The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-31

"dS LIB oSCouu CITY IN the united
States in the export of steel rails, and
am told that in one year $4,000 tons
of steel rail would have been shipped
through this port for the South Amer
lea. trade If suitable shipping accom-
modations could have been secured
STEAMSHIP LINES COMING.
Since this road was begun numer-
Gus inquiries have been received re-
garding terminal accommodations. and
believe that when our piers are ready
for business there will be plenty of
ships to fill them What we need is
regular service between New York and
Pensacola, and Pensacola and South
America. During the past few months
representatives of several steamship
lines have been here looking over the
field. and we have assurances that
these lines will soon be established.
There are so many things that
might be said about this road and the
relation 1T bears to Pensacola and Gen.
trail Alabama. 1t would be an endless
task to enumerate them in detail. The
development of the famous black belt
in Alabama, the necessity of encour-
aging immigration, the building of cot
ton mills to take advantage of the
iAUtAAC CAOp dA0 81 LdhG advantage VI
the immense inexpensive hydro cleo
trio power plant which will soon be
generating cheap. power through the
middle section of the state. Such
things as these bring to light more
and more that the south has begun
to attract the outside investor and to
get that much needed outside money.
The best way, 1t seems to me, to at
tract that attention and to secure that
money, to attract the farmer, merchant
and manufacturer is through your
Commercial club. They are already
bringing your resources before the
public eye. and it Is a work good
enough to encourage. 1t is naturally
the one organization to which all in
quiries regarding the advantages of
your city come. and every business
man in Pensacola should be a mem
Der and lend 1t his support.
And now in conclusion, I want to
thak you for your geerous support, not
not only financial. but moral. and to con-
graduate you that even in the face
of several disappointments caused by
former unsuccessful attempts at rail-
road building, you have people here
enterprising enough and self sacrific
ing enough who were willing to not
only go down into their pockets to
back new project, but loaned their
names and time in accomplishing
what to-day you are celebrating-an-
other railroad in Pensacola
President c. e. Dobson.
President Dobson spoke as follows:
I'VE are here to celebrate dream
come true; to rejoice in the coming to
Pensacola of another railroad. And to
you. gentlemen, who have comeNto join
with us in this celebration. We extend
q most cordial welcome. We hope that
our friendship may grow with asso-
citation; that we may mutually benefit
one another: that the interchange of
trade may produce an interchange of
friendship, so that our social life may
be enriched by the manliness and
grace and beauty which are far-famed
as Alabamas heritage.
To-day Is the beginning of a new
era in the history OF Pensacola, the
our enemies fling at us the taunt Dot
tied up" No more shall our friends
deplore our lack of competitive rail
transportation. With this road in OPP
Grafton across the state line, and rap
many trunk lines, we are assured that
next summer we may travel North or
West on our vacations, if so mind
ed. on a through Pullman sleeper over
the Deep Water Route. Within eight
months. the president informs me, his
road will have bridged the Alabama
river. made connection with the
Southern Railway, and ended forever
Pensacola's dependence on single |
system.
There is sentiment in this celebra-
tion. 1t is the elimination of the hope
and faith and work Of men who have
never faltered in their fight for a |
greater Pensacola. It swells the heart
and dims the eyes of many a patriot
ic citizen who has again and again given
time and effort and money in the en-
deavor to procure a new road, and seen
them all fail. II cheers and heartens
these valiant fighters who have not
succumbed to the we'll of the pessi-
mist. but have foe ght on to make their
city great and prosperous. More per-
haps than you gentlemen from outside
can realize, more than you builders of
the road can understand, does this
mean new birth, a new freedom, and
a new spirit for this old city, the great
port that God made on the gulf
Take a Look Backward.
But let us look back little, and
take stock Of our journey hitherto, that
we may see that the toll and the ira
vail Of the past have not been in vain;
that we may be emboldened TO grid up
our loins and enter boldly into the
fray, secure in our reinforcements. and
our knowledge OF the heights already
gained.
"Pensacola's principal assets are: its
fish business, its naval store business.
it's wholesale business, its import and
export trade, and, slowly but surely
growing. its manufacturing. Let us
look how these have grown. The fish
ing fleets have practically doubled in
size since 1900. until at present there
are about fifty large vessels and 500
men in the trade.
only a few years ago Pensacola had
almost no naval stores business. Last
year she was second only to Savannah
in exports Of rosin, and third in ex-
ports of turpentine, the total value
reaching about five and a half million