The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-11-25
Written for the FLoRrDrANl
THE GREAT DRAWBACK TO
THE COUNTRY.

THE GREAT DRAWBACK TO
THE COUNTRY.
In going from Tallahassee to Newport
by the cold Plank Road" after passing
Bell Air" for distance of sixteen miles
there is only one house, little cabin, to
be seen where any one lives. Along the
road are old plantations that are all grown
| up In brush, briars and weeds. In trav.
cling this road person seldom sees . hu
man being, II yoa asaEA eisisen. OF Leon
| or Wakulla counties who owns these lands
he will tell you he does not know.
The lands on the ST. Marks river, one
of the most beautiful rivers of the South,
| from its source to it's mouth, are nearly
all in the hands of non-residents. Along
its banks and near them are many fine
mineral springs, whose waters contain as
| great curative powers as any in the
| Union.
From Tallahassee to St. Marks, dis
tance of twentY-one miles by railroad,
| the settlements are few and far between.
Some places where there were comforta-
bic houses few years ago, and fields in
cultivation around them, are now de-
serted. There is great amount of tim
ber on these lands that is valuable for
lumber and manufacturing purposes, and
| if utilized would be the means of bring
| ing much wealth into the country.
In greater portion of this section the
soil is underlaid with mari and lime, and
if improved by intelligent and industri-
Gus farmers would produce excellent
field crops, vegetables and fruits.
The nWnprs of those lop1c do Dofbip y,
to improve the country as they are prin-
cipally non-residents. The policy that
they have adopted keeps the country
back, drives away immigration, and
places great burdens on the actual resi-
dents. 1t deprives them of churches,
schools, good roads, and in fact nearly
| all the comforts and luxuries of life that
aid to make people happy and con-
tented
The owners Of these lands resemble in
their acts vain lady who owns da-
mond ring that costs hundreds Of dollars,
and loves to display it on her finger and
boast of its value. She keeps her ring
for display and not for use or benefit to
a living SOUL They boast of the number
of acres they own near Tallahassee, and
tell what "a big boom" is coming in
Florida lands some day, and how valua-
bic their lands will be, &c. They keep
their lands for show and not for use, or
for the benefit of the community, thus
keeping hundreds of people from making
homes upon them.
Several efforts have been made, in the
last few years, to purchase the lands con-
tanning mineral springs, along the St.
Marks river, by parties who would have
settled upon and improved them. In the
past eighteen months company had the
st. Marks river examined from the Nat
ural Bridge to the lighthouse, and the
waters of the different springs analysed,
with a view of purchasing some of the
springs and erecting large hotel, bathing
houses, and placing a steamer on the river.
When they offered to buy the lands and
springs, the owner refused to sell, and
was going to wait for the "big land
boom that was coming in the near
future. A few weeks ago a gentleman
tried to buy the lands and springs one
mile above ST. Marks, with a view of at
once erecting a large hotel, but so far has
failed.
The erecting of large hotel at any
one of the springs on the st. Marks river,
and putting a nice steamer OIL the river,
would be a great benefit to Tallahassee.
Winter visitors would come here and
spend a week or two, then go down to
the springs and stay short time, and
then return here again. There would be
a constant stream of travel between St.
Marks and Tallahassee during the winter
season. St. Marks would again spring
up and become quite an emporium. 1t
would infuse new life in the fish and
oyster trade, and be the means of giving
employment to many persons and bring
ing thousands of dollars into the country.
Thousands of dollars worth of taxable
property would be added to the Assess
or's books of Wakulla county, and the
people relieved from some of the burdens
of taxation that they now have to bear.
Has the citizen of another country q
right to buy large tract of land and
hold it for years for the purpose of specu-
lation, or to boast of his abroad acres" i"
thus keeping the country from being set
tied and improved and placing great
hardships on the actual settlerf If he
has the legal right, where is the justice
III H. Is LuoI0 uO tucduo VI COmp6illUR =
the large nonresident land-holder to d.
vide up and sell his estates to industrious
| persons?
The provisions of the code Napoleon
have compelled the breaking up of the
large estates and led to the somewhat
minute distribution of landed property in
France. This question is springing up
all over Europe. We are told that in
England large share of attention of the
press, on the platform and in Parliament
is in regard to modifying the laws and
customs relating to owning, transferring
and renting of land.
The sterling Democracy of Texas have
boldly met this question. A plank in
their platform "calls for some action by
the Legislature to limit the amount OF
real estate held by corporations-this
holding of large tracts of land, which are
closed to settlement, being one of the
greatest evils from which Texas is suffer.
ing to-day"
Should not the question be agitated in
the next session of the Legislature in
Florida? Fl. G. RrPpEY.