The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-01-03

he 9sle nd irk1 s. i ik@ xrAnsit
R9fIFoaA, embf1binN lSs he Ron Wnlde
y OcaII, knoun = 81 Pepin1nlar ns..
road, and j j tdS.l noa being consss.
from Opala sonth % TAmpa, knsNa =
she Flelsda Tropical. = pesbApe sc most
hmpoftsht event that has occurred in the
railroad history of this State. While we
had heard rumors Of the probable early
settlement Of the vexed questions which
have kept the ]. r. q n. and Florida
Central Railroads in the courts for 90
many years, we receive the information
that Sir Edward Reed has not only pur-
chased the Florida Tranait and It's
brauehes but has entered upon the active
management of these great interests as .
confirmation Of the reporta Mr.. Yulee,
the father of the Internal improvement
System inaugurated by the act of 1855, Is
entitled to nnstinted praise for the Wis
dom displayed in the selection of those
who are TO succeed him in the FINAL 40
cOmplishment of the leading purposes of
that act and he himself, IS will everybody
else, will be gratifed to see that he has
been permitted to live 10 witness the con-
summation of the end he 30 long and
earnestly labored for, viz: the assured
completion of the main line provided for
in The old Florida Railroad charter to
Tampa and the near approach to unifca-
ton Of the railroad system devised by
the act referred to. We have no doubt
of the reasons which impelled Mr. Yulee
to dispose of his interest in the Transit
road just at the time when it had become
perhaps the most important line in the
State and was about to give return for
the labor bestowed upon it. In Sir Ed
ward Reed, he has found one who not
only possesses the means but who is in
the vigor of manhood and inspired with
the energy born of success in other enter
prises. He will assuredly complete what
his predecessor inaugurated and prosecu-
ted, under difficulties known only to a
few. 1t must have been no small sacrifice
of feeling for this venerable man, who
has nearly reached the ripe age of seventy
two years, to give up all personal con-
nection with the further prosecution of
an enterprise which it may be said has
been the dream of his life. The first
charter of the Florida (now the Transit)
Railroad was passed in 1853. In 1855 it
was amended and became part of the In
ternal Improvement System inaugurated
that year. The amended charter provided
for road from Amelia island on the At
lantic to the waters of Tampa bay in
Cedar Key in East Florida But years
before the passage of the charter Mr..
Yulee had been at work making friends
and organizing capital, his efforts, how
ever, owing to defects in the original
charter and the time required, from the
Sessions of the Legislature being bi-en-
NAL, to procure their removal, were not
productive of immediate results. It has
been the habit in some sections to de-
nounce Mr.. Yulee for his failure to con-
struct the main line to Tampa instead of
first building the extension to Cedar
Key" In all probability the time was
not ripe for carrying the main line beyond
the point where it stopped (WaIdo,) and
the war came on to put stop to all fur
Their i'm rovements of the kind in Florida.
Nevertheless, the purpose to complete the
road according to the original design was
never abandoned, and nothing has pre-
vented it but the exceeding difficulty of
procuring the means necessary to the end
In view Within year or so, however,
the ROAD has been pushed to Ocala, and
now that the whole interest has been
transfer red to party with ample capital,
the day is near at hand when the line
will be completed and in operation to the
point on the Gulf contemplated by its
protector. We congratulate him and all
concern ed on this happy consummation-
fortunate for him, as it releases him from
the mental strain under which he has nee
essarily labored for long years fortunate
for the people of South Florida, as it Sc
cures beyond reasonable doubt railroad
facilities for reaching the markets of the
country from which they have been in a
great measure excluded and fortunate
for the State, as it insures the completion
of one OF the great enterprises provided for
by the Internal Improvement System and
will be the means of promoting immigra-
ton into section second to no other por-
tiOn in she inducements it offers.
Demacratic Pasfmaatar. tn c.