The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-17
PREDICTS A GOOD SEASON.
PRESIDENT ii. b. PLANT SAYS MANY
TOURISTS WILL COME SOUTH.


cate It-North and West VIII Send
Many DOwn-Tampa hay Hotel
Opening Successful-Twice as Many
Guests Now as Last Year-The
Grand Duchess still at Newport
News-Mr. Plant Thinks the Oil
vette Can Show the Spaniards a
Clean Pair of Heels.
Mr.. H. B. Plant, president of the Plant
system, is in the city He arrived yester-
day at noon in his private car from Flor
ida, and will remain in the city several
days.
Mr.. Plant came to Savannah for a per-
sonal interview with Mr.. r. G.. Erwin,
first vice president of the system, and
with General superintendent Durham.
Mr.. Erwin was not in the city yesterday,
having gone down the night before to
Jacksonville on business. He will return
this morning.
The opening of the Tampa Bay hotel on
Dec. for this season is described by Mr..
Plant as having been very successful. He
says there are now more than twice as
many people at the hotel as there were
last year the same length of time after the
opening. Last year the hotel was opened
some four days earlier than this and it
now has the advantage of that length of
time. Tourists from the north are coming
down now in numbers that are increasing
daily, and, as the business always increases
fast, the hotel this year has that fact in
its favor to explain the greater prosper
ity.
1t is also to be accounted for in the
predictions of railroad men. Mr.. Plant said
that, while he has himself had no OPP
portunity for judging, the passenger Off
Gals of the system and of other roads
have told him that there is every pros
pect for a profitable tourist season. A
number of these railroad men have been
on trips through the north and west, and
their own observations have indicated good
prospects. Railroad men of those sections
have also told them that there will be
many tourists for the south.
Those of the SYSTEMS hotels, Mr.. Plant
says, that have not already been opened
will be open to the tourists during the
latter part of next month, most of them
having their formal openings about Jan.
10. 1t is on Jan. II that the vestibule trains
VIII be put on from New York to Florida
points, and the real tourist business of the
season always follows from that time.
Mr. Plant was asked about the Grand
Duchess. The vessel is now at Newport
News, he said, in the hands of her build
ers. She has not been accepted yet. Her
not having been accepted does not mean
that the system has thrown the vessel
back upon her builders. The Duchess is
still a Plant system steamship, and Mr..
Plant says a perfect understanding exists
between the company and the owners as
to the requirements she is to meet before
her acceptance by the former.
Mr.. Plant was asked about the chase of
the Olivette by the Spanish police boat,
an account of the start of which was Civ
en- in the Morning News yesterday. He
said it is safe to presume the steamer was
,,1,x L
all right. The Oliyette is one of the fast
est of the vessels of the Plant line, and
Mr.. Plant says there is hardly anything
in Cuban waters belonging to the Spanish
that can show her a clean pair of heels.
The Cuban insurrectionist, who it was
claimed is aboard, will probably get to
Tampa in safety.
If the business people will get their mail
for train No. 49, on the Georgia and Ala
bama railroad, which leaves the city at
S:45 p. M, city time to the postoffice not
less than one hour before the departure of
the train, they will save themselves and
their correspondents some annoyance and
delay. The train carries mail for Collins,
Cordele, Americas, Columbus, Montgomery
and numerous other points in Georgia and
Alabama. No. 19, in fact, carries the bulk
of the Savannah mail for all that section.
The mails have been very heavy of late,
and there has been complaint of mail not
reaching its destination on time. POST
master Haines investigated the complaints
and found that on account of the late hour
at which much of the mail arrived at the
Office it was found impossible to stamp it
all in time for the departure of the train.
He therefore requests the Morning News
to announce that if the merchants will
see TO it that their mail for this train
reaches the postofice not less than one
-. g.. l..
the train, that is, by 7;45 p. M, city time,
that the mail will be promptly dispatched
and there will be no further cause of
complaint.
Mr.. Charles N. Right, assistant general
passenger agent of the Georgia and Ala
bama railroad, left last night for an ex-
tensive business trip through the west.
The appointment is announced of Mr. s.
F. Decker to be assistant general passen-
ger and ticket agent of the Southern Pa
cihc railroad, with office at New Orleans.
He will take charge Of the office on Jan. /.
Mr. Decker has been chief clerk in the pas
senger department of the road for several
years, and is a railroad man of recogniz-
ed ability. During the time Col B. W.
Wrenn, now passenger traffic manager of
the Plant system, was general passenger
agent of the old East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia railroad, with oflice at Knox
Vile, Mr.. Decker was his chief clerk. Rail-
road men here receive the announcement
of the promotion of Mr.. Decker with pleas
ure.
Mr.. William Butler, travelling freight
and passenger agent. with headquarters
at Columbia, for the Florida Central and
Peninsular railroad, spent yesterday In the
citv Mr. Butler is an old resident of ga
fri no
are always glad to see him when he makes
his trips down.
Among the out-of-town railroad men