The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-05-03
BALDWIN CO.
WANTS CANAL
TO PENSACOLA
MRS. MAUpE WOOD HENRY RE-
TURNS FROM THAT SECTION,
WHERE SHE WENT IN THE IN
TEREsT OF INLAND WATER
WAY ASSOCIATION.

Baldwin county, Alabama, wants the
canal between Pensacola and Mobile
very much indeed, according to Mrs
Henry, who has just. returned to Pen
sacola after months campaign In
the State of Baldwin" on behalf OF
the Mississippi to Atlantic Inland
Waterway Association
While Mr. Dobson was In Washing
ten Iaboring with the army engineers
and committees of congress. Mrs.
Henry was busy collecting the evil
dence for the waterway from the en-
tire southern half Of the county and
made a strong showing of present
commerce and future possibilities for
develorment in her report. which was
used in the recent argument at the
national capital. She also sent up
scrae twenty petitions from Baldwin
cD1nfy, containing hundreds of sigma
tues OF farmers. business men and
land companies who realize the i'm
rnense advantages which would accrue
to that section by means OF water
transportation.
The people throughout the lower
Part of Baldwin county are greatly
handicapped at present because Of In
adequate shipping facilities said Mrs.
Henry to The Journal. ~The Bay Min
cite and Fort Morgan branch OF the l..
section, while an enormous territory
beyond this line. equally susceptible
OF developm ent, is without service. OF
course some of 1t Is under cultiva-
ton and the farmers are carrying
their products to railroad points by
wagon. driving in six to fifteen miles.
Rut the proposed canal through Per-
dido, Bon Secour and Mobile bays
would be much nearer a great many
farms than the railroad, and would
ges a considerable portion of the pres
ent business. Also its construction
would stimulate the further develop
ment Of lands now idle because of their
inaccessibiIity.
Everywhere 1 went In Baldwin
county I found the people interested,
even az railroad points. The l.. & N.
vision and it is believed that the wa
teTway would have a tendency to keep
them down to a fairer basis. The
farmers have had an uphill fight in
Baldwin county and they need all the
assistance they can get in order to
succeed. They are generally poor and
every penny saved in the transporta-
ton OF their crops means a great deal.
The big land companies operating in
Baldwin, who are responsible for the
agricultural movement, brought a
had practically no money to start with
and while they are now making good
they can not afford to pay out a penny
more than Is necessary. Given any
sort Of a chance. the future OF these
farmers is assured. because there Is
no better farming land. believe, in
the gulf states than this county af-
fords
Hundreds of cars OF staple and
green crops will be shipped out of the
lower part of the county this season
not to mention the tobacco shipments
which are steadily growing. Summer
dale and Robertsdale have developed
wonderful tobacco farms in the last
three years; the 1912 crop will aggre-
gate some 100000 pounds.
i gathered statistics from every rail
and water point in the southern end
% the county and sent them to Sena-
tor Fletcher for Mr.. Dobson's use with
the engineers. These figures cover
cd the oyster business, sand, gravel,
cement, lumber, naval stores, tobacco
and farm products-everything in fact