The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-05
THE SEASON OF 1ooo-1oo1.

in the bank clearlngS or more than
! $4,000 900. This increase was not, Of
! course, nearly as great as the increase
of the previous year, but that increase
was due largely to the high prices
which prevailed, for the great
products. while the increase
for the year that. has just
closed was made in spite OF the decline
in the prices of these products. The
clearings therefore show a very con-
siderable increase in the volume of
business last year over the volume of
the previous year.
1t is true there was a falling off in
the cotton receipts of few thousand
bales, but that was due 70 the fact
that there was a decrease IN the
amount of the sea island crop, and to
the further fact that the August re-
ceipts of upland cotton last year were
| considerably below those of the pre-
vious year. The receipts Of naval stores
were larger than those of the previous
year, showing that Savannah is still
the great market of the world for spir-
its of turpentine and rosin. And there
is no reason to doubt that she viii
continue to be the great market, not
withstanding the fact that the naval
stores industry is gradually moving
southwark. That leading naval stores
merchants believe that such will be
the case is shown by the formation of
the National Tank and Export Com
pany. This company has spent i great
deal of money in providing storage
tanks, which will be helpful in more
ways than one in maintaining Savan-
nah's supremacy in naval stores.
In this connection ii might be well
to mention the work in which Prof
! Herty is engaged. His purpose is TO
secure legislation whereby the pine
forests can be preserved Tor naval
stores purposes. These forests are now
being destroyed almost as completely
as fire could destroy them. The de-
structive method of dealing with the
pine tree should be abandoned, and a
method substituted by which the tree
would be made to yield prof1tably for
many years, instead of two or three
years, as at present.
A hopeful feature of last seasons
business was the efforts made by our
wholesale merchants to cover thor
oughly the territory. whose trade nat
urally belongs to this city, and to ex-
tend their trade to territory more dis
tant, for the business of which the
most vigorous kind of a fight is being
made all the time That Savannah is
able to compete successfully in this
distant territory shows that she has
merchants of ability and energy, and
great commercial advantages. 1t is ex
pected that when the buildings at the
railroad depots for the convenience of
wholesale grocery merchants are COM
pleted Savannah will be able to extend
her grocery trade much beyond its
| present limits.
1t is unnecessary, of course, to call
attention to our transportation lines
! They are doing their part in building
up the city. The railroads are increas-
ing their mileage all the time, making
new territory tributary to Savannah
And that each of them--the Central,
the Savannah, Florida and Western
and the Seaboard Air Line--is doing all
it can to promote Savannah's welfare
there is no doubt
The steamship lines are as prosper
Gus as at any previous time in their
history. Indeed, there are indications
that their business is growing rapidly
The Ocean Steamship Company will
soon have new steamer, a great
freight carrier, and, if reports are to
be relied upon, will, in addition, have
the magnificent Grand Duchess that
was built for the Plant System. With
these new steamers the Ocean Steam
ship Company will have, in all propa-
bility, the finest fleet of steamers on
| the Atlantic coast And it's growing
| business justifies the additions to its
| fleet. II is known, of course, that the
Merchants and Miners Company has
! all the business it can handle, its newly
established Philadelphia Line having
exceeded expectations.
| And Savannah shows signs of her
! prosperity. She is growing steadily
and solidly. Every once in a while the
announcement is made of a new bust
ness or new industry. 1t will not BIZ
many years before the entire river
frcnt for miles on both sides of the
river will be occupied with factories
and shipping. On Tuesday it was
stated that a great fertilizer factory
was to be established near the wharves
of the Savannah. Florida and Western
Railway. The section above the Ocean
Steamship C'oInpanys wharves is now
pretty well covered with factories of
one kind and another.
But what is attracting the most at
tention is the activity in the building
of residences. The entire southern sec
ton is being ra pidly covered with COM
Portable dwellings,. some of them being
costly enough to excite very general
admiration. This shows that the popu-
lation of the city is increasing fast, and
that the city's business is growing.
Otherwise there would be no need for
additional dwellings. 1t is a safe pre-
diction that by the time the Union de-
pot is completed the city will be en-
jcying a greater degree of prosperity
than at any previous time in her his
| tori