The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-15
ANOTHER RIVER LINE.
May BE an Effort to Put One on Be-
.,vecn Augusta and Savannah

tween Augusta and Savannah.
e-,.snnab is to have better river traffic
.[.s Augusta. That is what Commission
1.r G.. Purse of the freight bureau says
ot,lr it. and he has written an open letter
-, Mr. James Tobin of Augusta with ref
.-.,-. 10 the establishment of a line, or
rrss of steamers to run between the two
cites
can't Purse is very hopeful that the
rI.n will he taken uO by the Augusta
I-nle. and that a combination OF the
i-siress men of the cities will put it in
e4s-r He thinks the establishment of
III. Now water route would be big thing
f1r both Augusta and Savannah.
TIE pu5Hshed protests of the cotton men
~ Augusta against the practice of the
Cea~efa railroad and the South Carolina
and Georgia, sending cotton right through
Ar-lsta to Charleston, induced Capt.
purse to address his communication to
Arausta. He has long felt the need of
water competition to induce the railroads
IN Grant better rates, he says. The secur-
M of the line of boats on the Savannah
river would work a radical change in the
r.tes. he believes, and would prove of in
cslculaba benefit to the two cities
Capt. Purse reviews the fight he holds
fine r1llTOtlS are IldhllS against "A Us
gusta He handles In arguments the
course taken by much of the cotton raised
In the south and gives reasons why il
should not be sent to distant ports, when
fine har6Ors are open nearer at home for
IT'S foreieu shipment.
Approaching the consideration of the
remedy for whatthe regards as the great
evils of railway oppression, he says:
What the Mississippi has been to New
-. ~,
Savannah river can be made to accom-,
plish in the. upbuilding and development
of Augusta, and in securing the utter
overthrow Of the combinations now oper.
ating for her destruction as a cotton mar
ket, located, as she is, in the very center
OF the hnest cotton-producing territory in
the SOUTH
Capt. Purse treats of the probable rates
that would be effective in the event of the
establishment of the water route, con-
trasting them with the present rail rates.
He says:
you have an open rate now of 40 cents
per bale from Augusta 10 Savannah, COW
ering two wharfages. Compressed cotton
ought TO move profitably for steamboats,,
at 20 TO . cents per bale. Cotton should
be delivered from cars or warehouses,
through shutes or spur tracks, to your
Wharves, and congresses erected on your
wharves should compress tor 20 to % cents
per bale, this cost of COMPRISING being
refunded by ships to shipper With the
steamboats, provided with proper safe
guards against fire, the insurance should
not exceed to Z cents bale, and thus
2j to 81 cents a bale should put your
cotton in Savannah, and your merchan-
disc. as return freights, from eastern and
northern and western markets should
make a boat line, or lines, profitable at
figures that would quadruple the size of
your cotton market, while placing you in
position to dictate to railroad combina-
tons instead of being dictated to by them
as now.
Unquestionably the river is your strong
arm of defense in this crisis, and an alb
solutely sure means of securing your COM
merce from the wreckage impending over
it. Water transportation of cotton is an
advantage in the matter of weights, as
the natural moisture in it is not baked
out as in superheated cars, and each bale
Is marketed with scarce, if any loss, in
weight, as compared with railroad trans
portation
The energy and determination of Geor-
5ia's full delegation should easily secure
or the Improvement of the Savannah riv
ar, Augusta to Savannah 100000 to $780,
,0, as may be necessary, to make boat
ng possible at all stages of the river, and
absolutely safe and expeditions at all
ines.
The commerce of this river has a right
o demand this improvement and Sa-
'annah is ready to join hands with Au-
;usta in making battle for its improve
nent."