The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-12-03
WHO BUTT TEE FLORIDA RAILROADS.
70 he Isditor 81 the hammer.

To the Isditor Of the Banner
Forty-three years ago the sound of |
a locomotive whistle had never teen
heard in the state, and the state had |
over 100000 acres OF internal inn
provement land. Now there are lots
of railroads, but there is little or none
of these lands on hand. The trustees
of the internal improvement fund in
1855 were authorized by the legisla-
ture to guarantee four different rail-
road companies III the state percent.
interest ON their bonds to the amount
of $4,000 per mile, and the trustees
also endorsed the bonds amounting to
81, 597 600. The companies operating
these roads failed even 10 pay the
sinking fund of per cent. annually,
much less the S250,00O interest due on
the bonds, and as the state was re-
sponsibIe for both principal and inter-
est, she seized and sold these four roads
in the years lS67-Gs, thereby cancel
ling $3.50 600 Of bonds, but leaving
still on hand S722, 0o0, With large in
ierest account sin unpaid. The state
or board continued paying the per
cent. interest, amounting TO over
$4,000 year, from the date of sale Of
these roads till the sale of 100000
acres of land for 81 ,N0,oo0 was made
TO the Distons.
These roads cos the state $4,000 in
cash per mile is well as one-ninth Of
the entire area Of the state. The
comptroller for the year 1895 says there
are forIy.ive different railroad lines
lincluding stree, railroads In the state
with a total mileage Of ., S62 miles and
an assC ssed value, including rolling
stock, side tracks, etc, Of Sl700, 900
Some OF these roads are assessed Al
81 Go0 per mile, while the large roGd,
are assessed rs high As s. ,0a9 per mia.
The K. G.. x +. in Marion county is a.
sesstd for SIS, 600, Tie E. =. for $25a,
coo, and the S. = o. & &. for S3p5, nN
OF a total of S7i0,000.
The Commissioner Of Agrieultur,
D says the Florida Southern railroad Ina:
{ built 2S2 miles of road and the state
: has decided it for building this r"aC
( 2,SS2, 900 acres Of land, and that there
is still due 30i 900 acres, or total o
S,lS3, 900 acres, more than one Twelfth
!. of the area Of the state, or as large {
piece Of land rs Marion and Alachus
|, COUNTIES combined. The Pensacola
Atlantic railIoad, for its l6l miles o
road built. has been granted 10y th'
state !, 2220,O00 acres, @O,000 acres PEI
{ mile, one twelfth of tile entire area o
: the state. The ). $. 0 c. railroad
L gets for It's sixty-five miles 65l ,00'
y acres. Nearly ali the other roads have
y also received favors in the shape 0
land grants, and, including the 1900,
!. 600 acres Of the DistOn pur
o chase as the proceeds of this went t,
! the railroads. the state has given I,
e the railroad companies nearly $4,000,
= 600 acres. Of land, over two-fifths o
the entire area, amounting 10 as much
or nearly 50, as forty acres of land tt
. each and every soul in this state; ant
as but one in every ten of its people
pay real estate taxes the property own
= crs have given away one half of a sec
: ton Of land a piece to the railroads
Pray tell us who built these roads anC
where does George w. Wilson come
e in? And as there are more land.
i granted than We have how will tht
s balance Of the state be improved by
:. the building OF new roads? L.