This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

36	MEXICAN	GULF	COAST	ILLUSTRATED.
“Mobile has natural advantages sufficient to have made her lon<r since the Queen of Gulf commerce.
“Mobile has the wealth of resources to have made her the manufacturing center of America.
“Mobile has the climatic and health conditions to make her the grandest of health and winter resorts.”
It may be added that Mobile may become to this country what “the Clyde” is to Great Britain, one of the greatest slyp-building centers in the world—both wooden and iron vessels of every kind.
These additional facts are gleamed from the aforementioned pamphlet :
RAILROADS.
Three large systems center within the limits of this city. The Mobile & Ohio, the Louisville & Nashville and the East Tennessee. Virginia & Georgia; all having-ample terminal facilities on the riyer front, and furnishing the best possible accommodations for both passenger and freight traffic. In addition to the three trunk lines named six new lines of railroad are projected and cannot but add largely to the city's business and general improvement.
STEAMSHIP LINES.
Four steamship lines connect Mobile with Central America. Cuba. Jamaica. New York and Liverpool. In addition to these, the incidental traffic of steamers and sailing vessels from all over the world makes our port fairly active in marine commerce.
The city is lighted by electricity, and Mobile will soon have electricity on all of the 25 miles of street railroad. In fact Mobile has all modern improvements to be found anywhere. There are in the city 300 factories supplying only a small portion of the enormous demand of its own people and the rapidly increasing foreign trade to the countries south.
HEALTHFULNESS.
The healthfulness of Mobile is remarkable, and is due to her rolling surface, freedom £rom marshy and flat surroundings, pure food, air and water, and equable climate, with the effects upon all these of the vast pinev woods and Gulf breezes and sea air.
Adjacent to the city is a natural water power of great capacity and in close proximity to deep water and railways.
LIGHT AND WATEIt SUPPLY.
Mobile is well lighted both by electricity and gas. Two systems of water works supply the city with water, both obtaining their supply from beautiful, clear streams, fed by springs in great pine forests lying northwest of the city from seven to ten miles. This water is so pure as to be used undistilled by chemists for laboratory work." Such water supply combined with a first-class paid fire department, renders flraf comparatively easy of control.
SEWERAGE AND PAVING.
The old fashioned surface sewerage system prevails here. This, however, will soon be changed, as steps are now being taken towards the institution of a complete underground system.
STREET RAILWAYS.
. Mobile has thirty-eight miles of city and suburban street railway, all owned and operated by one company. The entire service has recently been changed, improved