The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-10

to remain and conduct the business
ventures of which he was the head,
without prejudice to political or milf
tary movements. President Davis ad-
mitted the frankness of Mr.. Plant and
gave him a pass which entitled him
TO move hther and thither at Will
through army headquarters or wher-
ever else he pleased. I submit to my
readers 1t is seldom that any man
can carry such a mark of personal
confidence. but the. integrity of Mr..
Plant fully justified the trust Presi-
dent Davis placed in him.
This well known giant of the South
ern railroad world. the author Of the
great railway system, founded by his
genius. that bears his name-the
genuine benefactor of the South, has
created a monument in the hearts of
the people. especially among his busy
industrial army of nearly $4,000 men,
and, including their families, an army
of 10000 people, more lasting than
brass or more enduring than marble,
and tens of thousands of the South
bless him that he used and did not
bury his talents. An example and in
spiration TO the rising generation.
Such a man needs no eulogy. His
works speak for hom. 1t is, however,
with pardonable pride that I can thus
speak Of former New Englander and
my nearby townsman of the Nutmeg
state, who in early life was honored
for his big-hearted generosity, and as
we traverse the fowery state and wit
ness the result Of his handiwork and
enterprise in the development of
ElnriHa's Of mil
forests, rivers and fields, besides her
fruits and flowers, we are led to ex-
claim, what a great country Florida
is!
THE TAMPA PENINSULA.
Tampa peninsula is simply Florida
peninsula in miniature. 1t is surround
| ed by Hillsboro bay and river on the
| one side, Tampa bay the extreme
point and old Tampa bay on the west,
| that extends TO the Gulf of Mexico on
! the other It Is divided into three dis
| tinct corporations, viz, Tampa City,
West Tampa Port Tampa. City. with
| three depots, three postoffices, three
| telegraph and three express offices,
| separate and distinct, all within nine
| miles and under the Plant system.
| Tampa is the chief port of the penin-
| sula on the Gulf coast, and Is undoubt-
| edly destined to be the leading COM
| mercial city of Florida. The bay is an
| arm of the Gulf of Mexico, and at the
| head OF 1t, forty miles from the Gulf
| Tampa is situated. Tampa bay Is the
only body of water on the west coast
except Pensacola bay, OF sufficient
depth to admit large steamers.
The town of Tampa is located In a
| fertile and interesting country sur
| rounding It, Here, cotton, rice, sugar
cane, orange lime, lemon, banana and
all the fruits of a tropical zone grow
In profusion Its seaport and mercan-
| tile value give it a prominent voice in
| all matters of state. and as a winter
resort it is not surpassed by any point
on the Gulf coast, 1t has popula-
tion near $4,000, with an electric rail-
way system and water system, nine
| hotels. six churches, three banks and
| fine mercantile houses and private resi-
| denCes, besides several cigar factories.
Cigar making is the prominent indus
try. Fine vitrified brick pavements are
also found, with roads and drives un-
eXceled by any city in the South.
State Commissioner h. +. McLin, of
| Florida. says in his report for 19OO
The exports of Tampa for 1900 amount
to over twelve million dollars Gl2, OIL
S65), an increase Of So SOC, 900 over 1S9a
Tampa was only some $1,000, 600 behind
Pensacola in shipments by water last
year, and over $4,000 900 ahead of
| Jacksonville, the third on the list. In
| coastwise trade Tampa was far ahead
| of any other port in the state. What
| Tampa will do with deep water can
readily be surmised from these fig
| ures."
A steam car ride of nine miles
| through a meadow covered with pine
| trees and scrub palms a foot high,
brings us to Port Tampa, the southern
deep-water terminus of the Plant sys-
tenn, which with the rapid develop
ment of trade with South America and
the West India islands, and the export
trade of phosphate and tobacco to Eu-
rope, etc, has become a centre of great
activity.
| IMMENSE WAREHOUSES;