The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-02
THE MOBILE AWAKENING.
The Boom The Gulf Coast--Ffow it Has Affect
ed MObe--By Charles Hallock.

railroad which has offered to put up the |
money for a first depot, has also set
aside several hundreds of thousands OF
nails and in few short months will give
Mobile another trunk line to the North /,
west.
One enterprise that is to help more
than anything else is the $4,O00,OO0 ship
building plant soon to be erected at
Alabama Port, on Mobile Bay, near Mo-
bile. The building of this will make
Alabama Port to Mobile what Bremen
Haven has been to Bremen, and will add
to population a hundredfold in the next
ten years. Enterprises of every descrlp-
ton will follow in it's wake. Another and
newer feature that will play no small
part in the development of Mobile is the
opening of the oil, cement, and salt
regions nearby. The Importance OF these
discoveries to Mobile cannot be over
estimated. Their proximity and location !
| within fifty miles, with reference to the
coal fields. will make Mobile the greatest
manufacturing centre of the State
Already there are twenty-five saw
mills with annual output of 500, 00O, 600
feet Of alumber Vessels carry out
squared timber of a size not equaled this
side of Puget Sound. Reservoirs are be-
ing built for the storage of Texas oil
which is to be brought here in barges,
and oil men look to Mobile as future
big market.
When the Warrior river improvement !
is completed. Mobile will be the only
port in the United States through which
coal mined within 300 miles of the sea-
coast can be foated to tide water AS
Commander Maury declared years ago.
1.-THE Gulf of Mexico will some day be
the focus of the worlds trade" and that
day is at hand. AS an auxiliary con-
tributor Mobile has 1000 miles of steam
boat navigation.
Nothing is more significant OF SOLID
financial bottom and full exchequer than
the erection of the new $4,000 club house
of the Athelstans, composed of two hun
dred business men of the city. The Eiks
and the Masons are also putting up large
and expensive buildings, the latter a
handsome structure of six stories that is
pride to the city as it stands
And with all her prosperity Mobile is
a Sabbath keeper. Drunken and disor-
Derby men are not seen on her streets,
which are orderly because her working
men are busy; and Satan finds mischief
only for idlers. Hundreds of tasteful
suburban cottages give them enviable
homes.
Now as to commerce: Commencing |
with the maritime commerce for the year
ending 1895, we find that the exports and
imports amounted to only s3,475,S03, and i
this at port that, prior to the Civil
War, ranked third in exports of cotton
alone. In 1899, four years later, this |
branch of business had increased over
400 per cent. or to 0.492,767, and that
for the year 1901 had increased to $14,-
500 ,707. being so per cent. greater than
1885, even with a short cotton crop In
the section which furnished the cotton
exports. In 1895 the number of vessels,
steam and SAIL" entering and clearing.
was only S42, with an average tonnage
OF 4S2 tons. In 1901 the entrance and
clearances were 1,79S, with an average
tonnage of $50 tons. The increase of
steamers being LIP, as to 2S2 in 1895,
and 626 sailing vessels as against $50 in
1895.
The value of Cuban trade alone is
over four and a half millions, exceeding
by one million dollars the combined ex-
ports and imports for 1894. Mobile ranks
next to New York now in this trade. One
contract firm shipped $4,000 head of cat
tie to Cuba. Mobile is the third largest
importer of fruits. She has nine steam
lines to Cuba, South and Central Amer
lea vessel sails every day for one Of
these ports. Her imports of bananas for
1901 reached 3,625,111 punches, and OF
cocoanuts 4,324,773 nuts.
Altogether Mobiles future seems to be
la grand one. And the newspaper men
recognize this. Indeed, so great has been
the demand from the various illustrated
journals for photographs of scenes and
buildings that the artists of the city are
overtaxed to supply it.
CHARLES HALLOCK
Fayetteville. n. c..