New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-18
NEW FLORIDA.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PINE FORESTS.


NORTHERN CAPITAL TIMBER LANDS AT TEN
cyyTs AN ACRH-THE MILLS AT PERDID0-rHE
TIMBER AND LUMBER TRADE OF PENSACOLA.
IpRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE 1RBush'
PENSACOLA, Fla, Sept. 10--lt is pleasant
task to record progress and prosperity in any southern
community, from which, in general come more
bearseke AIRS than carols" Pensacola Is developing
the long latent Of her lumber region ana tha
Of Alabama through the aid Of Northwestern energy
and capital TO extent little known or appreciated at
the North. This great movement has been initiated
,brough the sagacity OF q farseeDg few among her
own people, who have sought and found the
apa and practical experience necessary 10 carry on
rho enterprise, IN Michigan. Chicago and Albany Tue
,uber and timber trade OF Pensacola has already De-
eome very large aud promises to expand IN such rao
that IL will employ feet OF ships 1t Is rapidly build
ING ND the city, and has already founded two new towns
within eight miles Of i-Perddo or Millyiew and Bag
aodwhea third upon the road to Pollard from Pensa-
co,a-Molin0-s also being built up All TINS Is que 10
the recent Of the great pine forests which before tpe
war we're left their primitive wildness as the hauh's
q, rho bear the fox and the wild turkey squatted upon
at rare intervals by few timberchoppers, who WIN
their axes eked out precarious livelihood by wood
cboppng or hewing timber 1t was not until aiter the
cor that this great gilt OF nature recognized ana
utilized believe that the first essay was made al DO
limo ON the Pensacola Railroad, midway between PenSa
cola and the junction with the Montgomery ana hoDhe
| Railway Here a company established saving MILL
which il now said to be doing large aud thriving bust
| moss Bagdad was founded through the enter
nr,se and has made the fortune Of native citizen,
who now reaps the reward OF his faith and energy,
untirnp st in the supervision Of his mills Another
citizen of Pensacola the pioneer on the Peruioo'
which promises overtop and outstrip all its oder
| councillors DR.. Mclean founded that industry on
perdido Bay, and fought IL out on that line through
strneqes and dlscOuragemens, which contradict the
| of.raHn t,intnn M IN
| and energy on the part OF Southern men.
rour years ago Perddo was wilderness, the lair OF
the nanther and the bear Now II resounds to the music
NJ the saw and hum OF peaceful industry ana many
millions OF feet of lumber annually sent oyer the
whole world from It's busy mills change like this, un'
common even in the North in so short space Of tme
seems marvellous this Southern country Let us hope
it is only forerunner Of many other similar develop
mems IN region 50 blessed by nature, and hitherto 80
neglected by man Hitherto the Southern pine barrens
have been synonymous with sterity and poverty But
the wand OF the enchaner has been waved over them'
| and untold capabilities OF wealth have been founa 10
| exist within their somber circle
vurAnLE WOOD LANDS AT TEN CENTS AN ACRE
II is curious fact that what have always been re-
oarded as the most worthless lands in the Southim
uen.e tracts OF which have recently been sold by the
State of Alabama at 10 cents per aereshoud thus DC
made the lever OF new prosperity, which promises
far TO outstrp the old based on the most productive
lands the world can show Our Atlantic supply Of tim
ber constantly drawn upon, has begun to iai ana Tor
years the hardy lunbefiaeh Of Maine have been gen.
orally migrating South Winter 10 fell the pine forests
on the Southern coast II has been estimated that the
nine forests of the North and West will last but decade
| longer The supply now about being utilized mere
| seems likely TO last for century to come, taxing
only this particular section OF it into account
| The watersheds OF the Perdido the Escamba,
| the Blackwater and their afiluents, cover an
| wi yellow
which competent Judges declare to be sufficient to sus
tain commerce OF sl5OOOOOO annually forIlO0 years to
come for this area be made to yield in It's periodical
cuttings 1OOOOO0o000O feet OF this immense Held ana
these immense exports fully one-tenth must belong TO
the Pensacola and Perdido Railroad which has sprung
into existence as connecting link between the Perdido
Mills and the port of Pensacola within the astve years
and proises to by far the most profitable railway
for It's length In the United States But i've years OLD
and but ten miles long, running from the Bay OF
Pensacola at the city 10 the mills OF the
Perdido, this railway will constitute the
artery through which this stream Of wealth
must ow leaving largo deposits on the,way in its own
channel In the shape of reighs and charges Incident
10 tho transit This too native enterprise, devised,
constructed and owned by Foridans, andwith native
President Capt b. F. Simmons whose faith in Its future
is only cquaed by his energy and Industry in ITS man
agement He has achieved remarkable results already
with the limited heretofore at his disposai but
now that the cooperation OF Northern and Western capt.
tasts has been secured to the development OF the in
dustry to which this road is of vital and primary i'm
portance his path must be smooth and easy one here
after Tue last new company on the Perdido,
which is building monster mill, with q
capital OF sl,O00OOO, has made most adj
vantageous contract with the railway, which Will
keep busy aud prohtably employed for the next ten
years exclusive of the carrying trade Of the hall dozen
other mills on the spot all OF which must use this rail
way TO get their timber to market.
The Spanish name Perdido U.ost. still applied to this
beautiful sheet OF water. landecked and without avail
able outlet because of this fact. Its chief
feeder the Perdo River. which constitutes the bound
arv between Florida and Alabama is too shallow to be
used for the transport of timber and Pensacola Bay is
the point whence shipments must necessarily be made
NORTHERN CAPITAL sHREwDLY INVESTED
The development this little line OF railroad has already
yen and promises yet TO give to this region is meal
culable when the above given taken into
and they facts the recent investment
Of millions dollars already by practical Western men
must prove. The who have formed these new CON-
panes know their business thoroughly and have looked
before they eaped into this remote region. The result
will Justify their sagacy and build up the State they
have adopted. curious feature connected with this
enterprise Is that the neighborng State OF Alabama has
been explored for the benefit OF her smaller and feebler
ne9hbor Before deciding enter into this business and
erect their mills the shrewd managing men Of Chicago
who had the matter In hand, carefully surveyed the
vicinity They that the pines on the Florida side OF
the Pcrdido smallszed and sparae In comparison
with the vast pine forests Of Alabama the other side
In reach OF their proposed mills.
Accordingly they went quietly down to Mobile and
ascertained that the Governor OF Alabama had been
authorized sell large bodies OF these lands rs swamp
lands useless the state and bringing in no revenue
OF these lands the Western Companysbougbt up 100000
acres at 10 cents per acre, thus purchasing principal
ty and the possbitytof large fortunes for all Of the
owners for the trnng outlay Of s2oOo Since the pur
chase OF the site of Troy the cunning device OF the
stretching Of the oxhide 1t Is hardly probable that
ucb Land was ever acquired at small cost-that IT,