The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-06-19
Letter From Florida,

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, May "a, 1873.
DEAR ADvocATn.-The "merry
month of May" as you see, is well-nigh
spent. The month opened with the
time-honored custom of May parties,
and "Queeu of the May" coronations;
and her little majesties the "Queens of
the May are quite numerous hereabouts
Just now.
Our city is looking forward to a time,
in the not distant future, of prosperity
and rapid growth. Any one taking a
cursory view Of the situation of Jack
sonville cannot avoid the conclusion that
at no distant day it is destined to take
rank among the chief seaports of our
Atlantic seaboard. It is situated twenty
five miles from the mouth of the St.
Johns river and the Atlantic ocean, and
is the central point in the State for
shipping to the North and the foreign
markets of the world. Nothing then,
but the apathy Of its population can re-
tard its growth, and so far as our people
are concerned, though not rich, yet they
are of the kind that build up waste
places and make deserts blossom; the
kind of people that made our great
Western wilds bloom as the rose and
gave to the world such vi1ages as
Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and
other viAages of like note in an almost
incredibly short time. But it may be
that you are ready to ask just here,
"what reason have you for supposing
that Jacksonville, Florida, will, at nj
distant day, be city of more than mag.
ni6cent distances?" You should be
ready always, to give a reason for your
expectations. Well, to our answer:
First, the location of the place and the
enterprise Of its people, as referred to-
Nature has pointed out the place just
as she has the locations of the old and
the new, the ancient and the modern
world, There is not now city of com.
mercial Importance in the world that
began its career of city existance under
more favorable auspices than the city oi
Jacksonville. Nature has fully and
effectually done her work in the loca
ton, while orr people are determined t(
take advantage of the work so com
pletely done by nature.
But it may be said "there Is no work
ing capital there, and without capita
there can be no results" the reverse O
this is the verdict of history. The o!c
adage, "where there is will there is
way" is demonstrated in tie existenc,
of every city on the globe, nature frs
laying the foundation of every grea
city, and the determined will or mar
finding the way for the full development
Of what nature has begun. Capita
never has, and cannot in the nature o
the case, build up and make great cities
If this were so, there would not be
city of any magnitude On the globe to
day. Capital is the effect of cause
the cause being nature in the beginning
the energy of man cooperating will
nature a result is reached, and that re
suit is capital. New York, Philadel
phia, Boston, Brookliu, St. Louis, anc
other great cities of this and othe
countries now have capital, not SO, how
ever, in the beginning. Now there i
no good reason for suppoSing that tn
people Of Jacksonville, now building Of
natures foundation, differ in any wa,
from those who began aud built on lik
foundations where New York now stands
We may reasonably expect similar re
suits. Again every city is great o
small in proportion to the foundation
laid by nature, no more, no less. Gu
second reason for the hope that is With
US as to the future Of Jacksonville,
the presence Of the St. Johns river, on
of the noblest On this continent. This
however, might be more properly terme
the firstly of our one and only reason
to wit: the natural lookout. This nob)
river drains region of country, which
for soil and products of soil, is excelle
by no other Of like area on the face G
the earth, and with its tributaries
navigable for nearly one thousand miles
This river rises in the cypress swamp
and is directly navigable three hundre
and five miles above Jacksonville {
three hundred and thirty miles aboy
its junction with the ocean. One hur
dred miles above this city the Ockl'
waha is navigable for steamers Gistanc
of more than one hundred and seventy
FIVE miles above its junction with tn
St. Johns, in southwesterly direction
The great orange, lemon, banana, fl;