Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-20
INV RAILROADS WANTED,

What Savannah Needs as a City-5O0
Miles of New Roads to Complete the
System.
Editor Morning News: The above is
the heading of an article in your editorial
columns Of the 18th. I indOrse your arti-
Gle as far as it goes, but it does not 90 far
enough for Sayannah's commercial posi-
ton and Importance. We need two more
railroads to give to Savannah a perfect
and complete system. | speak Of the city
as city, not taking into consideration
for moment any individual railroad in
terest.
An acre Of land is we'll worked when it is
made TO produce just what from its nature
it can produce. A city is only well de-
yelOped when it reaches out and takes IN
all the business that its position demands.
That merchant whose brain does not take
in the advantages Of his position, if living
in a commercial city, or city that
reaches out for a hundred or more miles
alter business. simply declares his busi-
ness talents are narrow and lmited-that
he cannot grasp big ideas or a big busi-
ness.
Savannah is BY no means as yet fully
developed as to all Of her commercial adj
yantages. She needs at least 800 miles OF
new railroads. and they should be arterial
lines. not vein branches. so TO speak.
Look at the map, and then look at Savan-
nah's commanding commercial position.
Do we as a commercial city cover all the
territory we should: Far from it.
/. We do need. as YOU say. Mr.. Editor,
a railroad from Savannah to Americas,
and thence to Columbus; an air line as
near as possible. Eat our breakfast in
Savannah and an early supper IN Column
bus. That is business. The counties Of
Bryan, Tattnall, Montgomery, Telfair,
Dodge, Wilcox, DOOly, Sumter, schley.
Marion and ChattahOochee would be in
daily communication with our city. The
business that our merchants would do
would run up into millions OF dollars.
Who can doubt it:
,. Again, railroad from Sandersville
to Sparta, on to White Plains, thence to
Union Point. and thence to Athens, is an
all-impOrtant road to our city. 4 writer
IN White Plains to your paper takes
clear and comprehensive view OF the i'm
pOrtance of such a road. There would be
millions Of dollars to our merchants If
such a road was built. No doubt of it.
3. A gain, railroad from Athens con-
Meeting with the Savannah, Sandersville
and Union Point Railroad, extended in
direct line to Chattanooga, would put US
in twelve hours communication with
that CITY and then with all the great West.
We should eat our breakfast in Savannah
and our supper in Chattanooga. A new
country and a new trade would be ours,
for no inland city can compete with
seaport city, if the merchants Of said sea-
port have the least business tact, energy
and enterprise.
4. Again, we should make Athens our
objective point. and from that point reach
out for Knoxville, Tenn, through Rabun
Gap. Let our merchants but look at the
map. and they will at once see the plausi-
bility and common sense suggestions Of
each route mentioned.
Don't ask what the Central Railroad
thinks. or the Savannah, Florida and
Western thinks, or the Savannah and
Charleston thinks; but what does SaYan-
nah as a city need to make her the first
seaport south of Baltimore. Our railroads
are not Savannah, nor IS Savannah our
railroads, and as citizens we should act
independent of all collateral influences.
Use them if we can, interest them IN our
enterprises, take them into our enter
prises and ideas, but don't lean upon
them as helpless and poWerless citizens.
God helps those who try to help them
selves. and an ounce Of energy and self
reliance is worth a hundred pounds of
borrowed help.
There is plenty of idle capital on the
lookout for good investments. Show it
the field, cooperate with it and capital
will flow in upon US; but it will not if
we stand by with hands in pockets and
throw doubts, suspicious and sickly aid
into grand enterprises. X. NJ. q.
81 f- 4b,r