The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-12-09

There is located in Jacksonville one large buyer,
The Naval Stores Export Co., tho the Savannah
houses may have an agent here.
The difference in freight in favor of Jackson
vile for the Florida product, is more than made up
by the increased price likely to prevail in Savannah
when six large exporting companies have headquart.
ers there as against ONE at Jacksonville, and all
are BIDDING IN AN OPEN MARKET.
JACKSONvILLE'S TIME WILL COME
This failure to make Jacksonville q market for
naval stores and the failure has been acknowledged
by the declaration by the Naval Stores Export Co..
W. +. COachman, president, that Jacksonville will
in future be an open market; will not hurt Jack
sonville.
jacksonville will soon have deep water. Given
deep water, this ctys geographical position being
nearer to the greatest naval stores locations will
COMPEL THE EXPORTERS NOW having head
quarters in Savannah to MOVE THEIR OFFICES
TO JACKSONVILLE
This has been the history of the move southwark
OF the naval stores headquarters from Norfolk, to
Wilmington, to Charleston and to Savannah, as the
timber gave out further north compelling the pro-
ducers to move south where the timber was to be
had.
Mr.. Coachman attempted to forestall the work
on the Jacksonville bar by which deep water will be
obtained, and conditions were too strong for even
his wonderful talents to overcome.
1t is to be regretted that Mr.. COachman made
Jhls hCIeHlpC before Cne natural conditions
his favor, but his failure is IN NO SENSE JACK.
nONVlLLE'S FAILURE. The time is almost at
hand when Jacksonville will have sufficient water to
accommodate foreign ships; then Savannah will be
forced to yield her command of the naval stores
market, and Jacksonville will be the worlds naval
store market
WHEN THIS TIME COMES Mr.. S. P. Shooter.
and oil Others like him will have to yield in their
turn just as Mr.. COachman has done now.
REVIEW OF THE CASE.
The situation has been given in the preceding
lines. 1t may be interesting to note how it came
1t has been battle of giants and the wonderful
nerve OF Walter f. COachman stands conspicuOusly
out to challenge the admiration of all who love a
bold fighter who cares not for the odds that may be
against him.
WITH NO EXPERIENCE as an exporter, Mr..
Coachman did not hesitate to go up against those
who had been marketing naval stores for a quarter
of century.
WITH NO CONNECTIONS IN FOREIGN
COUNTRIES and with none ut home this bold
challenger hurled his defiance at those who had
spent half lifetime in making connections all over
the world to dispose of their purchases to consumers
With nothing but bare million this young cap.
tain OF industry gave battle to veteran comman-
ders who had uncounted battaions of dollars
inspired by the confdng faith of those he had
hesitated not to try to overcome natures obstacle
that prevented deep draught ships from entering
his home port to carry his commodity to market.
1t was grand effort which deserved success
While the fight was waging, producers of naval
stores saw prices touch figure that brought them
wealth in brief time, and even in his defeat this
man may have been the cause of bringing victory
to many of his followers, in that prices are still up,
and may continue 80.
review OF the whole case carries the historian
back some years, but the reader need not fear an
attack of ennu, in perusing the lines that are to
follow There is abundance of mental stimulant
in following the course of this battle for the CON-
mand of one of the worlds great commodities:
When Walter f. Coachman lately resigned from
his position assistant freight agent of the Florida
Central Peninsula Railway, organized agout four
years ago the Florida Naval Stores and Commission
Company, the naval stores industry which had not
cut much of figure in this State, had commenced
to pick up. The timber in Georgia and the Carroll.
mas was about all taken up and operators in those
States had turned their eyes to Florida.
Before the new company of which Mr. Coachman