Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-18
THROUGH THE EVERGLADES
Earl HOughtOn's Trip-The Wonderful
Work of Imnrouemon4

A private letter, just received from one
of the party accompanying Earl Rough-
ton, Lord Hastings, Capt. Gambler and
other distinguished Englishmen, repre-
sentatives of English capital seeking ner-
manent investment in this country saws
a New York special, gives interesting de-
talls OF the trip just made through the
klssimmee country. The trip began at
Jacksonville, from there south to Sanford.
then down the South Florida Road to-
kissimmee City, then by boats through
the lakes and rivers which have been the
scene OF operations of the OkeechObee
Land Company, as far south as Tampa.
The party made a thorough insDection
OF the cOmpany's system of dredging. and
were much satisfied with the marked i'm
proyement in condition of the lands bor-
derlng ON the lakes, which the company
nave lowered. The purpose of the visit
was to ascertain the adaptability of these
lands to sugar raising. The Everglades
begin not far below Kissimmee CITY, and
much of the territory from that point had
been for years Useless, because they were
subject to frequent oYer1iOWs. a good
deal of 1t was almost constantly under
water.
The OkeechObee Land Company, which
is managed by Northern people. under
took to reclaim this land by system of
canals.and by dredging. When President
Arthur went SOutn in April he was taken
on the company's boat across Lake To-
hOpekaliga to canal four miles long.
running to Lake Cypress and then down
the klssimmee river. This canal had
then lowered Lake Tohopekaliga about
three feet, and had reclaimed a vast ter
ritory bordering on the lake.
Inc newspaper report of that trip in
terested Engllshmen in the work done by
the company, and the visit of Lord
Houghton and his party followed. They
nave been the guests while in this cOun-
try OF Hamilton DisstOn, of PHILADELPHIA.
who has accompanied them to Florida.
The party found that since the Presi-
dents visit operations had been extended
further south, that the canal from Lake
Okeechobee to Upper CaloOsahatchee
river had been enlarged, ana that already
Lake OkeechObee had fallen, as a cOnse-
quence OF this enlarged tapping, 90 inches
in one year.
This is great fall, considering that the
area of the lake is over 1000 square miles.
Lake Tohopekaliga, since the Presidents
visit, has fallen about three feet. Canals
which mad not begun when the President
was south are now well under WaV and
proportiOnate results may be expected.
The Kissimmee river, which last spring
was navigable only by boat with a
draught of about TWO feet, has lately been
navigated by a boat which was $50 feet
long and % feet beam.
The net result in respect to the increase
of the navigable mileage is that, whereas
a year ago 1t was almost impossible to
float for any distance large boat. except
on the lakes, there are now $50 miles of
inland water communication.
The President of the South Florida
Road, which is owned largely by Boston
parties, informed Lord HoughtOn that of
late there had been much demand for land
north of kissimmee City, which heretofore
had been avoided by settlers, who regard
ed 1t as too moist for cultivation, The
railroad company is now selling such land
to settlers at about $40 per acre. The en-
tire amount of land reclaimed by the
Okeechobee Land Company is nearly
100000 acres, the title to about half of
which is to remain in the State of Florida