Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-01
FLORIDA'S GROWTH.
Her Progress Due to Southern Perse-
Terance and Pluck-Other Notes.


Correspondence Of the Morning. Meas.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Oct. 29.-It has got to
be somewhat fashionable to point to Florida
as an evidence Of what can be effected by
Northern thrift and energy, and to attribute
her very remarkable progress to yankee
skill and y ankee" industry. That the in
| PRODUCTION of this element into our midst has
been attended with many happy results, can
! not be denied, and the writer. in extending
them hearty welcome, expresses the earnest
hope that they Will continue to come in in
creasing numbers. They are far-seeing, in
telligent, active people, and usually make
| things lively wherever they settle. Their
| keen, shrewd eyes detect profit where others
can only discern loss, and they are always on
/ the lookout fOrpaying investments and golden
| opportunities. These characteristics are lust
| what are needed IN a new country, and here
| they have had ample room for display and de-
| velOpment.
! But while giving our Northern brethren the
| utmost credit for their many noble and valu-
| able qualities OF heart and head. facts and fig
/ ures 20 to show cOnclusiyely that to Southern
! energy, and TO southern perseverance and
/ muscle must the growth of Florida during the
I last Is years be manly ascribed. Southern
/ brains and Southern thews and sinews have
/ supplemented Northern capital, and the COM
! blnatiOn of these ingredients has furnished
/ the motive power that is now prOpelling the
state on the road to prosperity.
/ y very erroneous opinion also prevails that
| the bulk OF the immigration now tending to
| Florida Is derived from the former nOn-slave-
/ holding states. An analysis of the census of
! 1850 establishes the very reverse of this opin-
/ ion, and that to such an extent as to cOIsti-
| tute great surprise to those who have not
| examined the statistics. That document de-
| termines unmistakably that the vast majority
OF the citizens OF Florida are of Southern birth,
| the proportion Of those of Northern nativity
i being exceedingly small.
THE LATE CENSUS
makes our entire population 269, ,493, including
/ S'sO9 of foreign nativties. This leaves a
/ native population of 259, ,5S4. of this number
| lI3,4Sl were born in Florida. Deducting these.
S6,l03 Of the citizens of this State were born in
! the remaining portions of the Union. Now
| the census shows that the States of Georgia.
/ south Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina and
/ Virginia have contributed Y, 100 of their sons
| and daughters to our pOpula tiOn-GeOrgia
| furnishing 32,6OI, or nearly One-eighth of the
i entire population, South Carolina lS,522 Ala
| bama l2,O23, North Carolina 6.307 and Vir-
/ ginla 1881. Deducting these, there will re-
| main only l3,3l3, which number will compre-
| hend those born in the Southern States, not
| above enumerated, and in all the Eastern,
| Northern and Western States. Over one
! fourth OF our people were born in the States
| lying Immediately north of Florida.
To come down more into detail suppose we
| take up Duyal county, which cOnfessedly
| contains larger proportion of NOrtherners
| than any county in the State, and what does
! the census reveal: Total population. l9,43I:
| born in the State ll,407; in the five Southern
| states above mentioned, 1865; in foreign
countries, 1852. Aggregating these sums and
| deduCting them from the total and YOU will
| have remaining 2,297 to cover those from the
| remaining Southern and the entire Northern
| and Western states.
| Orange. perhaps the most progressive agri-
| cultural county in the State, of a population
| of 6,3l5, has only $50 born in the Southern
/ states, not above specified, and in the re-
/ malnder of the Union. Putnam, only 766; Vo-
lusia, I03; Marion, 524; AlachUa, S73; Sumter.
| have aIIu,ad s,,aciaIlv- ., tt,., ,,I,o,-, ,
| ties, as they be directly in the current of
| immigration, ana are rapidly growing in
| wealth and Importance.
As yet, comparatively no Northern pOpu-
/ latiOn has found its way into Middle and
| West Florida, and those entire communities
/ are almost exclusively Of Southern origin.
THE MEMORABLE FACTS AND FIGURES
/ of the census prove therefore with mathe-
| matIcal certainty that Florida is not only at
/ present Southern State in sentiment and by
| tradition, but that she will continue to re-
! main in that catalogue. She Will be true to
! her ancestry. anu must remain pillar of the
| ''sOlid south in the Democratic co umn. The
| clear cut figures given above from official
| sources demonstrate that what has been done
| here and what Is being done is under the di-
| rectlOn and guidance of Florida energy aud
| Florida intelligence. / wish to place the
/ laurel wreath upon the proper brOws. Florida
| Is no longer q feeble, timid infant, but a
| strong, stalwart man, a true son of the soil,
! fully competent to take charge of his own
] affairs and to drive them to a successful ter
I minatiOn.
! 4 party of distinguished Africans arrived
I in this city last week, en- route to their home
! steads up the river. They consisted of
| group of Ostrichcs direct from the sands of
| the desert. and will be located on an island
up the river. 1t is said that those concerned
| in this enterprise are satisfied of the adapt
| ability of our soil and climate to the profit
| able propagation of these gigantic birds. and
| express the assurance that the venture will
be successful. The strangers made quite a
| sensation and held large reception. Florida
"A fna
/ ber, beauty and variety of her birds of rare
1 plumag and many an elegant and dainty lady
| in Paris, London. New GOrk and elsewhere,
| wears proudly upon her bonnet feathers that
| once fluttered among the keys and everglades
| of Florida You need not be surprised to see
/ in a few years among the quotations prices
| of ostrich plumes raised in Florida. Thus we
| are steadily advancing.
/ THE JACKSONVILLE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST
RAILROAD COMPANY
4 are now operating a track-laying machine
! that works satisfactorily, and is putting down
/ iron at the rate of half a mile daily. So soon
/ as their full arrangements are perfected they
/ will progress still more rapidly. They are
| pushing the work vigorously. and it is expect
/ ed before many months elapse that we shall
/ be welded with Palatka. Several cargOes of
/ steel rails intended for this road are now
1 afloat.
THAT MISERABLE, SNEAKING FEVER,
/ the dengue, is still playing havoc among our
| citizens, and one after another is succumbing
! TO its prOstrating influence. The writer was
I its victim last fall, and retains painful re-
/ collection of its powers. Otherwise the health
/ of the city is good, and only four deaths were
/ reported last week. There are appearing on
I our streets numerous sufferers from pulmon-
\ ary diseases. who have come on thus early to
/ avoid the wlntry blasts of their Northern cli-
mates. Many are benefited, and many are
| sent back for burial.
| The jacksonville, st. Augustine and Halifax
| River Railroad has undergone a change in the
\ management and new and competent officials
| have been appointed. This change was the
/ occasion OF an excursion TO the Ancient City
/ this morning, and a large number of citizens
| accepted the invitations rendered.
/ Ii is sufficiently warm still for fans and
/ summer clothing. W. II. B.
! BR1GANDS IN PARIS.