The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-01
sAvANNAHs FORWARD MARCH.

! has its beginning this morning, there
is much to encourage the hope that
| Savannah's prosperity will not only be
! continued, but increased during the
| succeeding twelve months. The re-
view of the years business in various
lines, which we publish elsewhere in
| this issue, shows that the city and
| port have enjoyed a high degree Of
| prosperity. Throughout the territory
! tributary to Savannah harvests were
bountiful and prices for staple COM
modities were such as to insure rea-
| sonable profits. This made the pro-
| ducers prosperous which in turn found
| reflection in the city among merchants,
| factors and others. The net receipts
| of naval stores were larger than the
| year before, prices were the best for
several years, and this market main
| tanned it's position as the leading mar
ket of the world in this line. Notwith-
standing the sources of naval stores
! production are moving away from Sa-
! vannah, producers continue to find this
| the most advantageous market. The
reason is not far to seek. Savannah is
an open market. 1t makes the price
of naval stores. not only for this coun-
| try but the whole world.
The receipts of cotton during the
year showed a small decline. But, as
a matter of fact. in proportion to the
size of the crop the receipts were
| larger than those of the year before.
| That is. the percentage of the entire
crop that found its way to the port
| of Savannah was larger than the per-
centage of the crop that took a similar
| course the preceding year. In this
| connection it is of interest to note the
fact that Savannah's cotton territory
is being enlarged year after year. Dur
ing the season just ended shipments
were made to this port from as far
north as the cotton belt reaches and
| from as far west as Oklahoma and
| Indian Territory. Heretofore cotton
| from the territories has been shipped to
Mississippi and Gulf points. Now it
| is finding it's way to the Atlantic
through the great South Atlantic port
The importance of Savannah as a
| shipping and distributing point has
been enhanced during the past year.
Not less than four new steamship lines
have been established: three to Euro
pean points and one to New York. Add
| ing these lines to the already numer-
Gus and excellent coastwise and for
eign lines in operation for years, Sa-
vannah is seen to have unexcelled
| transportation facilities. And BUSH
ness men are rapidly taking advantage
of the ports cheap coastwise rates to
make Savannah a leading distributing
point for various commodities. Large
| dealers are now locating branch offices
! in interior cities but maintaining their
| depots and shipping offices here. As
a distributing point Savannah proba-
bly, has no equal in the South It's
lines of communication and transpor-
tation are open to the four points of
the compass, and its freight rates will
| compare favorably or better, with
those of any other large market of the
! country. Freight advantages, indeed,
! are opening UP a large and growing
/ AhAHCAb Nlel0b iii Ou6A Tic DOIls 1ntCI
lines of steamers to European ports
! have put Savannah merchants and i'm
porters on an equal footing with those
of New York. Boston and Philadelphia
The building up of the city has shown
marked progress during the last twelve
months. On every hand evidences of
constructive work are to be seen. New
residences are going up in all parts of
the city. A splendid eight-story bank
building has lately been completed, and
similar building of ten stories will
| be begun next month. A handsome
new City Hall is now we'll advanced, a
Masonic Temple will be begun in a few
weeks. and a great government hospi-
tai is in course of erection. There has
also been much constructive and re-
pair work on the terminals of the great
railroads centering here, by way of
charging their facilities. in anticipa-
ton of the growing volume of COM
merce.
No small part of the energy and ac-
tivity displayed in the city during the
year is due to the efforts of the Cham
Der of Commerce. That organization
has kept the people together and inn
bued them with spirit of local pride
and enterprise that has been produc-
tive of excellent results. 1t has fur
nished information to a large number
of inquirers, and has been an impor-
tant factor in securing the planting
in the city of several new manufacto-
ries and laying the foundations fol
others. The growth OF the manufac.
turing interests has been one of the
most gratifying features Of the year
and each new manufacturing plant il
an advertisement to others to follow
its lead. So general has been the in.
dustrial activity that II has been stated
on good authority, that there is not q
workingman in the city who is without
work, If he wants to work. There is
a plenty for everybody TO do, and wage:
are on satisfactory basis. Labor
troubles have been. and are. relatively
unknown. There is a hum of industry
and energy and enterprise on all hands
We have just emerged from a full year
and hope and believe that we have en-
tered upon a fat one.
DUTY OF THE BULLOCK COUNTY