Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-11
- 3
ENTHUSIASM
IN HOPEWELL
Steel Plant in New City
Said to be Practically
Assured
WILL COST $4,000, 1000
Business Leaders of Hopewell and
Petersburg Get Behind Project to
Push it to Success

Petersburg, Va, April ll.-What.
ever doubt there may have been with
regard to the S2.000000 steel plant
being located at Hopewell in the near
future was dispelled at Il mass-mcet-
ing of Petersburg and Hopewell busI-
ness men, held in Library Hal! last
| night, to hear the report OF the In
vestigating Committee, appointed at
meeting of the Hopewell 1.-TWO
Hundred Thousand League on last
Monday night. This meeting of the
representative business men of two
communities was the most enthusias-
tic ever held here and resulted in VOL
untary subscriptions amounting To
$50, 800 after adjournment had been
taken and fully two-thirds of the
! crowd had left the hall.
So eager were those present to
subscribe to the stock in the proposed
new industry that they demanded the
right to do so.
The meeting was called to order
by United States District Attorney
Richard H. Mann. who was elected
chairman, with /, NJ. Warren secre-
tary. Mr.. Mann stated briefly the OBJ
iect of the meeting and called upon
Chairman Sachs, of the Investigating
! Committee for his report.
Mr.. Sachs stated that after
thorough investigation and consulta-
ton with President l.. f. Johnson. nf
the Norfolk and Western Railway, the
committee was ready to report fav-
| orably upon the proposal to estab-
lish this great industry at Hopewell.
Capt. T. +. Heath, of the commit
tee, was called upon for statement.
In his opening remarks he expressed
! desire to correct some mlSreprcscn-
tatons of the press which he feared
would lead the public to believe that
the Norfolk and Western Railway
would aid in the establishment Of the
| plant in a financial way. THE Norfolk
and Western will not have anything
to do with the project from Il linan
cial standpoint" said Capt. Heath,
'but we have been assured by Presi-
dent Johnson that his company would
give the project the same cOnsldera-
ton that it would any similar indus
| try. The fact is that he advised us
! to put as much as $500 in the
plant. In order to do this, Petersburg
and Hopewcll citizens must put their
hands into their pockets and subscribe
literally to the stock and let the out
side world know that Hopcwell is on
| the map to stay
Mr.. Zimmer, of the committee,
! stated that it gave him pleasure 20
| speak on a subject of so much inter-
est to Petersburg and Hopewcll. "Thc
task is one that will require capital,
! brain, land and labor, all of which is
here. The committee wa; materially
encouraged by President Johnson in
a personal way. If the two commit
tees are to raise the quarter of Il mil
lion dollars. all Of us must work to-
! gether. and believe we can, and
when we have accomplished the uH-
dertaking we will not have to take
off our hats to any community. T
hope you will do it,
According to the committees re-
port, President Johnson had assured
it that he had investing friends TO
whom he would recommend the pro.
icct, and with Mr.. Johnson's recon-
mendation the committee is confident
of easily disposine 81 all stock not
taken by Petersburg and Hopewell
citizens in excess of s250,000 or $780,
900. =