Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-29
DRAINING THE EVERGLADES.
A Lead Company 10 be Organ
tEed and immigration
Invited.

Chicago Tribune.l
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Dec. 20.-It
has been shown for some time that
Hamilton Disston was negotiating with
some heavy European capitalists for
the sale of a portion Of his 100000
acres OF land in Florida. Last Satur.
day a contract was made by which Mr..
Disston sells z,O00,0 900 acres. reserving
the right to select his portion Of the
land. The progress Of the negotiations
has been watched with much inter
est by many capitalists who are inter-
ested with Mr.. Disston. They began
last summer, when an agent was sent
to Europe TO find a market for the
lands. Sir Edward |. Reed, who is a
representative Of the purchasers, is a
wealthy Englishman, who has large
interests in America, and who is
engaged in building the Atlantic and
Gulf Coast and West India Transit
Railway, which runs from Fernandina
to Cedar Keys, in Florida. This road
has branches from Waldo running
south to OsceOla, and is being rapidly
pushed to Tempo Bay and Charlotte
Harbor, It's course is through a great
portion Of the Disston purchase, and
ii must eventually add largely to the
value Of the land. Sir Edward Reed
was Mr.. D%isston's competitor for the
land at the time Of the original pur-
chase, and his knowledge Of its worth
led him TO consummate the present
bargain with Mr.. DiSston and the Flor
ida company. AS is well known, Mr..
Disston and a number Of gentlemen
with him, after the land was pur-
chased, organized a company under
tho title Of the Florida Land Com
pany, and it was as the representative
Of this company that Mr.. Disston ne
gotiated with Sir Edward Reed
Meantime Sir Edward associated with
himself DR.. Jacobus Workman, of
Amsterdam, and other capitalists Of
Holland, who were interested in the
bonds Of the Florida railroads and
other American securities OF like ma
ture, and a syndicate was thus formed
to buy half of Mr.. Disston's pur
chase. Sir Edward Reed and his.
friends have been in this county for
some months, and have visited Florida
and examined the lands. On his re.
turn to New York. Sir Edward and
Mr.. Disston had frequent interviews
in reference to the sale, which culmin
ated on Saturday, as previously stated,
In the transfer OF the 1000, 900 acres to.
the syndicate controlled by Sir Ed
ward Reed. He and his friends
started Immediately for Florida, where
they will at once organize a land com
pany, whose headquarters will be in
England. This company will be con-
Quoted in connection with the rail
road companies, and it is expected the
land will be settled rapidly by English
and Dutch emigrants. The Florida
Land Company ratified the agreement
at a meeting oil the directors yester
day, and the first payment of $4,000
was made in cash. The land of that
company will now be placed upon the
market. Sir Edward L. Reed, K.C.B.,
member of Parliament, is a well
known English civil engineer aud naval
architect, and Consulting Engineer
for the Russian and Japanese govern
ments, having constructed the entire
feet of the latter country He is at
the head Of a number Of enterprises
in England, being Chairman of the
Milford Dry Docks, which is the
greatest work of the kind in the world
In connection with the docks Zine of
steamers built upon designs fur
nished BY Sir Edward will engage in
trade with the United States. With
the party Of Sir Edward now in Flor
ida are his daughters and son, Lady
Rocker, Of Amsterdam, W. ii. Ben
nett, a we'll known London solicitor,
General P. d. Roddy, Of Alabama,
who for FIVE years has lived in Eng
land, the Honorable Jacobus Wer-
thain, LID, the Holland capitalist,
who has very large interests in this
country.