The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-04-22


We are living now in what will be
termed in the history of the world the
railroad age: These chief agencies in the
development of the resources Of he
world, which in effect multiply man by
putting him often in different places, en-
aiding one to attend TO affairs which
would otherwise require many, which by
saving time diminish distance and bring
the parts of the earth near to each other
for convenient commerce and mutual ben
eft-these necessities Of to-day that half
century since were scarcely known, are
constantly increasing in number and in
excellence of operation. In the eastern
world they are penetrating regions that
were closed to all outsiders save hardy
and adventurous travellers, and carrying
with them the light of civilization and
spirit of human progress. In our own
country thousands of miles are annually
added to the length of these arteries of
the national body that are the channels Of
intercourse and reciprocal traffic, peopling
newly reached sections, bringing fields
near to markets, interchanging products,
and fastening the equalizing Of the sec
tions in population and property. With
out them a State would be a pauper
compared with one that had them,
and their own valuation represents
figures that exceed the ransom of an en-
pire-and numerous as they are capital
constantly seeks investment in construct
ing others. No State has been benefited
by railroads more rapidly than Florida.
To them is chiefly to be attributed the
doubling of her values in five years past,
and without them even that value which
was doubled might never have been at
tanned but this is idle supposition, for
the fact of railroads exsts-they must
as necessarily have been as any other ma
terial thing-and more of them are need
ed and will be built, and the doubling
process be repeated until Florida is de-
veloped for all she is worth.
The shrewd eyes of capital looking
about for investment in a profitable line
of road must necessarily perceive route
which promises better than any other
into Florida-or in any part of the Uni
ted States. This is the route of line
coming into Middle Florida from the
northwest to Tallahassee, and passing
down in a southeasterly direction, ira
versing the Peninsula diagonally to the
Atlantic coast Such route would take it
across all the main lines of road in the
Peninsula, feeding and being fed by them,
through the heart of the orange Sec
ton and the most populous and thriv-
ing portion of the State. Being the
most direct route from the West, North
west and Middle South it would certainly
be the avenue for an immense amount of
travel and freightage-far more than is
done now by any line, and the better
merit of it would be that but a minor
pOICIOu vi lCo WOulu NC CohCh
from other lines, and this it would com
pensate to them in the improvement it
would add to the country they traverse.
1t would create its own business as those
lines created theirs, and continue to Gre
ate it. The railroad business into Florida
is not fixed amount 70 be divided, but a
growing business to be extended. and the
convenience of this route to a vast popula.
tion would bring those to the State who
would not otherwise come, and open mar.
kets not before accessible. We have
heretofore and at different times writ
ten up" this route as being one so obvi
ously advantageous to the State and to
stockholders that its construction was an
| assured fact of a not remote future. We
believe the time is near when it will be
opened-a new gateway into Florida
through which will throng multitudes
coming and going, and greater than ever
before over any one line-for the tour
through Florida will be more attractive
when the traveller can come in one way
and 90 out another, avoiding having to
pass over the same route twice.