Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull (March 9, 1915)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull (March 9, 1915)
Alternative Title
Chase Correspondence (March 9, 1915)
Subject
Sanford (Fla.)
Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941
Roads--Florida
Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)
Description
An original letter of correspondence between Sydney Octavius Chase and Landis, Fish & Hull. Topics discussed in the letter include the County Commissioners' meeting on March 8th, George A. DeCottes' legal advice, and disagreements about how to fund the completion of brick roads.
Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965.
Chase & Company was established in 1884 by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965.
Creator
Chase, Sydney Octavius
Source
Original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull, March 9, 1915: box 173, folder 2.51, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Date Created
1915-03-09
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull, March 9, 1915.
Is Part Of
Chase Collection (MS 14), box 173, folder 2.51, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Is Referenced By
Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
158 KB
Medium
1-page typewritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
DeLand, Florida
Sanford, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Entire Chase Collection is comprised of four separate accessions from various donors, including Cecilia Johnson, the granddaughter of Joshua Coffin Chase and the children of Randall Chase.
Rights Holder
The displayed collection item is housed at Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida to display this item for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida
Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
Source Repository
University of Florida, Special and Area Studies Collections
External Reference
"Sydney Chase Sr. (1860-1941)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=600.
Sanford Historical Society (Fla.). Sanford. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2003.
Mills, Jerry W., and F. Blair Reeves. A Chronology of the Development of the City of Sanford, Florida: With Major Emphasis on Early Growth, 1975.
Transcript
March 9, 1915
Messrs. Landis, Fish & Hull,
Deland, Fla.
Gentlemen;
Last evening I had a visit from Mr. Brumley, Mr. BEn Fish and Mr. T. I. Hawkins. It seems that nothing was accomplished at yesterday's meeting of the County Commissioners regarding the completion of the brick road work. Mr. DeCottes evidently gave different legal advice yesterday from what he did the day Mr. Fish attended the County Commissioners' meeting at Sanford. What were considered legal for the Commissioners a week ago, yesterday were supposed to illegal.
The writer failed to get the detail, but it seems to be practically as follows; Spencer and one or two others claim they will get out an injunction if the Commissioners attempt to borrow money to complete this system of brick roads supposed to be covered by the $200,000.00 bond issue; others will get out an injunction if they attempt to use for the completion of these roads any of the General Road fund, while there is another bunch of citizens who threaten them with an injunction if they attempt to borrow in excess of their income.
The Bond Trustees are also objecting to the completion of the roads according to specifications as voted on.
Our friend Rossetter got up in open meeting and stated that we would find out before we were through with it that the will of the people would prevail, and not the decision of the Supreme Court.
I told Mr. Brumley that it looked as if the only thing to do was to ask you to have the decree signed up. but before taking any action please wait and hear from Mr. Brumley or myself again.
I told Mr. Brumley to be very careful as a County Commissioner not to agree to any compromise measure in connection with the completion of the roads, as I felt that as soon as he did so he would be in the same fix that the old Board are now. I do not think he or any of the property owners or voters of this district had the right to vote the completion of the road construction on any other basis than that voted upon.
There is apparently more feeling in the matter now than there was a week ago, which we regret.
Yours truly,
SCC C
Messrs. Landis, Fish & Hull,
Deland, Fla.
Gentlemen;
Last evening I had a visit from Mr. Brumley, Mr. BEn Fish and Mr. T. I. Hawkins. It seems that nothing was accomplished at yesterday's meeting of the County Commissioners regarding the completion of the brick road work. Mr. DeCottes evidently gave different legal advice yesterday from what he did the day Mr. Fish attended the County Commissioners' meeting at Sanford. What were considered legal for the Commissioners a week ago, yesterday were supposed to illegal.
The writer failed to get the detail, but it seems to be practically as follows; Spencer and one or two others claim they will get out an injunction if the Commissioners attempt to borrow money to complete this system of brick roads supposed to be covered by the $200,000.00 bond issue; others will get out an injunction if they attempt to use for the completion of these roads any of the General Road fund, while there is another bunch of citizens who threaten them with an injunction if they attempt to borrow in excess of their income.
The Bond Trustees are also objecting to the completion of the roads according to specifications as voted on.
Our friend Rossetter got up in open meeting and stated that we would find out before we were through with it that the will of the people would prevail, and not the decision of the Supreme Court.
I told Mr. Brumley that it looked as if the only thing to do was to ask you to have the decree signed up. but before taking any action please wait and hear from Mr. Brumley or myself again.
I told Mr. Brumley to be very careful as a County Commissioner not to agree to any compromise measure in connection with the completion of the roads, as I felt that as soon as he did so he would be in the same fix that the old Board are now. I do not think he or any of the property owners or voters of this district had the right to vote the completion of the road construction on any other basis than that voted upon.
There is apparently more feeling in the matter now than there was a week ago, which we regret.
Yours truly,
SCC C
Document Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1-page typewritten letter
Collection
Citation
Chase, Sydney Octavius, “Letter from Sydney Octavius Chase to Landis, Fish & Hull (March 9, 1915),” RICHES, accessed October 31, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/2543.