The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-05-24
Pensacola Advance, May AL

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1t is gratifying to observe that the business
men of Savannah are awakened to realization
Of the benefits that can be made to flow to their
city from the completion of the line Of railroad
from Chattahoochee 10 Pensacola.
The completion of the Waycross road, con-
meeting jacksonville, the eastern terminus OF
the Jacksonville Pensacola and Mobile Railroad
with Waycross on the Florida Western Rail
road, will shorten the distance between Savan-
nah and Jacksonville by something over one
hundred miles, and the Waycross road is now
well on its way towards completion, and will
probably be finished inside of twelve months.
From Jacksonville 10 Pensacola the line is
almost perfectly straight, due west, and the ex-
tension to Mobile from Pensacola via the Tensas
Bridge will also be a straight line about due
west. The construction of the Pensacola and
Atlantic Railroad, which is the name given to
the line, upon which work has already COM
menced between Chattahoochce and Pensacola,
will therefore shorten the distance between Sa-
vannah and New Orleans by a saving of one
hundred miles at least, via Waycross and Jack
sonville, not 10 mention the saving of the dis
lance between Montgomery and Mobile, and
that between Albany and Smithville where the
westward line between Savannah and New Or
leans is detected in q northerly, and then in a
southerly direction, about one hundred and fifty
miles
The business men Of Savannah are shrewd
enough to appreciate the advantage of short
line of rail connecting them with New Orleans,
thereby enabling them to strike the Southern
Pacific, prolonging their rail communication in
line almost due rest TO the golden gate Of San
Francisco, and II is not unreasonable 10 aniici-
pate that they will speedily take steps to avail
themselves of this advantage.
We can readily see how this line between
Savannah and New Orleans may be more efiec-
tually shortened. and it is possible that when
the line of the Pensacola and Atlantic has been
surveyed and located, we will hear of move
ment to connect Townsville, Georgia, with
Chattahoochee, Florida, by which the shortest
possible line between Savannah and New Or
leans will he realized. The distance between
Townsville and Chatahoochee is not over six
ty miles, and with this gap filed, and the Pensa-
cola and Atlantic completed, the route between
Savannah and New Oeleans will be lessened by
at least three hundred miles, from that now in
existence between those points.
The advantage TO West Florida, and in TACT
to the whole State, which will accrue from the
completion of this system of roads cannot be
over estimated, and we are confident 10 the hope
that this advantage will begin to be realized
within the next few years.
The history of all Of the great commercial
cities of modern times teaches that the enter
prise and energy OF their people In placing them
selves In close communication with the markets
Of the world has been the handspring Of their
success and development. In no city of the
South is this truth more perfectly understood
than in Savannah. For years she has been en-
deavoring 10 stretch her reach across the CONT
nent in order 10 connect herself with San
Francisco by the most direct line of road East
and West In this endeavor she has not been
altogether successful The completion of the
Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad will place II In
her power to attain this purpose at the expense
of trifiing outlay, and as we said at the outset
Of this article 1t 10 gratifying to obervs that her
business men are awakening 10 this fact