The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-06
orr1cr OF TIE MoRvrva News.

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things conside ed, there was not great deal to
complain Of The reference is to cotton. The
bad weather which prevailed over great deal
of the cotton territory which is tributary to
Savannah. in the early part of the season, dam
aged cotton greatly. In consequence there was
very considerable falling off in SAvannah's
receipts, and that which was received was not,
as a rule, Of very high grade
The factors, however, had a rather
profitable year, though the exporters Jared
badly In comparison with the receipts Of the
previous year there was a shortage of over
$4,000 bales. This shortage caused no alarm,
however, because tn cause of it was well un-
derstood, and it was apparent that it was a
cause that would not, 10 all probability exist
in another year The fact that other South At
lantic ports did not gain what Savannah lost
showed beyond doubt that she was in no danger
of losing her position as the second cotton port
in importance in the United States.
Viii Q Savannah lost in in her receipts of up
land cotton, she gained in her receipts of sea
island cotton The gain was very marked. 1t
reached nearly $500 bales This iustifies the
conclusion nat Savannah is not only going to
hold her position as a market for sea isla ID cot
ton, but that she is gradually gaining control of
the great bulk of the sea island crop. Her fac
tors seem TO understand better than those else
where how to handle thi crop so as to secure
the best prices for it,
The years business in naval stores was very
gratifying. There an immense increase in
the amount of spirits handled, and, though
there a slight decrease in the number of
barrels of rosin marketed, yet the prices were
so gooi, particularly for spirits that the factors
wereln position TO say that the year h ID been
very prosperous one. Savannah continues to
be the greatest naval stores market in the world,
and there is no reason to doubt that her naval
stores bus ness will assume still greater proper
tons Her factors are wide awake and ener-
getic, and there is no dan err that rival ports
will draw business away from her.
The wholesale busin SIS in grocees, dry goods
and hardware was exceptionally fine and our
merchants feel encouraged to extea1 their trade
Last year was a very prosperous one for them
and they not only covered the old territory but
they reached out quite successfully into new.
They have now strong foothold in several
states, and there is every reason to think they
viii hold it. The fever in Florida last fall
helped the grocery business somewhat, as that
state depended largely upon the merchants of
this city for supplies a few months ago all of our
wholesale merchants were rather alarmed by
the building of the Georgia Southern and Flor
ida railroad because it cuts tn ir southwestern
territory into two parts and opens it to the mer.
chants of Macon The building of tae len ex-
tension, however, by the Central railroad, will
neutralize, to a great extent, the effects of the
Georgia Southern, in so far as Savannah mer
chants are concerned. The trade of the Savan-
nah merchants in Florida is steadily increasing.
and will no doubt keep pace with the grow tn OF
that state.
The rice planters did not fare very we'll last
season. The fires cts damaged their crops and
there was a shortage in the total yield. The
outlook for them this year, however, is very
good.
The business of Savannah railroads during
the last season was large They are all the
while reaching out to new territory, and, of
course, are bringing additional business TO
Savannah The richest parts of Florida, some
of the best parts of Georgia and section
of Alabama are now tributary to the
Savannah, Florida and Western, while the
Savannah and Charleston helps Savan-
nah's business very considerably. The
Central is, of course, the great railroad OF
Georgia, and it is now drawing business to Sa
yannah from half dozen states. 1t is probable
that over its lines the products of a part of the
great west will reach the seaboard at lis port
The South Bound rairoad-a newly projected
enterprise-will doubtless be built within a yea
or two, and Savannah will have much new ter
ritory from which to draw business
The real estate business last year was the bes
in the history of the city. A great many buildin,
lots were sold, and many uiidings we're erected
Some of the buildings that were begun and no
yet completed are notable ones Among then
are the De Soto hotel, the court house and tn
federal building. The great fire, which oc
Cured April g. destroyed some valu
able buildings but it did not do tn
city q permanent injury. New building
have already been erected on many of the site
of those burned, and ia little while the Who'll,
of the burnt district will be built up, and tina
too with better buildings than form rly oe
cupied it. The demand for real estate through
out the year was all the time active and tn
city spread considerably in the southern dlrec
tion.
The future of Savannah promises to be A YER
bright one. In the western section where
few years ago there only a marsh there
now busy scene. Fertilizer factories and O
mills, which represent an outlay of hundreds G
thousands of dollars, and which employ hu,
dreds of people, are there. The Central has be-
gun making extensive improvements in it
wharves, and in tn course of feE years. al
that part of the city will be built up. There
reason for thinking that anothe cotton factor
will take the place of the one that was burned
and it may be the pioneer of others.
A glance at the reports in this issue of wins
has been done in each branch of business wi
show that Savannah is in very prosperous COZ
dition, and that her prospects for the future ar
very promising. She is steadily forging ahead
Her growth is a solid one. She is spreading on
and her people have confidence in her He
financial institutions are sound and her bushes
houses rest upon solid foundations.
Had it not been for the destructive storm
last fall her cotton receipts doubtless woul
have been close on to 1000, 900 bales The terri
toIy from which she draws her cotton is steac
lily increasing in productven4ss so that sh
may reasonably look for greater nun
er of bales each year. She may not get
100000 bales this year, but she will a,
proach pretty closely to that number II,
business men have greater confidence in be
than ever before and are investing their none
within her limits. Her health record is SO r.
markably good that it attracts general after
ton. There is every reason, therefore, to b
satisfied with Savannah's business record fc
1SSSe9 and to expect even greater busine,
prosperity during the yeaL lSs9-9O.
COTTON.
The last seasons experience in the cotto
trade was not q very satisfactory one either
the manufac urer or the merchant. This cond
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