Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-26
FLORIDA ENTERPRISES.
A NEW PAPER TO BE MADE
FROM THE SAW-PALNIETTO

/ P"lHi0tto. specimens nave already beer
prepared that have been subjected to the
scrutiny of experts, and pronounced to be
| specially adapted for the purposes of steel
| engravings, and for the use of photo.
graphic artists. The paper is exceed
Ingly tough, apd possesses a smooth. lus-
tr0us surface. Some time since l noticed
in state exchange that parties were
prospecting for suitable location where
on to erect large factory, and that the
! necessary capital was in readiness tC
commence the undertaking.
Perhaps none of the productions of Flor
ida have been more universally execrated
than the saw palmetto. 1t is always
| been the pet aversion of the farming
class, and regarded as absolutely worth.
less, Yet of late, as science and the arts
have progressed, it has, to the surprise OF
all, been discovered to be possessed of
several valuable properties The leaves
have been converted into hats. fibre and
paper, while the roots contain tannin and
potash IN paying quantities. OF late,
orange growers, in some localities. are
prepOring land, heretofore abandoned ia
the palmetto, for orange groves, cOnsid-
erlng 1t as cheap to dig up the roots at
tached to the earth by their tough, null
tltudinOus feeders, as to clear the land of
the standing timber,
For the manufacture of paper from this
plant the raw material exists in appar-
emily ineXhaustible quantities. Until
within the past few years the palmetto
was never put to any other use than for
strlnglng fish. Can it be possible that
this despised plant will ever be cultivated !
Yet stranger things have happened. There
numerous in
gIa that have been abandoned in former
years in consequence of being ''overrun"
by Bermuda grass, at the time con-
sldered ineradicable. Now the presence
of that very grass is regarded as
comforting an additional value for grazing
and haying purposes. So it may be
that the time is coming when all the
greenbacks and national bank notes of
this country will be printed on palmetto
paper
1T WILL BE BUT A FEW YEARS
before this State will be largely interested
in manufacturing. Beginnings have
been made already in several directions
There is one cotton factory in the State,
few small cotton seed oil mills, and other
establishments for commercial fertilizers
We need i'll addition factories for convert
ing our long cotton into thread and the
finer grades of dOmesticS: we require can
ming establishments to utilize our sur
plus fruits and vegetables, and the vast
supply of oysters, fish and turtle to be
found in our waters. There is a LARGE
field here for intelligent workers in all the
departments where skilled labor is re-
quired, and Wendell Phillips prophecy is
III fair way of an early realization. The
factories must and will seek the raw ma
terial, and the year 1900 will see the bal
aDce of wealth and power in favor of the
South and West.
Fibrous plants in infinite variety and
in great abundance are found in Florida
and this State is able to produce all the
fibre required for rope and bagging con-
sumed in the entire country. There are
found here Sisal hemp. ramie. iute. bear
grass, palmetto, banana, Florida coffee
and numerous other plants, all Welding a
fine fibre, adapted for fine or coarse work.
l see it stated that Il machine has been in
vented which viii turn out from three to
five tons of fibre daily from anv of the
above plants without the necessity of the
rottlng process, or the use of chemicals
Such machine as this would be largely
purchased and would add largely to the
resources of the State. Jute should take
the place of cotton in Florida. The pres
ent disastrous season should teach the
growers of King Cotton lesson. Jute is
not attacked by the caterpillar.
A correspondent of the Jacksonville
Herald thinks that be was once within
FIVE MILES OF FTHE FLORIDA VOLCANO"
He describes the country as showing
rocky and mineral formation, with numer-
Gus sinks, ebbing and flowing with the
tide in the Gulf. There are subterrauean
streams that rise, flow a short distance
and disappear, to rise again and pursue a
different direction. Large whirlpOOls are
visible i'll these streams. 1t is difficult to
get compass to work in that lCcalitv.
The jungle surrounding the smoke is de-
scrIbed as very dense, and almost i'm
penetrable, comparing with those of
India, or the Amazon river. The diff
culties to be encountered i'm solving the
mysteries are doubtless great, but they can
be overcome by pluck and perseverance.
That pillar of smoke may yet lead some
man into the promised land of fame and
fortune.
All of the public schools in the city and
county will be opened on next Monday.
the 1st of October. An act was passed by
the last Legislature, requiring uniformity
In textbooks, the Board of instruction of
each county to make the selection. SeYe-
raj new school houses have been built in
Duval during the vacation, and additions
have Deen made to the grammar school in
the city.
If Macon builds Il narrOw-gauge road
to Live Oak, then to connect with the
Florida Southern, which is now nearly
to Newnansville, in Alachua |
county, it will make Of that Georgia city |
a great thorOughfare for Florida freight |
and passengers. 1t is claimed that the |
time saved from points on the st. Johns |
river Will be from II to 20 hours, matter /
Of great Importance for perishable COM
modities. The fact is, that business is |
increasing so rapidly in Florida, in vol |
ume and Importance, that our sister
States are competing vigorously for the /
prize, and are offering every inducement |
possible. In very brief term of years |
the transportation of the orange crop will |
require every steamer and car on our |
waters and railroads to lbe multiplied |
dozen times, and then they will be found |
insufficient. Governor BloXham proved |
by figures that the product of single /
acre In oranges requires as many cars for |
their carriage as the yield of several hun
dred acres in cotton, Already several of |
the Western roads have arranged to run /
semi or tri-weekly trains tor the transpor- |
tatlon OF our iruit to the great cities in /
the Northwest, and the citizens of Cincin- |
natl, Chicago, st. Louis, Louisville. Mil |
waukee, etc, will be able to suck Florida |
oranges this winter almost before the dew !
upon them has eyapOrated.
LATE COMERs FROM LOUISVILLE
speak i'll a contented manner of the
Florida exhibition, The commissioners |
haEe ceased to Write complaints, for the /
empty space has been filled, and Florida |
sits enthroned on pyramids OF golden fruit. |
tanned by the huge frOnds of the banana. |
and perfumed by the Odor of fragrant flow |
ers. FLORIDA Day" has been announced !
and grand rally must be made for the +
glory and reputation of the State. Let all |
your readers bear this fact in mind and /
contribute something to make the DISPLAY i
rs effective and imposing as possible i /
combined and general effort will be of the /
greatest possible advantage to our State. |
and VIZ result III large accession TO our
population. There should be several
thousand oranges for distribution among |
hose persons who have never reyeled in
he juiciness and fine flavor of our fruit.
An excursion for the benefit of the suf- |
erers at Warrington has nettel alY5. The
adies of the WameHts National Relief
4 Assoela sI0n' are always active i'll relieving |
distress and suffering, and the
ofanch oiai1c IN TINS city has been siTGuIafly
'lgllant in the cause &C Charity. w
TIE tsssHeetness,s, that has SO Iono haap
wasted on title desert air'' is about to he !
,aPtured, bottled and sent abroad Jor the
lelecfation ot the world. A French per-
umel, who has been Experimenting I'M
ne river. is so well satisfied with fbe
prospects that he has gone into the bust
less on large scale, and has opened
tore IN this city for the sale of his de-
lghtiul preparations. There is no doubt
nat quite business Gan pc done iri this
ne ana maybe Ihat the essential oils
lnd e%traets obtained in Florida will yet
4sal Fhose OF the renowned Lubin.
some OF our bOnifaces are returning, |
J., ,