The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-09-04
swamp and Overnowed Lands

A@o"dS anu IultHlgTatioH tIdl we HiSHt
be enabled TO give some positive informa-
ton on this much discussed and not gen
orally understood subject
All the lands referred to are embraced
in either general or special Reserves. but
most of them are for sale to actual set
tiers. SPECIAL reserves are lands lying
within the six mile limit Of some railroad
or canal line, and are granted to corpora
tons for which the reserves are made
either under general law of incorporation
of railroads and canals, or by acts of the
Legislature chartering certain companies.
The Withdrawals from sale Of this class
that is, of lands lying within the six mile
limit of any line of railroad or canal, were
made at different times for different com
panes. When application is made t" en-
ter tract Of land within the six mile
limit of company organized under the
general law any actual settler can enter
eighty acres Of it in compact body at
State prices, providing he was settler
on the land at the date Of the withdrawal
But if the land within the six mile limit
of any road is withdrawn for any com
pany chartered directly by the Legisla-
ture, it is not in the power of the Board to
dictate any terms not authorized by the
act chartering it. With such companies
the Trustees have always used their in
fuence and endeavored to obtain for set
tiers the best terms possible The princi
pal companies of this class chartered di-
rectly by the Legislature, and by their
grants covering reserves OF such lands, are
the Florida Southern Railway Company,
the jacksonville, Tampa and Key West
Railroad Company. the international Rail
road and Steamship Company and the
Florida Tropical Railroad Company
the latter being the southern extension
from Ocala towards Tampa or Charlotte
Harbor OF portion of Mr.. lulee's old
system OF roads.
There Is no provision in any of the acts
chartering those companies for the sale
TO settlers of any of the lands granted
within the six mile limit of their rc~pec
tive roads-ercept. perhaps by ronStrtucttom
such right is given in the act charteling the
International Railroad and Steamship
Company. Therefore, as soon as those
companies filed their surveys and ap-
piled to the Board and had their lands
within the six mile limits withdrawn,
they passed beyond the power OF the
Board for sale or any other disposition
without the consent of the companies
On the 9th OF December, 1881, the Tru>-
tees effected an agreement with the Flor
, ida Southern Railway Co., under which
they were authorized TO sell any OF the
lands which had been withdrawn for it
within the six mile limit at one dollar per
acre, provided the settler resided thereon
on the 27th OF December, 1881. By a
subsequent agreement with this company
the Trustees were authorized to sell any
nl us lands to settlers who resided thereon
quantity and At same price a. before, But
recently it ha~ notified the Trustees that
they could not sell to any settler moic
than forty acres, and this at one dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre, instead Of
eighty acres at one dollar per acre a
formerly. And this has again been mod
hcd by resolution of the Directors BY
which the right to sell eighty acres ut
one dollar per acre has been restored a, to
persons who lived on the land nth
December, 1881. Last fall the Trustees
secured the consent of the Jacksonville,
Tampa and Key West Railroad Company
to sell to each settler eighty acres Of the
lands reserved tor 1t within the six mile
limit at State priccs-provided he resided
on the land on the LIST of September SCI
But the Board has never succeeded in
obtaining the consent of the Florida
Tropical Railroad Company to sell any
of the lands reserved for it within the six
mile limit, although effort to that end was
Ilduc 1 mere HAS Decn no WltfluraWal "a
yet Of the lands granted within the six
mile limit Of the International Railroad
and Steamship Company, but when it's
surveys shall be filed and an Application
made for the withdrawal from sale of its
lands within the six mile limit the Trls-
tees will make the usual effort to obtain
its consent to sell to actual settlers on the
best terms possible.
There were three Withdrawals made for
the South Florida Railroad Company. The
first OF these was made June Ii. 1881
from Sanford to Orlando The second on,
the 18th Of August, 1891, from Orlando
to Barlow. And the third on the LIST of
September, 1881, from Barlow to Tampa.
BY general order Of the Board of March
8, 1882, any actual settler on anv of the
lands withdrawn for this company, who
resided thereon at the date of the with
drawal, may enter not exceeding eighty
acres in compact body at State price.
This company was organized under the
general law for the Incorporation of rail
roads and canals. large number of
Al.