Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-13

MELRosE. FLA, June 6.-Editor Morning
NetCs: At meeting of the Green Cove Spring
and Melrose Railroad Company, held at Mel
rose on the ID inst, the books of the company
were opened for subscription and one hundred
and thirty shares of stock, at one hundred dol
lars each, were promptly taken.
The people here are fully aroused to the ne
cessIty for the construction of the road, and
seem determined to build it. If Jacksonville,
where the main advantages of the road con-
centrate, and Green Cove Spring, its eastern
terminus, will evince the same substantial in
terest in proportion to their superior wealth
and advantages in this splendid enterprise, this
most desirable section of East Florida will soon
be emancipated from the blighting curse Of a
stagnant transportation.
By formal consent the members of the COM
pany, with the assembled citizens, accepting
an invitation from the gentlemanly and ac-
commodating officers of the Waldo and Melrose
Canal CompanyS fine steamer, the F. R. Lewis
to an excursion across the lake, concluded to
heighten the interest and enjoyment OF the oc-
casion by oeening the books and discussing
the enterprise aboard the boat
In her spacious saloon the meeting was
called to order by Maj. A. F. Vogelbach, and
Gen Z. Earle, one of the directors, being che ser
Chairman, presided with his characteristic
dignity, and gave us an eloquent and most en-
couraging address. The General c1me to
Florida for the benefit of Mrs EarIe's health.
who was suffering from pulmonary aff1iction,
twenty nine years ago, and located where he
now lives, on lovely eminence overlooking
Lake Santa Fe. The restoration of his wife's
health, his success as a planter before the war
and as an orange grower and prosperous citi-
zen since. amply attest the wisdom of his
course Yet at the time of his settlement here
his post office was Palatka. and his nearest
trading post Black Creek, thirty miles distant
In aluding to thee and other facts showing
the marked changes in the years that have
elapsed, he was proud to congratulate the
country upon its great progress; felt that the
future prosperity OF the lake region was as
sured; that the construction of the road from
Melrose on the Santa Fe Lake, to Green Cove
Spring, on the st. Johns river, distance of
twenty eight miles, was alone lacking to open
up to dense and rapid settlement one of the
most valuable sections of the State.
R. w. Davis, Esq, of Green Cove Spring. one
of the most promising young lawyers in the
State and an honor to the country, in a clear
and fOrcible speech, so logically portrayed the
feasibility and economical construction of the
road as to convince the most skeptical old
fogy in the country that unless Mother Shin
toms prophesy is fulflled) in short while We
shall be enabled to place our cotton, oranges
and early vegetables aboard the great steamers
for the North at Jacksonville in less time than
it now takes to get them aboard the cars on
the Transit Railroad at Waldo, ten miles dis
tant.
Inc WdlQO anu M6lTOS6 CaQal COMPANY IS
line, under the superintendence of that most
efficient engineer and accommodating gentle
man, Captain Ned E. Farrell, has done much
for our relief in easy transportation, but ex-
peditiOn cannot be secured that way. East
ward no our star of progress wends her way
and a connection with the ST. Johns at Green
Cove is indispensable to establish it, Now
from eight to twelve days often eapse before
our perishable vegetables are received in New
York and Philadelphia. Then we shall com
plete the shipment in forty y-eight hours from
MelroSe.
Our vegetables this season have not paid for
the seeds that were planted, and a growing in
dustry has been ruthesslY smothered, and
cannot revive until we get direct and rapid
transportation.
DIR. H. a. Vogelbach, originally from Phila-
delphia, on the occasion of our meeting made
most happy and forcible speech, delineating in
his peculiarly felicitous style the gratifying up
ward tendency of the lake region. He is de-
lighted with his new home so are all who ever
have tried years sojourn at Melrose. The
first ten miles of the new route eastward from
MelroSe its western terminus) intersectS the
far-famed lake region section unsurpassed
for its beautiful scenery, elevation, he althful-
ness and adaptability to mi-tropical fruit
growing and grape culture by any other por-
tion of the State.
Our lakes are numerous. and beautiful be-
yond comparison, while the intervening hills
with their verdant slopes, are everywhere COW
cred with valuable pine timber. Further east,
toward Green Cove, the face of the country is
less undulating. Fewer lakes occur and oeca-
sional creeks will require short trestle work
constructions. The farming lands are good
and the timber very valuable. In the opinion
of .. A. Buddington, Esq, and other compe-
tent and experienced judges who have a per-
feet knowledge of that portion of the route
there is an abundance OF pine and cypress
timber contiguousto to the proposed route to
construct and equip the entire road. and as
soon as the road is fairly commenced of
course, this vast body of merchantable timber
will be cut and shipped to the different mar
kpt nf hR md fhor ~
whole enterprise self-sustaining The road
will divide Clay county almost equally. and
open up this hitherto neglected and unappre-
ciated county to the settlement of an enter
prising and industrious class of gardeners fruit
growers, farmers and mechanics from abroad,
who would speedily develop her dormant re-
sources.
Orange groves, vineyards and winter gardens
where the choicest vegetables may be grown
for shipment with assurance of being re-
ceived in unexceptional condition in the great
Northern and Western cities; rice and corn
fields cotton patches and acres of sugar cane
endless glades of unremunerative wiregrass
Saw mills will be established to cut for foreign
commerce the millions of feet of the beauti-
full and highly priced yellow pine lumber
Stores will be erected and filled with various
supplies for the accommodation of the people
New Industries will arise, and new avenues of
wealth and prosperity developed. White
cottages will take the places of the dusky
cabins of the primitive settlers, and Clay
county-from her eastern to her western
borders-will he filed with busy active in
telligent human enterprise; for the iron
horse, that great civiliZer, has magic power to
change desolation to prosperity, and to con-
vert an unproductive waste to a smiling
garden.
No1, we can conscientiously invite the i'm
migrant, If he is a worker to come along and
help Us take stock and work 1t out; if he is a
capitalist to put in his money and push the
work ahead to his own interest NJ