Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1922-10-19
FLORIDA DRIFTING APART.
State May Eventually Be Divided II
Agitation Continues.

There are two distinct Floridas,
North Florida and South Florida,
quite evenly divided as to territory,
and population, but widely divided
by interest, occupation, soil condl-
tions, industry and ideas of progress
siveness, says writer in the Dear
born Independent.
A line drawn across the State at
about latitude 20 degrees north, at
the narrowest part of the peninsula,
approximately divides the two sec
tions. To the north of this line lies
old Florida, with all it's ancient ira
ditions. To the south is that portion
of the State, the new Florida, burst
ing with energy, enterprising and
progressive and with Il great vision
Of the splendid empire 1t is rapidly
creating.
Agitation for State division OF
Florida has been more or less spo-
radio for Il number OF years, but it
has only been within the last two or
three years that there has been any
serious consideration of the subject.
The urge has occasionally come from
the State of Alabama itself, for that
State would very much like to have
a section that would give 1t few
more towns and cities and gulf coast
The Legislature OF Alabama is said
a. one time to have made IN appro-
priation to purchase the coveted ter
ritCry from Florida, but nothing has
ever come of the movement.
South Florida was practically an
unknown land previous 10 the begin
nings of the development undertaken
by Henry Il. Plant and Henry NJ
Flagier, the one creating n railroad
system that reached down into the
Southern section OF the State to
tampa and farther on, and the other
| building down the east coast OF the
State to miami and finally to Key
West. When it Is said that Florida
was an unknown section Of the coun-
try before the great empire builders
began their work, it is not meant
that State history had not been made.
But Florida began to be widely
known when railroads pushed their
enterprising way into South Florida.
Then ii was that the tide OF tourists
set in, first in driblets and then In
the nightly flood that now marks
levery Florida winter. Northern cap.
ital was chary of entering Florida
t:tii the railroads showed the way.
and then Northern men with money,
attracted by the possibilities of prof
it liz citrous fruit culture. began to
flock into that section.
Progress was slow; the fateful
years Of 1SS495 seemed to end 1t
forever in disastrous freezes that
wiped out the entire citrous fruit
industry and ruined thousands who
had put their all of years, money and
life, into their ventures.
But the great freeze as it Is
still referred to by old time residents,
was a blessing, though heavily dis
guised. Men sought other sections
where frost and cold could not
come and they found it or thought
they found it in the extreme southern
end OF the State. With the gradual
recovery from the freeze there came
a most wonderful development of the
entire southern section OF the State
land with it new birth to the sec Ion
that had been so badly used by the
frost.
After the year 1900 the people Of
the North discovered that there were
great possibilities in the soil Of
South Florida and from that time to
this there has been steadily in
creasing stream Of immigrants who
have settled on the rich lands OF the
southern portion Of the State. They
have built up magnificent towns and
cities, they have covered the section
acquired groves and gardens and
ranches; in brief, they have created
an empire.
II general consent should ulti-
mately be given to the division of the
/. State at about the line suggested,
North Florida would retain 35 coun-
ties with q population of about $780,
, 900, while South Florida would have
a State composed, as at present, OF
26 counties with a population approx
imating 100000. Both States would
have about the same area after such
q division as Is suggested.
The present assessed valuation Of
North Florida is somewhat in excess
, OF the valuation Of the other part OF
the State, but the difference II rap
. idly being made up by the growth OF
!. South Florida. In north Florida
!. there are nine daily newspapers with
, a combined circulation Of $4,000. In
South Florida there are 20 daily
newspapers. with a circulation OF