378 . 



FLORIDA. 



FLOYD, SALLY B. 



continuous natural landlocked water route, by 

 means of tidal sounds, bays, and connecting 

 streams, requiring improvement by dredging in 

 some places, but only a comparatively short 

 aggregate length of solid cutting. The selec- 

 tion of a terminal point to the eastward of St. 

 Mark's would render the connection with this 

 western branch to the Mississippi less direct. 



The chief object that would be attained by 

 this canal is barge transportation for the grain 

 and cotton of the Mississippi Valley, and a por- 

 tion of the cotton, timber, and lumber of the 

 Gulf States, to some suitable harbor on the At- 

 lantic coast for reshipment to foreign and do- 

 mestic markets. 



The needed supply of water for the summit 

 level of the canal and the service of its two 

 locks, and for all the various losses incidental 

 to such works, is expected to be drawn from 

 the Okefenokee Swamp. 



A straight line, measured on the map, from 

 the mouth of St. Mary's to St. Mark's, has a 

 length of about one hundred and sixty-five 

 miles. By taking advantage of the natural 

 watercourses in proximity to that line, which 

 are either navigable or can presumably be 

 made so by slack- water dams for the largest 

 class of barges destined to pass the canal, the 

 length will of course be augmented. 



The total length of St. Mary's River, from 

 its mouth to Ellicott's Mound, where the head 

 of one of its branches is found, is about one 

 hundred miles. 



The feasibility of a sliip-canal for large ocean- 

 going vessels, that shall connect the St. Mary's 

 River with the Gulf of Mexico through Oke- 

 fenokee Swamp, is more uncertain than that of 

 the barge-canal above mentioned. The project 

 must provide for a suitable harbor at each ter- 

 minus of the line. On the Atlantic this could 

 possibly be accomplished by the enlargement 

 for ships of the existing inside passage between 

 St. Mary's River and Brunswick, making this 

 point the shipping port. On the Gulf side the 

 choice would probably have to be made be- 

 tween St. Mark's and Cedar Keys, as they are 

 the only harbors at all near the direct line pos- 

 sessing sufficient natural depth of water ap- 

 proach to encourage any attetnpt to enlarge 

 them to the required capacity by the construc- 

 tion of artificial works. On the St. Mark's bar 

 there is a depth of eight feet and on the Ce- 

 dar Keys bar a depth of nine feet at mean low 

 water. If St. Mark's should be selected for 

 the Gulf terminus, the general location of the 

 route would probably not vary greatly from 

 that of the barge line ; while if it should run 

 to Cedar Keys, the Suwanee River, from the 

 western end of the summit-level division to 

 some point near its mouth, would most likely 

 form a part of it. It was estimated that such 

 a work would shorten the navigable distance 

 to Europe and coastwise, in respect to the 

 commerce of the Mississippi and the Gulf of 

 Mexico, nearly eight hundred miles, and that 

 the commercial advantages would be very 



great. A company sustained by French capi- 

 tal was investigating the work. 



The number of Indians in Florida is about 

 300, divided into four bands or c;imps. About 

 one third are Creeks, the remainder Seminoles. 

 They avoid all intercourse with the whites, are 

 no expense to the Government, and are opposed 

 to any closer relationship to the inhabitants. 



Some discussion on the subject of emigration 

 took place among the colored people of Leon 

 County in October, but no movement followed. 



The Florida school system comprises the fol- 

 lowing officers : 



Superintendent of Public Instruction ; State 

 Board of Education ; County Superintendents; 

 County Boards of Public Instruction; School 

 Trustees. Seminaries : East Florida Seminary, 

 Gainesville ; West Florida Seminary, Tallahas- 

 see. These institutions were established for 

 the purpose of training persons in the art of 

 teaching. School age, between six and twenty- 

 one ; attendance, voluntary. 



The Superintendent of Public Instruction is 

 appointed by the Governor for a term of four 

 years ; is President of the Board of Education, 

 etc. 



The State Board of Education consists of the 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Sec- 

 retary of State, and the Attorney-General; has 

 charge of all lands and public educational funds 

 belonging to the State, etc. 



The County Board of Public Instruction con- 

 sists of from three to five members, appointed 

 by the State Board of Education, who bold 

 office for four years. They receive, pay out, 

 and account for school moneys ; build or oth- 

 erwise provide schoolhouses, employ teachers, 

 etc. 



The County Superintendent of Schools is ap- 

 pointed for two years by the Governor ; visits 

 and inspects schools at least once in every three 

 months ; is secretary and agent of the Board of 

 Public Instruction ; makes annual statistical re- 

 ports to the State Superintendent, etc. 



School trustees are appointed for four years 

 by the County Board of. Public Instruction on 

 the recommendation of the patrons. They rec- 

 ommend parties to be employed as teachers to 

 the County Board, and have charge and over- 

 sight of the building, grounds, and other prop- 

 erty belonging to the school for which they are 

 appointed. 



Statistic*. 187(5. School days in the year, average 106 



County Superintendents 



Schoolhouses C?4 



Number of teachers 970 



Enumeration of children 87.751) 



Enrollment in schools 81,188 



School fund $243.500 00 



Addition to fund during the year 8,800 09 



Value of school property HG,b34 50 



REVENUE FOR THE YEAR. 



Interest on the common-school fund $17,9fi2 03 



State tax 80.889 15 



Local tax 119,751 88 



FLOYD, SALLY BUCHANAN, born in 1802, 

 died in Abingdon, Va., May 7, 1879. She was 

 the widow of the late General and Governor 



