The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-10-07

IF we succeed in getting a right
of-way through Escambia county and
the city gives us a franchise and we
can get suitable sites for terminals, we
VIII start actual construction work
from the Pensacola end Of the line be-
fore the first Of the year, and our con-
tractor says that he can complete the
ia miles including the two steel
bridges between Pensacola and Merid-
ian within nine months" said w. +,
Dickinson. OF Chicago, to a represent-
ative Of the Journal last night
Mr.. Dickinson said that the promo
ters Of the road which will run from
Memphis to Pensacola penetrating the
rich agricultural sections Of Missis-
sippi. Tennessee, Alabama and Flori-
da, are not asking for any local help
TO build the road. we have ample
financial backing, and It will take
more than thirty million dollars to
finance the project, to make Il a Ger
tainty-all that we want is the right
to enter Pensacola"
RIGHT OF WAY SECURED.
All Of the right Of way from Mem
phis to Pensacola has been secured
already except about 100 miles, the
most Of which lies at this end, and
1t is to make arrangements to secure
the right of way through this county
that the promoters are here at this
time, as well as to ask from Pensa-
cola. franchise.
c. d. Smith & Co, will build the
road for the promoters and Mr. Dick
erson said that the plans and speci-
hcations called for the best road IN
the entire south. I'VE are building
the road to use, not to sell" he said.
Aside from the main line from Pen
sacola to Memphis there will he an
other branch of the road extending
from Ackerman, Miss, to Helena, Ark.
which will penetrate the rich cotton
section and will connect with tho
Kansas City and Omaha roads. Work
on this part Of the road is under con-
struction at this time and will be
completed by the time the main line
reaches there.
The Panama canal Is going To and
mas already made many changes in
the transportation world" said Mr..
Dickerson. For years il has been
going from east to west but It will
now, from necessity come from tha
east, north and west to the gulf coast
and II is to reap the profit from this
travel that we propose to build the
road from Memphis to Pensacola,-the
best harbor on the gulf
AT Memphis we connect with nine
trunk lines and our route makes It
thirty miles nearer to Pensacola than
ii is to New Orleans, and when Il is
remembered that New Orleans is
about l20 miles from the sea the ad-
vantage Of bringing a road to Pensa-
cola in preference to New Orleans is
apparent. The deep sea channel here
will admit the largest vessel to steam
right up to the wharf, which affords
many advantages"
Mr.. Dickersun said that he and his
associates had met with all of the en-
couragement that could be desired and
that the county traversed by the road
was practically enough already to
make it self sustaining from the be-
ginning. Several big packers and cot
ton exporters from Memphis and from
Kansas City and Omaha have prom
ised all they can do to give their road
the business.
DIRECT ROUTE TO CHICAGO.
Our line from Pensacola to Mem
phis is In reality an air line, and from
Memphis to Chicago IL is practically
the same, making the distance from
Chicago approximately 892 miles,
which may be made by the fast trains
in less than twenty-four hours.
Il believe that within a few years
Pensacola viii become the greatest
shipping center OF the gulf and maybe
in the country. Not only do ] be-
lieve that regular freight steamer
lines will come to Pensacola, but the
ocean passenger INES TO foreign ports
viii come here as well.
The business interest at Memphis
and the cities and towns between
Memphis and Pensacola are as carer
to get into Pensacola as Pensacola
is for railroad reaching to the north.
west. Meridian is especially eager for
the road, and Meridian Is one Of the
best cities in the country. 1t Is as
tonishing to think that in a city Of
that size $1,000 carloads of freight
were created last year"
Mr.. Dickerson said that he was well
pleased with the encouragement that
is being given the promoters in Pen
sacola and that before they leave he
felt that arrangements would have
been made for the road to enter the
Deep Water City OF the South.
Accompanying Mr.. Dickerson are
Judge Plumb Of London, representing
English capitalists and Chester M
Pont Of Mississippi.
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