Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-07
OpDOrtunity.

E0it0F UOT11tHg -AelrS: 1t Is gratifying
to all who are in earnest about the well
fare of our beloved Savannah to see
articles in the columns of your paper like
the one headed 'Worth Thinking Of"
that appeared yesterday, embracing an
extract from the Atlanta Constitution,
saying Savannah has a great future be-
fore her if those most nearly interested
are prompt TO seize the opportunity that
present themselves How is this all i'm
pOTtant fact to be so impressed upon
our people, as body - includ-
ing the thoughtful, the indiffer-
ent and the sceptical - that they
will have a realization of the great truth?
The efforts Of the NEWS to this end are
most praisewOrthy, and deserve the plau-
dts of all, and we hope, Mr.. Editor, that
YOU will not ''weary in well doing.v As
rule, important facts and principles are
accepted by the multitude only after
thinking and energetic men, who shape
and lead public thought. have become
as familiar with them as they are with
the phases of the moon. or the rising and
setting of the sun.
In general, all will admit that our city
has great railroad facilities and that they
the immense advantages that may be
reaped by our busy men if their OppOrtu-
mites thus offered are promptly improved.
\ general fact or principle is often best
cOmprehended by the study of special
instances. and with this object in view
we will venture to present one or two
cases in point.
The recent extension of the Savannah.
Florida and Western Railway by aeranch
from Climax to ChattahOOchee, connects
our port directly with Pensacola, Mobile
and New Orleans-a desirable connection;
but if our merchants fail to improve the
opportunity by an extension of their busi-
ness into Western Florida, by forming
connections with the people of that grow
ing cOuntry-the timber, cotton and naval
stores there produced may be attracted
to the Gulf cities. But with awakened
enterprise on the part of our people, Sa-
vannah will reap the growing harvest
from all that region. When it's products
have reached our wharyes and ships, they
will be carried to the masts of the world
without exposure to the Florida reefs,
and. consequently, at less cost for insur-
ance and freight.
Again, the control of the Montgomery
and Eufaula Railroad by the Central
Railroad Company secures to Savannah,
with proper effort. the lions share of all
the cotton, grain and naval stores pro-
duced in the country through which the
road passes, and the supplying of a large
part of the groceries, dry goods, hardware,
etc. consumed by the people there.
Without due effort, constant vigilance
and enterprise, all this profitable business
will pass TO others. The merchant of
Montgomery, Alabama, viii receive
what the merchant of Savannah
loses by his inertness and want of
an intelligent appreciation of his Oppor-
tunities.
In the past we have heard much of
the growth of rival cities on our coast
Port Royal, Brunswick, Fernandina and
others. These rivals are not dangerous,
if our people are fully awake to their ad-
Vantages. It is said that their harbOrS
are better than ours-in this, that they
float vessels of deeper draft than can come
up our river. This is not admitted; but,
suppose il was true, the strength and the
victory is with us, if energy and intelli-
gence guide the contest. The only i'm
pediments to our harbOF are the sand and
mud shoals inside of the sea bar. and over
the bar we have nineteen feet at low water
and twenty-siX feet at high water. The
skill of the engineer has already increased
the depth of water over the banks in our
river sufficiently to admitOf the passage
Of steamers drawing eighteen feet and
more. This is enough for the export of
our productions now shipped coast wise
and abroad; and the great increase in the
future will be provided for by the addi-
tiOnal depth of channel required-say for
a draft of twenty-five feet at high tide. 1t
requires more than great depth of harbOr
to attract commerce and build a city.
Capital is the great, the paramount,
necessity. Without il, commerce Ian
guishes and cities decay. Priority OF set
tIement and established business give
great advantages, supposing other things
equal. il is well known that the harbOr
of Newport, X. l., is superior to that of
New York or Boston, having greater
depth and more favorable entrances. In
fact. Newport harbOr can be entered
through several channels from the sea
having different directions, and thus offers
the navigator a choice according to the
direction of winds and storms. With all
these advantages Newport can never be a
rival to Boston, much less to New York.
Priority Of settlement aud plethora of
capital possessed by the last two VIII
always give them superiority over any
commercial place of recent settlement
be the natural advantages of harbOr
and of interior connections ever so
great. ITO him that hath
shall be given" With these great facts
before us, what is TO be feared from the
growth of our ambitious neigebors? Our
city has nothing to fear from enterprising
rivals. provided we are in earnest and
equally enterpriSing. But i am growing
too YOrdy. aad must close for the present
and finish my task at future time.
April Z, 1888. SAVANNAH.