The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-07-18


benefit of his health. Col. Coryell has
been engaged for year or two past as
superintendent of the Lake 0keechobee
Drainage scheme in Florida, which is
being carried on by the Okeechobee
Land Company, in which Mr.. Ham
ilton Disston and other Philadelphia
capitalists are deeply interested. This
scheme will bring millions of acres of the
best land into market, and has already
been the means of creating widespread
interest in Florida lands. In our inter-
view with Col. Coryell at the Lambert
vile House, one day recently, he gave us
the following facts relating to Florida,
which will be found interesting to our
readers. We have put them in his own
conversational language:
The boom that Florida is having has
substantial basis and will continue. The
immigration now is very large and in
creasing monthly, even through the Sum-
mer season, but during the Fall months
win be largely increased anil the incoming
win be by thousands. The immigration
is largely from the North and North
western states, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana,
New York and the Eastern States send
ing portion. Tennessee, Kentucky and
Georgia are well represented and give
permanent settlers who seldom return to
their old homes. This is accounted for
from the fact that the change of habit,
mode of living and working of the land
for crops, is not so radical as among those
from more northern climate-hence
greater content in their new homes.
Florida is certainly the poor mans home,
and chances for an independence are
greater and more easy than in any other
portion of the country. Lands are cheap
and productive. A farmer can work out
in his fields every day in the year, and
can grow farm or garden products during
every month clothing is inexpensive
free ranges for stock and chickens the
year round lakes and rivers filled with
fish and the country with game--no fam
lily need suffer for food in that State who
has the energy to seek for it. A good
roof to protect from rain is his only real
an instant that all these things will come
to man. He must work for them and half
the work in that State wilaccomplish more
and secure competency much sooner than
in this northern section. Set out or 10
acres of orange trees from n nursery (say
a or 8 years old, 70 trees to an acre, tend
them we'll, plant vegetables for your own
use and sale in your grove between the
rows, which are so feet apart, live spar
ingly for three or four years, when your
grove comes into bearing, and you have
competency for life-then you are truly
independent. | know a party, (Rev. Mr..
Thomas, who has only 100 trees, but they
are 80 years old, and he says his income
ranges from $1700 to $1,000 per year, and
it is all the money he and his wife need,
and his care for the 100 trees is pastme
instead of work. | know of groves Gov
ering 20 to 100 acres which yield $4,000
to 800, 900 per annum. BY no means is
the product of Florida confined to orange
culture. Neither can the production of
the oranges overstocls the market even if
increased a thousand fold. Oranges are
as high in price to-day as they We're five
years ago, Notwithstanding the yearly in
creased production during this period,
which has been about 100 per cent. The
great West is becoming a market, and
hundreds of thousands of families have
become consumers and this consumption
will increase. All our railroads in Florida
are looking to the great West and making
connections direct. They will carry our
fruits to st. Louis, Chicago and other
points, as quickly as run by steamer to
Now York, and by this kind of distribu-
ton among our principal cities and towns,
there will be no glut in New York of
either vegetables or fruit and no false plea
of COMM ssion merchants of that city, for
q swindle on the producer, by q return of
sales made to themselves at figures barely
covering the freight and other expenses,
while they by shipment of these same ar
profit. This western market will largely
stop commission sw indies, and these trunk
lines will bring us in return flour, bacon,
grain, hay, &c, for which we are depend
ent on the West, aud cut off New York
in this heavy trade.
never advise any one migrating to
Florida. My advice is ego and see for
yourself. ! may not see that country as
you might see it. and IL is q very serious
thing to break up the old home and be
dissatisfied in the new one, and possibly n
return at great sacrifice. " All is not
gold - in Florida she has her drawbacks
like all other places. l sec by n late
paper a party on or near the Halifax
river is dissatisfied with Florida because
the deer, coons, opossums and other ami
mails eat up all their garden truck. Other
parties would like the sport of watching
and shooting them. So you see it is
difficult to please all
Yes, the Okeechobee drainage must
prove of great value to the State as
we'll as the company effecting the
drainage. 1t is an immense work, but
the result will show greater results for
the capital expended than any enterprise
gotten up in the United States Lands
will be made productive that can raise all
the sugar now consumed in the States,
for which we are now paying out to for
eign countries more money than the entire
product of our gold and silver mines, year
ly. The Florida Land Company (the
Disston purchase) are selling large guam
titles of land to actual settlers daily. These
sales will increase during the coming Fall
and Winter.
Our State government is one of which