The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-08-04
A PROMOTER INTERVIEWED
cl;as. n. Seig Says Palatka Northern
Has Performed Wonders-Briqht
Prospects for Future
naveInnnnanf

On mis- return from Ocala to Chi
cago Mr.. Chas. H. Seig stopped over
fcr a while at the Seminole Hotel at
Jacksonville, and while there was in
stsrviewed by the Jacksonville Me
lopolis.
The following is. the full text of
the interview:
Charles H. Seig, president of the
New South Farm and Home Com
pany, says that the Palatka, Ocala
and Northern Railroad, now undergo
ing improvement, is a powerful fac
tor in the colonization of the territory
through which the rails are laid.
In speaking of the rapid advance
ment of this section of the state, Mr.
Seig said:
Though the hustling little city Of
Ocala has been always on the mo e,
and has made rapid advancement, it
has, as has the more thinly settled
towns between there and Jack son
vile, progressed wonderfully since
the project of the road was under
taken.
Burbank, the next station fror1
Ocala, has not only greatly grown in
population, but stores have been
erected, schools have been built in
which competent teachers will be
placed, and a general air of increas-
ing prosperity is in evidence already.
With such railroad facilities as are
being placed in effect, it is my opin-
ion that Orange Springs, a short AS
lance on the line, will soon become
one of the greatest inland health re-
sorts in the country.
Homeseekers Coming
at present the little station of
Kenwood has only one small store,
but the lands there are being gotten
into shape for the homeseekers, VINO
will soon start things moving Win
their accustomed energy. Kendle-
worth will be in evidence also by
JGnUdly y, dS we nave ODSilL lluCn IAil1O
in its improvement; and Rodman, the
saWmill town, will supply the lumber
for the many houses that will shortly
spring up with the growth of pOpula-
ton and the rapid influx of immi-
grants. 1t will also give employment
to same, and the timber industry will
soI 81 -, 70 e~4, 4rrr ND
progress.
opens Direct Line
"The Palatka, Ocala and Northern
Railroad opens up direct line from
Ocala, by Palatka, to Jacksonville,
thirty miles shorter than any othe"
route, which is a great advantage
railroad corporations The road also
gives advantage of both river and
ocean rates. With these facts in
view, the future of the growing towns
along the route is made more certain.
We have forty-eignt miles of ditching
completed along the road. and the
grading and elevation are the best
that could be constructed
Board of Trade Meets
Last Saturday night the first meet
ing of the board of trade, recently or
ganized there, was held at Burbank.
At this first meeting there were fifty
eight members present. All are anx-
ious to pull together for success, and
are willing to lend hand toward the
advancement of his neighbor This
spirit is a good one, and is most ap-
parent in the new settlers and 'bulid-
ers of cities.
cat the present time there are less
than three million acres of land un-
der cultivation in Florida, but the
percentage has increased wonderfully
within the last five years. Georgia
has about eight or ten million acres
of land under cultivation, and this
state is as large in area as the state
of Georgia. FLORIDA is about as large
as the state of New York, and tnere
are millions of acres of the best farm
ing lands now ready for the pillow.
Farmers Disappointed
"The appearance of Florida soil is,
in a way, handicap to its rapid dis
posal. The farmers from the west
and other agricultural sections are
sometimes disappointed at beholding,
instead of a soil of dark, rich color,
a soil of grayish color for the most
part, composed of sand and loan.
They do not realize that the rich
looking moist soil could not be Aound
in a dry climate, and that the soil
found here is by far the best adapted
to the general climate, and will give
greater results. Florida land is splen-
didly adapted to the agricultural pro-
ducts grown in the state
Renrz a developer
Mr.. Seig stated that the successful
development of this new part OF the