The Yale expositor., 1895-11-01

=
have a scene fit for a king, after the
imbibing of which one must be callous
indeed If his slumbers are not accom-
panied by visions OF paradise.
This morning we made a trip 10
Miami, five miles north, at one time
the county seat OF Dade county end
early in the present century the place
for assembling u. $. troops at what Is
known in history as Fort Dallas. The
old fort with wide balconies and walls
three feet thick, built of stone, Is now
occupied as home by Mrs. Julia Tut
tie, Cleveland lady, with her son and
daughter and score or more OF negro
servants, the latter OF whom occupy
the old barracks near the fort. Mrs.
Tuttles place is a typical tropical
home and an hour was most interest
ingly spent as she explained this and
that point Of interest and beauty,
flower, fruit and tree. Huge cocoanuts
and bananas form the frontage upon
the bay and the charming Miami river.
Her lawn Is wide and deep and we'll
cared for. Beautiful tropical birds
filed the trees.
The East Coast railway Will be ex-
tended to this place by February LIST.
Upon Mrs. Tuttle's property will be
built n thriving city and one of the
largest winter hotels in the south, TO
contain 100 rooms. Miami will be
the southern terminus of the road for
many years and the trade Of South
America, Cuba and the Bahamas will
pass through her doors, as will the
mails of these countries. The road
will be $40 miles long. 1t is owned
by IL. Nj. Flagler, of Standard OH
fame who also owns three mammoth
hotels at st. Augustine, two ut Palm
Beach and three others along the line
OF the road-with Miami nine in all.
The railroad and hotels, with the
canal, in which Mr.. Flagler is large
owner, constitute gigantic enterprises.
The canal has redeemed millions of
acres of worthless lands and the rail-
road will bring them into market and
together they will serve TO bring I'M
mense immigration to this section OF
Uncle Sans domain especially Dade
county,, so little of which has ever
been heard of before-a county where
the frost has never penetrated but
once Qast winter) and where the mean
summer temperature is so degrees and
the mean winter temperature is 40 de-
grees; where malaria is unknown and
whe.e the hottest day in summer is
pleasant to do active work in--the one
section of the union where all tropical
fruits are grown.
The canal follows near the ocean
ridge and the railroad but a short dis
lance away all the way down the
coast, through Il series of rivers, bays,
sands and bayous, occasionally cutting
through ridges of high land and
stretches of muck land. Together they
will and are doing wonders for this
heretofore practically unknown section
of the Union, southeastern Florida.
The rivers emptying into the Athn-
tic ocean and Biscayne bay In this sec
ton are most beautiful-broad, deep
and lined with dense tropical trees 10
the very banks, the mangrove, that
most peculiar of all tropical trees, pre-
dominating. The tree which puts out
from its branches all the way TO the top
limbs resembling mats, which seek the
ground and imbed themselves there.
We sailed up three OF these rivers
nearly TO the Everglades. They are
mere In the nature Of sounds than
IlNtIS. w nth
glades they suddenly grow shallow
and narrow and when they reach the
top OF a nine or ten foot rapids are
scarcely more than creeks. These
rapids need deepening into the Ever
Glades, ut comparatively nominal
outlay, 10 drain many thousands Of
acres Of pine land. "he canal COM
pany's drainage system gill be extend
cd TO this work in order 10 bring this
vast stretch of now worthless country
into the market.
When the above was written we had
expected to mail at Cocoanut Grove.
but found that from. that point mail
was taken. and Il week by sail boat
to Key West, thence by steamer to
Tampa, and then 10y rail north, there
fore thee has been q weeks delay in
mailing, and we complete the same
at West Palm Beach October 18th.
The people OF lower Dade county
hope TO have their mail regularly
every day after the completion Of the
railroad to Miami about February LIST
next.
Since our return from the southern
part of the county some attention has
been given to the system of agricul-
ture practical In this section of the
state. Farming in Southern Florida Is
not what 1t is in the Northern States
Fifteen or so acres Is rs large a farm
as a family OF three male members
should attempt TO care for, and for
that matter good deal more unless
there is, at least, ten acres set out to
oranges. lemons, lines or bananas.
Mr.. w. J. Shone, OF Cocoanut Grove.
supervisor of his township, furnishes
us the following data in regard TO to-
mato raising, the basis being one
acre: Cost-fertilizer, $41: labor. SO:
New York, $40; commission. 500. To-
tai, $40 Result, go crates of three
pecks each at $50 each, SLIPS. Net,
1888. Mr.. Shone had three acres of to-
matoes last year. They were grown
upon fine sand land. They produce ms
high as 160 crates to the acre upon
muck land. Mr.. Shone received 81 por
crate for his crop last January, Feb
ruary and March. but advised us that
estimates At $3.50 per crate would he
figures the very lowest. Bermuda on
ions return a profit of $1,000 per acre.
One acre is all one man can attend
during the growing season. He needs
extia help in setting out. gathering
and shipping. One acre Is the largest