New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-27
MIR. DISSTON'S PLAYTHING
MILLIONS OF ACRES AND A SUGAR MILL.

A COLOSSAL UNDERTAKING THAT SHOULD DO
MUCH FOR FLORIDA.
One of the most energetic men Of TODAY is
Hamilton Disston. OF Philadelphia, son Of Henry
psston. of sawmaking fame, head Of the great
manufacturing house of Henry Disston's Sons
Having grown wearied with the monotony of
personally conducting business requiring a force
Of 5000 skilled artisans, lie has entered into a
new industry, the pursuit of which gives him
the highest satisfaction, if not the greatest profit
hamilton Disston will he known TO poSterity as
a Retainer of land as well as sawmaker, and
incidentally may be remembered a grower OF
cane sugar. Furthermore he will be set down
as u wonderful traveller No engineer, no con-
ductor no Pullman porter, knows the road
from Philadelphia to KisSimmee half 20 thoroughly
as he. In his special Car he travels it 50 often
that one grows tired of counting the trips made
between the saw works and the sugar mill. The
distance is 400 mikes vet lie speaks of the journey
as if it were an hours walk.
Mr. DisstOn is about forty-iive years OF age is
short of stature, has mustache like Dan"
Iamont's and an eye like that Of the great eagle
in the cage at the Tampa Bay Hotel, one that
can look straight at the sun without tear, or
even a blink. He is far from handsome. In
his features there is too much concentration of
"a
club in Philadelphia he is clubman in the
best meaning OF that phrase; he is one of the
best entertainers and one OF the most generous
Nothing can subdue, depress or discourage him,
lie can drink plenty OF champagne between IL
o'clock and midnight and he at the sawwOrks at
o'clock with cool ana capacious brain. AT
the sugar plantation he might always pass I'M
noticed by the visiting stranger. His rusty old
clothes and his little souch hat with the brim
drawn down III slar; Point over the left eye do
indeed distinguish him from the cracker, bnt
in a party of celebrated people he never would
be seen Till looked hard at TWO or three times.
1t is on the sugar plantation that you would,
however, find him at his best Go visit him there.
60 look over his millions of acres and walk
through his mill. His headquarters are at ks
Nmmee, properly pronounced "Kis-simm-ee," ac
cent OIL the "simm. Don't make the Oft-Tc-
peated mistake of asking young woman: q" Are
you going to Klss-immee ?" There is a legend
in Florida about a man having been kicked off
moving train for being too facetious concerning
Kissimmee
Send messenger around to the station Of the
ST. Cloud Sugar Beet Railroad and order a special
train for an cight-mile ride to the sugar mill.
Tie road is Mr.. Disstons now. When built, it
was the joint property of Mr.. Disston and William
more extensive interest in Florida than his mere
acauaintances dreamed of. The track, like the
man that owns it, is broad gauge, and the engines
end cars are first-class An arm OF Lake TohOpe-
kahga is crossed short distance from Kissimmee.
and here the visitor sees the first Signs Of the
colossal undertaking Of the man who is
converting into dry land marshes that spread
over enough acres TO make State larger
than Rhode Island or Delaware The lake, ff
teen miles long, one OF the largest and most beau-
full in Florida, well the most dangerous
has been robbed of four feet Of water by tue
deepening of the canal that runs into Lake kis
simInee which lies eighteen miles TO the south
ward ana empties through the kisslmmee River
into Lake Okeechobce. seventy-tiye miles lower
down The last-named, the largest body Of fresh
water in the South, is drained by the serpentlne
Caloosahatchee River. which joins the Gulf at
Pine Island 90 miles south of the Tampa Inn
To lower four feet the surface of lake whose
superficial area is little less than severtyve square
miles is no bit Of childish nonsense. The re-
rIaimins of the OkeefenOkee in southern Georgia
is perhaps a more stupcndoue enterprise than this
in so far As mere drainage is concerned but IT Is
not believed that Georgia will gain nearly 80 much
by it as Florida has gained by the operations OF
Mr. Disston in drawing on the waters OF Tohope-
kaliga By his ll-planncd system OF canals
he has left high and dry not only all the old piers
and wharves that were once the PRIDE OF hlssim'
mee but also 100000 acres OF az rlch lana az
the tropical sun ever shone upon. lie went INTO
partnership with the State, furnished all the capt
tai of the firm, did all the work, and took one
half of the profits, that is, one-half OF the lana
reclaimed. 50 that he now Owns 100000 acres.
The land. as may be seen by glance at the sides
of the deepest bitches in the reclaimed territory.
is Of the finest quality. No subsoll IL discovered
From the surface 10 depth Of ten or twelve feet
YOU find rich, black loan, easily cultivated ana
highly productive. Experiment has proved that
il is peculiarly adapted to the growth OF nboon
cane and the belief is widespread that she region.
already characterized as the sugar belt. Is destined
10 become the sugar centre Of the United States
The manufacture of sugar is new industry in
Florida hut with the Government aid IL IL making
rand strides The orange crop has not been
generally profitable in the last four years Many
growers have lost money, owing TO the oyerprodnc-
ton California having proved Formidable, nay
q disastrous competitor. The only crop OF "hich
Florida can safely boast at this writing Is 'he
crop Of Northern tourists. 1t has IN reality KEEP
the State alive when everything else failed III
is increasing all the time, Is not aHec'eu ny
drouths or freshets, and requires no cuitiVa'ioh
1t does not have IN he marketed III Is reauy
money. But the natives continue 10 gro" oians''
and they will soon begin 10 grow sugar Inc
Government bounty on homegrown sugar Is Z
cents pound, which should make the crop highy
profitable The West Indies, az sugar -prouucihe
islands, are rapidly losing ground Especially Is
this true of all the smaller islands, inc "lnu""f'
Cram having practically Been ruined by the sys-
tenn NJ absentee !andloTdism, which prevails there
n an alarming extent. The Louisiana plantations
are not What they were though the acreage Is
now on the increase, fact due entirely 70 'ne
bounty. ., . eoo ocras in
sucarcane last wear. and his mill is still grinding
and boiling and cooperating The yeIs rs and sOH ne
u we'll satisfied with it till Claus Spreckeis
bccs,ne his gncst. and after looking over the