The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-15
A GOPHER FARM IN FLORIDA.
The New Industry n Discouraged
Orange Grower Has Begun.


Correspondence of the New York Tines.
Gopher farming is one of the unique in.
dustries which an original man of Florida
has gone into since his orange grove was
killed to, the roots by last winters cold
weather. Henry DalyweIle, a German by
birth. but who has been in Florida for a
decade, expects to have $1,000 gophers on
the market inside OF two years. Fifty
thousand gophers ought to contribute in
some degree to the discontinue of the beef
trust. The gopher of Florida is not the
gopher of more northern ATTITUDES. He is
called by the encyclopedias the, testudo
polypheums, species of turtle, which can
claim first cousinship to the tortoise. He
makes his home in the high, rolling pine
land of the state He and the rattlesnake
are the best of companions. Wherever a
gopher hole is to be found there viii also
be found a rattlesnake. The gopher snake
is also a friend of the gopher
Mr.. Dalywelle's farm is situated on the
banks of the WekiVa river The Wekiva
is named for the central fgure-a maiden
in a Seminole Indian legend. Wekiva, the
beautiful daughter of the ancient Thomas
Tiger Tail, celebrated for the number Of
scalps he had taken, was once in love with
handsome Indian youth, who stood
feet in his moccasins, and could shoot an
arrow through the heart of bear. The
youth Tilted Wekiva, and she wept SO CO.
piously that where once was arid sand
there is now a beautiful and cool river
Mr. Dalywelle lives with his family of a
wife. three blue-eyed girls and two tow
headed boys, in a two-roomed residence.
the walls of which are of hewn pine. In
his first struggle for existence in this state
gopher more often furnished the piece de
resistance of his dinner than Florida
beef. why would it not do" he asked
himself one day, "tO raise these things
for market? There was ample demand for
gophers in all of the Florida markets, the
residents of the country as well as those
of the city regarding the gopher, properly
cooked, as a delicacy equal to diamond
backed terrapin. He resolved to carry
out his idea, so he and his boys secured
the country for miles and miles, and gath
cred together all the gophers they could
find and placed them upon a two-thousand
acre tract vof virgin pine. The gophers
took kindly to the spot and industriously
set to work to dig themselves homes IN
the yellow sand. The place is now liter
ally honeycombed with their tunnels.
The only unpleasant feature of gopher
| farming according to Dalywelle, is the
snakes Hundreds of rattlesnakes have
hocked to the homes of the gophers. Not
I a day passes but the gopher raiser and his
/ boys kill from three TO a dozen. They never
venture into the farm without heavy top
boots, a heavy stick, and pint of anti
| dote. The snakes, while dangerous, are
| also made to yield revenue to this provi-
/ dent farmer He cures the skins and sells
/ them to cuTio dealers. The curio dealers
have them manufactured into purses and
! hand satchels, and sell them to the visitors
/ from the north who visit this state dur
/ ing the winter season. Rattlesnake oil is
| far-famed as cure for rheumatism and
number Of wholesale drug houses buy their
| oil from Mr.. Dalywelle.
| There is a rare flavor to the gopher that
| cannot fail 10 tickle the palate OF the cpl
/ cure Mr.. Dalywelle says that In the course
of few years the people Of the whole un-
ion win be educated to gophers. Then, he
predicts. the gopher VIII not 90 begging
/ at % cents a piece. but Will command S36
a dozen. He proposes to inaugurate the
/ kindergarten movement. and says that in
a few weeks, when gophers are latest he
will send pair 20 President Cleveland
and other distinguished men. All he asks
/ m return Is an honest testimonial as 20
now gopher compares with other meat.