The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-08
"A DEEP WATER HARB0R.

The good people OF Pensacola Fla, are
represented by the telegraph as being In q
condition OF jnbiat'on over the purchase Of
the Pensacola aud Pollard Railroad by the
Louisville and Great Southern Railroad
Company, and there is doubtless solid baals
for their Joy In the fact that there Ia now
continuous rond under one management from
the shorts Of Lake Michigan to Pensacola.
That this will greatly rebound to tho advan-
tage OF Pensacola there cannot be reason
able doubt. and we congratulate the people OF
our neighboring city upon the bright PROS
pect for the realization OF their long
cherished hopes. For more than half
q century Pensacola has been dream
ing dreams OF greatness, and her peo-
pie. counting upon the very great natural
advantage which their city undoubtedly pos
sesses. In superb aud land-locked harbor in
which the nayies Of the world might find sale
refuge. have year after year built their airy
CASTLES upon the upsubstantial foundation of
deceptive hopes and seen them erumble be-
fore their eyes like the beautiful creations
Of a dream. Their anticpations were not
of fortune to be achieved by their own stren-
nous and manful endeavora, nor Of y trade to
be struggled for and won by intelligent and
persistent competition, but OF u prosperity
which was to be- thrust upon them, to fall Into
their lap, Rs Il were, without an effort of their
own to deserve It. There are old ctl5,ns Of
Pensacola to-day whose earliest memories are
OF tho railroad that was to be built some
time that was 10 make the ancient. pleasant
little town sitting like n gem on the very
~. 3,,tf II n .,ftx
greater than Mobile. greater even than Now
Orleans "a rival of New York itself,
Year after year alipced away. and the
youths Of the quaint old place were mostly
compelled to seek their fortunes In other and
more active communities. but they carried
with them wherever they went the firm CON
viction that some day the sun OF prosperity
would rise on their old home, and that the
rosy dreams OF their fathers would be fully
realized. They felt assured that one OF the
lovelest bays In all the world, with its deep
water and safe anchorage. would some day be
utilized. and representatives Of tho merchant
fleets Of all the nations be seen upon It's ho-
som. Hence. 1t ia not wonderful that there
should be rejoicing In Pensacola upon tho
contamination OF a railroad arrangement
which certainly promises TO realize at least
some Of the anticlpatlons which It's citizens
have 90 long induRed. In the exhnberance
Or their 10y. however. they have rather In
dulged In hyperbole. as the following dispatch
will show:
REJOICING AT PENSACOLA.
PENSACOLA. Fab t.-The following dispatch
was cent to the president Of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad TO day: 'Pensscola, The deep
water harbor Of the Gull. sends rdial greet
ing: and conRratulntsH your company on
making Peneae, Ia y a"Rport Tor the West
Ono. II. O'NEA1, Mayor
The news Ia being received with rounds OF
artillery.
Pensacola Ia, we conoede. a deep water har-
bor, but not "the deep water harbor OF tho
Gulf" by very considerable majority.
Until twenty ono feet Of water can be shown
ID DO more than twenty-five feet, Pensacola
must be content to occupy the very respect
able position Of second best among the Gulf
ports. There are vessels coming into this
port that could not get to Pensacola at al.
nor could they lighter their cargoea as there
Ia no cafe anchorage outside. We have no
wish to disparaRe the commercial advan-
tages or Pensacola, for we appreciate them
very fully, but tho claim of being 1.-THE deep
water harbor OF the Gulf" struck us as just
a little extravagnnt.