The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-23
Pensacola's Place
On the Map.

1t is difficult to understand how a
man who claims to be an authority on
such things can discuss the gulf coast
trade without recognizing Pensacola's
place in that trade or can assume to
make a correct gulf coast map without
giving Pensacola place on that map.
Two weeks ago The Journal had &C.
casion to call attention to a most fla
grant case of this kind wherein Der.
nard NJ. Baker, of Baltimore, in map
published in the Manufacturers Rec
ord, omitted Pensacola entirely from
the map. Now the matter again comes
into notice by the appearance of much
the same map in Golfers Weekly, &C
companied by another article by Mr..
Baker. in which Pensacola is nowhere
mentioned.
Were Pensacola an unimportant fac
tor in the gulf coast trade there might
be reason to assume that this omis-
sion was unintentional, but when we
consider that Pensacola is, in certain
cases, a leader in the commerce of
the gulf the omission appears to be
studied rather than otherwise.
When the first article and map ap-
peared in the Manufacturers Record,
President Fl. H. Thornton of the Pen
sacola Chamber of Commerce wrote
hot y :
among other things he said:
In your issue of January 6, page 1O5.
you publish a map, Showing sailing
routes between Southern ports and
South American ports" and on that
map Pensacola, the Finest Port in the
South, If not in the United States,
does not appear. say Finest without
fear OF contradiction, because I know
of no port completely landlocked,
where every ship in the world can
anchor IN safety at one time; where
vessels can, at any stage of the
weather, cross a straight bar, on which
there Is SO feet of water at low tide,
and where steamers drawing 80 feet,
without the aid of tug or any assist
ance but their own steam, can, in an
hours time, come from the open sea
to the docks where they receive or
discharge their cargoes, from or into
cars, within three feet Of the vessels
side.
Pensacola could not have been for
gotten because of her insignificance
Notwithstanding her magnificent har-
bor), for she has always been the first
Pitch Pine Lumber and Timber port
in the world.
She is the first Naval Stores port
in the Gulf (having one mandatory
that produces more tar than any other
in the world).
She ranks third or fourth in her Cot
ton exports in the Gulf.
She exports more Steel Rails than
any other port.
She is the first Mahogany importing
port in the United States.
She figures prominently in exports
and imports of many other commodi-
ties, but the above is sufficient to
show her Importance, and demand her
being on any fair map purporting to
show the important Southern ports.
especially in connection with the Istn.
mus of Panama.
This letter was published in the
Manufacturers Record of Jan. 20. and
the Record explains that no injustice
to Pensacola was intended either by
it or by Mr.. Baker. The Record then
goes on to say that its columns are
open to Pensacola at any time for
statements of fact concerning the city
and port.
We are quite prepared to believe
that neither the Manufacturers Record
in the first instance nor Golfers
Weekly in the second intended to do
an injustice by emitting her
name from the Gulf coast maps, but
We are not equally clear as to Mr..
Bakers intentions. The only Florida
port which appears on either Of his
maps is Key West. We do not of
course desire to disparage Key West
in the least but why the island city
should have been selected by Mr..
Baker for a place on his map, 10 the
exclusion of all of the other Florida
ports, is difficult to understand unless
some special motive existed for doing
so.
The port of Pensacola has been for