The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-06-15
FlOrida's EVERGLADES.

- Governor BloXham, Of Florida, has
been ir-tthis city for several days, and
has received a>sood deal of attention
from capitalists interesteaIa~his State.
The governor met a Press reporfeTcou
teously, and was questioned in references
to the scheme of Philadelphia capital
lists to drain the Everglades.
"What effect" asked the reporter,
evil the drainage of the Everglades
have on the future of the State of Flor
ida"
cit will give to the State an immense
area of territory for settlement which is
now useless, and will open up the finest
region of tropical FLORIDA. This will
have the effect of increasing the popu-
lation and the wealth of the State"
"What is the nature of the land
which it is proposed to reclaim"
"a large portion Of it is a rich allu-
vial soil, capable of producing sugar,
jute, ETC., and every tropical and semi
tropical fruit. Large portions of the
country are very well adapted to the
raising of sugar. Cane grows to per-
lection, and only requires planting once
in eight or ten years. You probably
know that in far Southern ATTITUDES
sugar cane sprouts without replanting;
we call it '~ratooning,' that is, growing
from the roots of the former crops. All
a planter has to do is to cultivate his
ground and the cane springs up without
any further attention on his part. This
saves him not only a good deal of labor,
but a large expense for the seed. All
of the sugar-caue-growing land which
will be reclaimed by the drainage Of the
Everglades will be of this description"
Gas to the question of the feasibility
of the plan. Is that settled?
eyes. Competent engineers, both in
the government service and those
employed by the Philadelphia company,
have fully demonstrated the feasibility
CT the drainage of q large portion Of the
country around Lake Okeechobee, vari-
ously estimated at from ST ven to twelve
millions of acres. This land will be
very valuable. On the Upper Caloosa-
hatchee are some Of the most productive
lands in the State. and these will be re-
claimed by the Philadelphia company"
Chow do the people of the State re-
gard the enterprise ?"
Most favorably. We want emigra-
ton and capital, come from whatever
source it may. We give the Northern
emigrants q hearty welcome and look
largely to the capital of the North for
the development of the State. The Phil
adelphia capitalists engaged in the mat
ter of draining the Everglades have
shown great energy and pluck, and I
have every confidence that they will put
the scheme through to the great benefit
of the State and to their own profit
"Will there be any question about
the title of the Philadelphia company
to their portion of the reclaimed lands?'
"None whatever. This land was given
to the State for the purposes of drain
age and reclamation by the United
States, and the board of trustees of what
is known as the international Improve
ment fund, have absolute and undis-
puted right to make the contract which
has been made with the Philadelphia
company. Under that contract the
company receives one-half of all the
land reclaimed, and there can be no
possible question raised as to the title"
Philadelphia Press.