Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-25
SAVANNAH AS A MANUFACTURING
CENTRE.
When and How the Necessary Water
Power Can be Obtained.

hear the future Importance or savannah
as a manufacturing centre predicted, es-
peeially when the accessibility of water
power is assigned as the foundation Of the
prediction. The present prosperity OF the
town being entirely due to the facilities
for transportation and to direct commune
cation with Northern and European ports
/ by marine service, it is quite evident that
! these circumstances eminently favor the
establishment of any kind of manufactO-
~. The attention of capitalists has al
| ready been drawn to the rapid develop
ment of this section of the Southeast. and
I II Will be OF interest to the general public
/ TO consider what features of the situation
/ would promote the success of any class
I Of enterprise.
For mandatory to be successful Ia
/ Dor must be at hand, or readily obtaina-
/ bic from distance, and the choice Of To-
l cation must be justified by various and
Y peculiar advantages. Manufacturing dis
trlcts are frequently seen surrounded by
4 tracts devoted to agriculture, a iuXtapOsi-
I ton whence mutual benefit results; the
farmers md market for their produce.
4 being saved the trouble and expense of
/ transportation with its attendant uncer-
talnty; and the factory hands, living well
and cheaply, are happy and contented,
giving full work for lower wages than
/ operatives in less favored districts can
/ suOslst on. Thus the cost of manufac-
/ tured products may be so diminished as to
/ insure their successful competition in the
markets of the world. But if, in addition
+ 10 these advantages of situation, the need
/ ed power be Obtainable at a merely nOmi-
I nal cost, il would seem that no greater en-
! couraSements to industry could be Of
/ fered.
I How far can Savannah meet the emu
| merated requirements of 4 manufacturing
/ city! What other agricultural facilities.
! with gardens from which fresh vegetables
/ can be culled eYerX day in the years
/ What OF her mild and pleasant climatei
/ Can any place OF similar size and natu-
I raj advantages as a commercial centre
/ boast of so temperate an atmosphere? Too
I far south 10 be seriously affected by the
/ cold of winter, which Is so severe in North
I eTn cities, yet too far north to share the
eneryating influences of the tropical
countries, with a soil of pure white sand
I varying in depth from a few to several
hundred feet, upon a substratum of clay
I sloping towards the sea and insuring
I from the outset a drainage not equaled
/ by many manufacturing towns. Last.
not least, the ease Of obtaining labor both /
I skilled and unskiiled, mechanics or arti-
Zans, whether those actually at hand be
considered or the thousands that would
HQck TO avail themselves Of the adyan-
tages peculiar to our locality.
What, indeed, is lacking, the need of
which can stay the initial step Of develop
ment! which, If unlmpeded. would ena-
bic us to manufacture our staples at our
own doors and send the finished fabric
forth across the broad eXpanse Of the wa
terry waste TO every land tenanted by the
universal brotherhood of man?
Practically nothing. The principal
drawback that heretofore has hindered
the establishment Of manufactures. the (
cost Of pOwer-althOugh less considerable /
than may have been supposed on account
Of the enormous pine forests Of our neigh /
borhood, whence fuel is 50 cheaply OBJ (
talna0le-neYertheless even this objection
may be met, as all necessary power may
be had al minimum outlay.
1t 10 the opinion Of the writer. judging /
from the best information accessible. that I
the whole current Of the Ogeechee river /
Ia vast and perpetual supply of water) !
can be readily. and at comparatively lit
tie cost, thrown into the present 0geechee |
/ canal. The fall thus attainable would be !
sufficient for all purposes; the great ponds !
/ and other now useless eXpanses of marsh !
might at small expense be utilized az
reservoirs; and it is easy to see that. with |
ordinary skill in engineering, no Interrupt
| ton need be OccasiOned in the traffic /
usually carried on on the canal by the /
utilization of the superfluous water thus /
entrusted to it.
The one objection that might be made is I
that the stream Of water thus directed into I
the savannah river by the mouth of the I
canal, might cause diversion Of the cur
rent, and the resulting shifting of the
sands would seriously Interfere with the |
established channel. This objection is
easily avoided; there is no absolute neces-
slty Tor following the present course of !
the canal to the Savannah river. Much I
greater advantages in fact present them
selves in favor Of different route. Two
unObjectiOnable outlets are available.
Inc one IS by canal across the Deniu-
sula, II we may use the term, between the
present Ogeechee canal and the Cuvler
swamp canal, taking the low level near
the line of the Charleston Railroad. and
pursuing the most direct route available
Inc second course proposed would en-
circle the city on the south and east. emp
tying into ST. Augustine creek, or the
south channel, at point where its cur !
rent could be made OF advantage in MAIN
tanning the depth of the present channel. !
This will be regarded by some as a vast
enterprise, too difficult and expensive,
even II at all practicable. Yet greater
works nave been accomplished, and more
dlincultes nave been encountered for less
valuable results.
Tie question of practicability being set
lied, | can see no reason for not utilizing
the tramp element-bOth white and
colored-in developing this enterprise,
which will be productive Of so much good
to the individual. to the city and to the
State. The yagabOnds abound to such an
extent in our town that if they could be
illegally obliged to work, they might be
Of peculiar service. Walk out any day in
our beautiful streets and count, if you
can, the idle negroes, mostly in rags,
lowering on every corner, but especially
in certain localities faYOring
their retreat. Drive out on the
byways and highways leading from
our city, you are sure to fad this element
well represented; some engaged in the
national game Of base ball, on some OF
those suburban eXpanses of grass so pc
culiarly fitted to tn at recreation; others,
should it happen to be summer, have
wandered forth TO Tecline beneath some
outrageous tree, enjoying the balmY en-
brace mother nature, seasoned, ofcOurse,
with that delightful, and equally national
accompaniment, quiet game of poker.
Turn your steps homevard, in the cool Sc
clusiOn of the evening, when the ardent
sun has cooled his rays in the western |
clouds, and the placid moon assumes her
reign: and where now do YOU find
the representative tramp! Ten to one he
is drinking in some rum shop, or, if with
out the funds necessary for such spirit
uOus apprOYisiOnment, he is planning
what hen-rOOst or WOOd.piie he will visit
at the "ghOstly hour" or when lit is no
longer late, but early" But when these
small means OF replenishment are lack
ing. he plans burglary, commits high
way robbery, gaIrOtes a citizen, and,
in some cases, rises - to the conception
and execution of a murder. Meantime, TO
sOlace the passing hours, he commits
arson with discOuraging impunity.
Certainly no State can tolerate this
kind Of existence, worse than that of the
lazzaroni Of Naples. These creatures
must eat to live, yet they work not; they
have no private fortunes, but are simply
drOnes, and live by strategy Ito give it
fine name at the expense OF those who
labor for their daily bread The laws Of
the State should, if they do not already, /
deal so decidedly with persons Of this
class, that if they will not work to earn 1
FOR themselves the necessaries of life they /
should be deprived Of the opportunity of /
stealing such commodities from those who |
do work.
The present force engaged in the Cuyler |
swamp canal could be very proftably /
utilized for this work. and with that force /
augmented as it should be, from the I
element peculiarly appropriate for that /
special service which exist so abund- 7
antly in our midst, we could hope to see /
the undertaking very soon completed. |