The weekly true Democrat., 1909-10-15

Ff-~-Nr-" - ArNt
tion, aud thiS system e sgaln under ~
control of that master railsoad nlan.
Joha ekelton Williams. Bat what
makes Il Of partisuiar local interest /,
TIE acknowledged requirement of ths
TaIlahassss and Southeastern railroad
This should mean the extension of fhis
road down the Wsst coast % Tampa.
FOF year this paper has bsen agitat-
ing the building Of q road from this
city, practically paFaIislling tire west
coast Of Florida. It would make Of TIE
west eOast what the east coast iS today,
and more, for the west eoast hes sSeonic,
climatic and commercial advantages
not possessed b. the Atlantic coast.
The billions and billions Of trade which
the country win BE- pouring into the
orient and South American provinces
within . few years win 60 though gulf
rather than Atlantic ports; and every
port on the gulf, particularly 20 IN Flor.
ida, for II Is the nearest United States
coast 10 those countries, win become
point Of commercial interest. A road
down the west coast Of Florida would
discharge ct So marks. Cedar Keys,
Tampa and Charlotte Harbor, and other
ports yet TO be developed, milIionsof
tins Of food and manufactured products
snnualIy for China. Japan, the Islands
Of the sea and the undevelOped world 10
the south Of us.
We predict that John skeltOn VIII.
Jams, with bis characteristics energy,
will take bold Of this project and make
his road the greatest developing factor
Florida has ever known
But how would this particularly az
feet the prosperity OF Tallahassee II
would make Of Il the gateway 10 this
western coast development as Jackson
vile has been the gateway 10 the east.
and the splendid prosperity which the
metropolis Of the State Is now enjoying
would be duplicated 10 q larger extent
st Tallahassee. The information Is
conveyed, In news item elsewhere,
thst the old port Of 81 NarkS now has
from "a 10 30 feet Of Watsr. Whether
on not this bo particularly true about
the port Itself Il Il well known that che
largest vessels ahoat can come into
what Is known as the Spanish Hole,
which h only q few miles from the port I
Itself, and q little dredging would only ,
Be necessary 10 get them 10 the main I
and. We have previously enumerated
Inc geographical advantages Of Sc,
marks, Il being the nearest point on the
gulf 70 At least One-half Of the popula- {
ion Of the United States, and 10 ct !
east three-fourths Of its commercial
md Industrial activity.
Our present eastern connection via J
he Geaboard h about all that cOuld Be !
iesirsd, except that there win ultl-
nately Be . short line from Q point on
hls system near Augusta, Ga, 10 this 1
iltY, 10 connect with he present road g
% So. marks. It has been several times
'umOred that the ssaboard had &C. \
Iuired, u Was about 10 acquire. the @. a
!. a A., which now extends from Tai L
ahassea 10 within q few miles Of Co.
umbus. Ca Should this acqulsition
AXE place Il would only require one
Iundred miles Of additional read \
through an undsvslopod section Of Ala D
ans, 10 place the Ssaboard "a connec-
Ion with the iron cities Of Birming- =
am, AnnistOn, Gadsden and Talladega, A
nd thence 10 the great grain fields Of p
he west. X
The True Democrat recently pub
shed the fact that q railroad system
'as sxpendlng 5000. 900 IN the devol- = =
pment Of q hitherto unknown Texas ="
Ort IN order to get terminal facilities
b the gulf.
The SsabOard System now practically "a
1ntrols the port Of Sc. Marks. Il also
as great terminal facilities AZ Tampa,
I'd has already expended more than q
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