N.Y., P. & N. Has Done Much to Improve Territory

Changes Eastern Shore From Poor Territory into Richest Counties of U.S.

Norfolk, Va., March 20. -- In gathering information for a story of what the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad has done for and what it means to the Eighth Ward of Portsmouth City and the trucking belt, known as the Western Branch Section of Virginia, where the "Nip an' En" is a household term of several generations, it was found this section has been built up and has profited to an almost incredible extent.

In 1882, when a trip from Norfolk to New York and back was a week's journey, when shipping facilities were such as to be a long drawn out process, when that section of Virginia and Maryland lying between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, known as "The Eastern Shore" had been dormant for three hundred years with almost no means of transportation, W. H. Painter, capitalist, and A. J. Cassatt, both of Philadelphia, interested W. L. Scott of Erie, Pa., in the possibilities and opportunities which lay in building a railroad through that territory.

R. B. Cooke, born and reared in Norfolk, was a young man at that time, but his fertile mind and broad vision had also reached across the Chesapeake, looking toward some project to benefit and improve transportation.

Railroad Resulted.

"Great minds run in the same channels," and in 1883 the men from the North and Mr. Cooke made a tour of inspection through the peninsula and on a chartered tug to Norfolk, with the result that in about a year almost a straight line of finely constructed railroad was put in operation from Delmar, Delaware, to Cape Charles, connecting by marine transportation with Norfolk.

Equipment for the water portion of the journey consisted of one small wooden steamer, the "Jane Mosley," which was chartered and which served for freight and passenger service until May, 1884, when the "Cape Charles," a new and at that time modern steamer of the wide, side-wheel type was put in operation, with passenger Pullman service. Another steamer, the "Old Point Comfort," added more and larger service, and a terminal was established at Norfolk with freight interchange made at various connections of the Norfolk and Southern, Seaboard, Atlantic Coast Line, and the Norfolk and Western Railroads. R. B. Cooke was general passenger and freight agent, or traffic manager, having charge of all floating equipment and terminal.

The equipment consisted at the time -- about '85-'86 -- of the tug "Norfolk," which was the first boat built for the company. That staunch little vessel was used until a few week ago when, in a fog and a heavy sea, she collided with a sister ship, the "Parksley." Both had heavy laden barges in tow and the Norfolk sustained a sharp cut amidships from the steel prow of the Parksley, and went to the sand bed of the Chesapeake. Wreckers so far have been unsuccessful in an attempt to raise her.

The Norfolk and the Portsmouth, both steel tugs of a tonnage of 240, were powerful and at that time the largest and most able tugs ever in Norfolk harbor. Years after, when the Hampton Roads Harbor was frozen over, these two little vessels could cut through the ice, carrying mail and passengers when no passenger boats could navigate. These with the "Cape Charles" and "Old Point Comfort" (passenger and freight boats), and three wooden barges with a carrying capacity of five to fourteen cars each, transporting fifty to seventy-five cars in twenty-four hours, comprised the floating equipment.

More Property Acquired.

The years brought progress and power, and the Norfolk terminal property was acquired. It being necessary to have a freight terminal where the increasing demands might be met, the property at Port Norfolk was purchased. There were constructed the most modern bridges and piers for the loading and unloading of barges. In September, 1898, this yard started operation, and the building of Port Norfolk and Pinners Point as a residential section began. Some of those who came as employees at that time are still in the service of the company, having built and own their homes.

It was found to be necessary to provide further facilities for handling the increased rolling stock over the N.Y., P. & N. tracks, so the line extending out from the Port Norfolk terminal yards connecting with other roads in order that by shifting cars in this manner they could be handled more quickly, was built as a N.Y., P. & N. project and became known as the Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line. It was thought best later, however, to let all lines terminating at Norfolk harbor into ownership, because this would interest all roads and make the Belt Line an industrial road, more so than if owned and controlled by the N.Y., P. & N. alone. This decision has been fully justified by the industrial development on the Belt Line alone.

Great Development.

There have been wonderful developments. In 1905, when Mr. Cooke had charge of everything on the Port Norfolk side of the bay, the growth had been so rapid that the office of boatmaster was created. To this office Captain Edward Richardson, who has been master of one of the steamers, was assigned, and in this capacity he is still serving. The rolling equipment and traffic and floating equipment were divided.

At this time the floating property alone is estimated at little less than $2,500,000, to say nothing of any other properties. At the beginning it was worth less than $200,000. In addition, the passenger equipment of the road consists of three fast twin-screw steamers plying daily between Norfolk and Cape Charles. About ten years ago, the N.Y., P. & N. was absorbed or merged into the Pennsylvania System and became known as the Norfolk Division of the Eastern region of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The "Nip an' En," however, will never lose its identity with a large number of those who have been in its service so long.

The superintendent of the division is R. H. Pinkham, who lives in Cape Charles. The first superintendent, in 1884, was James McConkey, who was followed in order by H. W. Dunn, A. M. Nichols, J. G. Rogers, Elisha Lee, R. V. Massey, C. I. Leiper, M. W. Clements and R. H. Pinkham.

The division is wonderfully well organized, much of which is due to the able management of Mr. Cooke, who is now assistant to the traffic manager of the Pennsylvania System with his office in Norfolk at the terminal. He is ably assisted by his son, Randolph B. Cooke, division freight and passenger agent, who is following in his father's footsteps. B. G. Vincent, general freight agent, and about 150 employes occupy the offices in Norfolk, where the force numbered about ten in the beginning.

Port Norfolk Office.

Edward Henry Barrick, familiarly known as "E. H." is in charge of all properties at the Port Norfolk office as chief clerk. He has been with the company about twenty years, and while adhering strictly to all rules and regulations of the company in a dignified manner, he is possessed of an affable personality which commands the confidence and esteem of all of the 150 or more employes with whom he has daily contact in his official capacity. W. E. Barrick, Jr., is chief clerk in the Portsmouth office.

At this time the monthly pay roll, which was only about $6,000 at the beginning, now exceeds $100,000.

Nine large steel barges with tracking to accommodate twenty-eight cars each, and nine large and powerful steel tugs, known as the finest fleet of tugs on the Atlantic Coast, operate from these terminals. These have a combined capacity to transport 1,000 cars in twenty-four hours across the Chesapeake, reaching and serving a greater system than any other.

On the Eastern Shore, Accomack and Northampton Counties, about forty years ago, were rated as the poorest of Virginia territory. Because of the outlet facilities promoted by the railroad running through the peninsula, according to the United States crop reports, they are today the richest counties in the United States, according to acreage and population. Three to five million packages a year, it is estimated, are shipped from that section every year. And the road is even yet broadening its field of usefulness.

New Freight Yard.

In the last few years, a new freight yard has been established at St. Julien avenue in Norfolk County, known as St. Julien's station, where large quantities of truck are loaded on cars and shipped out over the Norfolk and Western to the Belt Line, thence to Port Norfolk and loaded on barges to go direct to the Northern markets. This is also under the supervision of the general freight agent, B. G. Vincent.

Another site recently acquired by the road is the property situated between Ocean View and Lynnhaven Bay, known as Little Creek, and which will be used to give increased and quicker facilities into and south of Norfolk. A passenger and freight service, direct, with a rail line into Norfolk.

The N.Y., P. & N., now the Pennsylvania, probably has furnished employment to more people in this section than any other industry and has been the means of the circulation of much money here. There are about 800 employees on this side of the Chesapeake Bay, a number of whom are rounding out nearly a quarter of a century with the company. B. L. Houtz, who is still in Mr. Cooke's department in Norfolk, was one of the constructors in the building of the road. B. G. Vincent, E. M. Rogers, Claude B. Bryan, J. S. Stevens, Capt. Edward Richardson, Captain McGuirey, of the steamer Pennsylvania and Capt. Sadler, of the steamer Maryland; O. W. Waterfield, C. H. Bradly, yardmaster; Conductor Young, E. H. Barrick and R. G. Payne.

The Western Branch trucking section sends out over the N.Y., P. & N. almost all of its products, loading at times as many as 100 solid carloads in a day for Northern and Eastern markets, for which, at times, as much as 300 tons of ice have to be used for refrigeration.