
Baltimore. New York, Boston and some
other seaport cities were more or less
anxious TO do the shipping TO France
and England SO far as the horse bust
ness was corccrned. aud they We're
tshtins against Newport News for that
trade However. II has developed that
the climatic conditions and some other
conditions We're all to the good OF
Newport News and these conditions
have ccntered the horse shipping husi-
ness at this port and the Northern
ports cannot get the trade.
SOME FACTS THAT
ARE or INTEREST
The Newport News people arc stili
rcticent. and are disposed to keep q
closed mouth. but the man of news
who has been down here several days
and with eyes wide open. and an In
terroGation point on every page OF his
note hook. has picked UP whole lot
of infrmation that may he interesting
10 the reading public
The agents OF the war departments
of England and France have been very
busy for several months past, buying
horses in this country TO supply the
cavalry and the artillery departments
of the armies of the allies who are
lighting Germany. il is no secret that
these agents have been invading Nir-
Einia, North Carolina. Tennessee. Ken
lucky. Missouri and some other States
In search OF horses. 1t is no secret
that they have bought thousands Of
the animals. and 1t is no secret that
these agents have been hurrying the
animals bought. to the scacoast. and
have been getting them shipped to
France and England ms rapidly as they
could get ships To haul them.
Just how ii happened that Newport
News became the choic" of the agents
as shipping point need not I've told
in detail 1t is sufficient to say that
the great harbor OF Hampton Roads Of
which Newport News is the centre, was
OF itself All attraction. The climate is
the best for horses and the records
show that fewer of the animals get
sick and suffer with disease here than
in any OF the Northern ports. and then
ii WAS found that this little old town
OF Newport News in its commercial
mightincss offered the foreign horse
buyers better inducements for the care
Of the animals than did the cities To
tho North of MS.
MD II CAME rO
VIRGINIA ALI. RIGHT
Anyhow the horse business Of
France and England. the business that
means the rcplenShing of their armies
with horses, somehow got TO be cen
tered here at Newport News. Agents
of the waring governments came across
The waters and invaded all OF the
horse markets from here to far away
Missouri, and they bough; the animals
by tho thousands. and, in the main.
ordered them shipped to Newport
News. Her. there We're. and are.
agents without numbcr 10 look after
tho animals when they arrive, and
hero they thc animalsb, have to he
fed and cared for ,t!til tbs ships come
in to take thcn across the waters. This
rs where Nowpor, News gets in it's
good business.
on an average every horse that
reaches here for shipment TO the other
country has to hang NJ in the impro-
rised stables or sheds for a matter
az ten days. Something near TO 1000
for such ten days are reaching herr.
Feed for 1000 horses for ten days
amounts 10 something very great.
Then, too. the ship that takes these
horses across the ocean must be sup
piled with hay and grain To keen the
horses in good health for nj least
thirteen days, and not less than a
Thousand horses 20 on every ship
Furthermore. not less than 4 hundred
men are required To run any one Of
these ships. and they mus; be fed
WHERE NEWPORT
NEWS COMES IN
Now figure this whole thing on, in
the matter OF food and provisions The
hay and tn" grain required FOR the
horses in the .mproVised stables here
in Newport News and the 50 me required
for them on ;hirteen-day journey
across the waters amounts to some
ihinS enormous Then tn" beef and
the PORK and the hour and the meal
and the other Things needed for the
100 and moro men FOR thirteen in,-
journey across the briny deep 20 TO
MAKE a Dag bill! in the grocery and
snip chandler shop. The merchants and
The Dig dealers OF Newport News are
furnishing all Of these goods and they
are making good pile OF money in
the transa ctious
talked with a "ell-informed New
port News man and he tells me that
not less tnan $4,000 DAY gets into the
Newport News ana Hampton banks be-
cause Of this horse and grain-shippiug
business. Tlfty thousand dollars a day
think OF il.
Now as 10 the grain shipping bust
ness. Both OF The grain elevators AT
Newport News have been opened. and
they AFFORD employment TO something
IKE 200 men that have heretofore been
IDLE. the great shipyards have added
TO their force something Xix. 1000
men. More than 1000 were put ia
work this week. and Mr.. Ferguson. the
president OF the company, tells me that
he Is still looking for good men
The Old Dominion Land COMPANY
is getting on the job, and Mr I.lvesay
the head man OF that company. thinks