The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1892-04-30

The Okeechobee Company is now
opening canal south through the
Everglades in a different direction
than the che to the Caloosahatchie.
We had tt pleasure of the company
of Capt. Menge from Fort Thompson
to Fort Myers, whose mother and
sister 1 met last winter, and had
very pleasant trip from Barlow to
Punta Gorda by rail, and from the
latter place to st. James City by
water. Meeting Of the Captain added
another link to the chain. He is
the superintendent of the opening
up Of the canals and from whom
learned the particulars Of how and
why this work was being done. The
canal from Okeechobee to Caloosahat-
chic drains the country from that side
which runs through the upper por-
ton of the Everglades. They are
now opening one down through the
Everglades, which Capt Menge in
formed me was the natural direction
to draw the water. He gave me an
account of the surveying party or
parties. The first two or three par
ties sent out were out a week or
more, each returning saying it was
impossible to do the work. When he
himself, with several volunteers,
undertook the work, and made the
survey of forty-four miles after won
derful trouble, trials, privation and
sufferings, and are now going ahead
with the work.
We staid at Fort Myers from Sat-
urday until Tuesday morning, when
we took passage on the steamer Tar
pom, via Punta Russo, eighteen miles
TO the mouth of Caloosahatchie, to
Naples, thirty miles below the last
named place, then back the same
day to st. James City, six miles above
Punta Russo, where we hired beat
to bring us two and half miles to
Capt. Ellis landing, on this Island,
where we arrived about dusk the same
day, got a mule and buggy and drove
over to where we now are, enjoying
a weeks rest at the home of Mrs.
Letitia Mutt, formerly Miss Ashmore,
daughter of VIM. Ashmore, lately
deceased, of Woodford county, Ken
lucky.
Mrs. Mutt came to this Island three
years ago. She, with her three
daughters, Misses Cordie, Lettie and
Mamie, and her brother, James K.
Ashmore, have homesteaded 100
acres of land each, all adjoining. 1
spent four weeks with them last
spring, an account of which wrote
the Courier j ournal. That visit had
my wife and daughter with me. Now,
Mrs. LeCompte, Miss Maggie and
myself are spending our time eating,
sleeping and hunting shells and en-
joying the grand gulf breezes that
come seven or eight hundred miles,
rolling, tumbling and floating over
the waters of the Gulf of Mexico,
the house being not more than one
hundred feet distant. If you will
get map of Florida of a good size,
you can find the island lying opposite
st. James City. 1t will average about
two miles wide and fourteen miles
long
1 find, after travelling around for
several years in the State, l flatter
myself that am about as we'll posted
as to the different localities and the
frost lines, and the places exempt
from frost as anyone. / will state
and publish it to the world as fact,
as l see it, that there are but few
places in Florida that are exempt
from frost. | have heard that at
Fort Myers all tropical fruits and
vegetables could be raised absolutely
certain, but / find this not true. |
know people living any where in the
State do not like to have their places
witten up on the frost question, but
Concluded on sth page,)