The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-27
WILL TRADE WITH SAVANNAH.
REMARKABLE GROWTH OF THE
CITY OF FITZGERALD.

what Was a Pine Forest in septem-
her il Now a Town of over 5000
PeOpIe-TwO Railroads VIII he
Built TO the New City by February.
Buildings Going Up as Rapidly as
the Lumber Can BE Sawed and Set
tiers Coming I'm at the Rate of sixty
TO Seventy-Five Every Day.
Mr.. A E. shOles has returned from
visit to the new town of Fitzgerald in
Wilcox county. He gives a glowing ac-
count of the progress of the settlement.
A close estimate of the present popu-
lation is between $500 and I, 800. Although
many claim for it population of upward
of 5000. If there are not that many peo-
pie there now, there soon will be, Mr..
Sholes says. Settlers are coming in every
day by train and in wagons. A party of
thirteen arrived day before yesterday.
The present town is made up almost
wholly of temporary buildings. The
streets of the new city short distance
from the present village, are laid out and
are being graded. Thirty or forty sub
stantial buildings are already nearing
completion. The city site is on an ele-
waited plateau, with excellent drainage,
and an abundant supply of water and
with every advantage as to location that
can be named.
Mr.. Sholes was present at the institu-
ton in Fitzgerald of the largest Grand
Army post that has now been instituted,
numbering 12l veterans, eight of whom
were recruits in the Grand Army, the
others having been members of other
posts. The new post is Cavalry Post,
Mr. Sholes went to Fitzgerald to meet
Quartermaster General Alex Mat
t th who formally mustered in
of the new post represents nearly
every state In the north in every service,
and in citizenship nearly every state in
the northwest. The greater number of
members are from Minnesota, North Da-
kota and South Dakota, Montana, Iowa,
Oklahoma and Kansas. The member
ship of the post represents about one-han
of the ex-union soldiers in Fitzgerald.
When the veterans first began arriv-
ing in the colony they gathered in groups
OF three, four and dozen to tell of their
army experiences. Several weeks ago a
series of camp fires was started. Every
sa5TrGday r night the aed ar9wd
stories and speeches from the comrades.
The organization Of a new post was
agitated and as result meetings were
held from time to time The colony COM
pany gave the Grand Army its selection
of any lot outside of those reserved. A
u
100, building will be built at once. There
will be two store rooms below, and halls
above. The building will be occupied by
Daughters of Veterans and Womans Re
/ lief Corps.
The officers of the new post are: Post
| commander V. p. Dillingham;; senior vice
commander. w. Barnell; junior vice CON-
/ mander, J. M. Butterfield; quarter mas
ter. r. b. Presson; officer Of the day. s:
the guard, ]. W. Mcintosh; inside guard,
Albert S. Smith; surgeon, Conrad Cole;
/ outside guard w. Pollock.
Savannah is the natural trade center
| for the new city, Mr.. Sholes says, and is
| bound to get it's wholesale trade, because
| ton advantages, Two railroads are now
| being pushed toward the new town. The
| Triton and Northeastern road will be
| pushed from Triton as rapidly as posi-
| BILE. AS fast as a section of grade is COM
| pleted, the track will be laid. This road
will be a great aid to the colony when
miles of the town. The Abbeville and
| Waycross Short Line will probably be
completed by February. The road will be
sold at receivers sale next month and
arrangements have been made to extend
! ii at once. With two railroads the new
town will take on the habiliments of
| city.
The greatest difficulty now is the scare
| ity of lumber. The saw mills and lumber
| yards have been unable to keep up with
the demand. The town is being surround
ed with saw mills. The Colony mill, Just
| outside the city limits; two mills one 2h
miles northwest of the city, and the other
! S15 miles northeast; another at the south
west corner of the city; and still another
| two miles northeast, are saving as rap
| idly as possible, some of them running
! all night. The price of lumber at pres
ent is 81 per 1000 feet for best undressed
lumber. Probably six or more mills are
on the road and win be set up as soon
as they arrive.
Residences, shanties and sl1acks are go
ing up all over the town site. Those
| coming in are putting up temporary shell
| tiers, made of anything they can get
| hold Of, from pine slab to a "winnied
| edged" board. Those who have been
there longer are building or preparing
more substantial dwellings. Store build
| ings are being finished every day, either
| at the present business center, or further
| over toward the center of the city
| The class of people which makes up
the population of the new town is a rep
| resentative class of the west and
northwest. They have money to deveIop
| the town and are a thrifty, busy and
| hardworking people. The rapid growth of
the town opens field for trade which Sa-
vannah is not slow in taking advantage
| Of Savannah merchants are already ship
! ping goods there, and as soon as rail com
| munication is established, this trade will
be largely increased.