Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-12
JACKSONVILLE AND FLORIDA.
Facts About the State at Large and Cos
sip in Town and County.

I
sip in Town and County.
Correspondence of tie Nornjag Ne,os.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Sept. 10.-The
Times Democrat, Of New Orleans, in it's
issue of the first instant, contains the
! substance of an interview with Governor
! BloXham upon the general interests and
! progress OF this State that is replete with
valuable information. Coming through
! this source, the facts set forth may be re-
! garded as official and reliable. The re-
| plies of the Governor to the various Ques-
| tiOns prOpounded show an intimate and
! accurate knowledge of the condition of
! the State, and a thorough acquaintance
! with her varied resources and capabilities.
! He expresses the opinion that the sale
| OF the DlsstOn lands, by which the inter-
| nal Improvement fund was released from
| debt, gave great impetus to the de-
velOpment of the State, that commenced
! shortly after that transaction, and has
| continued without any abatement up to
| the present moment. One of the mme-
diate effects of the sale was to give an
! immense impetus to railroad building
more of these highways having been com
menced during the last two years than in
| the entire previous history of Florida
This has had the, effect of Introducing a
large amount of capital, naturally at
! tracing steady and increasing influx of
| population, augmenting the assessments
and diminishing the rate of taxation.
The now assured success of the drain
age of Lake Okeechobee, will, saws the
| Governor, be the harbinger Of an era of
population, wealth and prosperity un-
thought of in our past history"
During the two years and a half of his
| administration there have been finished
| the Fernandina and Jacksonville the
WaycrOss connection, and the Pensacola
and Atlantic. Fourteen other railroads.
several of which are of considerable
length and Importance, are in process of
construction and rapidly advancing to
completion, These traverse all the more
pOpulOus and progressive portions of the
State, and but short time will elapse be-
fore all the more desirable sections will be
accessible.
The products of the State are such as
require all the advantages of convenient
and certain transportation. An acre of
oranges, in full bearing, should produce
sufficient fruit to load three ears of 33. 600
pounds capacity. A car can convey 50
bales of cotton, the product of 15O acres
| Thus an acre of oranges will furnish
| three times as much freight as will $50
acres OF cotton. Or, says GOV. BIOXham
1.-The conclusion seems inevitable that
| 100000 acres in oranges in good bearing.
will require more cars to move them than
| 100000 bales of cotton, the product Of
$4,000, 600 acres"
Florida contains about 2l,000, 900 acres
of yellow pine timber, estimated to reach
1000, 600 600 feet. In 1881, Dos. .054 600 feet
were cut. This variety of the pine lies
north OF p degrees. The demand IS CON
stantly increasing, as is also the capital
invested in the business.
The agricultural interests of the State
are rapidly improving. The disposition
to purchase and cultivate small tracts of
land has the effect of inducing good farm
ing and Il superior class of agriculturists
Truck raising is becoming quite general.
and adds largely to the States resources.
The Governor knows little of the shin
canal except as gathered from General
stones report, but considers it a great
enterprise, and one that should receive
encouragement.
He thinks the Indian river canal
will certainly be built, and that il will
contribute materially to the growth Of
that region. The barge canal to connect
the Mississippi river with Florida, he
considers feasible. This, if constructed.
would enable grain from that great river
TO reach the Atlantic without breaking
bulk.
The manufactures of Florida, although
not large atpresent, have been sufficiently
profitable to invite investment, and they
are becoming more diversified.
The negroes are making progress. and
are anxious to secure the benefits of edu-
cation Tor their children.