The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-03-25
Florida Phosphate.
Governor Evans Tells all he
Knows About Them.

ida to-day. where, accompanied ny
Phosphate Commissioners Jones, be has
been inspecting the phosphate beds Of
that State. The visit was made 10
order to see and understand definitely
what competition the rock in that State
would have upon that of this State and
what might be expected by the phos-
phate men iD the future. As a result
Of the visit Governor Evacs says that
South Carolina will be able to bold her
own With the world and that Charleston
and Beaufort and Port Royal, by rea.
500 Of their deep water and accessl-
bility to the rock, will for years COM
maud the bulk of this business.
Governor Evans went throug ughout the
phosphate region Of Florida. going as
far down as Tampa and Palm Beach.
he not only inspected the mines and
personally Inspected their operations,
but talked with owpers Of them. and
got their views on the situation. He
has come TO the conclusion that Florida
cannot be an active competitor With
South Carolina 10 the business The
formers rock is generally Of an inferior
quality and has to be dug out of im
mensc sand beds and then transported d
over railroads to some seaport. The
freight rates and the different landings
Of the rock before it gets to ship, he
thinks. will make it not only inferior,
but higher. than the South Carolina
rock The only rock he saw 10 Flor
ida that 10 any way approaches ours in
quality is known as "pebble" rock.
and it has to be dug out Of sand, with
which it is mixed, and must be then
separated from it.
Governor Evans points out another
advantage that South Carolina has 10
Florida there are no deep water ports
like Charleston and Port Royal, and
comparatively small cargoes can be
taken out at time, while the largest
vessels can come up to Charleston's
phosphate mines and load.
He found the busipass IN Florida 10
very depressed condition. The
miners have made 10 money. and little
rock is being shipped. They are nstu-
rally very blue over the situation.
They have comparatively few fertilizer
factories iu the State, and even i there
were more he does not think they could
successfully compete with South Care
lioa owing to the fact that the py'l'es
would have to be transported over rail
roads to the mines. The only c"n"try
which be believes can to any exteut
affect the business in South Carolina
is Algiers. where rock of equal value
to ours is found However, it has to
be hauled 6fteen or twenty miles 10 a
port and as the royalty is about the
same as ours, the extra hauling will
give South Carolina rock mea the ad
vantage. AS result Of his invsstiga-
;iops and observations Governor Evans
has come TO toe conclusion that Charles
ton acc Beaufort Hices and manu-
fsc:urers have ne advantage Of the
world, and will bold i; as !ons as the
supply of rocS lasts. lie believes that
the period Of depression vii! soon end
aud that the business will ce prosper
ous and paying one
Governor Evans decline. TO talk of
politics. saying that he aad lost the
run Of things" during his absence
The Governor was tot mach pleased
with Florida aud said t;la; his visit haG
but strengthened him W ne be'ies that
South Carolina was the gar,!eo spot OF
the country He remarked that be
would rot give the coaHty Of Berkeley
for the whoic State Of Florida. Except
81 Palm Beach. be though; 'he name
The Land of Flowers missioner
His observation was that it was a laud
of saud and stup,ed piue trees. Never
,heess, outside of the object for which
the trip vas made the Governor says
be had splendid time. He took in
the east coast along which the Standard
Oil magnata Flagler, has built series
of magnificent botels, at some Of which
the Governor stopped, aud he was
greatly impressed with the lavishness
with which the millionaire vas pouring
out money to improve the country.
The Sumter grand jury in their