The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-21
ONlO0KER Man
PRAISES TOWN
THREE-YRS.-OLO
EDITOR GIVES STRONG REASONS
WHY INTRAcoAsTAL WATER
WAY BETWEEN THIS CITY AND
MoeiLE SHOULD BE coNsTRUc-
Teo-MR. FEsLER WILL APPEAR
BEFORE BOARD OF ENGINEERS
THIS MORNING.

Mr.. Frank Fesler, the enterprisins
editor of the Foley Onlooker, is in the
city and this morning will appear be-
fore the board of engineers of the
river and harbor bureau of the war
department to give important data,
showing the ACCESSIBILITY and the fea-
sibility Of the proposed introcoastal
canal between Pensacola and Mobile,
- . part of the interwaterway along
the Atlantic and gulf coasts.
Mr.. Fesler Is enthusiastic on the
subject and In speaking of 1t yester-
DAY to The Journal, said:
THE tonnage south Of the portage
u south Baldwin, exclusive of Mobile,
Bon Secour bays, Navy Cove, Lagoon,
Perdido bay and Fort Morgan, all of
which have large tonnage that would
b benefited by the canal although
they all have more or less indiffer
ont transportation at present, Is,
oysters from Oyster bay and Bon Sc
cour river. 825 tons; fish from same,
300 tons; merchandise to points south
Of Portage, 200 tons; melons and pota-
toes out, 200 tons; turpentine and ma.
val stores out, 200 tons, and lumber
and shingles out, 1000 tons. This
latter II exclusive Of the Swift saw
mill which ships several cars a week
and has at present a water outlet
though It would use the canal. This
makes . total annual tonnage at pres
ent Of about 2.625 tons, gathered as
carefully a. possible by letter and
through canvassing the district and Is
more liable to be short than long.
Besides this actual tonnage now
ready for the canal, 1t would be open
% settlement about 10000 acres south
Of the Portage Of as fine soil as the
south holds and adapted to grow sweet
and Irish potatoes In abundance, as
we'll % melons and all kinds of truck,
and owing to the fact that It Is prac-
tically below the frost line is the best
adapted Of any soil in the county to
citrus fruit. besides as 1t Is but a
short distance to water 1t Is the best
pecan soil In the county.
There II also about twenty-four
miles Of the best surf in the world
that would be opened to resorters
through the canal.
But possibly the greatest reason
why the canal should be constructed
II for the protection Of the govern.
ment's own property, the costly forts
1t the entrances Of Mobile and Pen
sacola bays. Particularly is this true
Of Fort Morgan which Is practically
cut OF from the land side, would in
case of war be powerless against
land force landed east Of 1t and which
would march onto 1t along the beach
No ofRseting requirements from land
could be sent to its relief under pres
ent conditions, the only remedies
being either this proposed canal or
the proposed military highway from
Foley or better yet, both.
This II only pertaining to what the
canal would actually control, now it is
quite certain that the rates Of trans.
p0rtation on the canal would be
cheaper than by rail and as a conse.
quence a very large tonnage north OF
the Portage would go through 1t.
ITO illustrate. the L. & N. built its
branch to Foley q little over three
years ago. located there three years
ago when Foley was only spot in the
woods indicated by a depot During
the last year there was shipped from
Foley by the l.. & ~ 1920 tons and
received by II $500 tons. making a
total tonnage exclusive Of express of
$500 tons, which is an average OF
more than a carload a day from that
little town. IL Foley can do that with
transportation. so can the district
south Of the Portage as the soil is
Just as good. with this one advantage
that 1t would be better for citrus fruit
owing to- being below the frost line.
Three years ago Foley was moth
ing. Now In the Foley district there
are 1871 farms under actual cuit.va-
ton. This does not refer to truck
patches but to real farms, that are
bringing a competence to their own.
srs.
Magnolia Springs Will ship at lea5
BALI as much as Foley. Mifin a third,
Lillian third, Josephine anc Perdido
Beach third. OF course all of these
points have some kind Of an outlet at
present. but the canal would better
and broaden their outlet. Il would