The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-07-05
SPEND THEIR MONEY.
PUBLIC SPIRITED CITIZENS OF VAL
DOSTA, GA.

Railroads and Manufactures Built and
Owned by Home Cspital-Friendly RI
vairy In Beautiful Homes-secret of the
Success Of u Southern Town.
To any one visiting this section just
now Valdosta will be surprise, writes
correspondent Of the Atlanta Constitu-
ton. The surprise will be in the nature
of new brick blocks, of expensive houses
in course of erection OH all sides, of pros
porous manufacturing enterprises and
of genuine railroad buildings.
In company with Colonel Charles Pen
dleton / had an opportunity of looking
into these evidences of progress. The
sound of the hammer and the saw does
not remind one SO much of improvement
in an old city as it does of the building
Of new city, such as has been seen in
the west
This development of building is only
to be explained by the fact that our peo-
pie have been saving their money until
the banks were overlooking with de-
posits. First one citizen determined to
build a modern style home, and then his
neighbor resolved not to be outdone, and
he, too, studied out plans, and the re-
suit is that as you stand upon any of the
eminences around and look over the city
you will see the new frames dotting the
view on all sides.
We have three banks of excellent
standing, all paying s per cent divi-
dends and having deposit accounts prob
ably equal to their stock. This shows
that the cash is in the county. There is,
in addition to these, an investment COM
pany, with a capital stock of $50, 900,
upon which s per cent interest is paid.
Our mill men have more orders than
they can fill for building material a
state of things you will not often meet
with. Among our new enterprises is
guano factory, with plant of 500, 600,
every cent of which was furnished by
three residents of Valdosta While rail
road men estimate that the guano trade
in Georgia and South Carolina has fallen
off 66 per cent, yet our factory has dis
posed of every pound of its product.
During the past year we have been
building more houses of first class style
than any other city in the state, not even
excepting Atlanta. We have erected a
sawmill, planning mill, guano factory, ice
factory and other establishments with
our own capital exclusively. Our farm
ers have gone into cattle and hog raising
OH large scale, the industry having
doubled in the last ten years. Valdosta
is the heaviest Sea Island center in the
world, our annual receipts running up
to 900 bales. The people in the conn
try are we'll Off-not quite out of debt,
but doing well, and living better than
they ever have before. The enterprises
already started are to be followed by
others, such as carriage and buggy fac
tory. Remember this point, that all these
enterprises are built with Valdosta mon
ey, free from mortgage or other entan-
clement.
Now I'm coming to the point based
upon what l have already told You. We
have determined that city thus situat-
ed, with such wealth, such enterprise
and such public spirit, shall not be bot
tied in by either one or two roads. We
propose not only TO build new railroads
to accessible points; but TO build them
with our own money and TO own them
right here, so that the big systems around
us cannot gobble them up.
We have already started one road
10 miles of which are finished, to Madi-
son, in FlCriaa-a distance of 80 miles,
to be known as the Valdosta Southern.
The probability is that this road will be
farther extended down the coast TO
Tampa, opening up to Valdosta the trade
Of rich section of country. The next
road That we have in view is one almost
straight east to Fernandina, TO be known
as the Fernandina and Western. Fer
nandina has recently been shut out by
the railroads and seeks an outlet. The
distance is 100 miles. The people of
Fernandina have already completed ar
rangements for the building Of 80 miles,
and Valdosta will take up the other so.
The country between Valdosta and Fer
nandina abounds in the richest forests of
timber in the world. The road will cost
abont s., 900 a mile for construction.
Two other roads are projected, one on
an air line to Albany, and the other in
northeasterly direction. All of these ven
lures are to be controlled at home, and
under no circumstances will be allowed
to pass into the hands of adverse par
ties.
MetropOlis of the Pacific.