The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-12-24

development - 10 done In % many osAes paris ~
Ia ,hs h f,r,, pl.ce such lands ars no, nisen fr
sale Ia small parcels. Tho dlm0nss0ns q PLAN
tasions are usually ir,m go - Aeoo acsss aeoai
four -fi(ths of which sruas are cleared, tbc oa.
ance ID timber. Mo6s genesally the swnsss os
tins larges tracts live IL shs tsvns md tls l4nds
are lss 10 nesro tenants Who pay remit q Isom
$50 ID 600 pounsis of Hat ~ gtSined oDSna tis-
lvuresl in = h~led and rAaikssHhls ospsistvn =
the d~p,,., for % muci, land - an ox ~ little
mule cxn cultivate, ranging fft,m % TO - scfes.
When q lansil0rd hss an esssi1 sccupied vim
tenants, who are reliable and prompt IN their
payment OF rents, and this sssuss sa be the RUE
and nosthe exceptian, as y.,a might haze sup
posed, there is NJ you must perceive, really no
inducement for him 10 selfany part af the pss'i'
sssy. a4AS afg szs6 - il iS5izs
The valuation Of ,hese planta,fons for TAXA.
lion rarely excce.is 35 pr acrs. inciudtmx im-
psuvesneat. Total isxes ansouat u sboot it per
Eieh, hundred pnnds of cotton. about the
average rental of . thirty acru tenant. ara worth
usually about t7t. this s-asDn. perhNpa, n0t oyer
eco, bat even q this latter figure q eeQufvaseut
% about - per scss. whieis' 'yMilser = nnansi
Interest OF % per ceat on the assssse r1lnasion,
with tax or only II per cent. Now. man
can keep only one acre in four 10 culiiEAtbn q
this rate and realize ne, eight per cent. 0u value
of whole tract Where else do such absolutely
solid investments ofefs Why sh"uld one ut
these men sell me land At e5 or even tlO per
acre. when he can't put The money where u VIII
nav one third the interest OF be half 20 well o.
cured :
But suppose he did, and became the owner
OF say 200 or 800 acres of choice hand on large
plantation, what am to do with III With NO
neighbrs save the uncongenal blacks, could
not possibly undertake to settle upon and coiti-
vaie il, literally burying The female members OF
my family alive. Besides schO,ls aud churches are
essential and unless can induce Others 10 settle
near me and SO build up society Of our own,
my position would be too fOrlorn To be thought
So that what is needful here, and all that l
Can understand as standing n the way of rapid
settlement and tillage of these really excellent
lands, IS fair, straightforward c,0peration be-
tween some pal ties possessing capital tn pay the
cash down tor fairly large tracts, and numbers OF
practical farmers who will ngre Ia take the
whole of his hands in small subdivisions al
reasonable advance on purchase price.
To illustrate, there are the Hawks boys, good
farmers all, but crowded to death at The Eims,
Joe and Stephen W. and u lot OF their long
legged cousins over in Win,on t,wnship. They
and their women folks and chiltren are all con-
genial and numerous enough iO fTm the nucleus
Uf prosperous settlement. They have not the
ready money, / guess any Of them. 10 more than
get to Florida and house their people, buy stock,
implements and half years supply ut prOven
and provisions. But why can't they induce old
Uncle Johnnie Hawks To put fifteen or twenty
thousand of his broad pieces in three or four
thousand acres here, divide il up among them, ut
an advance OF one or two dollars per acre. with
three or tour years to pay tOr II in, with six per
cent interest? 1t has been many long day
since the old man stumbled on any such chances
to turn his money over in our section, warrant
With their own funds available TO enable
them to get fairly started, have no sort OF doubt
from what can see and understand here that
the boys Can feel assured of greater prosperity
here than AT home; and that they cannot only
make more dollars but feel certain they can
SAGE tao0 here to one Mt home, and Uncle john
MES land would be doubled in value by their
improvements before really they had paid him a
dollar on il.
Such an arrangement as have suggested
would only be practicable between farming peO-
pie. No cold blooded, selfish sp-culator is the
man to furnish the money, even ii hrs subdIvis
ion of II was to be To others sr spst cssh. tor -
n few early purch .sers had given value
to balance Of his purchase his cupidi'y would
demand an advance in price that would cripple
further settlement Neither should his vendets
be other than genuine farmers, men and women
both accustomed to cnuniry life and thoroughly
q ted for it. C.loniz .tiOn with any other ele-
ments should look upon as bearing IN itself the
seeds of early decay and disastrous ruin.
There are to I've found 10 this county, and
am told much the same condition Oi things exist
in Immediately adjoining cOun,es many superb
tracts Of farm land in all respects desirable for
permanent settlenfent by white penpie of culi-
walton and re6nemsni HAT can be purchased sur
prsisgly cheap for cash As far as can judge,
too neither the owners Of these lands nor those
genil6iueu here who tO buying and selling 10
them, as agents. are disposed u make unfair rep
resentatohs OF them or take any Unfair advan-
iases In business. Indeed people here seem con
sciOus that there 10 n real substantial value at
tached to the lands in Leon couhiy; that they
will sell oB their merits, and nee,i mo- hurrah and
fantaronade tO recommend them There is in
6Hiteiy less bird lime on the face at things here
abouts than l suspect can be met with in more
bruted sections Oi Florida.
The class of men wbO are best Calculated tn
prosper in Middle Florida are those OF sufficient
means to buy, equip and operate farms ot frOm
500 to 900 acres; thus with twslthrds OF their
area devoted TO small gfain, grass, csrn, root
crops cane, some cnttOn and tobacco, there will
be plenty left tor pasture, enabling live stock
to be carried. Money 10 ne cesssEy fnr all this,
and il makes sad man Of q settler 70 find out he
has miscalcuated the amount necessary to start
him squareiy OF.
The presence Of large negro population in
Leon couaty is Of very decided advantage to set
tiers, as they supply very fair quality Of labor,
which when properly managed and directed
begin TO regard IS probably the very best for
these latiiudes.
1 have put myself 20 great deal Of trouble
while here to gather an Insight into the charsc7
ter and capacities OF the negro. he - physt-
cally strong, healthy. active simple tn his appe.
tiles, a cheap liver, and - race less addicted
| to drink than any other occupying the same
moral and intellectual plane. ~.
Intellectually he Is exceedingly apt, imita-
tive easily taught and up tO that point Ia INTEL
lectualiy where rAtinscinaii0n csAnmenccs, he 10
incomparably reader witted being than the
uneducated masses OF Europeans. Cheerfulness,
humor and a sort Of magpie sociability are pow
| efful factors in his nature.
| In his moral faculties he is eminently amia-
ble docile and unrevengeful, yet ungrateful, sell
| hsh, and while mot aggressively cruel, capable
| oftentimes IT unfeeling savagery, shocking to
| souls OF more refined sensibihtiee. ~
Much given 10 piliering and petty thieSery, he
10 not robber and plunderrr, and will work
rather than tramp and beg. They are 10 NO
| sense a cowardly people, and 10 word are good
or bad citizens AMI labOers very much in accord
ance with the governing influence Or direction to
! which they are subjected.
When employed by white people Of character
and lofty natures, the Snuthern negro is an Obe-
dient, respectful and fairly industrious man,
| much more efficient and desirable ~ an agricuE
1 turAl labor~r than any other rsce of people.
And more work ,f gos,d quality will BE- cheer
| fully given by him, tn n rtepecied master when
he is carefully directed, and fairly compensated,
than by any lsboring class in Am.rica to-day.
In contact with sOrdid,. unfair, small minded
| whites, whose pr judices and Teseatments are
strnng, the negro becomes shabby fellow.
/ They are mest valuable acquisition 10 Mid
die Florida. where the climate, generous sai and
this sturdy newer and deliver only needs the 10.
ielligent direction uf far-minded men and theil