The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-23
INDIANA Man
PRAISES DEEP
WATER CITY
CRAIG OF NoeLESVlLLE
LEDGER SEES GREAT CHANGES
IN PENSACOLA SINCE VISITING
HERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO-HE
LIKES FLORIDA.

Will H. Craig, editor of the Ledger,
of Noblesville, Indiana, and a promi
-nent Republican of the Hoosier State,
has been at the San Carlos for two
weeks With him are his wife and Mr..
and Mrs. w. NJ. Carlin, of Indianapolis.
Being newspaper man, he naturally
would. drift into a print shop, and yes
terday made the Journal Office call.
In an interview, among other things,
he said:
This is not my first trip to Pensa-
cola. I was here about ten years ago.
If / had not been told that this was
Pensacola I would not have known it
was the same place. Ten years ago
we dragged ourselves around through
the sand; now we drive or walk for
miles over splendid paved streets and
sidewalks. Then the buildings locke
like they were in a state of innocuous
desuetude;;' now you have public and
private buildings that would do credit
to city Of 100000 population. Then
the people were asleep and didn't seem
to care whether school kept or not;
now there is life, activity and an or
ganized public spirit that reminds one
Of the boom days of the great west.
"Ten years ago I am told there were
petty animosities, jealousies, envies and
q lack OF cooperation. From what /
have seen and heard since I have been
here I am convinced that these black
spots have been wiped off the slate.
The mere fact that hotel like the
magnificent San Carlos was built by
voluntary subscriptions is proof of the
harmony and cooperation existing
among the progressive citizens of this
city. It is a monument to their prog
ress and public spirit
Another thing that attracts my at
tention is the loyalty of Pensacolians
to their home city and It's best in
terests This was shown in the vote of
this city and county for its distin
guished citizen, w. A. Blount, for
United States senator A man who re-
ceives 80 per cent. of the vote of hts
county, IS per cent, of the vote of his
city, and 100 per cent. of the vote OF
his ward is certainly worthy of the
honor he seeks and shows the loyalty
of his friends.
Pensacola certainly has a great flu
ture. It's location, it's resources and
its contributing territory should make
1t a great city. It's harbor is the finest
on the gulf. It's nearness to the Pana-
ma canal and the markets of the world
should make 1t the greatest port on
the gulf. With the proper develop
ment in the interior and with trans
portation facilities sufficient to market
the vast products Of the north there IL
no reason why this should not be a
humming, thriving center of commerce.
THE new Gulf, Florida and Alabama
Railroad should be built by all means.
It will be feeder for this port of in
estimable value. Competition is the life
of trade. One thing that has kept back
the south is the rates for transporta-
ton of her products.
"A few years ago I was over on the
East Coast of Florida and was told
that the freight and express rates On
truck and fruits were almost pro-
hibitive, and there was no incentive to
develop the country. That ought not
to be. Railroads are doing themselves
an injury when they fix exorbitant
and prohibitive rates. Years ago tho
rates on poultry. eggs and dairy pro-
ducts from Wisconsin and other west
ern states to New York were so high
that these industries were neglected.
The railroads saw their mistake and
reduced the rates. With a rate not
half what it was a few years ago the
railroads are making more money and
the people are doing an immense bust