New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-09
FLORIDA'S GOLD FEVER.
EXCITEMENT OVER THE PHOSPHATE DE
POSTS.


counties has been the of popular rN'l'ehch'
only eoualled in intensity by the famous goa lever
of 1s40 and the excitement so FAR from dp''ln- J.,
on the increase. 1t all arose from inc "'''N0i'''
discovery in this section of deposits Oh phosP""'0
more extensive and considerably richer tlah inc
famous Charleston beds "a far, two di'uH'l hcio'
have been discovered the first extending from Barton
along the basin of Peace River TO Charlotte larbor on
the Cnlf Coast distance of sixty miles, the other
from near PemberOn's Ferry alonS the Nltnd'oo'"o0
River and adjacent country for about the same distance
10 within twenty miles of the Gun. lIl'' '"i'''
rockets of phos phatc existed IN TINS region hau u'"
known for some years. but no one seems 10 nave
attached commercial importance to it until last sep
tember when a NY AlbcItus Nost. while borhE al
artesian well on his place, near Duheloh' l""N" q" "
Senth of two or three feet hlnty LOOKING ET@Nl''
white substance, which he suspected on cNdI"''''''
70 contain phosphate lie accordingly had II aIa' @ou
nv Professor shepard. of Charleston, VINO ooi'nr,''"
Mr. Vogts suspicious, pronounclnG II TIC" j" P"' =.
pilates and advising him that If there was nuoh Vi ~ -
was valuable. The phosphate craze Is the result
Fort Meade where ] write, Is a pretty toNH '"Ni''
miles south of Barton the Peace hINcI' Il, 10y. 80"
centre of the district, and has the feNer o"u''
else is talked of in the streets, Inc to"h !, 1''' ~.
nrospectors assayers, buyers and dealers i'll
lands several very rich finds have been Hduo il, t
vicinity MI Disston. Of Philadelphia "N''o @
purchase of overfowed lands lies some "ci'N Nv
miles east Of here, has S'oi0 49,.
nrospectors ont his land' me ,
Cor the precious pay dirt and TO stimulate VeH mas
offered each one interest IN any u''oNe'''' ~ .o
mako small parties of these PROJECTORS N"'o ''0
.rn avery morning armed with spades ana auseTS
n roecntinr their search they first find promising
snot sink shaft to a convenient dep'h' tcc VI i'n-
feet and then bore with the aueer' anu dnAF' w
material brought up. In deposits WIG" "''0 -
found near here these anger holes nave oTl. .a
N a depth of eighteen feet without reaching ''e
bottom. r,, NJ
Amonr the chemical experts in the village Az
nresent is Dr. Parsons, now of SANFORD FIa'' loIo'N
state Assaver of New Ork. d!sintereSleo anu 'o
netent authority. He tells me that wheh INC Hi
SAMPLES were brought TO him for analyst hc d"'''t
mated little result, not supposns that the uepoS'' "
rich in phosphate would be Of sufficient extent To- pay
for working lie has been all through tie fcd'o
pi,er district and SAYS he is simply amazed al inc
extent and richness OF the deposits lie ns"h'eu o'0
he'd of between seven and eight hundred acres some
ION miles from Barton which had been bored u oel'
NJ eighteen feet without finding bottom anu WIG"
assaved seventy-eCht per cent OF suTp''pAo'pI"
This bed clops out on the surface In solid mass lec
are beds of equal richness and nearly a. extensive
within a half-me of Fort Meade. Later talked WIN
a gentleman who is owner. part owner, OF seNcFil
beds and who had so thoroughly Informed hmseH
upon his pet subject that he proved very interest
snp talker "Phosphatcr he began, is the one tmnS
necessary for the cultivation Of the sandy SOILS OF
had provided these vast beds in our state for that
nnrnose. They will. without question. make this
section of Florida rich and populous. The demand
for phosphate Is universal. the supply comparatively
limited The only beds in North America OF IN
pOrtance are found i'm Canada, south CaTolHi anu
Florida Canada mined from ISL to l771' inclusive
ee6z3 tons-about 1881 tons per annum. south
Cardinals output in 1850 reached tie enormous
amount of 100000 tons, which was sent ali
over world England, Wales, Bcl5lilH'
Norway France. spain, Russia ana ter
many produce phosphate. tUt IN small guam
titles and only for home consumption. EH-It0 ''"'
are practically worked ont south Carolina supply
is not vet exhausted but the mines are becoming
more difficult TO work each year. 80 that the demand
for our products will always be equal To the supply
"Have any Of the Florida beds been worked ~ l
asked.
"A manufacturing company Of Atlanta have an
extensive plant at Arcadia, and are producing severn"
carloads a day. Their bed Is one of the largest III
the state, and was discovered quite by accident.
LAWYER J. C. Jones Of Orlando. Wa, hunting on Peace
River one day last fall, when he discovered noduc
on the surface lie knew what 1t wa, put it IN Ms
camebac went TO Palatka hunted mp W. W. Mckee
land agent of the Florida southern Railroad and showed
him the treasure A. result OF their conference
company was formed, which bought about G,o0O acres
Of land on Peace River at merely nominal rate. The
guileless owners not supectns the real value OF tcr
lands LAWYER JOnc,. IL is said, received sixth ln-
terest-worth $4,000 for his find, pretty good
days work"
.uove many sales heen made 21
~. l., .lis vici,itv 7 bourht one Of the best
nv III '''9 -, ~ 80 100 -. ,.oftno.
beds in Polk County for - 10 an acre. bul Hol'"'
party then knew Of the existence Of phosphate upon
:. W. .ro .rd bav becu kceDuc very quiet about
a. We oi0' ''D ~ - .,,l, o.. ,,r..
our discoveries, as you may nave H"'''"' i'' -"
reasons: First, because We were buy cre ana wished
.. nv az hottorn nr,cos. second because We wished
" ouS " -, "a IL, .,,.o ,r,, .to,.
nSt 10 nave our HIu' al,i4f ld a'iU w, It ., Le.,,
we're pay dlr, anu tiliu, d III ,l'r' fr ~.
the peas IN Oui o"H '''' go 90 " f..rod tLat If
behent OF our otdtl Gnu @ '.o,ii,', ,i, C.rla-
the pOWerIuI conn ' ,i, cl,,r do,t,, Inv nm
ton 1eds hediV VI ~ '-s T ~, hen, nm iroIn Tie
an tIe iCAcs' i 49, trtcrfor,. win The Charicstnn
MARI Tbo e ,v,, lsrae he'd. within ono half
uaLhe .,, -" ,l,.,r ,riIl mover he worked until
nIe VI til' 't.ct',ic. i,r.ted i'm V,rt Meade.
H. - III '' have tcn,d a compact 10 tins
Inc o"mcI9 i'o' i.,,.t.d M ma o,,,,,-i, .o
eLeCt Iloc ir MA, a. V yr.inc tbcm Tbc pho.phat