The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-13
FORTUNES n TIE SOUTH.
FLORIDA sTRIDIYG TO TIE FRONT
IN TOBACCO CULTIVATION.


Remarkable Fortunes Clean ed By
New York Dealers and Manufactur-
acknowledgements of the New In.
dussry-A Visit to the Largest Plan.
tations - An Alsatian Colony at
Work.
From, ne NeD York san.
JACKSONVILLE, Aug. The fortunes
reaped in Alabama since the war are only
= 1.-THE of those to be made 10 the south.
They are found in every southern state,
from the Patapsco to the Rio Grande. No
state has been more fruitful Of them il
proportion TO population than Florida.
Millions upon millions have rewarded those
investing in orange groves and track farms.
Lemons and lines ars factors the wealth
of the sta q, and ricl fields Of sugar cane
and cotton indicate almost untold resources.
The developm of the Atlantic coast has
been marvellous, but it is being sur
passed by the development of the Gulf
coast. The state is being gridironed
with railroads, and money is beginning 10
ooze from every hummock, swamp and up-
land Plots along the Indian river, 10
miles below St. Augustlna, that cou have
been bought for a song eighteen years ago
now bring from $3.50 to $500 a foot. Swamp
lands that twelve years ago could not have
been given away now sell readily flr fir IN
SO to $500 per acre. On the west co ist the
increase III values IS still more IN lrked,
City lots in Tampa and Charlotte Harbor
are held at figures that would make real
sestate speculat rs IN Birmingham and Cha p
tanOoga open their eyes. The vast sw imp
and padded lakes at the tai-end of the pei
insula are being drained and tur ed into
sugar plantat.o 5 There are cocoa groves
along lake Worth and the Miami river, aud
the fig, pineapple and banana are grown
from Mosqultl inlet sout ard
The last revival in agriculture is the Gu
tivation Of tobacco. II h been stimulated
by northern cigar manufa cturers an
others. They are i vestii & in chOi e lands,
and thousa Us of acres are already in cult
walton. q dsden county is the center OF
their operations. II lies in t Pensacola
wing # the state, about 200 miles west of
Jacksonville, near thefamed Suwdnuee river
The land is usually rich and fertile. 1t IS
especially adapted to the culture of tobacco.
Thirty years ago the county turned out
tobacco crop valued at $l50,000 a year.
Then came the increase in the price of
cotton. The tobacco fields were
turned into cotton fields, and the
long -fbered staple became the moleyed
crop. No more tobacco was grown. After
the war much of the land went to was Q.
TIE planters would not readily accept tn
right Ia d of fellowship. Labor became
thoroughly dsorganized. There was no
money in the country Every body was
disgruntled. DIVINE of extensive planta-
tiuns refused TO part it'll their lands. Tt,
most energetic negroes migrated % South
ern Florida. The people became land poor
They raised a little cotton ana sugar, but
hardly enough to pay their taxes The IT
ton crop bore no comparison to that grown
before the war. They became Respondent
and almost hopeless.
Three years ago a rainbow appeared in
the sky. Things changed. The cultivation
of tobacco was re-uued. Much of the
land had slept over a quarter Of century
The sleep increas Its p oductiveuess. 1t
is now producing tobacco of exceptional
quality. The leaf Is said to vie in bloom
with that grown in the Vuelta Abaio.
Florida tobacco was hig ly priced Def re
the war. Soeci plant Is frequently
brought 81 per pound. The best tqba co
at tnat time was grown in Gadsdsn
county. The county has again taken the
lead. She promises t. become the richest
county in the state. Her tobacco crop
alone this year is valued at 5000, 0O0-four
times tie figures reacled with slave labor
in any year before the war. The g figures
will undoubtedly be doubled next year,
Within zen ears, from pr sent Indications
the tobacco fields of the upper tier of
counties in Florida will outs ri, the or ,nge
groves of the St job IS and Kisslmmee in
tie value of their returns.
The revival of this obacco industry is
due primarily H. r. Duval, presi lent CT
the Ford Ce trial a d Pennsylvania Rail
road 'mpany. NJ. Duval is a Floridlan,
who, like NAV another southerner. de-
veloped va kee hrif and ingenuity after
the surrender at Appomattox. Gadsd On
county lies along the line of his road. He
recognized the situation, and saw a.
opportunity for improvr ment. He recalled
the days of prosperity before the war, and
urged the planters to raise tobacco ms cad
of cotton and sugar. He prophes d thai
the crop would be far mon Q profitable. The
planters, however, took lit lie stock in G
prophecy. They were welded to the Old
crops and the old ways. They were too in
dolent to look for either seed or plants. II
was not until Mr.. Duval furnished them
seed at his own expense that they took in
terest in the mat er.
The first experiment was far from el-
couraglng. There was lack of experie ice
in planting, and the knack of cultivatlon
had been lost. The apph noes requisite for
Successful Gu ture were not at hand, There
We're neither sheds nor colveniences for
curing and storing The planters we're dis
heartened. Very few young white ne
were in the country, and negro labor wa,
disorganized and uncertain. Duval divineC
the trouble. He saw that it was limos
sible for the pla tiers TO reclaim their
tobacco la DIS and depend alone upon theil
own resources. He wa; still Confident thar
Gadsden and adjoini lg COUNT IS had a soil
peculiarly Fl ted for the production of to
bacco. Capital was wanted In his di
leInma he cast his eyes toward the north
He laid his scheme before several northern
man Ifacturers of tobacco, and urged then
to make investments. A New York fi-n
was among the ew who opened their ears
John Strsiton and his partne-, Mr. Storm
were impressed with Mr.. Duvafs repre-
sensations, They sent twa experts t.
make a thorough examina ion of the
land The experts spent six months
Gadsden county. They sifted its soil and
ties ed the tobacco already grown. Their
report was so favorable that Mr.. Storm
threw himself heart and soul into the enter
prise. He came to Florida Duval was de
lighted. Storm recogn zed the superior e 4
cellence of the tobacco. He saw that tn,
only drawback to its cultivation was the
poverty Of the planters. If left unaded
many years would p SIS before tobacco
would become a sta pie crop.
Mr.. Storm organized company, anC
began planting on a large scale Tn
capital stock Was placed at $300,CO0 Owe
14,000 acres of land were bought Larg,
tracts were secu ed by other capitalists
and Gadsden and adjoining counties ar,
now dotted with uge tobacco fiel IS Col ll
acf q I