, 1881-06-19
THE EVERGLADES.

| Four lIillio31 Acres OF Land In That
| Romantic Region Purchased by
/ Hamilton DI>~ton. of I'!.iia<IeIphia,
| Who Will fEcc1u11:l tlie Wilderness.
| PHILADELPHIA, Pa., june lt.--Whar is
claimed to be the largest purchase OF land
| ever made by Il single individual i'll the
world occurred here to-day, when Hamilton
Dlsstu1l, Il prominent manufacturer Of this
| city. closed Il contract BY which he secured
four million acres Of land FROM the State Of
| Florida This huge transaction has been IN
negotiation for some months, :lltl its success
was OWN. to sotlc very shrewtl tactics on
| tile part Ut the agents Of Mr. .Disston.
The land acquired. 4 tract nearly rs
ol the public domain Of the State Of
Florida a1ld under tile control of the Doard
Of Internal improvements If the State. Owing
to tile recent improved value ut the land OF
Fioriua this property l1;.s been anxi0usly
looked after by the capitalists Of New York
ant Boston. For years, through agents,
these gentlemen have ell&leavOreA t> p1lr-
chase tie land. The State llau no disposition
to sell tintil recently. when 1t BECAME neees-
sary to Ito So to relieve tho State from certain
obligations which lai been blrlens0nle.
When these facts became know there were
renewed efforts OIL the part Of the New York
people, WHO were backed by Il Wet-knOWN
German, ba.lkn,-l,otise Of that city anu tile
States Minister to Belgium Sanford, and the
Boston capitalists, tn buy the arl.
Meant. !ne Mr.. DisstMl had become well ae-
q1alhtet with the value vi tile land through
his already large Interests III tic State, from
his connection with the Everglades Sctlc,ne.
lie entered the field and set to work with eil-
eryy. Keeping IN the back ground, rs he tlsl-
ally dots i'll his large projects. lie put to
work agents lit Boston, lliilatiepl!la, New
York. anil Tallahassee, in whom he had full
confidence, and suggested tile plans which
lave been 50 successful. The other parties,
left no stone uIit,1rllel to .,.'t p,,S$tsslOE OF
every poiut by Mr. Disstnn's lieutena,lts.
The fight WAS most interesting nile, It's many
as four agents ut the New York syndicate.
bein, kept in Florida, New York. :lnd tllis
city. During the recent visit Of Coy.
BloSllam to philadelphia the details of the
purchase were arranged, the Governor hay-
ing full power to act for tie Board Of Inter-
nal Improvements, of which lie Is President
But still the unsuccessful parties were uil-
willing to give up the pIi ize, and during the
present week used strenuous efforts to defeat
Nr. DisstOn. visiting Tallahassee with a very
large sum Of :coney for that purpose. The
contract. however. tlaS been fully executed,
and the young Philadelphia nlanufactnrtr is
now the pOSsessbr of the largest landed do
main i'll the world.
Tile tract is situated north Of Lake Okee-
ehobee and is nearly all l>eIt'w the frost line.
The amount paid for the iantl ils; not bee1i
llitAtle puoalEs Jul II ID uluCi@ @ltus ~ oC -
very large sum III casl1. It is Atr. Disston'S
intention to ut Unre begin III emigration
scheme which will result II, !. very large all
dition to tile population Of Florida. To this
end he has already established agencies in
several places in this country, amt will ut
nflce organize emigration bsl:eall; Ill t.i:-
gland, Scotland, Fral,cc Germany, Holland,
and Italy, Competent agents will be stu
toned in their pr'prr cities in these cou1l-
tries to induce emigration, and will convey
fhfa t1turltlfS lIrrft To F}pritfn III 4 steamer
chartered for the purpose Il broad and lib
eral poliry will he pursued, the object being
to populate the country Is soo,, rs possible:
AMI unusual opportunities vii be afforded
tion arc very rich, having been selected from
:..ll,l,s the most valuable in tf.t. State. Rice,
sugar, .iutr. indigo, rntton. tobacco. :u,tl all
tropical and stln-tropiraI fruits c;ll tic raised
on theln with very little expense and in great
profllsion.