The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-04-16

ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD
BUT HAS 1000 PEOPLE

Company operate the Florida and Ala
hama railroad from point in Ala
bama several miles above the Ala
bama state line into Bagdad via Mum
SON and Milton. This road is one of
the best pieces of railroad property
in the south. The bridges are well
built, steel spans being used wher-
ever necessary. Ali wood work on
the bridges is covered with galvan-
lied sheet iron and the space between
the rails is filled with white gravel,
making the bridges practically fire
proof. The rails are of 70-pound
Ensley steel, while the crossing signs
and stock gaps are an exact counter
part of those which have been used
along the main line Of the Central of
Georgia railroad for many years. The
rolling stock of the company is con-
sidered to be about the best to be
found on any similar road in the
south. The engines are very heavy
and strong. The cars are built so that
logs of extra lengths can be carried
with ease. A number of heavy en-
gines are employed north OF Munson
to bring the logs this far from the
woods, where they are cut and slzidded
to the tracks. At Munson the still
larger engines take the log trains and
carry them southwest twenty-five
miles to Bagdad.
The steam leaders, of which there
are several, pick up the big logs after
they have been pulled alongside the
various railroad spurs by the sddder
and lay them on the cars as easily
as school boy would pick up a base
ball bat. One of these large leaders
is able to pick up log as long as car
be cut from the tallest pine trees in
the virgin forest. These large trees
are being cut down at an astonishing
ly rapid rate. The tree is simply cut
off of the stump about six inches
above the ground and cut again al
the top. In some instances these logs
are 125 feet in length, but the loade
lifts them into position on the los
trains with as much ease apparently
as if they were toothpicks.
RICH LOAMY LAND.
| Thousands Of acres of virgin pins
forests have been cut clean of timbel
during the recent years and still thu
work goes on with as much earnest
ness as if it had just been commenced
BY the time the trees are cut and tht
; logs dragged to the side of the rail
road by the slidders nothing is lef
on the ground save the straw and de
, bris incident to the crossing and pill
ing of so many tops. Often fores
fires get into this dry debris and lit
orally make the ground ready for tn
pillow. The land for many mile
J around Munson is rich and loamy. !
has rich clay subsoil underneath a
a depth Of from 8 to IL inches. It j
level enough to satisfy the most ex
] acting farmer and rich enough to pro
; duce all that is necessary to max
! this section one of the most progress
sive agricultural districts of tn
south in the near future.
{ Shortly after arriving in Munson
: set about meeting the various head
j of departments and arranging plan
for jaunt through much of the CON
; pany's vast holdings here.
: THE JOURNAL PRAISED.
i M. McDufie literally turned owe
n the keys" of the whole country 8
s well as the city Of Munson TO me. n
d had many pleasant things to say fl
' The Journal and the enterprise bein
e manifested in the upbuilding of Wes
Y Florida by this paper. In the gener,
d Office ! made the acquaintance of M
c. H. Maui, chief clerk, Mr.. C.
n Neal and several others, all of who
: spoke encouragingly of the work b
s ing done by The Journal
a At the big round house ] met M
n ]. M. Tanner, master mechanic, wi
a was busy experimenting the work
i turning down" a number of larS
bolts to be used on one of the steal
leaders. Mr.. Tanner is a native
g Missouri, and is as ready to "shov
It one through as to be Shown"
n soon informed me that arrangement
5. had been made for me to take tr
x out on the road the following NOR
n ing, accompanied by special camel
le man equipped with all the necessiti
n for picture taking. Early the ne
Y morning the train which was to tai
is US out to the end of the road w
lie ready and Mr.. George Fl. Simon, wi
IS camera in hand, called for me at t
N hotel. Together we climbed into t
cab of Engine 500 and found Engine
er M. A. Gordon at the throttle. t