The Washington herald., 1908-03-03

immediate neighborhood for establishing
poultry culture and keeping the good
silver within the State.
Since FiagleT's railroad has threaded 15s
miles Of the southeastern morasses and
bridged its way over the keys for seventy
five miles out toward Cuba. there is
every reason 70 believe that the reclana-
tion Of the everglades and swamps will
be followed by a system OF railways that
fear no foes IN the shape OF water and
mud, but with steam shovel ahead OF
them that win lead a semt-aquatic life
viii penetrate the innermOst recesses OF
the mysterious peninsula In 1850 the
total trackage in Florida. including sid
ings. was hardly 800 miles. Now there
are approximately $500 miles. Vast areas
Of the State lands have been granted
railway companies. who have thus as
sisted materially in building up the State
This big, half unknown land as large as
Al Rev England. was laid out in town.
ships in 1876 and one-Sixteenth, 100000
acres in al, was SET aside for school pur-
poses. So far is the State from being
well settled that there are said TO be al
least loo townships that have never yet
been surveyed
When people note the amount Of school
land Florida possesses and discover the
size Of her school fund. and then see
how high is the state perceB age Of ilIIt-
eracy, they are prone 10 be critical They
I overlook the fact that Florida's school
I population is only three 10 every square
/ mile. making the establishment Of schools
a problem hard 10 solve; yet the schools
manage 70 average ninety-foUr days
year. The negro. biinorcan and Indian
population lower the percentage. nearly
( half the school population being negro
/ and Indian Within the past two years
/ the consolidation OF several OF the higher
/ institutions OF learning into State uni
versities for men and women have ma
\ terially raised the standard OF higher
/ education
The history OF the State has been a
+ Icheckered and romantic one The prop
erty Of Spain. it was settled at St Au-
gustine in 1565. after Menendez had
massacred the French Huguenot settle
nnent OF Landowners. made at Fort Caro-
/ line in 1854 Other nations had an eye OF
the hOwery land. and in I5S6 that sea
rover. Sir Francis Drake. pushed MS
English pinnaces up the river and sent
terror for a while into the Spanish souls
In T102 Gov Moore. Of the English prov
ince OF South Carolina, made an unsuc-
ceSsful attempt TO dislodge the Spanish
from Florida. and in 1740 Gov. Oglethorpe,
Of Georgia. made a similarly unsuccess-
ful attempt From thai time on Florida
was only pawn on the big chessboard
OF the nations IN 1853. at the close OF
the French and Indian war. when spain
] wa N all 70 -
Great Britain IN exchange for Havana,
which had been captured by AIbemarle.
Florida became intensely Loyal, burned
Hancock and Adams in efhgy when the
news Of the Declaration OF Independence
( reached ST. Augustine. and became a
refugee for royalists when the war was
over
In 17S3 England returned Florida and
West Florida to Spain in exchange Tor. the
Bahamas. and the English population OF
$500 was invited TO leave within eighteen
months In 1913 part OF West Florida was
taken by the United States. fearing il
would become a vantage ground fO-
England in the var then waging, but in
1919 this territory was again given back
10 Spain Spain could not keep the IN
gan negotiations and in 1873 Spain re-
lluctantly signed a treaty ceding 4Florida
10 the United States for S5,0oe.009 and pos
session was formally given in ISZ1
| 1t Was the western part OF the present
State Of Florida that first looked toward
union with the United States. That part
lying west Of the Perdido was in dispute
between France and spain IN lSl3. and
wishing some definite master. the Baton
Rouge district declared its independence
in $50. called itself the Republic OF West
Florida ard asked admission to the
Union. However. II was annexed 20
Louisiana in months tine. and settled
down 10 cOntentnent and prosperity. IN
lS45 President Tyler signed the bin ad-
Uniting all Florida as a State and with
the interruption OF the civil war. Florida
has gone about the task Of developing
her resources and qualifying herself for
high rank among the States.
l tTO-unOrrOyn--f~ha f~haucTuc Tnam-u-.T nafa