Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-23

How Savannah Destroyed the Town
that WAS 20 Desrroy II.

city of Port Royal as 1.-THE future com
mercial emporium OF the South Atlantic
coast" ''the indisputable outlet for the
products of the great West" and the
other hourishing designations attached
to the several cities Of remote possibilities
that nave been projected contiguous to
the deep water basin, the present city
! OF Port Royal. with its extensive
wharf accommodation on the eastern
shore Of Battery creek and extending
across to Port Royal river, its magnih-
cent deep water facilities, its cOnven-
iences for handling freights from plat
form to deck, its gigantic cotton press
and imposing grain elevator. its superior
eligibility as compared with New Orleans,
being 900 miles nearer the markets Of the
world, still remains with its confidently
predicted destiny untulflled
The present city OF Port Royal, laid out
on large and attractive scale by ID. f.
Appleton, OF New York, the owner Of the
tract upon which it Is built upon paper,
is the third speculative venture OF found
ing a city in this vicinity. One was at
Foot Point on Collector Neck, another at
Lands End on St. Helena Island. Both
proved abortiye, not, however, until
large number of purchasers at the latter
HAG IAlN tHtiI UlUNty lOI iOJS III Il tikJ
that had no existence but upon the paper
upon which it was drawn. The last and
most pretentiOus, the one to " hich a rail
road was built, extending TO Augusta,
and crossing the Savannah and Charles
ton railroad at Yemassee, IL the city to
which our attention is now directed by
its very decline and decay, and which,
perhaps, is farther from utility and de-
yelOpment to-day than at any time since
lts Incorporation in 1874.
On Tuesday next. the 22d inst, the last
importantand expensive investment made
there, consisting Of the property Of the
Port Royal and Augusta Compress Com
pany, one OF the largest and most power
full congresses ever erected by Taylor Il
Co., OF Charleston, and a towering Chase
grain elevator with q capacity Of 100, 900
bushels, with engines. boilers, and i'm
provements, all in perfect order, together
with the land upon which they are situa-
ted, are 10 be sold. and will doubtless be
purchased TO be removed, and, like the
railroad workshops, machine shOpe, and
car shops, Will be transferred to our
peighboring state, thus depriving our
own State OF upwards Of 5000, 900 of tax
able property that should properly be Of
use here.
This state of things has resulted from
the sale made OF the Port Royal and Au-
gusta railroad, running its whole length
through our State, to the Central Railroad
Of Georgia, which, since it acquired pos
session, has moved everything but the
roadbed and ticket offices along its route.
Independent Of the loss Of so much tax
able property to the State as has been re-
moved 10 another, the road under it's pres
ent alien control dlYerts its local business
to avenues outside Of the State. Some
years ago the through business was not
supplemented by the aggregated growth
of our enormous phosphate industries
that have grown up comparatively in the
past few years since the control of the
road has passed into the interest Of Ss-
vannah.
In 1873 a sioint resolution for the re-
lease of the Port Royal and Augusta
Railway Company from the payment OF
certain taxes was passed by our Legis-
lature. Under that resolution tire Port
Royal and Augusta Railway Company 3,
which had purchased the road from the
original Port Royal Railroad Company,
and WAS thereby liable for taxes upon .
since 1913, were RENTED State and county
taxes amounting to $4,000, charged
against its property prior 10 the fiscal year
commencing Nov. ], 1876. Now the
true inwardness Of this proceeding by
which the present owners Of the Port
ROYAL and Augusta Railway Company
became the beneticiaries OF the signal
generosity OF the state - that they are
part and parcel Of the same Central rail-
road magnates that now have control OF
10. and II is reasonable to suppose that at
the very time they were applying for this
I extraordinary act of munitcence at the
hands Of our State they contemplated that
transfer of the property 10 another State
which they nave since accomplished.
The city Of Port Royal was a tract OF
land purchased at direct tax sale by ID.
| +. Appleton, who satisfied mortgage
! held over it. and besides paid some trifling
! consideration to the former owner to con.
firm his title. The whole property cost
| him, with all the incidental expenses.
about $4,000. The titles TO the lots that
/ he has sold in this city are unexcepti0n-
able, and he has probably realized ten
/ fold what he expended. The only unfor-
| tunates are those who bought the lots at
/ ridiculously high prices, and put up
/ stores and buildings under the impress.
sion that IL would some day become a
! large and fiOurishinc CITY. With native
! Ingenuity Appleton held not only all the
/ lots high, but was particularly exactlnQ
as 20 the prices OF corner lots, and his
/ dupes thought that If corner lots were
! held Mt such and such prices those bought
! at much smaller prices must be cheap.
A second class OF unfortunates were
! those who invested in shares IN the Yir.
/ ginia scheme Of building the Port Royal
| railroad, and Mr.. Appleton, as philan,
| thropist, succeeded, through his agents
\ aud otherwise, in inducing great many
negroes, "a well as others. TO purchase 4
| few shares--sOme one and some more
| and his policy was 20 have "A minority Of
the stock held by a majority OF the stock
! holders. Al the same time 1t was vel
| arranged not TO let the control OF the
I road pass out Of the hands OF himself
and two or three others, 10y whom, ut the
! proper time, the interests OF the minority
were rendered worthless and were
| duly absorbed by the mere majority who
manipulated the whole AFFAIR I'm theii
/ own interest. II Appleton, therefore
never derives another dollar from HE
! Observation-Disclosures all the sites be
/ has since sold 10 the phosphate com
| panies, and all the lots from which he has
/ derived each. aud from those he NAV
| have TO take back, after partial payment
/ and his happy escape out OF the Port
/ Royal railroad speculatlOn-he VIII not
] DE an object OF sympathy.
So far as Port Royal city is concerned
we should not be surprised 10 see biz
warehouse erected at the terminus Of the
/ road for the paying on Of hands, ana all
/ dispensable offices, trades, profession,
and omploymCnts utterly ahrogntod and
the city itself m0vedu o. Beaufort.
The question will then be not only who
/ killed the Port Royal Cock Robin, bu
what little iish caulht its blood; and the