The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-27

A division near Cottondale and con-
tinue the construction of the new
line straight TO ST. Andrews bay or
some point along that coast.
Atlanta and ST. Andrews Bay
From Dotlan on the line of the At
lantic Coast Line. there is road
known as the Atlanta AMI St. An
drews Bay railroad. II is eighty-three
miles in length and runs from Dothan
TO Panama City. near st. Andrews
bay, on that coast. This road eros SeS
the P. and A. division of the Louisville
and Nashville at Cottondale, having
its own line straight on TO Panama
City and the st. Andrews Bay coast.
Everything would be simplified if the
Louisville and Nashville could get
hold of the Atlanta and St. Andrews
Bay railroad or even that part of it
from Cottondale to the st. Andrews
bay coast But from what is known of
A. B. Steele. president of the Atlanta
& st. Andrews Bay, 1t is more than
probable that the road will remain
the independent line that it is now for
some time to come. This line was
originally a very small lumber road,
running out from the saw mill of the
German-American Lumber Co, and
the only means of transporting the
millions of lumber was over this in
significant road.
For several years the lumber peo-
pie had been exporting all of their
high-grade yellow pine lumber, but
millions of the lower grade yellow pine
that could not be exported had simply
to lay on the ground at the mill and
rot on account of the fact that there
was no railroad connection. When the
present Atlanta and st. Andrews road
was extended and connection had with
the sawmill at Millville Junction, near
their mill, new machinery was bought
for the mill and the manufacture of
yellow pine for the interior trade gone
into on large scale.
To show the determination and per-
tfnacity of the owners of tie proper
ty when there was some hitch in re-
gard to traffic arrangements with 9TH
er roads they bought the steamship
Manteo to carry their lumber to Mo-
bile, Pensacola and points along the
bay. Since the completion of the
railroad. however, it makes them vir-
tually independent. though the steam
ship traffic still goes ON, the line being
called the Mobile and Gulf steam ship
company, an adjunct of the st. An
drews Bay Railroad and the German
American Lumber Co.
Some idea of the magnitude OF the
corporation can be mad when it is
stated that they own something like
10000 acres of yellwO pine tim Der
in the territory around Panama City,
the terminus of the railroad, the mill
being about one mile north Of Pana-
ma City. The country south of Cot
tondale, the crossing of the Pensa-
cola division of the L. and N. is yet
virtually undeveloped. For about 40
miles the line of the Atlanta and ST.
Andrews Bay road runs through a
solid body of virgin long leaf yellow
pine.
This immense tract of timber ex-
tends for nearly forty miles in an
easterly direction and about thirty
miles in westerly direction. From
this one can judge of the vast amount
of yellow pine timber waiting for the
Sawmill men TO develop, and at the
same time it is easily seen what Pres
| ident Smith. of the Louisville and
Nashville wants to get into the heart
of this veritable gold mine for.
Something of the Bay.
st. Andrews Bay is a beautiful
body of water, covering something
like sixty square miles. 1t is almost
land-locked and in side the bay the, wa
ter is from thirty-five to sixty feet in
depth. The main body of water at
East Bay where Panama City is locat-
ed is about of the same depth, while
portions of West Bay are shallow but
with an average of between thirty to
forty feet 1t is a magnificent fishing
ground, and since the completion of
the Atlanta and ST. Andrews Bay road
the fish industry has developed very
rapidly. From one TO two cars of fish
are shipped out daily over the line,
being turned over TO the Atlantic
Coast Line at Dothan, that road and
the Central of Georgia distributing
them 10 points along their lines AID
beyond. great many of the ST. An
drews bay fish coming to the dealers
in Montgomery.
Leaving out the fact of all the in
dustries mentioned above, the ultimate
object of Mr.. Steele is to build an
extension OF his road from Dothan IEp
through the counties of Dale, Bullock,
Macon and Lee 70 a junction with the
Western of Alabama at Opelika- At
this point the object is 10 secure
trackage arrangements with the West
ern into Atlanta thus giving a line
from Atlanta TO the st. Andrews Bay
country This does not look as if it
would be an easy matter for Mr.
Smith TO get hold of the Atlanta and
ST. Andrews Bay railroad, and even il
he goes into the st. Andrews Bay
country over his own line ne is liza
bic to have a fight for the territory.
But the taciturn president of the
Louisville & Nashville as general
rule. brushes obstacles ont of his
path. and in the end gets what he
starts out for. a few years ago
branch of the Alabama and Florida
division was built from opp down
through the vast timber country in
Conecuh county TO the big Lockhart
mills and on to Florala, little town
on the Alabama and Florida line.
Thara uac m wav Of Dpttip0 Out of