The morning news., 1889-03-02

hi~Aes Ce4eflty OF movement LAe leauiAS
. question with the companies that wish t,
de elOp the rich Country lying between
fernando county and the Manatee river.
Tue railroad that first reaches Auclote
I harbor viii really be able TO defy all com
petitors, as 1T will have an excellent ship
ping point, and an unusually fertile aud
well populated region to support it. This
renders the confess between the st. Johns,
Lake Weir and Gulf railroad, the Ocala,
silver Springs and Gulf aud the Fl,rida
hallway and Navigation Co npany quite
interesting TO business men and railway
strategists.
The second named ra :lroad company have
all the advantage Ulus far in route, couB-
try and directness, so the only ques ion now
is whether TREY Wlll be able t. avail them
selves OF their present superiority aud push
| their line TO its terminus at AncIote, abead
OF their shrewd competitors The popular
snpposition is that they will sell their fran
chlse to more powerful corporation, which
viii finally control all the railways on the
| gulr coast, whilst a few sagacious people
think they will first build, in order TO get
all the donations pyoniset, an! then d1spJ Use
OF tie road on their own terms.
Some of the officials Of the company are
now examining the country through which
| the road IS TO run aud testing the depta OF
| water IN Anclote haro0r, aud they are
| very well satisfied with he result Of their
1
they build this year Chey would have such
magnificent crop Of fruits and vegetables
TO take a#ay next spring taat tne road
would pay handsomely from the tin Q the
first freight car was started.
ms llHe would extend from Anclote to
Pal itka, Il Gis,aace Of about $50 miles, in
cluding deviations, and pass through suca
rich regions as PascO Henando, SuIn,er,
Marion and Putnam counties, which are in
reality the mos iestile portions of the sta g.
IL would tuel have terminus On Gle G,llt
Of Mexico and the st. Johu's river, and be
able to co. nmaud "a very large freight
patronage from the northern states Cel-
| trail anu South America and the West
| Indies
When it is built, the impression is that
the company will run steamers to Cuba and
! South America, and enter into friendly
rivalry with the Plant system for develop
ing the commerce Of these c ,untries.
Mr.. Wrenn, the president of tie company,
| told me that stea MerS could be run to
Havana on alternate days with the Plant
SHIPS from Tampa, and thus aid in develp-
! ing the entire gulf asst.
! Gen. SeyMour of New York, large
capli allst, is now making tour of the
region through which the road is to run,
| and II he is pleased with the route, hopes
are entertained that money enough will be
secured TO complete the line this year.
The Silver Springs, Orlando ard Gulf
| railroad will mmence building to Palatka
at an early date. All these railroads con-
| centrating at that point must make Palatka
| the leading city in the staJe ere long, and
| the dlStrlbutlng point for most of the
freight entering Florida.
1t Is rumored tuat the Jacksonville,
| Tampa and Key West Railroad Company
will soon make such additions to their main
| line as to render their system independent
of III other railways. The region through
which they intend to build is even desig-
mated by some persons ''in the swim,n but
| do not think it expedient to give 1t until
more detailed facts can be obtained. One
| thing is certain, and that is, that tie GO
| ahead, brOad-minded principle which ac-
| tuateS the officials If this company must
result in good to Florida ia general, and
that much may be expected from them.
! 1t is an axiom IN EurCpea railroad circles
| that prompt sauve official is worth a
small fortune 10 the road, and it seems to
! me as If the jacksonville, Tampa and Key
| West company had learned this intuitively,
| judging from those | have met while In
search of information.
| There are several rumors ahoat concern
| ing the Orange Belt railroad, but | have
| not been able to trace them to official
| sources. 1t would be safe to say, however,
| that whoever wants the road must pay full
| value for 1t, IS it runs through one of the
1
stat, Mr.. Herman Armour, one Of the
| largest stockholders in the Orange Belt
| Railroad Company, has about 81, $50, 900 in
| vested in Florida, aud be is not likely to
| make aay deal that will not amply protect
| his investments.
| The Morgan line of steamers are ready
to call a st. Petersburg, the terminus OF
the Orange Belt railroad, and at Anclote,
| provided deck loads can be secured for
them on their return voyage from Havana
| 1t ought to be an easy matter to do this
! for lumber enough ca be furnished from
along the railroad line to load them above
| and below, by starting few portable saw
| mills, whilst the vegetables and fruits raised
along the coast would pay them hand
| somely from November to June.
The greatest drawback 70 the develop
ment of the gulf coast, outside of Tampa,
is that few capitalists know an thing about
the region, and it is an unknown land, even
| to the maj rity If Floridians. They may
have ard of Tarpon Springs and Clear
water, but doubt If many of them could
tell their exact location.
| ! learn tn t Mr. Plant is we'll pleased with
the law regarding a state board of heal
recently passed, and is willing that the
| board should keep a quar2n inc officer
aboard his vessels all the time, if necessary,
| s. that any case of sickness developed dur
| ing voyage may be investigated lmmedi
ately, and the steamer headed for quar-
antina station shou,d tue disease prove to
| be of the contagious kind.
| This IS manly and nullic-spirited course
and will be appreciated by all who wish TO
| see the state protected from deadly ex Dtic
| disea es, bat do not want its 60 lmercs de-
| stroyed Dy well-meaning but tinid natures.