The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-21
by William Fremont Blackman, Phi.
D., LII. D., President of Rollins
College. Winter Park. Fla,
in Tamna Trihunol

D., LII. D.. President of Rollins
College. Winter Park, Fla.
in Tampa Tribune.)
The true frontiers Of American life
are now in the South, rather than
beyond the Mississippi. In the West
the lines are all ready for the most
part laid down along which future
development is likely to take place;
in the South, that development il
certain to be. in important respects.
a revolution rather than an evolu-
ticn.
What has been the central feature
and forces in the recent amazing de-
,elopment Of the North and West?
Why, this surely: the exploitation
and utilization Of the resources Of
nature through science. invention.
the use Of machinery. the combina-
,ion of capital, and the aggregation
and RECOMMENDATION of labor. And this
is what is to dominate infallibly in
the South also. Here are vast areas
Of rich land. scantily populated.
enormous resources within and be-
reath the soil, hardly touched as yet;
raw materials for the manufacturer
already immense and capable Of in
definite increase; numerous water
powers and other sources of energy,
almost wholly wasted hitherto; eli
rate in a high degree advantageous
for many forms Of industry: condi-
t,ons of life peculiarly favorable to
economy and to health. and numer
Gus deep water ports. either natural
Or artificial The astounding growth
of the South, and of the whole coun-
try as well, is seen in such facts as
these: In 1850 less than nine hun
dred thousand tons of pig iron were
produced in the United States, last
year the South alone produced more
than three million tons; then five
end three-quarter million tons of
tituminons coal were mined in
the whole country, last year the
South alone mined more than a hun
dred million tons; then, then, tho
whole country manufactured and
marketed less than one hundred mil
lions Of dollars worth of lumber pro.
duets, last year the lumber products
Of the South alone amounted to more
than four times that sum; hen, the
whole country produced a half mil
Ion barrels Of petroleum, last year
the South alone produced eighty-five
r llions of barrels; then, the rail.
way mileage of the entire country
vas something more than thirty
thousand miles. today the South
alone has nearly ninety thousand
miles, and the value of the cotton
foods manufactured in the South is
today almost precisely equal to that
Of the whole country forty years ago
The last federal census shows that in
the last three decades the value Oh
farm properties in the South in
creased by more than 300 percent:
the amount invested in manufacture
Ing increased near ten-fOld; while
the increase in bank deposits was
more than a thousand per cent And
while the population of the South as
whole has not increased SO rapidlv
rs that of the North owing to the
tendency Of immigrants to settle in
the cities of the North Atlantic sea-
board, or to betake themselves West.
ward. it should nevertheless not be
forgotten tina the State of Florida
increased her population between
the year 1860 and 1890 by a much
larger percentage than did the State
OF Understanding the phcnome.
nal city of Chicago; while during the
fve years following, that increase
was not less than forty per cent.
There is every reason to believe tina,
except for the calamity which befell
her at the time, and by which she
was almost completely Frustrated
and paralyzed, her population would
have Increased by at least eighty
per cent In that single decade-a
growth almost unparalleled.
II were asked where in America
today the young man can invest h,s
resources Of brain, Drawn and nurae
bis hearts blood and his PRAYERS
with expectation of the largest and
most varied ultimate return. {,
should unhesitatingly say, I'm tho
South, in Florida"
And what of the future:
Permit me to remind you that
am no newcomer, intoxicated by tn,
lid air, the blue sky, the nnvontet
md delicious fragrance Of orang,
blossoms. the mad ioy of m,tin.