The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-26
TO BUILD Up NEW TRADE.
THE PLANT sYsTEMs PAN.AMER.
loan LINE.

SoA NoW OOnnectlOnS-t VIII Not
be a Bidder for the Great Okefnokee.
General Manager Haines of the Plant
system talked entertainingly yesterday on
the Plant SYSTEMS affairs. Mr.. Haines has
been home only few days from Port
Tampa, and naturally enough the inaugu-
ration OF the new steamship line between
Fort Tampa and Mobile came up. Both
Mr.. Plant and Mr.. Haines made the round
trip on the Juniata, and Mr.. Haines speaks
| IN a most hopeful view of the possibilities
OF the connection between South Florida
and Mobile.
That Mobile has not been restlessly pro-
gressive, MIR. Haines admitted, but he said
that there Is charm about the cities of the
south Atlantic aud Gulf coasts which
makes them attractive even if they are not
as actlve as many cities of the west.
Mobile is peculiarly attractive city. It's
people are by no means Indifferent to the
problems OF the future looking to the COM
mercial Advancement of the port. 1t is the
design OF the Plant system to put Mobile
Central America and the Caribbean sea,
and the products of the Alabama mines and
MANUFACTURES will find gateway through
MoDlle to the countries south of the penin-
sula.
PORT TAMPA's FUTURE.
MI. Haines SAYS that the establishment of
the Mobile and Port Tampa line is but a
part or the great plan which Mr.. Plant has
Ia view to encourage trade with Central
America. The Plant system has chartered
the steamship Charles Moran, which vill be
put In the Port Tampa and Central Ameri-
can trade next month. The details have
not yet been fully matured, and Mr.. Haines
Will go to New York next week for further
conference with Mr.. Plant, and to
perfect all the arrangements for establish
ing the pan-American line. Mr.. Haines
was not prepared to say more than that
semi monthly trips between Port Tampa
and Central American ports by the steam
snip Moran are now contemplated, but it Is
understood that Mr.. Plant may become a
more extensive pioneer in the trade he is
about to establish, and that new and ele-
CANT steamships may soon be built for the
new line.
With the establishment of the new line
to the countries south of the
United States, the Plant system, Mr..
Haines says, will open up Central
America and the ports of the Caribbean
sea to the commerce of this country, which
VII Wlil ma channel in the railways of the
Flant system in South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida and over the three railroad
systems terminating at Mobile and connect
ing with the steamship line there.
FROM A VILLAGE TO CITY.
The coal carrying trade from Mobile, Mr..
Halnes predicts, will be large one, and
VIII make Fort Tampa great coaling sta
tlon, the place having already grown from
town OF 600 or 700 inhabitants to a CITY of
nearly 5000 since the Plant system has es-
tabished its Havana line of steamers be-
tween Fort Tampa and the capital Of the
island of Cuba.
Speaking in a retrospective way, Mr..
halneS alluded to the reception given by
the people of Tampa to Mr.. Plant and
nlmsef when it was an unpretentious town.
There was a heartiness of welcome about
the entertainment, and yet it was strictly
an exclusive affair. The town had been a
military post, was not living in the aroma
OF boomers, and was conservative and its
society fashionable. Since that time the
railroad and the steamships have changed
the easy going and quiet place into busy
city with extensive wharves, large stores.
busy factories, one of the largest modern
hotels In the country, and streets lighted
with electricity.
A BIG TRAVEL SOUTH.
Mr.. Haines was asked as to the prospects,
OF Florida travel, and he replied that there
will be a large tourist travel this winter.
and he added that the Savannah, Florida
and Western has thus far had a much
larger travel to Florida than in the phenom-
email year of 1887. There is a large influx
OF people in Florida looking for lands and
locating homes there, where the dugout
and the blizzard are unknown, and where
in winter they will not have to burn corn
for fuel He says that the western roads
have been extended to the sage bushes of
the desert, where men can go no further.
and that the folly of trying to live in such
remote and uncomfortable places having
been learned by sad experience, the course
of empire is now southwark, where such
discouraging conditions are not encount-
cred.
Mr. Haines was asked if the Plant svs-
tenn will be bidder for the Okefinokee
swamp lands, for which bids are now invited.
and he replied, with a smile, 'Bless you: we
don't want it." and he added that the Plant
system would not have the lands as a gift
They already have enough of such lands
MIR. Halnes, in alluding to the stipulation
that no bid will be recei we'd that is not
more than 1213 cents per acre. said it
would be good investment for the state to
sell for 10 cents per acre ana immediately
subject the lands to taxation.
THE oKEFNoKEE SWAMP.
Okefnokee swamp, said Mr.. Haines is
AANS~NANe3
the sea, which at one time crossed there
and what was once salt marsh has. after
years, become a fresh water marsh. inter
spersed with islands and numberless lagoops
1t is paradise for aligators, and full Of
game and fish. 1t is the dividing line be
tween the waters of the gulf and
the ocean, and is about 100 feet
above the sea level. The Suwannee
river, famed in song, ghich rises near Way-
cross, flows through it The rim
of this inland basin is from one
half to one and one-half miles in
width, and is covered with a dense under
growth, and after one penetrates it the
marshy basin is open to view. George w.
Haines, brother of General Manager Haines
and an interchangeable explorer, has explored
the swamp, going down in a light boat in
the Suwanee river from its source.
Mr.. Haines was not prepared to say that
the Okeinokee swamp cannot be drained.
and its vast unproductive acreage of nearly
100000 acres reclaimed, but he asked,
NV hats the use of it, when there is so much
land to be had with less labor? There is no
land famine in this country, and not likely
to be-"
''But are not the lands being aggregated
largely by corporations?n he was asked.
II can only answer for the Plant system ~
Mr.. Haines replied, 1--WE are not aggregat-
inc hut dicy,rNci,1or 81