Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-08-23
UNDERNEATH FLORIDA.
THE EXPERIENCE or A NEW ENG
LANDER UNDERGROUND.

Two College Boys In Search of Piumes
! and skins-Into the Mysterious Abyss
by Observation-Disclosures Galore Below
| Florida's Surface.
The train from South Florida brought to
Jacksonville two young men en- route from
the kissimmee river to Portland, Me Their
names are james Dickinson and Roland
Brown. They affably explained their mis-
sion and uDfolded the narrative Of their
Florida experience. Mr.. Brown said:
well, to start at the beginning, we are
from little Maine village on the coast
not far from Portland Dickinson and I
were both preparing for college in the same
Portland academy. but we saw that our
funds were at a low ebh. and that although
we had worked our way through up to that
time. we woud have to stop awhile and
pitch into something to be able to get back
next year and finish up. We had read q
great deal of Florida, and Florida hunting
In particular, Ms cunning was our common
hobby. and an article on gathering heron
and egret plunes in some magazine put a
new idea into our heads
Eve went by rail TO Kissimmee. Here we
fitted out the canoe. and with all sail up one
breezy afternoon started down the lake
which commences near kissimmee We
pushed on through the canals into Lake
kis~immee and on down the river We
stretched a tent over the canoe nights and
got along very comfortably. Down this
marshy, slow flowing river we began to
find the herons and egrets and commenced
our plume harvest. You see the plumes
are worth from 81 to $50 each, and this
was what we were counting on to help us
cut
FLnRrDA's WONDERS
After twisting about the creek wa final
ly ran right ny bluff, and about s O'Clock
we hauled our canoe out on sandy beach
and climbed to the top, where we found an
ideal camping ground. carpeted with fine
needles and abundant in firewood
We soon had our tent pitched fire
blazing and things fixed in comforta Bile
style, Our supply Of water, however, was
short, the creek being muddy and brack
lsh, and our metal tanks. which were filled
the week before, were nearly empty These
zinc tanks were made to fit in the bow and
stern. and took one of them and started
off through the high pine woods to find a
spring. The short twilight was over. but
a full moon gave plenty Of light After
walking about mile | heard a murmur
ing, rushing sound at my right, and head
ed for the water evidently in that direc-
ton.
Presently saw a good sized stream glim
mering through the trees, the silver river
seemed to end abruptly, and it looked very
puzZling until reached rho bank when /
saw that had run ern-7 one OF Florida 8
natural wonders, OF which had often read
Here was large stream of water flowing
between low banks for a long distance, and
suddenly pouring into the earth and disap
pearing from sight, was a subterranean
river
But was after the water, which was
clear and cold. So | stepped down the
bank quite distance above the cataract
and tried to unscrew the cover of my tank
The ohstreperous piece OF metal was stuck
tight, and while | was wrestling with il
the crumbly clay hank gave way and |
slipped into the water, still cinging to my
water tank, which buoyed me up as a life
preserver, chung to 1t and kicked out for
the shore.
INTO THE EARTH.
Il had abort hundred feet to drift, and
although could touch the bank at times
could find nothing to grasp but the treach
erous crumbling clay Buoyed up by my
life preserver, swung round In swirlin9
eddy, and with one last cry for help and a
kind OF dreamy wonder as to how far down
| would drop, my breath left me- After
the first agonizing plunge down-it seemed
60 me hundreds of feet-my head shot out
Into the air for a moment. and saw that
the stream was running horizontally
through the black. rayiess cavern on whose
walls the spray was splashing | caught
my breath when my head struck the root,
and was borne violently under again, and
In the mighty pressure of water became
unconscious
When my senses returned was floating
quietly on the surface of body OF water,
my arms still held by the strap of my life
preserver, which had indeed saved me,
holding me up while foated unconscious.
padded slowly to the nearest shore, and
fell down in the grass, bruised and wearied
In the moonlight saw that the pool had
just left was circular, and about hundred
yards in diameter, black and deep, but
without ripple.
81 lay down under big pine tree to get
rested and wait for daylight. as | had en-
tirely lost my bearings. The pool WAS eyi
IDENTIFY sink hole, fed by the subterranean
stream. and with probably an underground
outlet. | had been drawn into the river,
carried underground and borne through
the opening into the pool, and could have
been In the water but u very few minutes,
As the rosy dush in the western sky had
not faded
MADE MONEY, NEVERTHELESS
THE quantities of water which | had
swallowed made me weak and sick, and
fell asleep. and woke up to find the sun
Just rising picked up my water tank,
determined to take it back filled, and start
ed in the direction thought | had come
After two hours tramping | heard gun
fired right ahead of me, and in few min
utes WIS near enough to Dickinson to call
and attract his attention. He was nearly
frantic at my mysterious disappearance,
and thought that a panther had taken me
in. ! told him my wonderful adventure,
and we made for camp, az ! was nearly
starved
ave remained In camp on this bluff till
the plume season was about over. Then
we cruised back into kissimmee river
without any more adventures and re-
joined our sharpe 10 lake Jessup. Wa
secured enough heron and egret plumes,
birdsskins and alligator hides TO enable us
to clear a good sized sum after paying all
our expenses We shipped our booty TO
New York, and sold our entire cruising
outfit and both boats to two Englishmen
on the upper ST. Johns for good price.
We had glorious time. are healthy and
hard as bricks, and have made enough
money to carry us through college. Flor
ida Times L MON