The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-10-07

a GANEsvILLE, Fla. Augaa .. 1854
Ii tie Eistor If uas T;ssss- Union: avfgs
To ,hose IL your readers who are NOT familiar
with the details of our struggles 90 secure
funds Tor the building Of the g. O. b c. 81. Rail-
road, now known ss the Florida Southern Rail-
way, I would say that from 1879 10 1879, We had
pcrsis,ently sought the necessary capital In the
several moneyed centres Of our cOunlEy cad IL
was impossible ~ secure the aid required unless
we could come ~ the investor with something
more than . ns,tering showing ia q peospsCsaS.
To succeed, grant u lands 70 The COMPANY
was required. A grant had bcen made to the
company in 1877. but was vetoed By Governor
Drew on the ground that 1t did mot conform 70
the requirements of the Internal Improvement
Acl' On the c0nvenng OF the session III 1879
the land grants, 10 their present firm, were
drafted and submitted t. the Attorney General
to frame as TO cover all the requirements Of
the law, by the approval Of the Governor. March
4 1879. Thus armed, we again went TO New
York, and, after months of hard work, Ne found
were weak ~ We were before we had Sc
cured The grant, for no one would touch Il %
long the lands embraced 10 the grast WSre
subject to the Indebtedness Of the Internal I'm
provem-nt Fund. Efforts were made by the
company to secure the Vose decree. 10y sa
Also, Attorney -(3encral Rainey, armed with
estimates furnished by Hon. Hugh A. Corley, Sc
cured an order from Judge Settles cOort aallUw
ing the company TO pay 20 Cents 40 acre for
these lands; but AS this order required the con-
sent OF all the creditors OF the Trust Fund all
our efforts proved aboriive. III .4st..
South Florida's greatest need was transpOFta-
ton. We had made great sacrifices 10 secure Ia
Thai favored section the means Of lrAnspaEtiOn.
We we're still willing TO do more, and did sacri
nee personal interests To certain capitalists Of
| Boston, who agreed 10, aud did furnish 4100O0
| starter, hoping that something would he
done ,O relieve The Fund, that the lands cou1d
| b.. used basis of credit fast eArned.s
While We were thus situated Governor BlOx-
ham. with masters stroke, removed the BARRIER
which had 80 long thwarteu our efforts, aud fFUm
the hour of the sale To Hamilton DisstOn of the
four million Of State lands dates the grand
| onward march OF Flor;da's progressive history.
| Capital came now without stint Our several
| lines ni railroads were pushed with vignr never
| before cquaed in the South emigration poured
| ill., aud close upon the heels Of the " iron yang "
broad areas were opened by the frugal husband
| men thousands. of acres OF oranges and other
| fruits were planted; enormous market gardens
| were made to yield rich returns, and towns and
cities sprang up as If by magic, all OF which are
| taxed
On the other hand, before the enthrallmenl
OF The Internal Improvement Fund, the
| swamp lands" were of la the State.
| The interest the debt for which they were
| held was constantly augmenting. The actual
| safes scarcely phiu tue expenses Oi tle lhnu
office. They could not be made available for
| internal Improvements" therefore the grams 10
| the railroads we're dead letter.
Now the seven hundred miles Of railroad in
operation, the result of the cancellation Of the
| VO>e debt, taxed.
The lands earned by the construction OF the
| land grant reads are taxed.
The 100000 acres OF land embraced in th,
| Disston sale are taxed. The numerous mills 0u
the new lines, and other 7ast improvements d.
! rectly or indirectly connected with tile DIsst''n
purchase are taxed. And now, " conclude, AUD
Ispeak from bed rock " iacs, had il not beer
for the timely exlricaion Of that terrible incu
bus the Vose decree, years would have rolled BY
before the iron horse would have awakened
the echo OF glad tidings in sweeping alouud the
hills and through the valleys OF South Florida
Her people would have grown grey waiting auC
watching for the dawn Of the new life that il
Low upon them.
Partlsans may rant and appeal to blind pas
sion, but grand page has been given TO history
aud our childrens children will read of William
ID. Bl"xham when his traducers are forgotten
Respectfully, N. II. GRUELLE-