Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-06

QSub
LOWERING OF THE LAKE,
the village was confined TO the store
houses and shanties of the company. But
when the retiring waters began to leave
large areas of fertile bottoms dry enough
for the plowshaTe, the news spread rapid
ly, and money and settlers soon flowed in
apace. Handsome stores and residences
were erected on the lake front which is
near a mile in length, and churches,
schools and hotels shone forth amid the
moss draped pines.
The town as it now stands contains
about 1920 inhabitants, four hotels,
school numbering l45 pupils,
under the charge of Prof. r. NJ. Smith
and TWO assistants. three neat churches,
a bank with $4,000 capital. saw-mill,
and numerous real estate Offices that are
all Kept busy. A vigiIant Mayor,
police, also assure good order
in the community. Among the hotels
THE TROPICAL
stands prominently in the lead, and is a
beautiful structure, situated on the lake.
Here the traveller is RECALLED on the best
of Northern beef and poultry and the beds
are well aired and comfortable. A bevy
OF pretty girls constitute the walters. The
principal business men and flrms are as
follows:
General merchandise - Makinson g.
KatZ, whose annual sales fit up $100, 900,
and l.. b. Phillips.
Staple and fancy groceries-H. Art
man and j. Nj. Lee & Co.
Grain, groceries and general merchan-
dise-Waters & Carson.
Manufacturer watches and Florida
jewelry-P. 5. Headly.
Sad6IerV harnass and ahona-W iIIaOu
& PherigO.
Gunsmith and sporting goods-W. s.
Fanington.
Mllinery-M. A. Southern.
Watches and silyerware-A. j. Gard
ner
Drugs-Fries & Pate.
Shoes, sold aud made-Adam Young.
Domestic and imported liquors II.
johnson & Co. and Lcng & Rusk.
Livery, feed and sale stabes-Thomas
Sellers and K. johnson & Bro.
T1nsmth and sheet iron shop, NJ.
NlcolI.
Restaurant and bakerv-J. W. Cornell.
Confectionery and ice cream - r.
z. Noda.
Carriage and blacksmith shop. T.
Llvinu stOn.
Dentist-Dr, s. w. Jeter,
Photographer-C. j. Woodall.
Justice of the Peace and Notary Public
w. r. Johnston.
Real estate agents.. B. Simmons &
Co.; Agent Peoples Land Ohice--Dr. w.
3. Shoemaker.
Deputy Marshal and Sheriff - r. j.
Sears.
President Of Council-Capt. W. j.
Sears.
Orange grOwer-L. p. Hughey.
William Cannon, agent for the South
Florida Railroad Land Company
and Paymaster OF the Okeechobee Drain
age Company, is one of the leading and
most enterprising citizens of this region.
lie informs us that the
DREDGING OPERATIONS
and enlargement of the several canals,
which have already opened up steam nav
Igation to the Gulf, are progressing
steadily and satisfactorily. Not a
shadow of doubt now exists as to the
ultimate success of the work. The first
fruits have been the complete drainage of
body of land embracing 100000 acres
of inexhaustlble fertility, which. having
been inspected under the terms of the
contract by the officials of the State, were
formally received and turned over to the
company. This tract, lying on the mar
gins of the lakes and streams, is now upon
the market at $40 per acre, and investors
are becoming numerous. Richer sugar
lands are not to be found on the globe.
The reclaimed area will continue to in
crease until it reaches the proportions
OF a
GERMAN PRINCLPALITY,
and ere long must become one of the most
desirable and OpuleDt agricultural sec
lions of the South. The growing OF sugar
cane has, the past year, been thoroughly
Z M paafnliH tpatod fhn HNIapt OFT la,
ing to great size, and tasselling out and
maturing as we'll as in the West Indies.
One patch was converted into excellent
sugar as late as May. The crop will re-
new itself by springiDg from the roots for
several years without the labor and ex-
pense OF reseeding.
GOING AT 1T IN EARNEST.
A strong company has been formed for
the cultivation Of cane and the establish
ment of an extensive sugar refinery at or
near Kissmmee. They have contracted
for the delivery of sufficient seed from
Cuba to plant 200 acres of the recently
submerged grounds, which are now thor
oughly pulverized by the plow and bar
row and perfectly dry. The planting has
been somewhat retarded for lack OF trans
portatiOn facilities, but is progressing
steadily. The writer saw seven carloads
of cane seed which had just arrived from
Tampa.
A TRIP TO THE CANAL
The writer, at the invitation of the Off
Gals of the Drainage Company, accom-
panied by Capt. Rose, Col. AderhOld and
a New Orleans sugar planter, who was
prospecting in this region, boarding the
steamer OkeechObee, passed over the en-
tire length of Lake TohOpekaliga TO South
port, entering at that point the immense
canal 20 feet wide and feet deep, which
opens into Lake Cypress, and forms the
first artifica al link in the inland navigation
TO the Gulf. The entrance OF the canal is
protected by strong jetties, constructed
by Capt. Rose, who was associated with
Capt. Eads in his operations at the mouth
OF the Mississippi.
The writer was astonished at the
TREMENDOUS SUCTION
into the canal, Indicating plainly the con-
siderable fail below. The water came
sweeping in from every direction with
perfect rush, and but for the presence Of
the jetties would soon dam up the mouth
with sand. As It is, the 4-mile current
acts as a natural dredge, constantly
cleaning and deepening the bottom of the
canal. No wonder that the whole surface
of the lake has been lowered more than
five feet, with a natural subsistence also
in the chain OF LAKES further south, where
the dredges are now in operation.
AS stated above, the speedy effect has
been 20 drain many thousands of acres OF
submerged lands and render them 1T for
immediate cultivation. In proof Of this
the writer at southport visited and care