The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-28
To Those Seeking Investments.

Florida offers large and varied field
for profitable investments, and anunlimit-
ed number of men with money, brains
and energy can find here many of the
very best business openings-openings
where the investment, though small, will
bring large profits and quick returns.
We will not quote any long list of these
opportunities for profitable investment,
but simply confne our remarks to one
particularly promising field which lies
open right here in the lovely Tallahassee
Country for as many as may wish to en-
ter and profit therefrom. Along the en-
tire route Of the Tallahassee and St. Marks
Railway there is an inexhaustible deposit
of very excellent lime rock. For years
past lime has been occasionally made at
different points along this road, in small
way, and it has proven to be of very fine
quality, commanded quick sale, good
prices and can be conveniently marketed
No one has ever entered into this busi-
ness here on any extensive scale, and at
present the field is entirely open, but it
has been sufficiently tested to prove that
it is profitable. A few years ago a firm
of Northen men came here, saw this open
ing and at once entered into the business
but they were not capacitated for success,
for they had no money, very little expe-
rience, not an ounce of energy, and worse
than all, they were not honest They
used the old style log kilns, which neces-
slated large force of wood cutters, and
made the work of manufacturing, at least,
very slow; but they made quantity of
lime, which they packed in Hour barrels
and sold it all at good prices. They then
pocketed the cash and skipped without
paying one of their hands or the mer-
chants who advanced them money and
supplies to give them a start We do
not want any more of this kind of invest
ors. AS we said before, we want men
with some money, fair allowance of
brains and liberal supply of energy
Such as these would help build up the
country, and would accumulate wealth
from the profits in the business
There is money to be made in the lime
business, even if conducted on old-style
principles, but there is more money to be
made if it is entered into with new and
improved appliances. In the first place,
to make big success" of it, you should
build what is known as perpetual kilns.
These kilns can be built of brick, and the
work of burning lime goes steadily on
as fast as you take out one lot, put in an
other-no stops and delay to build new
kiln every time you burn a lot, as is neces-
sary with old-style log kilns.
The next question to consider is-how
about barrels? And right here is another
point, to be run in connection with the
lime works, that promises to be equally
as profitable Let us explain The
growing of LeConte pears is becoming
an enormous industry in the Tallahassee
Country. The crop is yet in its infancy,
though this year, 1888, the crop of Leon
county alone, brought in $lo,o45.5o.
The crop next year will be worth fully
$4,000, and it will continue to largely
increase year by year. Commission
merchants say the LeConte pear sells
best in barrels, but it is matter of i'm
possibility to get enough barrels, even
1ow, to ship more than half the crop, for
the only source of supply is empty flour
and cracker barrels, purchased from the
retail merchants. What are we to do for
barrels when the crop becomes SO much
larger? Then again, the syrup making
business is annually growing in the Tai
lahassee Country, and the demand for
barrels to market it is far beyond the sup
ply. Then with the opening Of the Thom-
asville, Tallahassee and Gulf Railway,
which in few months will start up i'm
mense fish shipping enterprises the de.
mand for "a piece 9. PACK salt fish would
alone keNensions this year:t work.
Nowfthem as much as were required {;
Il family use, he gathered six barrels
what remained. This is at the RI
>se | 100 barrels per acre.