davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

1e5 feet long. and an average width OF ia
feet and a dredged slip 324 feet long and
G7t5 feet wide on its south and another
qo5 feet long and 96 feet wide on its north
sido. tb. southern Mobile & Ohio OoinO
pier No. c. with covered sheds, 495 feet
along the river. a dredged slip 32i feet long
and 96 feet wide on its south ana ano'her
400 feet long and 90 feet wide on its north
side; its
Pier No :. with covered shed land
grain elevator 492 feet long and wldth
Of &C feet on river. and dredged slip on
the south 422 feet long and sc feet wide
and another on the north side 425 feet
long and 90 feet wide; and its
Pier No. s. with covered shed 1.-TWO decks,
used now by Munson Line. but later TO De
occupied by the South American Llne) 5VO
feet long and an average width OF LOS
feet. a dredged slip on its south 425 feet
long and 80 feet wide. and similar one
on its north side.
Collectively this frontage (on water %
feet deep now, but being dredged to y
feeD is: Mobile e. Ohio owned $500 lineal
feet. Southern owned, 1,540; Jointly owned,
800 A total of 1925 linear feet OF water
front and q floor space warehouse OF
4SO,S35 square feet.
AT present there are only, in the way
of transshippiHg machinery, three cleo
trio banana conveyers on the tropical fruit
wharf but the Mobile & Ohio is making
arrangements for the installation of va
rious labor saving devices on its fine array
of docks
The road has a reciprocal switching ar
ranpement with the other lines entering
the city, and this enables 1t to reach all
the industries to which the rails of any
lead.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
THE HIERoNYMoUS DOCKS.

Another of the more important privately
owned docks OF the port is that or the
| heterogeneous Dock and Lumber Company
which has frontage on the river-not far
above Choctaw POint-of $50 feet. The
depth of water in front Of the dock Is TWEEN
ty-three feet 1t has, Also running back
into the land for distance of 80 feet, a
wide slip of the same depth.
The property of the company. on which
are located large saw and planning mill
plants, dry kins and their necessary COM
pIement of trans-shipment machinery, ex-
! tends back to Water street, some LOO feet
away The sawmill turns out about eighty
thousand feet of rough lumber daily, and
the planning mill about twenty thousand
| feet Of the manufactured stuff.
From sixty to seventy-five ships, ranging
from light draft to twenty-three feet, and
taking i'm cargoes for Cuba and the West
Indies mainly, berth at these docks an
nually.
Each of the railroads entering here has
provided necessary switches and tracks,
and therefore renders satisfactory service
to both docks and yards-a matter of mo-
ment to many of the readers of this article
since these are not used exclusively for
the company's own business, but provide
accommodations for general custom.
The officers of this company are Messrs'
William T., G. 4. and II. l.. Hieronymoas'
1t was first established Qn $3.50 at Theodors,
a station on the Louisville & Nashville and
on the Bay Shore railroads, some sixteen
miles away: but its business outgrowing its
surroundings in time it removed here Tin
| 1922 to the foot of Palmetto street, on the
Mobile River
The further expansion Of the business
caused it to demand within four years time
more room and better facilities, and 1t was
/ finally transplanted to IT'S present well laid
out and readily accessible site.
! The tonnage, steam and sail, that puts
! Mobile in touch with the world outside OF
! the United States and it's Gulf and Allan
! tic ports plays so important a part and Is
SO inextricably interviewer with the vicis-
| STUDIES, growth, present conditions and
promise of her export and import business
| Gas does, and is. in a lesser degree, the ton
mage that brings her in contact with the
two mentioned coasts Of this country that
the description Of same fits in more natural
" with a review Of the ports maritime
| trade
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
GROWTH OF FOREIGN TRADE.

And. now, to show what use she, in a
business way, has made, is making and
hopes to make of her natural gifts and ac-
quirements.
As the export and import trade is the
most important feature OF a seaports bust
ness-more especially in the case of one
that lays claim to be the chief port or a
sea coast-it will be we'll TO give prominence
to that trade. Che writer is indebted TO
those efficient officials. H. c. Ashley. Col
lector OF Customs. and Thomas Il. Norville,
Harbor Master. for the figures of export
and import and tonnage of the port)
Since her principal and almost sole. at
traction for foreign custom, up to the CIVIL
War. had been her large receipts of cot
ton, and since subsequent TO that wal
these had dwindled almost three-fourths,
her foreign trade could not have been said
TO have amounted TO much until within
the last fifteen years, when a 23-foot chan
mel gave to It new impulse The ire
mendous growth brought about by that
channel is best sho,.- by comparison oil
the tonnage that entered and cleared from
this port in the year preceding It's compile
ton with that of the past year.
The twenty-three feet deep channel was
completed in 1886.
In 1895 29O foreign steamships. aggregat-
ing 1855. SOC tons, and ll6 foreign sailing ships
with a tonnage of S0H5. sought this port
for cargoes: in 1911 the foreign shipping had
reached 6ls steamships. aggregat!ng ISi,5li
tons. and 80 sailing ships. with 1851 tons
the totals being 673 foreign vessels, with a
tonnage OF 7s0.lOO in 1911. as against 400 ves'
sells. with 49, 5l tons in ls95-a net Increase
Of 2s7 ships and 530,649 tons. The loss In
sailing ships is readily accounted for: they
have been. 10 a large land are being to a
creater) extent driven from the high seas
by steam craft. This is particularly so IN
the lumber trade OF this port with Mexico
West Indies and certain other countries.
II may be added that in the coast"ise
trade. there WAS in the period mentioned a
net increase of 30 vessels and liS,iL tons
Unlike the foreign tonnage, however, sal
has increased by q ships and by 1913 tons
owing TO the very considerable employment
of schooners I'm the transport of railroad
ties M TO the Atlantic coast Of this coun'
try The coastwise trade promises to be
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

chief seaport Of the Gulf of Mexico. if
This weakest link" could be either re-
forged or so strengthened as to enable it
successfully to bear the burden of world
traffic, FASTENED TO lead the way to the
solution of the problem.
The Messrs. Horace Turner and Harry r.
Hartwell with a faith in Mobiles future
and a prophetic grasp Of its coming needs,
staked what IN a comparatively small city
was considered vast sum-and even in
a big port would be thought no small one
upon their judgment. and proceeded to set
the standard here for dock building If
the port lives up to that standard there
will be nothing faulty about the Mobile
way of bridging the interval between land
and water carriage
They constructed what has been modest
ly named the Turner HartWcll docks. II
is really complete terminal; indeed it is
rather a protentOus one compared with
most Of this country's terminals" hav-
ing the longest dock on the Gulf, with a
slip 205 feet wide by 100 feet on one side
and 800 feet on the other, with over TWEEN
ty-tour feet depth Of water, and providing
berths for from fifteen to twenty vessels
this slip is said to be the second long
est In existence-and storage tracks" for
between four hundred and five hundred
cars.
The docks" have mammoth freproof
sheds of steel on concrete foundations,
with a vitrihed brick covered floor space
of $4,000 fetal protected by fire plugs.
But. with that "chief seaport promise ever
in mind, concrete foundations for additional
sheds of the same character have been
provided. with plans looking toward and
permitting a vast increase of this storage
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
MOBILES HEALTHFUL SUR
ROUNDINGS.
SUI

Before proceeding to the review OF this
latter it will be we'll 10 consider Mobiles
two remaining claims to the possession or
all the factors required TO entitle he TO
the proud position to which she aspires.
One of these Is that there is not a city in
all of broad america that can boast bet
ter surround ,a Climate, water and me-
teofological ditions,, combined with rich
ness of soil. ,nder her adjacent territory
abundantly e TO furnish those close at
hand subsist .c1 materials, the absence Of
which has il 80 many instances marred a
citys pTospe
The other the natural sanitary condi-
tions of the yalc And. indeed il would
seem thai e. splendid range of hills that
form her bo diaries on the land side, and
which slope gradually to the even more
gently slopi. plain on which the city IS
built. wouc supply a natural drainage
scheme upon which no engineer could I'M
prove: that rne best his science could DO
would be 10 give il the least possible inter
fercnce-or, at most, to remove any aiu-
fetal Instructions thereto
Broad, well paved thoroughfares render
street cleaning an easy task, while the
profusion of religiously preserved, heavily
foiaged shade trees besides affording
grateful shelter from the summer suns of
the sem-tropics, furnish bouneous sup
ply of oxygen to neutralze the vitiating
carbon found in every city's atmosphere.
That its drinking water Is the second
best IN the United States" has long been
Mobiles boast; while the temperatures for
fifteen years, taken from the records Of
the Weather Bureau at Mobile, and which
range, in averages OF the winter months,
from $40 to $50 degrees Fahrenheit; from
6l4 to IA in those Of spring; from 1913 to
SO5 in summer and from J9.j to IA, would
seem to substantiate the claim that her
climate is pleasant throughout the entire
year" And an annual average rainfall FOR
the last fifteen years dhe figures are taken
from the same record of $3.50 inches, well
distributed throughout the seasons, month
by month. further proves her claim to salts
factory meteorological conditions.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
THE nj. & o. TERMINALS.

The present terminal facilities OF the
Mobile & Ohio Ito which. Of course, must
be added those of its ally. the Southern)
are being largely added to, in anticipa-
ton of the great expansion of business
that must follow the deepening of the
channel to twenty-seven feet. and the
opening OF the Panama Canal. With the
already completed plant, and with the
additions and the improvements now be-
ing made. the facilities of the company
will be able to take care of a largely in
creased traflc-morc, they will place Mo-
bile upon a parity, in this respect, with
any port on the Gulf of Mexico.
The wharf frontage of the Mobile &
Ohio is as follows:
Pier No /. the Mobile & Ohos fruit
wharf. with covered shed, $40 feet along
Mobile River; its
Pier No. . on which sheds are now be-
ing built 525 feet along the river and a
dredCed slip l29 feet long and ~ feet wide;
its
Pier No. 3. on which there is low under
construction great fireproof warehouse
two stories in height and both up and be-
low having 10000 square feet Of storage
space (the upper floor with weight capac-
ity of 200 pounds TO the square foot, and
TO he reached by elevated tracks,. and 1,2OO
feet of docking room about it to be used
by the Munson Line; its
Pier No. owned by the Southern, but
subject to use by the Nj. & O.-the Mallory
Line docks here, with covered shed 40
feet long and with an average width of
l76 feet. and a drcdged slip on it's north
side. 32i feet long and 67ia feet wide: its
Pier No. . (also owned by the Southern,
but subject to use by the Mobile q Ohio.
with shed 20 feet wide (and coal chutes),
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

and with Porto Rico as we'll as with Cuba.
| Owing to the fact that II does more bust
ness than any Of the rest Of the concerns
engaged In the same trade here, 1t Is pos
sible that its facilities are somewhat better.
Like the other lumber concerns, 1t Is both
prompt and reliable. and carries out It's
contracts to the dot. 1t deals only with the
large sawmills such as can be relied on
to properly grade lumber.
That its business is rapidly expanding Is
shown In the fact that while II shipped
out last year A,OOO,000 feet Of lumber, It's
shipments for this year have already
reached a total of 2, 100000 feet. This great
gain is fiattering evidence that Cuba, which
while It takes an average grade Of lum-
Der. is very particular that II does not fall
below that average, is amply satisfied with
the character of the service 1t receives
from these expert handlers.
1t is interesting to note that Mobiles ex-
ports to Cuba greatly exceed those Of her
chief Gulf competitor and rank next In
value to those OF New York. and that her
imports though less in value than those
of either of the two mentioned ports, are
increasing in vastly greater ratio.
Mr. James Gibboney, the agent for the
Munson Line, is authority for the statement
that Mobile took rs per cent more lumber
to Cuba than did New Orleans. and that,
until recently, the latter has had no service
to the outports of Cuba-only TO Havana.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
CARIBBEAN LUMBER TRADE.

While the tremendous growth Of business
with Cuba. from a trife more than 100000
to over 100000. In the last sixteen years. Is
largely to be accounted for by the lumber
trade with the island, sugar machinery and
provisions cut no small figures, the latter,
especially. assuming Importance from the
fact that the Western packers now send
most of their West Indian tonnage through
this port.
Messrs. Paul B. Ray and Ed Gaines au-
thorities, think that in the last five years
the lumber trade with Cuba has made no
striking gain; that the increase Is mainly
in packing house products and feed, and
that there is, also, an immense amount OF
sugar machinery sent from Mobile to the
island. They say Cuba takes pitch pine for
framing material, railway construction ana
building material: that steamship line 10
the north side ports weekly ana 70 the
south side ports monthly. and another line
10 both north and south side ports semi
monthly furnish good transportation al
though the larger part OF the lumber snip
ments is carried by sailing craft ana
"tramps."
They explain that the lumber shipped out
OF Mobile is drawn from Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Louisiana, and that the
fact that the timber is receding from rail-
road rights of way does not materially az
feet the supply. there being millsSa-plenty
here, and they follow 1t up and that there's
a sufflciency for present demands: also,
that the better freight connection, by water,
gives this market an advantage over other
Gulf ports, as much stuff is foated In on
the rivers.
They think that, while there are no
hindrances Of consequence to the business
here It would help the trade II there were
a more uniform system Of grading and an
established custom as to terms.
They say the trade does not suffer here
by reclamatons from Cuba, they being
reasonable and fair
The first named gentleman is the presi-
dent and the second the secretary and
treasurer OF the Gulf Manufacturing and
Export Company, the largest Of the lum-
Der concerns, here, engaged In the Cuban
trade The names OF these gentlemen, with
that OF Ramon Cardona, OF Cuba, COM
prise the entire roster of the stockholders
OF this company, which was organized
February l, 1910.
Its trade is with the Windward Islands
TABLE V.
Exports by Countries.
1907-l9f1.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

ritory will again be available for snip
ments by rail. The poplar In the Tompig-
bee territory is still untouched, and Mobile
will soon begin TO get good supply from
there.) The wood is used I'm Germany FOR
vepeers and for automobile bodies.
Her chief competitor for this wood Is the
American automobile manufacturer VINO
will pay fabulous prices for very wide
boards. The demands OF the latter may VI
time. influence the export trade Of this por'
in poplar but he has not yet come ln'o
Southern Alabama for It on account OF mgh
freights The hickory and ash iogs 80
in greater quantities to England than 70
Germany, and are used for tool handies
and wagon materials mainly. Cottonwood
is used in Germany for the cheapest class
OF furniture.
Sawn timber exports have decreased De-
cause certain mills which operated mere
have cut out their holdings In this section
and have removed to other places. Dealers
think the lumber business with Germany
will increase, for the reason that the KIN
dried stuff cannot he had anywhere else IN
ranutrad qualifications
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
EUROPEAN LUMBER TRADE.

The fact that the Netherlands hold first
Mace I'm lumber is without marked signif-
canoe. however, since Holland Is not a
consuming country, the lumber going
through Rotterdam to points on the Rhine.
in Germany.
w. A. Powell. an authority, says that
timber exports have lost because OF poor
trade conditions in England and Germany.
He explains that England does not Import
much lumber but takes timber. pitch pine
for dock construction and shipbuilding and
for interior school and church work; that
in Germany timber is used for the same
purposes as In England Germany takes a
clear grade lumber. kiln dried sap mainly,
for flooring and interior finish France and
Belgium do not use much timber. The
highest grade OF lumber goes TO these for
flooring and interior trim. Both England
and France use large quantities OF small
timber In their mines.
Mr. Powell points out that freight fscili-
ties for timber and lumber are superior here
10 those OF any other port on the Gulf.
because OF fresh water for keeping the
stuff-in Mobile waters It is not endangered
by the teredo worm.
In 1910 the poplar receipts, exclusively.
of Germany totalled 1900 logs. the greater
mart OF which came from this port. "a
good deal OF stun is brought here by
river IL is said. since the growth has
receded from railroad rights OF way. par
tIcularly between Selma and Mobile. and
Selma and Montgomery, but. with good
country roads. that left In the above ter
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
TURNER HARTWELL DOCKS.

The Commissioner of Corporations CDe-
nartment of Commerce and Labor has set
forth that "the terminal is the weakest
link in the water system, widely nullifylng
the cheapness of water carriage. Ana
that there were other intelligent mihds
arriving at this conclusion was evidenced
bv The fact that two OF Mobiles young
and enterprising men Of affairs foreSeeins
what the Panama Canal would mean to
port possessing all the other requisites for
tbe esta blishment of its position as the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
LATIN MERICAN TRADE.

Canned goods, grain and hay and pro-
visions go to Panama, Guatemala, Hon
duras and British Honduras; -four to these
states and Mexico, and lumber mainly to
the last named-and heavily-while more
provisions are moving to Central America,
the trade in grain and hay has lost. Brit
ish Honduras and Mexico show the great
est gain in the purchase of flour through
this port.
In regard TO imports of coffee. which
show such a decline, 1t is explained that
this stable comes to Mobile principally from
Guatemala, and that, as with the imports
from Brazil, they have fallen off because
of the tremendous advances in the price OF
the bean, this port being outbidden by the
European markets, more particularly by
Hamburg.
Regarding Honduras, it is said here that
the only drawback to business with that
country Is unsettled political conditions
there for communication with II Is salts
factory. there being a weekly freight SER
vice.
II will be observed that in the five year
period some countries have dropped out
and others have taken their places, but
even in this Mobile has been the gainer
for the countries lost were of far less con-
sequence as to custom than are those
gained
The positions of the countries taking her
principal staples OF world trade under
went slight change:
In provisions in 1907 Cuba held the first
place, Mexico the second and British Hon
duras the third. They maintained these
relative positions in 1911.
In breadstuffs in both years Cuba was
first. Mexico second and British Honduras
third. ct may be interpolated that the
banking world is authority for the state
ment that Mobile is the only American
port that, last year. showed an increase
in the exports of foodstuffs.o
In lumber, in both years the Netherlands
were first, Germany was second and Eng
land third.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

come one OF the greatest factors In the
lumber trade.
The tables q to w. inclusive). showing
the tremendous gain In her exports ana
imports I'm the later period. Will also EN-
phasize the effest that this channel has had
upon Mobiles business
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

IN Mobile River and harbor and on the
outer bar coupled with primitive methods
OF handling cargoes. placed a heavy bur-
dan upon ships entering here. this port
was no exception 10 the general rule And
the world had to have American cotton.
After the Civil War there came q time
when the South was. IN every direction.
Interested by railroads having their water
termini at old porte. many Of them much
improved. and at new ports. not few Of
them created by the railroads themselves.
and when congresses were installed
throughout the interior. as. also. were or
sanized country banks. upon which the
planter could rely for advances against his
crop; when cotton buyers. until then con-
fining their activities to the ports. sought
those interior towns, and--now able 10 OBJ
tain through bills of lading" therefrom
sent their purchases by lines Offering
the lowest combined railroad and ocean
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

Tampa. Key West and all the West Coast
ports of Florida OF the Mallory Line.
Il were we'll as a finish to this story of
Mobile & Ohio to begin the descrip-
ton Of Mobiles terminal Improvements
with those of this. its great feeder" 3