Arizona republican., 1900-09-07
OUR BUSIEST SEAPORT.
Great Impetus the War Has Given San
 Francisco as a Trading Center

With wharves and seawlli crowded and many ships at anchor in the stream, the port of San Francisco pre- sents an example of growth that is un- paralleled anywhere on the shores of the Pacific, either along the coasts Of North and South America. the far east or in the antipodes. There is, in fact no port in the world which shows such recent tremendous growth or vast pos abilities as San Francisco. now firmly established not only as the entry port of the western half of the continent, but the supply depot for all other countries bordering on the worlds greatest ocean. This is fact that is recognized by the United States and other govern ments as well as by large commercial houses everywhere, as shown by the establishment of transport service fla cilities and depots from which many thousands of troops in the Philippines and China are supplied.
 The constantly increasing growth of the business of mercantile firms has been steadily forcing San Francisco in to worldwide prominence as a trade center. But marvellous impetus has been given to the business of the port by the government itself, as a result of military operations in the far east The fleet of government transport vessels which have San Francisco as their home port, transact a business that in the hands of a private corporation, would be considered magnificent, but which, being recognized as an under taking of the government is not real ized by the average citizen. Millions of dollars have been expended for supplies of all kinds, which have been carri d out of the Golden Gate to new posses siOns in midocean and beyond the sea and millions of dollars have been eX- pended upon the ships themselves. Only the other day the government ad- vertised for bids for furnishing a mil lion dollars worth of supplies for the army across the water. and this was only nIie of numerous transactions f the kind that are pending. The great bulk of the goods purchased by these vast sums is to be shipped from this port, requiring an army of men as well as a fleet of ships, in the handling. Ever since the first transport sailed from here to the Philippines the quar- teTmaster's department in the city Of San Francisco has been as busy as in tune or war, ana large as the NO ulllS of business has been it has shown a gradual increase.
 With the necessity for troops in China. as well as in the Philippines, the fleet of transports has been found inadequate and nearly score of large steamers have been added. and are now either on the way with troops and sup plies or are loading in this port.
 Some idea of the extent of the busi ness that is being transacted at this port may be gained from the fact that, although there are seven miles of wharfage, it frequently happens that every berth is occupied and steamers, as well as sailing ships, are compelled to lie in the stream and wait for q chance to discharge or load cargo.
 The largest ship owner in the Unite d States. by the way, has most of h's vessels in the trade between here and Honolulu. He is w. E. Mighell of this city. who controls fleet of thirty-two ships. Many of the vessels have been purchased within the past few months as a result of the great demand for tonnage in the island trade with the port of san FrauciscO.-San Francisco Chronicle