The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-01-19


The people q Jaeanonvirls veEs IN cot q
dosw NJ TAundAy. reinforced b1sAsasaadal =
viitesss and the pageant al ths opening q ~
Expositisn was eAroush ssrsees csovds1 with
eager muliitudsa. between bailding fruah gsv
with festival decontoes Of hAss. hanting. eve-
green's and nowses. Heading The psocesaioa aad
i opening Ne way marched Q platoon of poltce.
followed by the Marshal Of the Day and aids /;
then came four infantry companies Of the mill
tAry escort Of the carriage in which were Gov
ernor Perry ana Ex-Governor Bloxham, fol-
lowed by four infantry companies and two bat
teries In the next carriage rode Ex-Governors
George r. Drew and Harrisoa Reed. Gen. T. E.
| Spinner and Major A. J. Russell; then came the
| carriages Of the Press, of the judiciary. OF the
Clergy, Of the City Officials. the County Omcials,
and of citizens generally, the Board Of Trade
| and Fire Department closing the procession
Passing through several streets the procession
reached the Exposition Grounds, and. AFTER the
reception Of Governor Perry and Ex- Governor
| Bloxhsm by the Directors. the military stacked
arms and broke ranks, and added themselves to
| the multitude in the main hall awaiting the
ceremonies Of the opening. Secretary
was introduced, and amer requesting all to Join
him in repeating the Lords Prayer, he led the
vast audience. From hundreds Of lips came the
murmer of that prayer. He concluded by ask
| ing q short blessing On the management" Then
came the speeches and they were all admirable
President Kreamer delivered the opening ad-
| Dress in which he Set forth the purposes Of the
| Exposition TO be permanent exhibit Of all the
| products Of al sections of Florida. Director
General Paine delivered the address OF welcome,
and skeiched the development OF the Exposition
| undertaking, Of which the foundation was laid
| but q few months ago; he acknow lodged the
service rendered by the press and by transporta-
| ton lines, and outlined the manner in which all
| Florida would be benefited by the exhibition
that would attract 80 many people from abroad
He was followed by the orator of the day, Ex-
Governor Bloxham, whose speech flowed in the
eloquent periods which have made him famous
as an orator We have room for these extracts:
And where is there q State in this broad
Union that presents more advantages? Her d.
versifed soil, embracing in some sections rich
and magnificent hills, in others broad and vast
tracts of elevated table lands, responding cheer
fully to cultivation, while in still other sections
there are expansive valleys covering magnificent
territories Of rich and mex haustible soil as can
be found in the Union.
All the cereal. are grown within our limits-
We produce over half Of the crop of 6ea Island
cotton raised in the United States, while the
short staple grows in many portions of the State
as luxuriantly and proftably as upon any of the
uplands of the entire South. Tobacco has been
and is being raised, IF grade that will compete
with Cuba and Sumatra the West India cane
6ourishes as in its own tropical regions; while
the vegetable garden is luxury that we can en-
| Joy at all seasons of the year. Grapes, figs,
| pums, peaches, pears and other fruits need but
attention TO return satisfactory profits, and
| floral offerings are only equaled by the fair
| madens whose tender hands have nurtured
them.
In all these products We can come into sue
cessful competition with our sister States. In
| deed, in 1881, at the Cotton Exposition in At
lanta, in generous rivalry with our sister States
| we secured the first premium for sugar cane,
| rice, Sea Island cotton, hemp, oranges and
| lemons, and but one State surpassed US in gen.
eral collection Of agricultural products. In 1885,
at the Louisville Exposition, we secured two
| medals and five diplomas. At the great Worlds
Industrial and Cotton Centennial at New Or.
leans, in 1885, Florida came not only into COM
petition with California and other States of the
| Union, but with the West Indies and Central
| America Her triumphant success there fully
indicated the position claimed for her by her
| most ardent admirers T.
AS to our material growth and prosperity it
cannot be better illustrated than by the state
ment of the simple but suggestive fact, that our
| taxable resources have increased nearly 25o per
cent in the last seven years. The increased
| mileage of our railroads further emphasizes that
| growth in a marvellous manner; and even one
| familiar with State is somewhat startled
when told that the mileage of our roads has in
creased over $50 per cent. in the last six years.
| From 535 miles in June, 1881, we now have
about 2, $50 miles, and the shrill whistle Of the
| locomotive, more powerful than Amphion's
lyre has raised up and linked together tow MS and
/ tInth bod ;afon fn~~
| Our population has increased between 80 and 80
| per cent. in the last Is years, and represents
| every State and Territory in the Union, with
the exception Of Alaska, and our people as q
whole are law abiding, honor-loving, and God
| serving
| Governor Perry in his address of dedication,
and present against the wishes of his medical
adviser, was the last speaker. He spoke with
the impressive earnestness for which he is noted
and with marked effect upon his auditory. He
| said
l confess 10 no little surprise In coming here to
| find such a grand Exposition. Last September
| had the pleasure of knowing that the State was
| TO have Sub Tropical Exposition, but to-day
see spacious building and grand display,
| which is An honor to Jacksonville and Florida.
come, as the Secretary has said, at some lit.
tie inconvenience, but come with great deal
| of pleasure / have come with pleasure be-
| cause l see here an enterprise which, believe
| will inure 10 the good of the whele State AS
much as love Jacksonville and her people /
would not have come had felt that this was a
LEGAL enterprise, intended to subserve only indi-
vidual interests but saw from the letter of the
President OF this Association that was OK pected
If came, to dedicate this TO the whole State to
the progress and advancement of the whole State
and thus am here, and thus / would be here
even were more i'll than was when started
This grand occasion has rejuvenated me and
given me health that did not possess when
came.
/ say, my friends l was surprised. I was
gratided, and there is no man interested in the
welfare of Florida but must feel gratitude To-
ward those who have worked up this enterprise
and have brought it to its present state of per
lection, and are ready to dedicate it to the whole
State, to West, Middle. South and East Florida
This is patriotism on the part of these workers
and IL will be patriotism on the part of the
people of Florida if they accept this dedication
in the spirit in which it is rendered TAD.
plause.
My friends, this must be made success. II
now promises to be success. II these prom.
ises fall through the people OF Florida must
put their shoulders to the wheel and must make
it q success. and such an advertisement of Flori.
do as will be seen by all men and will believed
Here they say that these pamphlets that some
1t Is not for me TO say whether this 10 the case
or not. Let us invite our friends one and all
from every section 10 come here and zee stub.
born facts which cannot lie. Here they have il
before their eyes, and seeing Il believing.
Ny friends, did not intend to say much and
do not now intend to- but Icannot but once
| more in behalf of the State of Florida and In