The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-29
More Railroads Needed.

Savannah needs more railroads. This
statement has been made many times by
the MORNING NEWS, and its truth is recog-
ni2cd by all of Savannah'S business men.
But how is she TO get them BY waiting
for people who are outside Of her limits
and in no way Interested in her prosperity,
to build them If that is her expectation
she will Ice disappointed. She must take
the lead in building them. Her rich men
and her business men must put their money
into them, and they must take leading
and an active part in organizing railroad
companies. They can accomplish nothing
in the way Of railroad building by simply
urging others TO do what they ought to do
themselves.
The two great railroad systems which
Savannah has are contributing largely to
her prosperity, but they will not build any
tributary lines as long as they can get along
without them. Only competition for the
territory which they now control will in
fluence them to enlarge their systems by
branch lines
Neither Atlanta, Augusta nor Macon is
as important a commercial city as Savan-
nah, but notice what activity in the way of
railroad building they are displaying! They
are helping to build roads which will add
greatly to their wealth and population,
and which would help this city
also if competing roads from
here connected with them, thus
giving them seaboard outlet, which
would enable them to compete with exist
ing roads leading out of this city.
The Atlanta and Hawkinsville, and the
Americas Preston and Lumpkin were pro-
jected for the purpose of giving the people
of the interior of the State other outlets to
the seab BARD than those they now have.
Savannah, with her deep water harbor
and her twenty-four miles of harbor front,
is capable of affording doz II more rail
roads terminal sites. If the business men
of Savannah will but show half the enter
prise and push displayed by those who CON
trolled the business of the city when the
Central and Atlantic and Gulf roads were
built it will not be many years before there
will be railroad wharves on the river from
the present limits of the city to
Fort Oglethorpe, and also on
McQueens Island, Hutchinson's Island,
Long Island Venus Point and other places
What can be accomplished in the way of
railroad building on the lOwlands from the
city to the sea is shown by the terminal i'm
provementS of the Central and the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western, on the river
bank, and the Tybee Railroad Company on
its line to Tybee There is abundance of
room for terminal improvements, and no
railroad need hesitate about seeking an out
let here for fear it cannot be obtained Few
seaport cities can offer as many and as cheap
sites for wharves as this.
There may be those who think that the
proposition to locate wharves at the places
above named is a visionary one, but they
will not think so if they will but recall the
doubts and predictions which greeted the
Central railroad when it purchased the site
now occupied by its great wharves and
sheds. The place was a swamp, traversed
by bold creek and scarcely habitable for
alligators. Its present appearance is a
sufficient answer to all who doubt there are
plenty of other good places for wharves on
the river.
There is no occasion for raising a doubt
about terminal sites. They will be found
readily enough when they are needed. The
thing to occupy the attention of Savan-
nah's business men now is the building of
railroads that will bring her additional bus
mess