Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-04
Savannah,s Prosnerifr

The growth of Savannah is steady and
solid. While her increase in wealth and
population in any one year has not been
remarkable, it has been noticeable every
year. She now has population of 10000,
and there is every reason to think that
when the next census is taken she will
have a population of over $4,000. Her
limits are gradually extending, particu-
larry towards the south. That portion of
the city, which few years ago was con-
sidered out of town, and was only
a common, is now pretty well
built up with a class of houses
city. The Legislature, which adjourned
last week, passed bill authorizing an
extension of the city limits. The increas-
ing growth of the city required this eX-
tension. The real estate dealers are
unanimous in saying that the demand for
real estate is so active, that prices for
some time have been steadily upward.
There is no question that during the last
twelve months more houses have been.
built than in any previous period of the
same length in the history of the city.
From contracts already made, and from
the sale of building lots, it is confidently
estimated that the number of buildings
which Will be erected in the next twelve
months will show marked increase over
the last twelve months. The talk about
heavy taxes no longer discourages in
vestments in real estate. 1t is fully I'M
derstOOd that the assessed value of prop
erty is generally not more than half its
real value. Taxation, therefore, is not
heavier than it is in, perhaps, a majority
of the cities of the country. In the mat
ter of health Savannah's record compares
well with that of any other city North
or South. The mOrtuary report,
which is published weekly, shows
a comparatively low death rate among
white people. Since the neigh
boring swamps have been drained and
sewers have been built Savannah has
ranked among the healthy cities. Sayan-
nah's advantages of location have always
been recognized, and she has always had
more business in proportion to her size
than any city on the continent. Last year
she received S19,37S bales of upland and
1000 bales of sea island cotton. This
was not her full share of the crop,
bat there is not much doubt that she will
get her share this year. Galveston got
her place as the second cotton market
last year owing to the immense crop of
Texas. The failure of the Texas crop
this year, however, will probably give
Savannah her old place. The naval stores
industry has come to be recognized as
adding largely to Savannah's import
ance. y dozen years ago savannah was
hardly known as naval stores market.
Now she is recognized as the greatest
market in the world for that class of
goods. The lead she has obtained she
will probably hold One of the
great advantages that the naval stores
business cOnfers on the city Is that it
furnishes employment for large number
of people during a period of the year
when there is nothing being done in
cotton. Rice plays no lnconsiderable
part in the business of the city. over
$4,000 barrels of clean rice and more than
5000 bags of rough rice were sent to
different parts Of the country and
to Europe last year. Lumber
also has become very
important item in the citv's
trade. Nearly 100000 feet of lumber
were shipped coastwise from Savannah
during the year ending the 31st of last
August, and almost 10000, 600 feet were
shipped abroad. There is also an extern
sive trade in timber. These are only a
few of the articles which enter into and
make up Sayannahs business. The sur
rounding country for hundreds of miles
contributes to her commercial import
ance. For instance. more than 100000
pounds of wool and nearly 100000