The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-09


 The Portersville country. where the Alabama editors met last month and had their annual outing. Is going to be one of the most popular resort sections of Alabama and as the years come and go it will attract more attention than any other section of the Gulf coast.
 All of the Portersvills Bay shore IS known as the Portersville country and Coden Is Its capital because Coden is the largest of the towns in the resort territory. There are other places, 1t Is true. but Coden has more people. more hotels and more boarding houses. There is no contest between Coden and It's neighbors over the honor of being the central city. It is purely ques- tion of popularity with the people. Citizens of Bayou la Betre. Little Rtv- CT. Gerard and Sans Souci. neither of which Is more than two miles distant, gather at Golden nearly every night to join in dancing and ether amusements
 Portersville Bay lies f1vo miles east and west and is protected from the angry waters of the Gulf of Mexico by Dauphin Island. Fowl River Bay sep arates 1t from Mobile Bay on tho cast and its western boundary Is Grand Bay which lies next to Mississippi Sound.
 Valuable Oyster Property.
 The shore line of Portersville Bay IS marked by summer cottages from each of which long pier 5uts out 2os to 800 yards into the water upon the end CT which a neat bath house is located Since the law gives owners of property control over 600 yards of water front the oyster privilege of these property owners Is very valuable as Portersville Bay abounds in oysters.
 The Portersville country Is reached by the Mobile and Bay Shore Railroad of which Bayou la Batre. thriving village is the terminus. The distance from Mobile to Bayou la Batrc Is thir- ty-two miles in a southwesterly dtrec- ton. There is a junction at DelcEamps where cars are changed for Alabama Port, another resort on Mobile Bay several miles east from Fowl River Bay.
 When the railroad line leaves Del champs 1t runs east and west and breaks into the Portersville country. It skirts the shore line of Portersville Bay about a mile in the interior at some points and nearer to the shore at others. Thus 1t Is. that one alights from the train at the stations and is driven to the hotels and boarding houses on the shore in hacks, or he may walk the distance over splendid roads made of oyster shells.
  country from the interior to the bay and hundreds of cottages with bath houses and other conveniences are To- cated on these bayous. As the waters of the bayous are salt and are effect ed by the tides, cottages on the bayous are favored by many persons. especial ly those who seek solitude or seclu- sion. From east to west the first bayou is Coquelle Then there are Bayou Comeau. Bayou Coden, Bayou Ceteaii and Bayou La Batre.
 Named for Captain Porter. This was once French country and in the midst of so many French names one naturally inQuires why the beau- tiful sheet of placid blue waters should have taken such a good old English name as Porter. The Forters- vile man is ever ready to tell you about it. Many years before the war between the States and before the cit ies of Mobile and New Orleans had been connected by a railroad line all traf- flc between the two cities was con ducted by steamers. There was no | pass by which boats could reach Mo- | bile Bay from Mississippi Sound until Grants Pass was dredged. It became necessary. therefore. for the steamers | to have a port as near Mobile as pos sible. This port was located at point near WHeTt SOuSH HOW AD anu PaSSeh gers, mails and frcights from New Or leans were landed here and were sent overland to Mobile. distance of about thirty miles. One Captain Porter built a hotel here to accommodate travellers and the town which sprung up took his name. Later the body of water as well as the town became known as Portersville. It Is supposed that Cap tain Porter located his hotel on the .-I.r hAA Grants Pass was opened about 1850 when the palatial steamers plying be- tween New Orleans and Mobile and through Grants Pass became famous in song and story. With the opening of Grants Pass the popularity and prestige of Portersville waned although 1t has been a resort for Mobile people all of these years. The rambling old house once famed as hotel conducted by Captain Porter Is still standing on the shore under a grove of fine old trees and in wide lawn near the mouth of Bayou Co., quelle. The place is known now as Alexander's but 1t is vacant this sea son.
 Railroad was Built.
 Until five years ago Coden and the Portersville country was reached over land from St. Elmo. a station on the naln llne OI lHe anu vile Railroad eight miles away. The drive over this excellent shelled road of snowy whiteness winding its way through pine forests and over purling brooks was one of the delights of the trip.
 The railroad line came because off, cials of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company realized that this Porters- vile country was destined to become a busine ess- -bringer in the traffic of pas sengers and freight. They built the Mobile and Bay Shore limo which is now operating double daily passenger trains each way and at least two freight trains a day. Their expecta- tions as to business have been more than realized.
 As Coden Is the center around which the life of the Portersville country revolves a short description of the place will answer. The two-story rail- way station of Coden Is at the point where the railway crosses Bayou Coden and much of the town. according to custom, has been built about the 1epot and up and down the shelled road skirting the east side of the bayou The bayou is crossed by the railway tracks half mile from where the wa ters of the bayou mingie with Porters- vile bay.
 "COden Opera House."
 Some time ago large and commodi- ous oyster warehouse was built over Bayou Coden near the railway lepot
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