The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-04-04

every winter with people who run
away from the cold and winds Of the
North Pensacola Is one of the most
popular Of the places 4 that sort
and its o3dfashioned, inconvenient
houses are always filed from N0xsm-
Der to April Just now the managers
have to put cots in the pariors and
halls. Being the winter. rendezvous
of the North Atlantic naval squadron.
200 or 800 officers spend greater
part Of the winter down here in ma
neuvering and target praokice-and
their families would follow them II
there were a comfortable place for
them to stop. But the people OF Pen
sacola lack the public spirit and en-
terprise to build new hotel.
Work FOR New Hotel.
About eighteen years ago, when the
city had only 1000 or 5000 people,
and before the harbor Improvements
were made; when 1t was a sleepy lit
tie burg. with nothing but the navy
yard to live on, one Of the existing
hotels was built by company organ
lied for that purpose-and the first
stockholders lost money. For that
reason the efforts OF Chipley Jones,
Mr.. StiIlman and other entepFising
members Of the Chamber of Com
merce to organize new hotel com
pany have not been successful The
people think the railroad company
ought to build new hotel 1t has
done everything else to bring pros
perity to the town. and there is no
reason why it should not do still
more. Local enterprise has been
checked also by a runner that August
belmont, when he controlled the Lou
isville and Nashville Railway, intend
ed to build hotel. He sent an agent
down it is said, TO look up a site and
make preparations just before he was
dethroned, and there seems 20 be a
popular hope that the present man
agement of the company wiz sooner
or later take up the matter ana do
something.
Siqns Of Public Spirit.
There are signs OF public spirik here
and there, however, In addition to
those / have mention The residence
portion of Pensacola is very attrac-
tive, and large numbers of inexpen-
sive, comfortable cottages surrounded
by spacious grounds are spxnging up
on the outskirts, wherever the street
car system makes them accessible.
Most of them belong to northern peO-
ple-business rien who have retired
or have resched- that gratifying period
when they can take long vacations.
There is much in Pensacola to attract
that class of men. Other houses are
built by northern men who have maNe
Investments N this sectisn-in timber
lands, truck farms and other proper.
ties. The city is slowly improving al
the time. Until recently II has had
neither sewers nor pavements; now
an extensive sewerage system is being
laid and there is a movement to pave
the streets. At the recent election
the people voted for an issue Of $780,
600 in bonds for public improvements,
but there was some kind of defect in
the proceedings which has caused
delay
Fishing Interests.
Pensacola is the headquarters OF
the reolsnapper fisheries of the gulf,
and s60e, 600 worth Of those fish are
shipped to all parts OF the country in
refrigerator cars. About sixty vessels
from thirty to fifty tons each are en-
gagged in the trade, and cruise In the
Bay Of Campeeche.and along the coast
of Yucatan. which is much frequent
ed by the red-snappers- The vessels
are owned by local companies. The
crews are white men, usually down
casters" or Scandinavians. The YES
sells are loaded with thirty OK forty
tons of ice ana provisions and then
start OF on a cruise lasting from ten
TO thirty days, remaining away until
they have caught enough fish to I'LL
their holds-the fish being frozen as
fast as caught. When they return to
Pensacola the cargoes, still frozen. are
transferred to refrigerator cars for
shipment to the north. The local
market is supplied by negro fisher
men, who cruise up and down the
coast of the gulf for mullet, pompano,
Spanish mackerel and other varieties
The fresh water rivers that empty
into the gulf in this locality abound
in sturgeon, which are caught and