The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-27
FRUIT FOR THE BIG WEST
SAVANNAH TO BE TIE FRUIT PORT
OF THE SOUTH.

The Steamship Stanford Expected to
Arrive To-day with Cargo Of Ba-
nanas and Cocoanuts from Nicaragua
The Inauguration Of a Regular Line
Between Savannah and Blueheld-
Savannah's Advantages for Importa-
ton over New Orleans.
Mr.. p. Brennan, of Kavanaugh & Bren-
nan, returned yesterday from a two weeks
tour through the west Mr. Brennan went
in the interest of the firms fruit importa-
ton enterprise.
The enterprise, as has been stated in the
MORNING NEWS, is the importation of ba-
nanas and cocoanuts from Blueield, Mica
ragua, by steamer via Savannah to the
western markets New Orleans has hereto
fore been supplying the west with Bluefield
fruit, but the facilities for reaching the
principal western cities from New Orleans
are very inadequate, and the high freight
rates between New Orleans and points west
have hampered the banana and coo oanut
trade to such an extent that it has been
necessary to find market-a distributing
polnt-nearer and with better facilities.
SAVANNAH TO THE FRONT.
Savannah has come to the front,
and, from the outlook, she will here
after control the trade The distance
from Bluefeld to Savannah is but
little greater than from Blueheld to New
Orleans. Savannah is nearer and has more
direct lines to the west. She can reach the
western cities within couple of days.
whereas New Orleans requires double that
length of time to transport the fruit The
fruit, per carload, from Savannah to either
ST. Louis Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington,
Nashville. or Chattanooga, is at least thirty
per cent. less than from New Orleans to the
same points New Orleans has been i'm
porting Bluefeld fruit through Alabama,
and as far into this state as Atlanta and
Macon. The freight rate has been about
$50 per carload. Savannah can lay the
same fruit down in either place, aud in a
third less time. at from $50 to $50 per car
load.
TO DRIVE NEW ORLEANS OUT.
Mr.. Brennan said that the problem was
solved as soon as the scheme of importing
Bluetield fruit via Savannah was explained
to dealers in the west. They considered the
move good one and the chances are that
Savannah will drive New Orleans clean out
OF the western market.
There is no reason why Savannah should
not have the open field, said Mr.. Brennan,
when freights and everything else are
largely in her favor. There is no other
point that can import fruit from Mica
ragua in the same time, and at the same
prices that Savannah can. The west recog-
nizes Savannah's superior facilities, and
once the enterprise is started, Savannah
will have no trouble in holding the trade.
The steamship stanford" will arrive to-
day with 1000 punches of bananas and sew
eral thousand cocoanuts which have already
been soldn
THE LOCAL FRUIT TRADE.
"How much of the cargo will Savannah
consumed"
About third perhaps not so much.
You see we include in Savannah all the
small towns near here which are supplied
by Savannah wholesalers. Thomasville,
cambridge, Waycross, Americas and
Albany are dependent on Savannah for
their supply of fruit, and none of these
places will take less than twenty-five
punches and some of them will take 100.
The fruit from Bluefield will be much bet
ter, and coming at the same time as the
Barracoa fruit which Savannah has been
importing, there is likelihood of an in
creased demand for it from all
these smaller towns There will
be steamer every fifteen
days from Bluefield, and from the present
prospects another steamer will have to be
pun Oh IA OiACA W VI Ou0 W
supply the demand. We have the option
of another steamer, which has greater
capacity than the one now under charter"
NEW YORK CAPITAL INTERESTED.
w. L. Rathbun, the head of one of the
largest fruit houses in the north, is inter-
eSted in the Savannah enterprise, and is
devoting a great deal of his time to it. Mr..
Rathbun probably has more experience in
the fruit business than any other man in
the country. He lived for over fifteen years
in Nicaragua, and carried on an extensive
business there. He was the first to import
fruit to the north from Blueield. and he
has now a regular line of steamers to New
York from Bluefeld. Mr.. Rathbun
says that there is no healthier
place than Bluefield, and he has no fears of
the quarantine interfering with the business
He has just arrived here with his wife, and
will probably spend the winter here
He said with reference to the importation
of fruit from Bluefeld to the west, that
there is no reason why it should not meet
with encouragement on every side, and he
believes it will. He said that, in all proba-
bihty, an additional steamer will be put on
between Savannah and Bluefield before
Christmas. He thinks that the project is
one of great Importance to Savannah. at
all goes toward the upbuilding of Savan-
nah" he said, land she will feel the effects
of it when the move is thoroughly inaugu-
rated.