The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-16

O1 Our C1ty
shippsrs' 0uide Jest Issued by the Sea-
board Air Line
We have alluded to the fact that the
Seaboard Air Line has just issued its
Official Freight Shippers Directory"
Besides q list. Of the manufacturing
and business houses OF Wilmington
two pages of the directory are devoted
to wilmington, one page containing q
displayed advertisement Of h advant-
ages Of our city and h other an arti-
Gle on Wilmington, furnished by the
Chamber OF Commerce. The article
was prepared by Mr.. A. J.. Howell, Jr.,
and we reproduce it here:
Wilmington is q railroad terminal of
Importance. Six railroads and their
connections give it transportation facil-
tiles which are gradually making trib-
utary to its tradea section OF country
Of very great extent and Importance.
Its business territory is constantly en-
1arging, and its statesmen are found
through the states of North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Ten
nessee. The advantage OF water
freights which it has is also a favora-
Bile point in competition for business.
AS a mark of Wilmington's transpor-
tation advantages, the Standard Oil
Company have for some months since
been receiving it's oil here in tank
barges for distribution through the
states Of North and South Carolina
and a part of Georgia. -
Wilmington's shipping facilities are
of no less Importance than the railroad
advantages. With a channel in the
~ora Eoo- rix,or which 10 nt1v
being deepened and widened, allowing
now of the passage Of vessels drawing
10 to II feet at mean low, water, and
rising a few feet more at high tide, its
steady commercial growth is assured.
The ports shipping facilities can best
be shown in the steady n large
growth of it's cotton expectations.
During the cotton season Of 1896-1S97,
239. 1873 bales were exported, which
shows an increase OF about 10000 bales
over the annual business of a decade
ago. This increase is due largely to
the enterprise Of a few cotton export
ers; but they have, the great pOssibili-
ties of the port to aid them. Thirty
five foreign steamships loaded with
cotton in 1896 in the port; and at, the
beginning of this cotton seasOn OF 1897
a steamship Of 1854 tons, capable of
carrying 1 1900 bales Of cotton, has call
ed for cargo. Wilmington's importa-
tons of foreign products are also
steadily growing. Besides The large
quantities of kainit, salt, ETC., import
ed from Europe, vessels now bring in
molasses, coffee and fruit from, the
West Indies, to which large quantities
of lumber, sash, doors, blinds, ETC., are
shipped. Indeed. the possibilities Of
trade with this latter quarter are a
great advantage offered by Whining
toms geographical situation. The mer-
chants are approaching this fact, and
are anticipating a large extension Of
this trade.
In 1896 vessels Of eleven different ma
lions were counted in the harbor. The
articles exported in that year were
cotton, spirits ~turpentine, rosin, tar,
crude tu%rpentine, lumber, pitch, pea
. nuts. cotton goods, yarns, paper stock,
shingles, etc.
There is a line Of steamers between
Wilmington and New York city and
Georgetown, IS. c., n sailing vessels
ply between this and all domestic ports.
There are here now laval stores
yards, cotton congresses, rice mills, ice
factories, cotton mills, saw mills, corn
and grist mills, and other manufacto-
ries, wholesale houses in every line, of
trade, stores of all branches, three
daily newspapers and several week
lies, handsome public buildings and
residences, about forty churches, an
excellent opera house, a large Y. M. c..
"A. building, ETC., etc. There are also
an electric street railway, a. water
works system, a sewerage system,
and unsurpassed school advantages.
Wilmington is the midst of a very i'm
portant truck raising section, and this
industry has assumed large proper
lions. Garden vegetables, strawber-
ries, ETC., are sent to northern cities in
train loads. One train of twenty car
loads sent last year was valued at
nearly $33, 900. This tells Of an excep-
tiona1ly favorable climate and soil. The
trucking business of this section
amounts to between a million and a
quarter n a million and a half year.
ly. The raising OF Strawberries has.in-
creased from 256, 900 quarts in 1921 to
5,267, 900 quarts in 1897. - ~.
Wilmington is the city for the loca-
ton Of live, enterprising merchants.
There is every advantage here for
their success. There Is room for growth
n extension Of. business. The fact is
evident that its $4,000 inhabitants will
see a greatly increased population be-
fore the lapse OF many years. Come
and investigate personally what is
I'LL 4OA Vic WY. VOuIO yOu llhc
a moral and religious community? You
would find it here. Would you like to
live where there is a fine public school
system? You will find it here, ex-
tending from the primary to the high
school inclusive and furnished with the
best and most modern buildings. Would
you like to live among sociable and in
telligent peop1e?eThe citizens of Will
mington would not disappoint you.
Would you like a balmy climate, en-
tirely.- free from extremes OF tempera-
ture, where nature lends all she can
to your enjoyment Of life? You could
not find a more favorable spot than
Wilmington for climate and healthful-
ness.
We want more manufacturers, mer-
chants and men of solid enterprise. If
there is any information which you
desire concerning the city of Whining
ton, the m of would