The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-07-13
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT or
OUR INLAND WATERWAYS.
Easy of Observation-Disclosures
vost Discusses Them Most interest
IngIy--Helleves All Inland Towns Of
Peninsula Florida Can Be Brought
into Communication by Water-Fu-
ture Of Great Offers
Some Ideas.


mail ana orally, so often as to my
opinion about Crosby Thompson's and
his Cleveland associates Mid-Peninsu-
lar Canal, that am asking to answer,
In this open letter through your col
umns. Anyone interested who will
study a map of the peninsula of Flor
ida, will see that this easily practical
and economic of construction water
ways will be one of the greatest trans
portation blessings to the entire
peninsular portion of Florida, possible
Of construction.
But recently have been up to Lake
Eloise and seen the powfully con-
structed dredge that Mr.. Thompson's
people have built and launched, and
this dredge and it's complement of
barges and tugboat will do the work
rapidly and economically, and thor
oughly. have also seen the engineers
reports and notes of the survey and
have been over the entire located
route. from Winter Haven to Crooked
Lake, and this canal will drain and re-
claim thousands of acres of the very
finest truck and sugar lands, and give
immediate and cheapest possible
transportation to the highest, health
lest and most successful fruitgrowing
country in Florida. With lateral, or
side bitches into the many deep lakes
on either side of the canal proper, the
entire high lands of the backbone of
Florida will be converted into a pub
lie waterway transportation, and the
millions of feet of splendid yellow
pine timber, with its naval stores, and
lumber will be at once available and
those beautiful, wholesome, healthful
hills, and glorious lake fronts, happy
homes, fruitful orchards and profita-
BILE farms, will obtain everywhere and
this peninsula will support popula-
tion Of millions of contented, catchy,
prosperous people.
I. Do you realize how easy 1t will be
for Crosby Thompson's people to dig
a canal from Winter Haven through
the lakes to the Combee Springs, the
head OF the Hillsboro river, and down
that stream to the gulf, where his
company own terminal? If you do
you know what that will spell for
Tampa.
And then to return to Combee
Springs and dig down the Palatlacaha
creek into Lake Harris, and then by
the Ocklawaha river to the st. Johns
and Jacksonville. And then to come
back and cut in again at Crooked
lake and dig on south via Avon Park
and Carter's lake and Lake Jackson
and Istopaga and into Okeechobee, and
the Caloosahatchie. Did you ever
think what such a waterway-with
passenger boats and auto boats and
house boats and freighters would
mean for Peninsular Florida? and
with hotels and game preserves en-
route? The Riviera, and everywhere
else out Of doors, would not be in it.
Then IL Governor Broward does cut
his canal from Okeechobee into the
Atlantic, we would have a canal up
and down and across the Peninsula,
and such waterway would open up
to settlement the very best portion
of the entire United States. and as
a business proposition the canal COM
pany's stock-well, none of it would
be for sale. The entire state of Flor
Ida would be eternally benefited by
this canal-Tampa, Plant City, Lake
land. Barlow. Winter Haven, Auburn
dale, Haines City, Clearmont, Lees.
burg, Eustis, Yalaha. Ocala, Palatka
and Jacksonville. How all of these
towns and cities would grow and pros
per, and how easily every kind of
freight and passengers would be car
ried by all-water transportation to
everywhere!
Let us have this all-water route. Let
us remember, too. that every town
everywhere that has water transporta-
ton has low railroad rates, and there
is not on this earth town with de-
sirable environments and water but
what has. or Is rapidly developing
into a city. So let us all in every pos
sible way. help. and help Crosby
Thompson to build or dig his canal.
and each and all OF us will benefit
materially thereby, and every genera
tion of Floridians for all of the on
coming centuries will be glad of our
inland waterway, and the day will
soon be when party in any or every
city and town In Florida, can. in an
auto boat, or house boat. visit every
other town in this glorious Peninsula.
and as good as life is now, the future
days in Florida will be more compan-
ionable and better. And the railroad
commissioners? Why, they can rest.
Yours for the canal-Albertus
vogt. In Barlow Courier-Informant
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