The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-19

Sanford anad 80 miles below Jack
sonville. and also to canalize the Ca
loosahatchee river. the outlet Of Okee-
chobee. which IL navigable from the
gulf to Fort Myers. a distance CT
about fifteen miles as the crow fites,
and twice that distance by. water.
But q proposition of that kind In
volved at that time heavy outlay of
capital, and there was no great prom
ise Of business sufficient to provide a
reasonable return upon tho invest
ment. The engineers pronounced the
plan perfectly feasible, and predicted
that some day It would be adopted. so
that there would be interior water
communication from Jacksonville to
the mouth OF the Caloosahatchee river.
with the exception Of short railw ~
which would bridge the distance be-
tween Sanford and Kissimmee. about
twenty miles. Today this prediction
is likely speedily to be fulfilled.
With the temporary abandonment #
this plan by its original promoters,
Florida seemed to sleep for some years.
Then Henry M. F1agler conceived and
put under way the unique and very
daring plan Of skirting the eastern
coast line Of Florida with a railroad,
and continuing 1t over the keys until
at last q true terminal would be
reached at or near Key West, and
thence by overnight ocean ferry to
Havana Railway capital was also Sc
cured for the construction OF the west
coast line to Tampa. Following the
building Of these two roads came one
Of the best demonstrations we have
had in the east Of the truth that is IN
the saying, Trade follows the tracks"
Tho New Railroads.
Now an era which is sure to bring
large and perhaps extensive railway
building in southern Florida has
opened. The eyes Of capital, Of rail-
way leaders and Of farmers are upon
the rich lands which border Lake
Okeechobee. Adequate drainage will
make these lands as fertile as any
that are irrigated by the Nile. With
rapid refrigerator transportation the
fruits and vegetables harvested from
these lands in mid-winter and early
spring may be brought within thirty
six or forty eight hours at the utmost
to the great markets OF the north.
Within two weeks southern capital,
part Of 1t from Louisiana and part Of
1t from Florida, will have united In an
organization which purposes to con-
| struct trans-peninsular railroad
| running from Tampa, on the Gulf, TO
Miami on the Atlantic coast, a straight :
away distance Of about two hundred
miles, touching somewhere within
| easy reach Of the states great inte-
rior lake, Okeechobee. What will the
remnants OF the Seminole Indians do
when they see that the seclusion
| which they have SO long maintained
in the Everglades Of Florida is to be
lost to them? This project, however.
Is not regarded at present as Of as
much consequence (although ultimate
lily It may be Of greater) as IL the con-
struct1on Of new electric railroad
which Is to run from Fort Myers to
| ?unIarassa. at the mouth Of the Ca
Iloosahatchee, and also from Fort My
ers to Lake Okeechobee, ultimately to
! swing around the southern border of
the lake and across the Everglades to
Palm Beach.
This electric railroad has been
financed by capitalists Of BIRMINGHAM
Ala The road is now being surveyed
The engineers report that they have
found practicable survey. and that
the road can be constructed at a very
reasonable cost; the chief engineering
difficulties met with are those occa
stoned by the swampy nature of some
of the ground. The road is to be
completed within two years. time. So
great has been the recent interior de-
velopment Of southern Florida, how
ever, that instead Of continuing the
railroad from Lake Okeechobee &C
Palm Beach it may be thought the
better plan to transfer passengers &c
a steamboat upon the lake which will
be able to sail by the recently bull
canal that runs from the lake to the
Atlantic coast, near Palm Beach
That, however. is detail to be de-
cided hereafter.
With the electric road and with the
contemplated trans-peninsular railroa
running between Tampa on the Gull
and Miami on the Atlantic coast, and
with the very great improvements the
government Is now making upon the
upper Caloosahatchee river, dredgins
1t to an average depth Of nine fee
from Fort Myers the head of natura
navigation, to Lake Okeechobee, south
ern Florida should, within the mex
Nv Ss~& - No SAAARpoA WILL duCQkdts
transportation.
From the economic and social poin
Of view. this development Of Florida
is worthy Of Special consideration
More than any other state Of the
south 1t will owe its progress and it.
increase in population to immigration
from the north and from the west
Some have thought that the climatic
conditions are somewhat enervating
especially In southern Florida Tour.
lists have sometimes complained tina
they nnd the air too humid, somewhat
like the dog-days Of late summer II
the north. But statistics gathered b,
the Florida authorities tend to show
that the climate must be very health
ful, for the death rate, except amons
some Of the descendants Of those wht
lived in Florida long before the civi
war, is shown to be as low, relativel,
/ speaking. as anywhere In the Unitet
States.
Few persons realize that Florida Is
in area, one Of the largest Of tn,
states Of the Union; and it is one O
the evidences OF the sincerity will
which its citizens are developing tn,
resources Of the state that they hav,
relied chiefly upon their own capita