The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-04-02
A Gigantic Land Observation-Disclosures
the Florida Everglades.

A Gigantic Land Scheme-R eclaiming
the Florida Everglades.
AN immense transaction, involving
the reclamation of 10000, 900 acres of
land, says the Philadelphia Press. has
been undertaken by a company of Phil
adelphia gentlemen, with every prospect
of success. About one-third of the State
of Florida is huge swamp, termed
'sthe Everglades"-a dark, impenetra-
BILE, unknown region. No white man
has ever fully explored it, and all that is
known of it is--a great swamp, with q
number of lakes, and here ard ae
| islands, upon which roam ferocious Wild
beasts. 1t is par excellence the home
of the crocodile, and place of wonder
fully luxuriant vegetation. On the out
skirts a few miserable human beings-a
mongrel race of white, Indian and negro
blood-manage to exist in state of bar
barism. The project of retaining this
wonderfully rich country has been talked
of for years, and it has long been con-
sidered feasible by mary noted engi-
neers. Some time since the State of
Florida made move in the matter,
which is likely to eliminate in the re-
clamation of the immene body of land
which has lain under water for thou
sands of years. Under contract with
the State of Florida a Philadelphia CON-
pany is about undertaking this great
scheme. The leading men in the en-
terpise are Hamilton Disston & Sons.
Associated with them are ex-Sheriff
VIM. H. Wright, w. G. Parsons, Whit
man H. Drake, A. B. Hnderman, all of
this city; J. Coryell, of Florida, and
others. Under the agreement already
made with the State, the company are
required to begin surveys within sixty
days, and within six months to put a
force equal to 100 men on the work, and
continue as expeditiously as possible I'M
til it is completed 1t is proposed to
drain the land by q canal from Lake
Okeechobee to the Caloosakachee River,
which empties into The Gulf OF Mexico.
Another canal may also be constructed
to the East, tapping the st. Lucie River,
which flows into the Atlantic. These
canals will entirely drain the swamp,
and from l0,000,0O0 to 100000 acres
of the richest land in the world will be
reclaimed. The company will re-
ceive for the work one-half of the
land recovered, and it is expected
that this will largely repay all expendi-
ture of money that may be made in the
work. A leading Louisiana planter
was shown a sample of sugar-cane
raised on the plants on the swamp, sand
he at once said that the land which
would produce such rich specimen
was worth $3.50 per acre, and it is said
the land will produce twice the amount
| of sugar that can be raised in Louisiana.
The entire property of the company is
below the frost-line, and there would be
no such damage done orange plantations
as those in Northern Florida have suf-
fered this winter. Every production of
the tropics can be raised on this land
| indigo, sugar.cane, oranges, lemons,
coffee, jute, etc. The latter, which has
become most valuable article in man.
ufactures, grows wild, and can be pro-
| duced in large quantities at little eX-
pense. A number of Irish manufacture
ers who use large quantities of jute
have already applied for stock in the
company, and will aid it financially.
= 40 S'AAP pony Wiz vi SSebAiAO Ht onCOS WIN
Hamilton Disston as President. 1t is
proposedtoissue 100000 shares of stock
ut $40 par value. Each share will carry
with it the right to an acre of land. The
stock will be put on the Philadelphia
Stock Exchange, and, it is expected,
will be sold readily. A number of ap-
plications for stock have already been
made by prominent gentlemen in the
city. The proceeds of $4,000 shares
will be used as the working capital. 1t
is not known how long it will take to
fully develop this stupendous scheme,
but the gentlemen who have undertaken
it will push it to completion as soon as
possible. George McGowen and Thos.
j. Barger, well-known gentlemen of
this city, will leave for an extended trip
southwark on next Tuesday. They will
go to Tallahassee, Fla where they will
look into the title of the State of Florida
to the Everglades, on behalf of the COM
pany mentioned above. They expect to
return to Philadelphia by May /. but
prior to that time the preliminaries to
the Everglade scheme will be pushed
forward by the interested parties in this
city.