The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-25
RECENT ISSUE CONTAINS FIRST
OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES FUR
NIsHED BY SECRETARY WATER
MAN OF THE COMMERCIAL AS
ISOLATION.

|
| made more internal progress in the
last few years than any other city of
| the country, with the exception of
brand new towns. Ten years ago Pen
sacola was only a village, animated by
little thought Of modern progress, but
| holding among her citizens a small
| number who foresaw the vast develop
| ment of the south, and the splendid
opportunity of Pensacola Around these
! few was organized the Chamber of
Commerce, which was poorly support
ed, but which did a great deal Of good
as far as its means would permit. On
the first of this year the Chamber of
Commerce. the Merchants Association
and the Progressive League all dis
| solved in order to give existence to the
Pensacola Commercial Association, the
| only commercial organization that
Pensacola has ever had that was ade-
| quately financed.
The internal improvement Of Pensa-
| cola in the last five years has amazed
| those who knew the Pensacola of old.
All Of the improvements cited in this
article have marked the past FIVE
years. New city hall, new police head
quarters, a s354,000 concrete hotel
building, built by popular subscription,
sewerage and drainage system, water
works acquired by the municipality,
improved fire apparatus, Is miles of
street paving and 1877 miles of schil-
linger side walks. Adding to these the
recently authorized bond issue for Is
miles of additional street paving. and
for the extension of the sewerage sys-
tenn, Pensacola can boast Of $2,200,0 900
spent on public improvements inside
the city limits within the last five
years. On the federal census Of 1910,
which gives Pensacola a population of
%, 900, this outlay represents practical
ly a per capita expenditure Of $4,000
per annum for five years for public
improvements.
In those five years the following in
creases have been recorded:
Assessed valuation of property, 1905,
81, $780, 97; 1910, $15,371,0S7.
Bank capital, surplus, and undivided
profits, 1905, $S09.735: 1910. $1,427,20O.
Bank deposits, 1905, $2,990,os5; 1910,
$4,116,100.
Bank loans and discounts, 1908, $2,-
S99, 81; 1910, $4,715,116.
Postoff1ce receipts, 1905, $42,646;
1910, $s1,162.
Exports. 1905, s15.s42.2s5; 1910.
$22. 702,572.
Imports. 1905. sss5,sSo; 1910. ST.
S2s,911.
Wholesale trade, 1905, s1o,ooo,Ooo;
1910, $14,O00,O00.
Sewerage, miles, 1905, none; 1910, Al.
Paved streets, miles, 1908, 1-2; 1910,
Is.
Sidewalks, miles, 1908, 10; 1910, 125.
Street railway, miles, 1905, 10; 1910,
231-2
City bonded debt, 1905, $4,000;
1910, $1,240.000.
The real estate market has been ex-
tremely active for the past three or
four years, and values have about
trebled, both in business and residence
sections. Four years ago the city un-
dertook the systematic improvement of
the public park reservations, which, up
to that time, had been little more
than vacant squares of ground. They
have been enormously improved, con-
sidering the amount of money ex-
pended.
The year 1907 was an exceptional
year in building, and last year was re-
garded as below the recent average
For this reason the official building
permit figures for 1910 are the more
significant. Including the smallest re-
pair jobs to the humblest class or
buildings, the records show building
permit average of s2,454. while none OF
the permits for 1910 were for any Of
the larger buildings completed IN that
year.
The L. &, n. docks, built some years
ago, furnish more than 1000 feet berth
space with % feet Of water alongside
of warehouse. The capacity of these
loading and unloading facilities have
never been taxed. The coal chutes,
which are also owned by the L. & N,
have a coal cargo capacity of one ton
per hatch per minute. The coal wharf
is also a lumber wharf with 1000 feet
of berth space with rs feet depth, In
addition to the 1000 feet already cited.
The anchorage in the harbor includes
IL square miles with a minimum
depth of 35 feet. Around this IL
square miles are IL additional square
miles with a minimum depth Of 30
feet. The minimum depth across the
bar is 80 feet at mean low ude, ana
the United States photographic ONCE
reports that vessels drawing 81 feet
can move in and out Of Pensacola
harbor at any time during the day
Up to the present time Pensacola
has had but one railroad The Pensa-
cola, Mobile and New Orleans is now
building from Pensacola to Mobile, and
expects to be able to conduct interstate
traffic within a year. Roy c. Megar-
gel. private banker Of New York city,
is at the head of a movement to build
from this city to the coal and iron
fields of Alabama at Jasper, a few
miles from Birmingham. This road Is
regarded as a certainty, and the en-
gineers are now in the field making
final selection of route The road will
not only tap the coal and iron fields at
the junction point of the Illinois Cen
trail and the Frisco roads, but win run
through some Of tia finest agricultural