The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-14
BIG CYPRESS sWAMP.
Acres of Sugar Cane and Many orazgs
Trees Found There

Acres OF sugar zane And Many Crazge
Trees Found There
Frank j. Hinson found two uagnif-
cent orange groves a few weeks ago III
the Big Cypress swamp of far south
Florida. Ne man has a valid claim TO
the property. the groves being in the
middle of one of the most impregEable
swamps in the whole state. Up 10 ten
years ago the Big Cypress was put down
on the map as -impracticabie" and 'Un-
SURVEYED" Then il was surveyed and
islands of fine hummock lend were
found here and there, bur thew were not
OF sufficient size TO tempt anybody. The
section lines, which ran mile apart
seemed to have missed the groves which
Mr.. Hinson got wind OF from en- old In
dian hghter. who chased the Sem
inoles into the Big Cypress
and out again during the last
Indian war. On one of these islands
during the war village was found and
burned.
Mr.. Hinson. with an old hunter as a
guide, penetrated into the swamp and
found an island of about 200 acres. beau
tifully wooded and containing 600 or
ange trees, all in full leaf and fruit.
The island did no: contain a solid grove.
but a series of groves. some of them be-
ing as large as three acres. The fruit
is sour, but is large and golden. The
trees average 25 feet in height" On
this island Mr.. Hinson also found acres
of sugar cane, evidently planted by the
Seminoles years ago. 1t is Of mammoth
size and the quality is excellent. Banana
plants were also found in abundance
and heavy with fruit. Later Mr.. Hinson
penetrated further into the swamp and
found another island, richer in orange
trees than the first.
Both islands seem TO be wonderfully
fertile. trees of all kinds being giants in
size, and other vegetable growth of the
most luxuriant character. One india
rubber tree was found TO measure %
feet around. while live oak measured
80 feet. Wild figs were also growing
luxuriantly. Mr.. HinsOr's theory is
that these islands, naturally fertile.
were centuries ago the rookeries OF
millions of water fowl and thus became
fortified to the highest degree of per-
lection.
When the Seminoles ran away from
the Creeks they selected the richest
lands on which to build their villages
and lazily TO cultivate a few acres of
corn and pumpkins. During the last
war they were driven from place TO
place, and finally took refuge in the
Big Cypress, and for long time con-
sidered themselves safe, as the Big
Cypress was regarded even among the
native Indian fighters, as impregnablc.
Finally, however, an expedition was
formed and marched in and attacked
the islands, drove the Indians from their
villages and chased them into the saw
grass, where the water was from knee
to waist deep for several miles, keep
ing up a running fire, until the Indians
who were not captured or killed had
disappeared. 1t il thought that these
villages were founded long before the
last Indian war, as the old fighters.
some of whom are now living, tell of
the feasts they made in the villages ON
oranges, pumpkins and corn. How the
groves got there, and. in fact how
oranges got into Florida, Is easily ex-
planned. Explorers who sailed from
Spain in the earlier days always load
ed their ships with sour oranges as an
inntidote against scurvy. Those or
anges which were not eaten on the voy-
ages were given 10 the Indians, who
Toasted on them around their camp
fires in the hummocks of the state.
The seeds fell 20 the ground and grew
into trees.-Chicaco Post.