The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-05-21

friends to name one act of national
thor.
The speaker then took up the water
way question. He was at home here. /
for he began his life the deck of a
steamer at work on the jetties of the
St. Johns river in 1881. and graduated
as master of a ship He said he knew
it from stem to keel, could build it and
run it. Had traverSed the coast of
Florida and knew it in the dark. He
was one maa that Senator Taliaferro
would not meet to discuss the water
way subject, il affected the COM
mercial interests of the state and ma
ton. He had made this important and
far-reaching question study and
without disparagement he knew more
about this subject than all Congress
combined, excepting Senator Burton of
Ohio, who for years was chairman of
the waterway committee of Congress.
If he went to Congress he wanted TO
do something for his state and the ma
ton. It was to complete the internal
waterway or canal system from Bos-
ton to Mexico. When he mentioned
this formidable proposition. many peo-
pie We're ready to explain Broward got
the same thing about the Everglades
and every one of them has since jump
ed onto the canal barge and shouted
its a great thing.
Well. he said. let's see how crazy
Broward is about this canal scheme.
| He said Florida had built loo miles OF
this canal. and he made the contractor
complete the canal from st. Augustine
to the st. Johns river and refused to
! sign the bill giving him and his com
| pany 214,000 acres of land for said
/ stretch He did veto the bill and then
| the contractor came 10 time. Why, he
| said. between Jacksonville and Boston
! there is only twenty miles of canal to
! build to make the course complete.
| Would this bankrupt the nation. Take
| it on the west coast. twenty miles to
| bring it into Appalachicola, twelve
miles of shallow water to Pensacola,
twenty miles beyond Mobile and about
! the same amount of mileage to Calves
| ton One-third of this canal system
would be in Florida. All Of this is in
expensive work. compared TO the av-
! erage dredging. And yet. he said. I am
told it would bankrupt the govern
ment. And what would this canal wa
terway do. 1t would open up ten
| thousand farms TO our people to pro-
mote the progress and development OF
the country 1t would open up timber
lands almost inaccessible because Of
! expense TO get at them This canal
/ will connect every river and harbor
on the Atlantic and Gulf coast. You
can load your barEes at Tirtshurg and
Birmingham and float them 10 Key
West Of jacksonville. Il i wonder
full story was told by Rroward. 80 con-
vincing. that he made converts by the
dozen.
He then took up the matter OF coun-
y industrial high schools. aided by
the national government. where our
sons could learn from scientific teach
ers what the soil Of every county need
ed 10 make il complete in producin z
crops He said sixty per cent Of all
fertilizers used in this county was
wasted because those who used il did
not know the qualities Of the soil
what it was adapted for and how much
or how little to use. As all wealth
comes from the soil. such institutions
would in = short time return 10 the ma
ton all the money spent for such
I schools.
! The crowd heard the ex-governor
with pleasure and he made good i'm
preston. Following l. what the Ian
I uer said about his speech:
We have heard great many
; speeches in our day. but we must
candiuly confess that for demagogue.
; ry in the raw this one topped any