The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-04
ON TO TAMP A.
The Disstons Offer the Atlanta and
Florida Road 100000 Acres.

a ACA AStSN ASC0SA ADONOBOOO ACA O9s
From the Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution.
A new era seems to be opening for the At
lanta and Florida railroad.
The Disstons of Philadelphia have offered
the company bonus of 1000, 900 acres to
extend the road from Fort Valley to
Tampa, Fla, and the proposition is being
considered.
The land offered is part of the celebrated
Disston tract in West Florida which was
bought by Hamilton Disston some years ago
from the state of Florida
Part of the land lying on the west coast
is very rich, and would be exceedingly val
liable after the completion of the road to
Tampa Hamilton DisstOn some years ago
bought the tract from the state, and after
wards sold half to an English company
paying them 800, 900 for the privilege of
selecting the half he would keep. The
present tract is, therefore, the best part of
the original purchase. Mr. Disston has
sold about million acres of this land, but
none for less than 81 rs an acre, and some
as high as $40.
From this it may be seen that bonus of
a million of these acres is big inducement
to extend the road to Tampa
la addition to this the Atlanta and
Florida Railroad Company has in writing
offers for 5000 acres of heavily timbered
pine land between Fort Valley and Thomas
Vile to be decided to the road on its compIe-
tion. This land is to be taken within con-
venient distance of the railroad, and when
the line Is completed may be worth 81 to SIS
an acre. IL will be easily accessible to
steamships at Brunswick harbor by way of
the Brunswick and Western road. which
crosses the line of the Atlanta and Florida.
These offers will probably be increased to
100000 acres between Fort Valley and
Townsville.
This puts the Georgia Construction Com
pany in position to do some financierinp
With bonus of about $500, 900 the Georgia
Southern and florida railroad was built
from Macon to Vsldosta, and the stock of
the construction company, which got the
bonus, is now worth $50, and the bonds of
the road 80 to go.
The road dragged for while, but, with a
$780, 900 loan, secured through Baltimore
trust company, the construction company
was able to complete the road, and trains
are now running on regular schedule from
Macon to Valdcsta. The parties who furn-
ished the $500, 900 loan had the option of
taking pay in bonds at figure between 90
and 70 cents, and many Of them took the
bonds These securities are now selling for
80 to %.
That transaction seems to throw light on
the future of the Atlanta and Florida,
when taken in connection with the bonus of
l ,0O0,0 900 acres in Florida ald l00.0 900 acres
between Fort Valley and Townsville.
The distance is about 125 miles from Fort
Valley to Townsville and 300 from there
to Tampa 1t is e timated that the road
can be built and equipped for $4,000 mile
and when completed would draw local bIsi-
ness from rich country on the west coast.
which is almost entirely without railroad
facilities. About two counties of that coup-
try the railroad would own.
Immense possibilities in steamship con-
nectiOus with Cuba and Central America
are opened u to the road by the harbor Of
Tampa. The work on the NIcaraguau canal
is now Icing vigorously pushed and PROM
ises to be completed in a few years. An
important line Of Pacific mail steamships
would tlen run from Tampa to California.
Tampa is about as near to Central America
as New Orleans, aud Atlanta merchant
would find themselves in direct communi-
cation with one of the richest countries in
the world. The trip from Tampa would
occupy about the sa ne time as That from
Savannah to New York.
The Cuban connection would be i'm
portant and in the event Of annexation of
that island would be invaluable
The proposition OF the Disstons is so recent
that the matter has not fully developed, but
it opens up matters and puts this Georgia
Construction Company in position 10 H.
mortalize itself.