The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-13
SOUTHERN'S MEN
PRAISED CITY
SAMUEL SPENCER AND PARTY
SHOWN ITS BUSINESS INTERESTS
ALONG WATER FRONT.

| u
Co.'s Wharves and Then About
City-President Spencer Promised
Southern Railway Will Do Its
Part-COI. j. III. EstiII Wants More
Immigrants Instead of Tourists.
President Samuel Spencer of the
Southern Railway number of the
other officers of the system and sew
eral of it's directors, in all party of
twenty-one, spent yesterday afternoon
in Savannah.
After visiting the wharves Of the Cen
trail of Georgia Railway and
of the Ocean Steamship Com
pany being driven through the princi-
pal streets of the city, and being given
a reception at the Chamber of Com
merce, the visitors left for Palm
Beach, where they will arrive this
morning.
1t had been planned to have COM
mittee of the business men of the city
go on a, special train to Central juno
ton, and there board the train of the
visitors and accompany them into Sa-
vannah Because of some uncertainty
as to the time of arrival, however, this
plan was abandoned, and instead the
| committee, representing the city, and
the various trade bodies, met them at
the Union Station.
The train, consisting of seven cars,
arrived at 1 O'Clock, city time, but be-
cause the party was then at lunch there
was no immediate start for the
wharves, as had been planned. The
members of the committee were invit-
ed into the car and asked to join the
visitors at lunch. After this function
was over the party disembarked.
there were introductions all around.
and the visitors took carriages,
which had been in waiting,
and started for the wharves. In
each carriage were two or three of the
visitors, and one or two members of
the committee. All arrangements for
the occasion were in the hands of Col.
Alexander r. Lawton.
Visit to the Terminals.
On the way to the wharves points of
interested were explained to the visit
ors, who manifested much interest in
what they saw, those who had been
here before being particularly i'm
pressed with the growth of the city
wharves the carriages were left and
the visitors were shown along the river
front. Though this is a dull season,
comparatively, in the shipping business
the strangers were surprised at the
amount of business that is being han
died and the excellent facilities for
taking care of it.
Their surprise and admiration was
considerably increased when, from the
rear of the Cotton Exchange, they got
| a more extended view of the river
front and saw the size and extent of
the Merchants and Miners Transport
tation Company's terminals and those
of the Seaboard Air Line and the At
lantic Coast Line, as well as the nu-
merous lumber Wharves on the north
side of the river. The business inter
eSts of the city, as well as its growth
in the resident section, was most favor
ably commented on by all the MEM
bers of the party.
Before visiting the Cotton Exchange
the party had been driven from the
Ocean Steamship Company's wharves
westward, that it's members might see
something of the citys manufacturing
interests, then back to West Broad
street, to Broughton, which was fol-
| lowed to Bull. Going southwark on
Bull street, the trip was made to Gas
ton, then to Drayton, which was fol-
| lowed to Henry street westward on
this street, the drive was continued
to Jefferson, then southwark to Thir-
ty-eighth, then to Bull and so back to
| the business center of the city.
At the Cotton Exchange the party
was made welcome by Mr.. J. B. Hoist,
president. Later the Board of
Trade was visited, where Capt. d. G.
Purse, it's president, extended a SINH
lar courtesy. The next place visited
| was he 1l1ns 0f hnf.o
light refreshments, that proved most
acceptable after the long drive, had
been prepared. After. these had been
disposed of short meeting was held,
| during which a number of talks were
made by several of the visitors, and by
representatives of the city and of it's
business interests.
Welcome to the City.
Col. J. II. Estill president of the
Chamber of Commerce, introduced
Mayor Herman Myers, who after ex-
tending a formal welcome to the city,
told of Savannah's many advantages
in the way of location, climate. indus
tries and commerce. Its government is,
he said. one of economy and progress
| siVenesS, oppression is unknown, and in
all municipal matters, especially taxa
ton, corporations receive the same
consideration that individuals do.
1T may surprise you and your
friends" said the Mayor, addressing
Mr.. Spencer, ito know that Savannah
| is deeply interested in water. Knowing
| your influence with the lawmakers at
| Washington, we ask your assistance in
helping to secure a 30-foot channel.
have caused few pamphlets to be dis
tributed in your car. which will inter
est you, and which will prove the JUS
tice of our request for your assistance
III this matter. Every foot of addi-
tional water means so much added
commerce to the port. We feel that
the enterprise and push of the Southern
Railway in this section will so increase
it's business here that we shall need
| more water"
Spencer Praised Savannah.
Mr.. Spencer, in response to a re-
quest from Col. Estill next addressed
the gathering. He expressed the ap-
probation by himself and the members
of his party of the reception that had
been given them. Mayor Myers had
promised them a surprise, he said,
and, considering the nature of the re-
freshments it had been a surprise to
hear that Savannah was interested in
water" Savannah, he said, is al
ways an interesting place to visit 1t
has always kept well up to the front
in its business growth and improve
ments and evidences of this had been
most apparent during the drive about
| the city,
so far as the railroad interests we
| rRDrpSeDt a re he Sai5