The evening times., 1898-08-30
TRADE OF THE WEST INDIES.
baltimore Cnpitaiists VIII Organize
n Stem m 4 ahln n lime

n Steamship Tine.
Baltimore. Aug. 30.-As a result of the
agitation for the development Of trade
between Baltimore and Cuban and Porto
Rican ports, n corporation has been FORM
ed to establish a steumstip line for this
business. ,,,,b f,.,.s.,.-
The Baltimore and West Indies Steam
ship Company Is crle name Of the new
company, and II is planned 20 start the
first steamer from Baltimore within three
weeks. The company is chartered under
the laws of West Virginia, and the in
corporators are Henry A. Parr. Lloyd L.
jackson, Andred d. Jones, Walter B.
Brooks, and Nicholas p Bond. The law
firm of Steele. Semmes, Carey & Bond
are the attorneys for the new company.
II has a capital stock of $500 600, and will
have offices at s34 Equitable Building.
The organizers of the company repre-
sent important business and financial in
terests of the cfsy. Mr. jackson is OF The
firm of John Z. Hurst & Co: Mr. Parr is
of the grain Exporting firm of l. NJ Parr
4 Son. president of the Baltimore and
Northern Electric Railway and identified
prominently with the financial interests
the Canton Company. and associated
with a number of leading business enter
prises, and Mr.. Bond is vice president of
the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic
Railway and of the law firm of Steele
Semmes. Carey & Bona: The incorporst
ors viii constitute the board of directors
with four more to be named. The a,.di-
tional directors. viii DE selected to repre-
sent the shipping. manufacturing, fnan-
cial, and mercantile interests of the city.
1t Is the purpose of :he company TO
have Its first steamer which Will b..
chartered, sail from Baltimore before
October l and carry cargo of -four and
provisions. The chief object of the trip
however, is to give to the Baltimore
business men and manufacturers a chance
to send Representatives to Cuban and
Porto Rican ports to make business con-
nections 10 inaugurate trade with Balii-
more.
1t is intended to secure a steamer with
frst-c,ass accommodation for 200 passen-
gers. and sufficien; stay will be msde a.
each port TO be visited to give all who go
an opportunity to look over the ground
and study the situation for themselves.
Business men who feel that they can offer
products which will Se saiabie in these
countries will be given the opportunity
by this trip TO confer with local mer-
the distinct requirements of trade at the
different ports /: Is the intention of
making the line an adjunct 20 the devel-
opment of the commerce of Baltimore in
this direction and TO give the merchants
and manufacturers of this city every op-
portunity 10 capture the. srade of Cuba
and Porto Rico.
Baltimore alone is not TO be the only
of the steamship company.
and it has the assurance from the rail-
road companies of proper cooperation in
carrying freight to this city for ship
ment to the ports which will be on the
regular line or lines of the company. A
proposition under consideration is to es-
tablish service between Baltimore and
New Orleans via Havana. Thousands
of tons of freight destined for Texas and
the southwest 1t is said. could be hand ed
over this route iu addition to the Cuban
business. which at first may not be suf-
ffcient TO support the line.
1t is recognized that when the stream
of American energy which will sweep
thI ough Cuba is in full motion there will
be, ample business for not only one line
of steamers from the Atlantic seaboard,
but for others as well. If service be
established via Havana to New Orleans
another service would be put on to Ponce
and other ports in Porto Rico. In the be-
the plan is to have a fortnightly
steamer out of Baltimore. but the re-
sources of the company will be such that
the service can readily be increased as
business develops.
The plans of the steamship company
will be presented at a meeting of manu-
facturers of the city. TO, be held at the
rooms of the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association Friday at p. m. This
meeting will be called by Mr.. Clarence
II. Forrest. secretary of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, who for |
several weeks has been endeavoring to |
organize some definite plan to secure for |
Baltimore the rich trade which these |
are capable of supplying. Mr.. |
Forrest has visited a large number of !
merchants and manufacturers who would |
likely be interested in this business and |
received general encouragement.