The morning news., 1889-02-04
TIE GROWTH OF SOUTH FLORIDA.
A Few Suggestions Relative to the
PROPOSED state Health Board.

TGE GROWIh OF SOO In AOhIOA.
A Few Suggestions Relative to the
Proposed State Health Board,
TAvAREs, FLA, Feb. 3.-Nineteen years
ago while living near Clay Springs, in
Orange county, l entertained for a day and
night Maj. NJ R. Marks, swho had just re-
turned from Washington, where he had
been for the purpose Of endeavoring to Sc
cure government aid to build railroad
connecting the st. Johns river with the
Gulf, and while his efforts had not been
crowned with success his story was Inter
esting. The future of South Florida pic
tured in his graphic style, when
opened up to settlement, has been
more than realized within the past
ten years, and the beginning is not yet if
nothing occurs to mar the progress so far
made, or retard the developments yet to
occur as a natural result Of the railroads at
present operated The South Florida rail-
road was the pioneer enterprise in South
Florida railroad building, ard from its
completion from Sanford to Tampa dates
the first real magnificent influx of popula-
ton and capital into this the garden spot OF
the peninsula. From a narrow gauge road,
laid with the lightest iron to be procured,
and equipped with rolling stock of
small capacity, it has developed into
grand broad gauge trunk line
that has caused competitive corporations
to push their iron road beds southwark. Its
alliance with the Plant system, thereby Sc
curing northern and western connections,
and the la or extension of the line by
steamers from Tampa to Havana was the
first eliminating point i'll its business. The
benefits directly accruing to Florida, and
especially that portion of it through which
the South Florida railroad is built is almost
beyond computation. The inauguration of
the fast mail service between New York
and Havana by way of Jacksonville, San
ford, Tampa and Key West marks the be-
ginning of real progress in this section.
Our commerce with the West Indies is
yet in its infancy, but it owed it's birth to
the construction and maintenance of the
railroad and steamship lines connecting a.
Jacksonville tn the Plant syst m and ex-
tending by river and rail and ocean to the
Island of Cuba. The value of our cattle
has been doubled by securing direct trade
with Key West and Havana, the hotels at
Jacksonville, Palatka De Land, Enterprise.
Sanford, Winter Park, Orlando, Klssim-
nee, Barlow and Tampa for the accommo-
datiOn of the tens of thousands of tourists
who throng the state, wer9 made neceS-
sary from the opening up of
this line of travel The increase
of population from few hundreds to many
thousands, and the value of property from
few thousands, to many millions, of
dollars are the direct results of ten years
push by the Plant Investment Company
In gaining this, however, we have
encro iched on old forms and systems, and
in diverting track from the West Indies to
the United States by the shortest aud most
practicable route we have proved its
superiority over the old line by way of New
Orlea add New York Any blow aimed
at the Plant steamship line from Tampa to
Havana, or at the railroads connecting with
1t, from whatever source and from what
ever motive are pregnant with evil
to US and endanger our prosperity. For
this reason we view with grave suspicion
the efforts of DIR. Holt. in his letter to the
New Orleans Times Democrat of August
last, IN which he charges the introduction
of yellow fever into Florida as ''the direct
result of a combination of ignorance, selfish
ness and COnCealment-the ultimate cOnse-
quence of a servile subordination to the in
terestS of q ra ilroad and steamboat line -
Could it be made apparent that a danger
exists from running steamers between
Tampa and Havana greater than between
he latter place and New Orleans or New
York, and that the health Of the people,
not only of Florida, but also of other
states is in great danger thereby,
there would he some shadow Of reason, and
very small argument for the suppression OF
the Plant Steamship line between Tampa
aud havana, ana tne Surrenderlng OF our
trade and travel to the West Iudes and TO
New Orleans While not disposed to ques
ton the motives of Dr. Holt in the charges
he makes, we cannot admit their correct
ness, nor can we sit idly by and allow the
little leaven of distrus5 he has planted to
grow. To the legislature now assembled at
the call of the governor to establish state
hoard of health, we appeal for that measure
Of protection that shall secure us in what
wo have, and encourage an enlargement Of
our business relations III the future. The
demand for a state board of
health has been most persistently urged
by east and nth Florida, the section sup
posed to be most in danger, from having
the most direct intercourse with Cuba,
the ction most directly interested in and
benefited by the railroad and steamship
line censured by DR.. Holt, and the section
which from its rapidly growing business re-
latiJns will be most Interested in the fu-
ture-interested not only in keeping yellow
fever and all other infectious diseases out,
but in keeping intact our present railroad
and steamboat lines and encouraging their
growth d extension. X.