The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-19

Gulf railroad. from Inverness TO Juliette.
The old orange Belt road marrow suagel'
now the Sanford and -. petersburg rail-
road, the gauge OF which j. now Efiened
from Trilby 10 the gulf coast, and the
Florida Southern railroad, from Palatka
and Gainesville. all Of these roads also be-
ing desirable feeders 20 the West Coast
Line While the country is not - hilly.
nor as rocky as that through which the
Cincinnati Southern railway vas built,
the Plant system is nov engaged IN a s-I1-
liar work OF building up new industries
all along the line. The ohio people opened
up q Wild country with their great road.
ana instantly, as IL were, az ali desirable
points coal mines and IRON mines We're
opened, furnaces put in blast and rolling
mills erected. Then came saw mills, rae
tories, etc. around which new towns and
settlements were soon gathered.
The phosphate "craze" Of a few years
ago sought out many rich deposits of
phosphate, all through the section lying be-
tween Lakeland and High Springs, and
the south Florida division Of the Plant
system promptly extended its lines to meet
the new and rapidly Increasing demand
lor ample transportation. To a person
unfamiliar with phosphate mining, this
sectlon OF Florida presents most inter
esllns study. It is just now an industrial
region where the fragrance Of the orange
blossom IS not abroad in the air. and the
earth wears no bright carpet of green,
out the dust of the mill and the mine is
Although the phosphate business has
suffered backset, / noticed all along the
I
the erection OF several new plants of an
extensive and costly character. Most of
me mines are quiet now and the works
nHed with large quantities of phosphate
being held for better prices Old mines
and new ones are everywhere to be seen. 4
as well as the big gulches left by prospec-
tors VINO tailed TO find paying vein, and
TINS gives the face Of the earth a torn
and unattractive appearance. A revival
OF the phosphate industry in the future
will make all that section a veritable hive
OF industry, as the turpentine stills and
big saw mills are rapidly. multiplying all
the way from Lakeland to WaycrOss. And
with these come new towns and flourish
ing settlements. OF course, the houses are
small in most cases and cheaply construct
ed, yet the families are there and COM
munity established that must be fed,
clothed and given employment, and this
creates a general business activity.
While the phosphate industry takes a
rest many of the unemployed find work
in the many new saw mills and turpentine
stills starting up, as well as with the
Plant system, in its extensive improve
ments all through that section At Trilby
large area of ground has been graded
and many side tracks laid, as well as new
buildings erected. This is also true of
High Springs, where extensive improve
ments are being made. General Superin-
tendent Durham and Engineer Morton
were here yesterday and rumor said shops
are 10 be located there at an early day
Tor the repair work. Larger and hand
SOmer buildings have been erected by the
settlers there than in any other place on
in the future
Juliette "a twin town to Romeo, not
far distanD, Newberry. Fitzgerald, and
Fort White show signs of a steady and
encouraging growth, while Trilby, despite
her name, is spreading her skirts and
dancing ahead to the tune of "Modern I'm
pToVements. New depots are scattered
all along, but the most attractive of them
all is the snowy and artistic stone depot
elegantly adorned with wooden trim
mings, at Suwanee Springs station, where
Col. Andrew Hanley's street car line to
his hotel connects withsthe Plant system.
Broad and long plank platforms have also
been laid all around this depot and pas
sengers remarked that the whole lay
out showed that somebody was behind
IT, with both money and a generous pub
lie spirit. II will prove good advertise
ment for this famous health resort
While there is little fruit growing in the
immediate vicinity Of the West Coast line
in some sections, was glad to see a great
deal Of new land being put into excellent
cultivation, and indication that farming
Will become feature of this newly opened
country and supply fresh farm products
to the thousands Of husy workers in mills
and mines and turpeutine stills. As the
lands are denuded OF their timber for the
saw mills the husbandmen can find ample
scope for the cultivation of good marketa-
bic crops.
lnclosing I must not forget to state that
all along the main lire can be seen spur
tracks out to phosphate mines, saw mills
or turpentine still, some of the spurs being
several miles long. Then there are branch
roads TO Sanford, to ST. Petersburgh, to
Punta Gorda, to Hofnosassa, to Palatka,
to Ocala, to Gainesville and to Lake City
and all this gives the line a good share Of
local passenger traffic. However, It is not
the passenger traffic that is to build up this
line for it is bound to become one of the
most profitable freight roads i'm the state.
The lumber, crosstie timber and naval
stores business is growing to vast proper
tions. and with the return of prosperity in
the phosphate works, will test the road
fullest carrying capacity. Just now the
activity along the line in new enterprises
and Improvements is growing a great boon
to hundreds of men who were thrown out
of work by the freeze and the suspension
for a time of phosphate mining.