The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-13
CROP CUT OFF BY DROUGHT.
FLORIDA LINES HANDLE ABOUT
$4,000 BOXES or ORANGES.

Dry weather of the Early summer
Interfered With the Yield-Mas-
ter of Transportation RaIey of the
Florida Central and PeninsuIar
Believes, With the Best Conditions,
the Roads May Expect to Handle
100000 Boxes Next SeasOn-PlRnt
Systems Steamer OIivette soon to
Go on the Port Tampa-Havana
Line-RaiIrOad Notes and News.
Mr.. NJ. V. Raley. master of transporta-
ton of the Florida Central and Peninsular
Railroad, was up yesterday from Florida,
where he has been busy for some weeks
in looking after the interests of his line.
Mr.. Raley viii leave again to-day for Flor
ida, and some six weeks more of his time
win probably be spent there.
Mr.. Rafey says it can be seen that the
tourists from the North are coming into
Florida in crowds. He believes the season
win be a more profitable one for the rail-
roads and hotels of the state than last
He says that, with his road, the business
thus far has been greater than last year,
and anticipates continuance of this good
work.
A reporter asked Mr.. Raley about the
orange crop IN Florida. He said the yield
for the season just passed was cut down
by the drought that prevailed during the
early summer throughout the state and
that the crop amounted to only about $780,
900 boxes He says the yield Is steadily
growing from year to year and that, if
the best weather conditions are met with
this season, there is no reason why there
should not be 100000 boxes shipped from
Florida.
Railroad officials hope 1t will not be
many years before as many oranges are
produced in the state as there were before
the freeze of 1894. The greatest yield has
been something like 5,2O0.O00 boxes, and the
| roads would like to see the same success
attend the efforts, of the growers Grad
! ually the trees in the middle section of the
| peninsula are recovering from the effects
of the freeze, and are producing more from
year to year. To the people in the south
ern part of the state the cold was an adj
vantage, as 1t did not affect their trees,
| while cutting down or killing outright
those of the growers who lived further to
the north. The supply of the fruit was
thus decreased, and the prices were run
up. The growers who were fortunate
enough to have their groves in the south
ern part of The state have thus secured
good prices, some of them during the past
season having realized a profit of 50 or
more box, when there is money in the
business at 50 cents on a box.
MIR. Raley was impressed with the plan
an Englishman has adopted near Melrose.
He has a grove of some three acres in
extent, and has rooted the whole thing in
with pine boards. The temperature under
The shed is thus raised some degrees above
that without, and there is no danger of the
trees being nipped by cold.
Information has been received by the
passenger department Of the Plant sys-
tenn that the steamer Olivette will leave
Philadelphia Jan. 10 for Port Tampa,
where she will at once take her place
among the systems fleet that runs be-
tween that port and Havana. The Olt-
vette has been treated to complete over
hauling by the Cramps. In fact, she has
been virtually rebuilt so far as her in
| terror is concerned. Not a single piece of
woodwork that was in her before she
went into the hands of the builders re-
mains, as all Of it has been replaced by
new.
The vessel has also been remodeled Her
| capacity as a passenger ship has been in
| creased a number of staterooms having
been added on the main and promenade
| decks. Steel has taken the place of wood
in some of her parts, and the officials say
old friends of the Olvette would not know
her now
The Olivette will join the Mascotte the
| Florida and the Whitney on the Port
Tampa Havana line. With the four YES
sells there viii be four or five sailngs a
week, and the officials of the line say
there will be this many needed in order to
accommodate the people who apply Tor
passage.
Business on the line is something like
what steamship people like to see. Pas
sengers have to engage berths two weeks
ahead, as rule, If they want 10 go to
/ Cuba and they are often playing in luck
if they can get them even by that II
was only yesterday that Passenger Traffic
Manager Wrenn was notified by one of
his passenger agents that a party of
eighty tourists had secured reservations
for eighty frst-class passengers who will
sail Jan. 20. Col. Wrenn says the business
! is booming, that reservations are con-
stantly being made for parties from all
over the United States. He finds there
are a great many pleasure seekers who
are going to Cuba to see what the coun-
try looks like
Mr.. William P. Deppe of St. Louis was
among the railroad visitors in the city
yesterday. Mr.. Deppe is assistant gen
eral passenger agent of the Big -Four
Route, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago
and st. Louis.
Vice President John NJ. Egan of the Cen
trail Railroad returned yesterday from Au-
gusta, where he attended meeting of the
directors of the Augusta and Summerville
| Railroad.
Col. B. w. Wrenn, passenger traffic
manager Of the Plant System has receiv-
ed very handsome paper cutter, Of uni
| que style and workmanship that came as
a remembrance from an old friend Resi-
/ dent Manager Watkins of the Great North
ern Railway Of England or, as he would
! be called this side Of the pond, Vice Presi-
! dent Watkins. Some ten years ago Con.
Wrenn accompanied Mr., Watkins, whe.