The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-01
RESUMPTION OF RAILROAD
BUILDING IN FLORIDA
(E. w. Barber in Jackson (Mich.),
Patriot.)

Crooked Lake, Polk county. Fla,
FEB. 25-Southward progress by
steam and steel takes its way. Four
years ago the branch of the Atlantic
Coast Line railroad, which opened to
settlement the Crooked Lake region,
commenced running trains from Haines
City south to Sebring, forty-seven
miles. Haines City is on the main
line from Jacksonville to Tampa, lead
ing cities of Florida, with an interior
trade and an ocean traffic of large i'm.
portance, and growing steadily. Three
passenger trains pass each way be-
tween the two cities to accommodate
the travel.
| The Atlantic Coast Line, with 4,968
miles, is freely advertised as the
STANDARD Railroad of the South" has
paid regular dividends during the re-
cent business depression, and its stock
is quoted at about $115 on par value
of 500 a shart Its northern ter
minal is at Petersburg, Virginia,
where it connects with the Pennsyl
I.vania system. 1t furnishes quick
transportation For example, Friday
mornings New York American was
received here on Saturday evening.
The Office of the president, John r.
Henley, is at Wilmington North Car
DINA, but the chairman of its board
of directors, Henry Walters mil
lionaire, lives in New York city. Re-
Gently Mr.. Walters made a business
trip over this branch to Sebring.
Three winters ago officers of the
company. in private cars, enjoyed a
weeks outing at Crooked Lake, and
have always spoken of this location
in terms of warmest praise.
Mr.. Peasants, chief engineer of
the company, on being asked what
point he ceonsidred to be the most
desirable along the new road, placed
his finger on a map and said: Right
here, at the north end of Crooked
Lake" A member of it's engineer.
ing department Mr.. George Huskie is
the owner of 200 acres of land. sixty
acres Of which border upon the lake,
and corporation, composed of Of
ficers of the railroad company, has
bought over 100000 acres along and
near it's right of way-some of it ad.
joining the present plotted Crooked
Lake subdivision.
Atlantic Coast Line officials have
recently stated that this branch will
be extended from Sebring to Immo-
kalee, in Lee county, near the south.
ern short of Lake Okeechobee. which.
next to Lake Michigan, is the largest
body of water wholly within the
United States. ,Confirmatory of this
report is the statement made by Mr.
Walters in Sebring few weeks ago
that the board of directors have
planned to have trains running to
La Belle, fifty miles south of Sebring
within fifteen months.
La Belle is on the Caloosahatchie
river, which drains Okeechobee into
the Gulf of Mexico, and is well on
the Way to Cape Sable When this
line is built it will be the shortest
rail and water route, by more than
hundred miles, from our Atlantic
coast cities. as well as from the great
northern lakes, to Havana. Cuba. and
to the Panama canal.
The road will follow the central
ridge and beautiful lake section
known as the Scenic Highlands of
South Florida whereof the Crooked
AXE region is centrally located az
fording the highest land in this part
OF the State with freedom from ma.
laria and mosquitoes. and presenting
the finest natural scenery in the area
where Ponce de Leon sought the
fountain of youth and others have
named It the land of flowers.
crooked Lake is the largest BODY
OF water along the line until Okee.
chobee Is reached From the station
ere the lay of the land falls off to
'~er levels. - feet in the first sever.
Mes to Frostproof. but the ridge
'tted with lakes, extends some ff
an miles south of Sebring. 1t is no
aiming too much to say that it will
the leading orange and grapefruit
zion of Florida.
improvements made at Lake Wales,
Waverly, at Iron Mountain at
dundee and at Lake Hamilton with
ne many thrifty groves that have
been planted. indicate plainly that
TINS scenic ridge will in a few wears
present continuous line of citrus or.
chards from tIaines City south for
more than fifty miles. and these
healthy hills will produce fruit of the
finest quality.
mere are many land-hungry
people. In anticipation of a railroad
'hey plunge into the woods. build a