The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1902-02-28
Gov. Jennings on Florida's
Past, Present and Future.



L the twentieth anniversary mum
ter Of the Manufacturers Record
Governor Jennings writes as follow
OF Florida and her future:
Twenty years ago, had someone dip
ped his pen into Imagination ant
written, a. aprophecy, the half tina
has actually been accomplished in
Florida in the past two decades, he
would have been called "a dreamer o
dreams too Wild to be even entertain
ing.
TO predict the future, let IL look
into th- past. Twenty years ago the
state had little more than three hun
dred miles Of railway and its rivers a
means Of transportation and CONF
munication; To day il has over $500
miles Of railway Twenty years ago
II had population Of 269,4a souls;
now there are 525.6s9 people i'm
Florida. The property Of the state
twenty years ago was valued at about
81, 0rn, 600; to day it l. over $500, o3D,-
u00 in value.
Twenty years ago there were less
than a dozen banks in the state, with
about S45o,oo capital; now there are
upwards of forty banks with a capital
Of S3,ouo, 600 and deposits aggregating
Sll,oeo,0uo.
Twenty years ago the middle and
lower peninsula was almost an I'M
broken wilderness; to-day railroads
and steamboats, penetrate almost
every quarter, and thousands Of bust
ness workers are adding new miles Of
rails to the roads already built, while
new rails.land improved waterway
are reaching Out'iinto new territory. /
The wilderness Of twenty years ago is |
dotted over with thriving villages, |
beautiful farms and groves, and the 1
happy homes of a prosperous, content
ed people. J
This is only part of the growth of
twenty years. Who can with any
certainty predict the future of the
state? 1t has for its known resources
inexhaustible beds of phosphate, I'M
mense deposit of kaOlin clay and full
lers-earth, with beds of cement, the
areas of which are yet only cOnjec-
tured while iron and other metals and
are known to exist in guam
titles. but have not yet been eXamin-
ed TO determine their extent. What
Is known to exist but suggests the ex-
istance..of equally, if not more, valus-
bic treasures hidden away in the
earth.
The streams and waters in and ,
around the state TEEN with fish in !
endless variety, oysters, shrimp, giant I
crawfish and sponge-illimitable |
wealth for the taking, while the for 9
ests hold fortunes in their billions of :
eet of lumber and their immense r
quantities of naval stores. Every Sec i
ion of the state can show its streams +
md great springs, exhaustless and I'M G
imitsble power for manufactures Of
very description, or the generation
II electricity for lighting purposes, for .
irving machinery or for Transporter
ion. All these things are at the door u
My waiting the moment to spring y
nto active being. -
The experience Of the past has u
hadowed forth the future, and q few
ears will see Florida producing mill :.
ons Of pounds OF sugar, her rice will !.
e in every market, her cigars will be ~
be Joy of sll lovers OF fine tobacco,
er fruit will be known and appre- "
lated by all, and her vegetables will C
apply the wants Of lees-fsvored sec. -
ons, while her fish and oysters will ia
Zach every hamlet In the land. These :"
re the products Florida can promise %
ON her land and her water, but os
lese are not all. or
We are getting q glimpse into the ha
Iture through the opening door of the