The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-04-30

panies represent fooes up two hundred millions,
only onellinh being Tor railroads and the balance
fo9 industrial purposes II Is by means OF her
Joint stock companies that Pennsylvania has 30
rapidly moved onward 10 fortune and wealth and
power Thew serve to bring together vast ag-
gregation of capital. and while tightening the in
dividual risk to those willing to engage In new
undertaking., also tend TO relieve the investors
OF The trouble of looking after their investments
We would be glad to see greater disposition IN
North Carolina to form similar companies
Raleigh Nescs and Obserrer.
Capital which is not aggregated may
be likened to the soldiers that are not
formed into an army: they are in the
land and each q good man, but until
brought together by organization they
are without power to fight battle and
win victory. The separate sums in the
possession of individuals of moderate
means are good to have for their personal
uses but are without power to accomplish
public works for the benefit of all, as in
developing any of the varied sources OF
prosperity from which the substantial
progress of q community is derived. The
amount or bulk of total when the parts
constituting it are brought together is
constantly a matter of surprise, and this
was illustrated on grand scale when
France so promptly raised among her
people the enormous amount of the in
demnity sum levied by Germany after
the overthrow of Napoleon Ill. The
French people are poor as to average
means, but a little from each made up
the vast total required. The fruit scat
tered through the tree FIJI the barrel
when gathered together; the little berries
in the "patch,'' which seem so few, I'LL
measure after measure when picked.
Only portion of the money that men in
Leon county could spare for investment
would form an aggregate of capital which
would be quite surprising, and constitute
a money power that would accomplish
public work of large value, richly repay
ing the investors directly or indirectly.
For instance, it would secure the con-
struction of the short line which would
tap the system Of Georgia railroads, open
our county to immigration, give us
cheap freights for what we consume and
what we produce-repaying the investors
thus indirectly and doubtless paying
good interest in dividends.
But there are other means in the pos
session of the people as available perhaps
as money, to build railroad with. These
are the lands of individuals, of which SO
large proportion are untitled and an ex-
pense because of the taxes, rather than a
source of income to the owners. These
lands Of Leon county have an intrinsic
value as actual as that Of gold coin, for
they are fertile and in a locality where
their value will certainly be realized
eventually. These lands need not be
given to railroad, need not be invested
in it as money would be, but by associated
action Of their owners might be made a
basis of credit for raising 8 large sum.
There are hundreds of owners of the lands,
and one might notify Board of Mana
gers Ito be composed Of some prominent
-:-:-~-~N thet thau "nnlA ,,,nrtnqn,n a fnrtu
acre tract OF his land, another eighty acres
Of his, another five hundred or a thousand
acres of his, and SO on, until an aggre-
gate of tens of thousands of acres of
the lands of Leon could be offered bv the
Board as security to capitalists for the
use of money to build a road which would
| add value to those lands The lands
mortgaged would be only loaned, not
| given to the road, and stock to the amount
raised on them could be issued to the
owners. The road being built the value
of that stock might be sufficient to al
most or entirely release the lands from
the mortgage incumbrance, and restore
them to owners if they preferred them to
stock. If they should let the lands 60,
the systematic efforts Of the capitalists
abroad, who would become the owners,
would likely bring them to sale to set
tiers who would be valuable additions to
our population, and, adding to the pro-
ductive resources of the community, aid
the general prosperity more or less shared
by all in the enhanced values Of property,
increased opportunities Of employment,
and demand for merchandise, etc.