The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-25
BIG EXCURSION MAY COME.
NORTHERN HOMEsEEKERS MAY
INVEST IN SAVANNAH.

| Definitely TO-day-SaIe of Proper
ty I'm the City and Its Vicinity De-
sired.
1t is probable that Savannah will have
a big hon,eseekers' excursion from the
North some time in April. Some of the
larger landholders of Chatham county
! have taken hold of the matter and intend
pushing it through.
A conference of real estate owners was
held yesterday afternoon at the office of
Mr.. C. H. Dorsett. Mr.. w. H. Nesbitt of
Dayton, o., manager of the American
| Real Estate Exchange of that place, is
in the city, and was present at the meet
ing of the property owners. He had been
| invite6 here with a view of ascertaining
what can be done in the matter of bring
ing a big excursion South under his SUI
| pervision.
! At the meeting, besides Mr.. Nesbitt,
were Messrs. NJ. j. Solomons, ]. H. Fox,
L. j. Kennedy, r. B. Reppard. C. H.
| Dorsett and others. Some of these gen.
tlemen represented their Individual hold
| iugs, while others were present in the in
terest of land companies of which they
are stockholders. Nearly all of them were
in favor of the excursion proposed by Mr.
| Nesbitt. The representatives of the Citi-
zens' Land Company was favorable to. the
excursion, but was not prepared to talk
| for the stockholders of his company.
meeting of the stockholders will be held
to-day, and il will then be ascertalned
whether the excursion is desired by them.
| ok-p
and for the companies, spoke with salts
faction of the idea, and, if the Citizens
Company decides to go in, there seems no
question that the excursion will be run.
Mr. Nesbitt has been running home
seekers excursion for some six years, and
has been very successful with all that he
| has handled. He has established several
small towns and has caused the growth of
others; he has brought men of means to
! places where they have been needed and
mas made towns hourishing and progress
sive as result.
He is assisted in the work by number
| OF enterprising men. Mr.. Nesbitt is
spoken of as man of great energy. He has
had dealings necessarily with many of the
railroads over the country and the officials
speak highly of his ability when it comes
! TO organizing homeSeekers' excursions.
The methods pursued in making sales
after the homeseekers have been brought
TO place is by auction. The visitors
are taken to the sites and the sales
are made there. The excursion agent
| has his auctioneer, who is always along
! He knows his business and is able to eff
feet sales when others would fail. The
auctioneer, Mr., Perry Pease was here
with Mr.. Nesbitt, but left last night.
Mr.. Nesbitt will leave tonight after
learning positively what will be done by
the real estate owners. He was seen la st
night at the Pulaski, where he is stopping.
He said that he had no doubt that the gen.
tlemen With whom he had been talking
would take up the matter of the excur-
sions. He expects to bring 800 or 400 peo-
pie here from north of the Ohio
river. He anticipates no difficulty in
| inducing them to come with view to in
vesting in Savannah real estate and max
ing this city their home. Mr.. Mes
bitt says there are many people of means
in the North who would like to make a
change. This fact is recognized by the
railroads which put on low rates for the
| business.
Extensive advertising. Mr.. Nesbitt says,
is always necessary to get up the crowds
of the size desired for the excursions. This
is done systematically over the section
north of the Ohio, and people are usually
secured from nearly every town of impor-
| tanae
DO not the people there kick on Sole
fling enigrants? was asked.
No" Mr.. Nesbitt replied, II have never
experienced anything of the kind. People
do not seem to care If others decide to
leave for other sections. l will have a
man down here to look out for the adver-
Using in case the property owners decide
to go into it. This is necessary in order
to secure views and different kind of adj
vertising matter to distribute through the
North"
1t is proposed to bring the ex-
cursion some time during April.
There are several reasons which
make April desirable month.
Savannah and the. surrounding country is
at us best at the time and a good impress
sion on prospective buyers would be ere
sted Railroad rates could be secured
more readily than earlier in the year. Just
at this time and for the next two months
the travel from the North to Florida
points is heavy, and the roads would not
acuuiesce in any plan that might be set
afoot for the transportation of excursion
lists as far down as Savannah at a low
rate. 1t would hurt the Florida business
too badly.
Mr.. Nesbitt says he does not think there
will be any difficulty in getting a rate for
the homeseekers to Savannah after the
southwark trend of the Florida business is
over. This will be in April. Tourists are
then returning from instead of going to
Florida and the business is not affected.
The rate he would expect to secure from
the section of the Ohio river to Savannah
would be one fare for the round trip with
an additional charge of 81. This is the
rate that is usually allowed in such cases.
Mr.. Nesbitt has recently taken two ex-
cursions to Fitzgerald. The citizens there
welcomed them with open arms, and many
lots and farm sites were sold to the visit
ors.
The excursion agent gets his pay from
commissions on all land sold to those
whom he brings from the North. There
are some expenses that are borne by the
property owners, while others are borne
by the agent himself.
II 1t is decided to hold the gala week
in April and the property owners also de-
sire to go in for the excursion, the visitors
brought down by the latter would be a
great addition to the crowds that would
be expected i'm attendance upon the fes-
Invites. Mr.. Nesbitt says It would be a
splendid thing for the excursion to come
the week before the celebration, in the
event both are held, as the visitors from
the North would then be anxious to re-
main over a week longer and would see
the city when it would be filed with T.
p. A. delegates and visitors to the gala
| festivities