The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-12-12
SEES GREAT PROMISE
FOR ELIZABETH CITY
Ed. F. Grace, Worldwide Newspaper Man
Says This City Will Develop 1870 Within
the Next Five Years @

yond the most extravaganY
dream of its people of a &eni
Grafton ago, and that bec'
of its natural advantages, IL
favorable situation, and it'll
proximity to the biggest portd
of the world, its commerce and
industries will increase rs pea
cent within the next five years.
are some of the observations
of Ed. F. Grace, veteran neWsy
paper man, of worldwide adj
ventures, who is now in ting
city assisting in the conpilaS 4
ton of the Tell the Worldly
edition of THE INDEPENDE
ENT, which is soon to be sem
to every chamber of commerce
in the United States, and I'd
foreign countries. /.
Mr.. Grace is a fat, good naturea
Irishman who has travelled ovei
most Of the states Of the union an
the principal countries of the worict
but the most of his life he has spen::'
on newspapers from Kalamazoo Il
Key West, and from New York tx
San Francisco. He started his trav
els when he ran away from hom
at the age Of nine years, and begai
work by selling newspapers on tbs
streets of st. Louis. Since that TIM
he has accumulated lot of impress.
sions about places and people, an,
on top of all that he has observed,
he has the following to say abou..
Elizabeth City: Il
IF there is any spot in the easi
that has greater prospects for de
velopment, compared with size ans
location, / have failed to see ~.
Elizabeth City is now surely an,
steadily on the road to an expap /
sion that its former residents woulIi
never have dreamed of. do no !:
insist that Elizabeth City 10 going. q
grow quite as much in population
but I do believe that its commercis'
and industrial expansion within fv.'
years from now will be IS per cent
greater than il is at present. !,
Elizabeth City is logically situaf
ed to develop. Blessed with goof
waterways, which the Government ~
interested in improving, its watei
borne commerce links 1t thru thf
growing port of Norfolk with ever
civilized port In the world. The de1
velopment Of Norfolk will help ElSJ
abeth City, just as the development
of New York has fostered the rapij
growth of dozens OF smaller cities Il
the environs of New York. Inyesp
tors on the hunt for factory sites 4
Norfolk, who fail to find an eccnon
ical location in that city, would mas
urally turn to this town before Civ
ing. up their plans, simply beaausi
of the favorable conditions largela
due to lower cost of operation.
''The working class of people wouE
prefer this city because it costs led
to live here than in larger towi|
And Elizabeth City some day vii
be the home OF hundreds Of peops
working in Norfolk, simply beeaus|
the plain American citizen is anxiotI
for the quiet and economical life X
| the smaller town, and the more FL
vorable, cleaner and more wholesom
living conditions which it afforda.
There is no need to scof at tis
idea that people will Live in Elizsi
beth City every night and z purs1;
their daily occupations in Norfoll
Hundreds Of workers in New Yorl'
Pittsburg, Philadelphia, eBaltimoa
and other cities live greater dii1
tance from their work, than the di
tsnce from Norfolk to Elizabel
City. and they spend no more It'd
. an hour a day, going to and, fro|
their work. Fast electric trail
make transportation easy. VIZ
Further, there is no need
, laugh at the idea that similar tram
portation will ever favor Elizabe
City. There is no need for such
E cilitieS at the present time, but thi
will come when enough busiaess
e support them develops.
: Another good thing for this ciq
;. is the many miles of good roads til
d are being built to link it with eve
t.. town and crossroads in the sectie|
: Roads are going to make this toT
S worthwhile, while it is waiting q
development. The resources Al
here to make it grow. .BaSk
Elizabeth City are thousands Of y
2 developed acres which will yet
turned into prosperous fields, al
nearby is the greatest fishing SC
= ton of the east. This 100, WI
: properly developed by the people d
:, the state, will pour thousands
= dollars into Elizabeth City,,
! Elizabeth City's extensive. educ
:, tional, municipal utility and civ
= = programs now under way are goil
~ to put it on the map as to7
worth while. There is no need
worry about the prospects Of ELI
4 beth City for great and intensive I
' velopment: It is coming"