New-York tribune., 1879-06-10
THE FUTURE OF FLORIDA.
CAN THE EVERGLADES BECOME A GARDENr

CAN THE EVERGLADES BECOME A GARDEN
LANDS CLAIMED BY TBE sTATE-A GovFRNMENT
INSPECTION AND RBPOBT-AN ANCIENT SHIP
CANAL -rHE DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER
[PRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNBl
PALATKA, Fla, May 3O.-The Everglades
long the hidngpaces OF the semnoles IN Their wars
with the whites and to this day unsuryeyed and even
unexporcd by the Government, have been found by tho
actual OF the engineers level to be capable OF drain
age The State claims all these lands under the act OF
1850 aud is awaiting their survey in order 20 obtain
patents thereto and offer them for sole Under this ret
Florida has already obtained 107354O3 acres, and mas
n claim now pending $50, 900 OF the surveyed
lands To determine the merits OF this claim four spc
cal agents have been by the General Land Office
personally to inspect and report The lands in eontro
versy are mostly in Polk Manatee and Monroe Coun-
ties, but embrace, also. a large number OF the
keys, low islands, from the vicinity OF Key
West to near their northernmost limits on the
Atlantic side OF Florida, and, included with
these all the surveyed portion OF Dade County which
consists Of only strip from one to six miles In width
along the coast from Barnes Sound to Jupiter Inlet
These representatives of the Government are now en-
gagged in the duty assigned them, and Will probably
make their report by the end OF June. The lands which
are unsuryeyed embrace 4,071,6l0 acres, which VIII
the State swamp lands without controversy
In this embraced the Everglades In Dade
County and the great cypress swamp in the southern
ing for profitable investments capitalists have demon
strated that this repulsive region be thoroughly
drained and made the finest sugar land In the world
and II this be done the most forbddng part OF the
State what may not be accomplished in other portions
where Nature little assistance IN Transforming
a wilderness into "a vast tropical garden
Florida be considered land for tho grow
ing Of grain the propagation OF animals. Fortunately
the world needs something besides meat and bread.
Health hpreserving fruit is not only luxury, but
necessity, and Florida can give TO the States OF the
North luscious oranges in any desired quantity. blood
cooling acids in lines and lemons nutritious bananas,
figs and pomegranates, and foresta the markets. with
berries. grapes plums apricvts peaches and garden
vegetables With all this before its people as poss-
bility. there very little of 1t accomplished. Many
have tried and failed for lack OF capital experience
and their failure has discouraged Others. Very little
be learned from the natives they are too indo-
lent to learn anything themselves The Crackers, as
the native Floridians called almost as distinct
race OF people as Indians whom they displaced, and
very little better No State can prosper win such
people in control They must be outnumoerrd ana out
voted. and then new era viii dawn Tor Florida.
AN ANCIENT SHIP CANAL.
Anterior TO the time of the occupancy OF Florida by
the people whom Ponce de Leon found here when he was
conducting his search for the fountain OF per
peual youth race OF men had partially Constructed
canal southern end of the great cape. The
work must be very old for the bed OF the excavation
are 1--we oaks which have been growing fully thousand
years the OF trees are determined III is canu
that this old excavation be used in the cOnstrue
tOn OF a slip canal, and that additional openings OF
fourteen fifteen mile. will unite the waters OF the
Atlantic and the Guand AFFORD apassagewaJ ior vessels
By shorter route and free from the perll OIL the
and keys along bO coasts The saving OF life and
property by OF this transit would soon compen-
safe construction and 1t cannot too soon receive
attention from those interested III navigation.
During the occupancy OF this territory by the English
from 1868 TO 1888, plantations were established
along the creek which THIS grain gives IT'S name,
Palatka. The remains OF 1OOd-gac- constructed OF
cedar, hundred years old. are su found IN good
degree and the lines or the sluceWays
plainly dlsCcrnable
on the northern snore OF Lake Okeechobee General
TAYLOR had his bate with tfc Semnoles in 1887.
remnant Of this tribe, about 100 IN numDr VINO reused
with majority tn Indian Territory, stll linger
about this lake They "A dwarnsh race, suhslstug
on fish, game ana fruits They tan deer-skins by pro-
cess Of their own, making them almost as SOFT ana
piiabe as chamOis-skins OF commerce IL s aston
snng witness the extent to which tOey can stretch
q skin Judging the OF the animal by the appear
OF the tanned skin, one would suppose the small
Florida deer OF mammoth proportions.
GOVERNMENT TIMBER.
Florida forms no exception the practice OF general
depreciation on the tmbered lands of the Government.
The pine lands in the State suffer greatly from trespas
ers great deal of the timber il wanouly wasted, and
the bad practice exists firing the woods every year,
by which more or less timber is destroyed. The
VI tmbered lands also contributing their part TO
the general destruction AZ Ellaye on the railroad
has tract OF 10000 acres ot tmbered land lie en-
ploys 400 III cutting logs and conveying them 10
his mill. a tramway Is under construction. When all
the trees of from this tFamWay feed II
will be removed and run in another direction, and
the process of continued. The Government
has made reservations OF 1--we oak forests for
naval purpOse and these guarded by special agents
against the omn present trespdsser. without tins wise
provision the Government would be al the mercy OF
speculators, who have stolen It's own timber whenever
it had occasion to build or repair vessel.