The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-09-28
AN EDITORIAL. REVIEWED.
Natural Highways and Artifa ii
Channels.

We give insertion to the folowingcriti
ciem OF an article in yesterdays CITIZEN
on Good Harbors on the Cult, written
by a gentleman, who himself lives on the
Gulf. We freely admit all he SAYS about
the superceding OF natural waterways
by artificial channels of transportation.
But our purpose was to call attention to
natural conditions as they existed and do
exist, and the rights growing out of them
to carry out natural Tenderness by arti-
fetal aid and induCemcnt, where it is
necessary to provide them. Nature, bv
pouring its waters into the Cult, pointed
out that the harbOrS with which they
empticd should be the y tural entrpots
for the business of the people living along
or near their channels; and it is their
right to claim for those harbors such aid
from the general government as to put
them, whether reached by natural or
artificial channels, ON equality with those
'''i'iNiN I'i'" IhS S'NNllIIlSlll has ul-
equally favored and toStered, and then
avoid that unnatural diversion of trade
by Il course at right angles with the
natural one. Hence, and also, with the
object of national security and con-
venicnce, we urged attention to the
harborS on our Gulf coast:
Ed. Citizen:-ln your editorial of yes
terday YOU spoke OF water courses tribu-
tary to the Gull as atfording the natural
and cheapest lines of dircCsion to such
points OF shipment As Il question OF fact,
this does not exist. Wherever the rich
lands of the South offered business, or a
prospect Oft, railroads have been built.
The Cumberland, Tennessee; Ohio, Mis-
sissippi, Red, Arkansas, White, and
many of the smaller streams have
been parallel, sometimes on both sides,
by railroads.
There are but five harbors on the Gull
that sea going vessels frequent, in fact,
there are but four with any foreign COM
Inerce, viz: Pensacola three feet,
Mobile seventeen feet, New Orleans thirty
feet, Galveston about twelve or fifteen
feet. Outside of New Orleans, Pensacola
has more vessels than the balance of the
Gull ports. Last year +5S vessels went
foreign, and 40 to domestic ports, all
laden with pine timber or lumber.
To-day tn, re are either loading, or pre-
pairing to do so, thirty-three square
rugged vessels and two steamships. In
1856 and in 1887 the government had a
naval drill, and the Trenton, Brooklyn
and several Others came over the bar,
and steamed past the city to their rendez-
vouS about seven miles up he bay, where
the crew went on shore and camped.
And on this port, the government has
not spent over 100000 since the war,
and this was done to save the inroads of
the SEA on the reservations.
There is not a dry dock or marine way
in or on the Gulf, on which can be taken
out the vessels the United States are COM
PEELED to keep i'll the Gulf Except the
navy yard at Pensacola,
where no repairs can be made at present
there is not navy yard south of Norfolk.
1t is Il necessity for this government to
have Il navy, to command that respect
abroad our Importance demands, and to
protect our coming Merchant Marine,
for it is patent to the most careless OBJ
server that our home consumption is not
at all equal to our production, and it is
to those South American nations, south
of us, that we must look for a market,
and our productions should be carried in
our own ships,
The commission appointed to select a
site for a Gulf navy yard have not yet
reported, but it is likely that Pensacola
or New Orleans will be selected. S.