Transcript:
CIRCUIT COURT APPEALED TO BY PROPERTY OWNERS
TERRITORY EMBRACES OVER 45,000 ACRES AND EXTENDS FROM INDIAN SPRINGS TO THE ST. JOHNS RIVER.
A few days ago a petition was [filed] with the clerk of the circuit court of Volusia county praying for incorporation of a drainage district under an act of the 1913 legislature. The proposed drainage district will be known and is described as the “Lake Ashby Drainage District,” and contains a little more than 45,000 acres, extending from a [ ] north of Briggsville and Indian Springs on the Orange City branch of the Florida East Coast railroad [in]ward around Lake Ashby and the St. Johns river. It contains [ ] large holdings of the Indian Springs Land Company, the Florida [Land] company, the Gould-Wooten [Real]ty company, K. B. Osteen and numerous other individual owners.
Several months ago B. H. Wilson [ ]eral sales agent for the Indian Springs Land company, and who is in charge of their general offices in the city, began working on this immense project. He has been fortunate in obtaining the assistance and co-operation of such able men as [ ] Vans Agnew, Geo. B. Hills and [ ]. Mr. Vans Agnew is senior member of the law firm of Vans Agnew & Crawford of Jacksonville [and ] Kissimmee. Mr. Hills was formerly connected with the Everglades [drain]age commission and is now in charge of the Florida office of the [ ], Randolph Engineering company. He has had many years successful experience in drainage engineering work. Mr. Vans Agnew [is re]garded as one of the best attorneys in the state.
[In ] this work Mr. Wilson also [ ] the endorsement and co-operation of the Briggsville Growers\’ association, and J. M. Watters, president of that association, as well as [the] executive committee, have rendered valuable assistance.
The petition has been circulated among the land owners and has been [sign]ed by practically every resident owner in the district, and many non-resident owners; in fact only two persons to whom this petition was presented have refused to sign, and neither of these live in the district.
The men who have been most active in this work expect the decree incorporating the drainage district to be granted and that actual construction work on the drainage system will begin by January 1, 1916. After the district has been incorporated, the land owners will meet to elect three men from among themselves, who will have power to [create] bonds and carry on the work [of] drainage according to plans of a competent engineer. It is Mr. [Hill]’s opinion, based upon his experience with similar projects, that to thoroughly drain these lands will cost an average of about $5 per [acre], but as the payments will be distributed over a period of 30 years no property owner will feel a burden. Under this drainage law each tract of land will be accessed in proportion to the benefits it will receive, and should any land be damaged by having ditches cut through it or otherwise, such damage will be paid for. [Any] benefits and damages will be accessed by three disinterested men, who are to be appointed by the judge of the circuit court.
This drainage district is one of the biggest projects that has been undertaken in this section for a long time. Men who are well informed on land values agree that the [lands] in this district are among the [best] in the state for citrus fruits and truck growing, as well as general farming and stock raising. No [doubt ] even before the drainage work is completed there will be scores of new settlers improving these lands [and] that the value of all lands within the district will be much higher than at present. Indian Springs, Alamana and Kalamazoo will feel the benefits of the drainage and the [ ] of population and become thriving little cities within a few years.
Several thousands of acres within the district have been sold in small [tracts by] the Indian Springs Land company and the Florida Land company at low prices and upon easy terms. The men who have had the forethought to buy lands in this district will be in position to reap the benefit of their judgment as soon as the actual work of drainage is completed.
Mr. Wilson, Mr. Watters and the executive committee of the Briggsville Grower\’s association have done the preliminary work on this project at considerable expense to themselves, both in time and money, and they express themselves as being determined to keep on the job every minute until the district is duly incorporated and its affairs turned over to the land owners and the men whom these land owners may elect to carry out the work.