The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-12
SOME ALARMING FACTS.
SAVANNAR's TRADE GOING TO
OTHER P ORTS.

AhCfHt'tJ %'ceS" " ASAA
others of our citizens, have read with
much interest aud deep solicitude your re-
cent editorial on Savannahs present mer-
camille and railrord situation.
For over thirty years the writer has been
identified with our cty's interests. To this
fact add a business which annually carries
him in every portion OF our state and
surely you will admit that, whatever his
opinions as herein expressed may be worth,
his standpoint at least is one entitled to
some consideration.
1t is a lamentable fact patent to all her
citizens that Savannah has to-day but two
railroads which in any material way con-
tribute directly to her mercantile pros
perlty
To the Central railroad and 10 the Sa-
yannah, Florida and Western railway alone
can the merchants of Savannah look for
receipts of products from and give return
shipments TO all that portion Of our state
naturally tributary to our city.
These two railroads, together with the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad,
1t is well known, have entered into com
binatlon, alliance or agreement (call it by
what name you like, whereby the territory
occupied by them and tributary to Savan-
nah is allotted respectively to each, and
they hold themselves jointly and severally
armed and equipped leady for 10dr to the
knife against any enterprise that would dare
t. adventure into that vast unoccupIed I'M
developed territory lying between the three
roads,
Our railroad situation them being as
stated, the inquiry naturally forces itself
upon us-what has Savannah to eTppct,
what has Savannah 20 hope for from either
the Cent? al railroad, or the Sa annah,
Florida and Western railroad An an
f<Nf Z h. 20,
think, to be fouad in a calm contempla-
ton of certain cold facts unknown gener-
ally to our citizens, aud which now desire
to lay before our merchants and the real
est ate owners Of Savannah, nav, | ask
every citizen of Sava nah to stop, to think,
to weigh the facts | propose TO present, and
each for himself decide in lohose hands is
the destiny of our city held tO-dov.
We know that the Central railroad is now
controlled by nOn-reSidents Of SdUdnndh,
parties who have not one collars pecuni-
airy IN teTest IN our city, and unhap lily the
same is only too true in regard to the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western railway.
Pray tell me how much real estate, how
much "StOck in trdde' is owned in Savan-
nah by Jay Gould or his son, George, by
John Inman, by H B. Plant, or by Pat
Calhoun
The parties controlling these two rail
in our city surely are not cenSurdbLe, but
simply obey the very first law OF our ma
ture when they make Savannah's interests
at all times and under all circumstances
subserve their own.
Now, under practical operation of the
understanding or agreement between the
Central railroad and the Savannah, Florida
and Western railroad, vast quantities Of
the products of our state in the very center
Of Georgia aud heart of .Sdudnndh's natu-
rdL territory, are by the East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia railroad, hauled hun
dreds OF miles through GeOrgid, North
and South Carolina aid Virginia, to find
tide tcGtsr at Norfolk, Va.
But few of our citizens are aware of the
astounding losses to the trade of Savannah
by diversions Of the products of our own
immediate territory to Norfolk, Va, and
to Charleston and Port Royal, S. c.
Let our cotton exc lange and our board Of
trade appoint special committee charged
with this investigation, publish results of
their Wor6, give figures for our in for'nlG-
ton, aud many Of our citizens who now
walk in darkness will see the light and ap-
preciate the dangers which so surely
threaten US.
Do l surprise you, MIR. Editor, when I
tell you that Norfolk, Va, not only shares
the product of our own natural territory
within less than two hundred miles of our
wharve, but, in many instances, the entire
shipments of town or locality 60 that
Ways
Are you surprised when tell you that
Waynesb1ro, at our very door, has found it
to her terest TO ship her cotton to Charles
ton and Port Royal2
More than all this: / am ad vised that cot
ton has been shipped from South western
Georgia by rail to Charleston, through oar
city
Do you believe If Mr. Gould, Mr.. Inman.
Mr.. Calhoun or Mr. Plant were largely in
tereSted pecuniarily in our city then tCOuLd
tor one moment tolerate eriStinq state of
affairs?
With the trade Of our natural territory
thus taken from our very doors, are our
people still content to sit with folded arms
INDUCING in the vain hope that the Central
road, or Savannah, Florida and Western,
Will eventually do some big thing for Sa-
vannah whereby they may be benefitedq
Are our merchants, our solid business
men, our citizens with brains and energy.
satisfied to receive the few crumbs that fall
from the tables Of the Plants, the Inmans
and the Calhouns in the shape of director
ships and free passes when the very life
blood of our trade is being sappedl
tell you, fellow citizens, the interests of
the controllers of the Central railroad and
Savannah, Florida and Western railroad are
not the interests of the city of Savannah.
The sooner we all wake up to realization
OF this fact the better for us. These roads
are not protecting us to-day, and we had
better rise up at once AID protect our inter
est as they are 80 well protecting theiI own.
Whilst Savannah has beer calmly sitting
with folded arms trusting to luck, to Gould,
TO Imam, to Plant, to Calhoun, or, like
Micawber, waiting for something to turn
up" let us see what the other towns of our
state have been doing
MACoN-Olce the fast friend and ally OF
her seaside sister, has yielded to Norfolks
enterprise, and now gives the lions share of
her trade to the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia railroad, and, unhonored
by dictatorship from Gould,
an Inman, Plant or Cal
houn, has built two independent
railroads piercing two unoccupied terrific
ries and to-day her imposing brick whole
sale structures and her increased trade in
all departments attest her reward. | will
say, too, in this connection, that one of
these roads, in addition to opening up a
direct road between Macon and all points
in Florida, has now on its line forty-tlOo
steam sac mills either in active operation
or IN course of construction, and this, too,
an a territory naturally tributary to So
UGnndh.
ATLANTA. See Atlanta with her rail-
roads radiating in every direction, with
others being projected every day; her popu-
lation increasing fabulously and her people
prosperous To give Atlanta ENTERPRISES
a =