New-York tribune., 1897-01-03

An island In the swamp is covered with long Leaf
pine making one Of the finest timber Forests IN the
State. The island Is seven miles long and nd arSs about
three miles wide, with area OF ABOUT ioVW acre.
hck wooded 1t Is hOSghi s TINS M lumber w' TO the
acre. The timber this island alone Is wor.n III
several hundred thousand dollars In addition ,hr 70
which is even valuable
of the firs, questions considered was the dranase
The company developing the swamp havs srathe thev
he po 1T, where sy y peas sran tn DO o
that Of Irish peat bog The sT S,aTS powder
For this reason the swamp will remain undrained,
or at least not entirely drained, until the owners
0 it is likely tha ali nvSlabls d;a timber b,nt. has
been marketed the swamp VIII be f he.o dns ms shoot
ers and there Is much other game c..
tor Pope Barrow. Marion Jackson and Jack Hast
ings went into the swamp on hunting expeult,on @
They killed many ducks ana severa, aeer %" u' The
thermometer went down TO zero ana IN cross,,s 'o ne
for twelve miles from BaSs1acs ssa"o Mr.
"a Inft here or Christmas Day and got Of the
train at Folkston After riding seven miles across
the country entered the canal at Camp C9rnsna as,
in natbotomed boat with guade d1acn hameg !, IN,
morning went through the canal for mile ana IA d
half There left It and struck out tntousn % hms ome
4 o clock We had taken six hours to pole our way
twenty miles. The water Is about 10 inc anches es
black muck before you reach the sand. Some OF
the peopS there this black & ssa peat fsrsa %9Sa
poles. and the forks prevented them from sinking
down into the mud 49,. .,, ,us, os
there are on land Aquatic plants grow up WIN WIN
their leaves the surface and through snfse NH, .S
the boat In places there are open stretrnes. Ine.e
is one opening eleven miles across called the 'rand
"At Blackjack Island stopped and waded out out
n haf-mile through the mud netore TanEsnn and
STodnn Maron camped We hunted deer and other game
but had to go home on account OF me &c coau r e ai
r1a, bstore we could get out Marion Jack
son was almost in q comatose cohui''oh WIG" "'
REACHED Camp prncpaty II they ever get
water of IT. The water is only kept on by dams
H Camp c9rnea The To the easa @ Mays River TO
nreyent the water from escaping TINS canai mas ~
be closed. They keep the water IN 10 get the ''''-
.rbe canal extends fifteen miles into the swamp;
hranches at right angles In the swamp are a num-
ber Of places called houses. These are places where
1ISeS riSers' nIsy BAYS Sand and seas 'a
.scattered about in the swamp there are I'm. m.
msnsG rc he largest blackjack Island IS miles
and three miles vide and on aptan II Is ,ns nss,
said thai Blys Island contained m as much h anabs mpes
blackjack Island S5 no. synrss ar sne bay and white
holly White holly there grows as large as OAK
1t resembles the holy Te ee use aS is ssd foT
piano keys and like purposes The miniature worlds
fair NJ our exposition was made OF II.
'.Billy's Island is historic place IL was the
home Of Billy Bowlegs. Seminole chief His tribe
was the Ia s TO be driven of the country These
Indians took refuge in the swamp and lived there
for wears They finally driven out. but Billy
Bowlegs died there. ,, .. .o
coons posstIins. wildcats and all sorts OF game"
The Okefenokee swamp has been the subject of
considerable legislation. Years ago q company was
formed TO open 1t and at another time a charter
was granted to a company which wished to cut
canal through the swamp and across FLORIDA TO
The (;ulf of Mexico. Neither OF these projects ma
terialized and for years the swamp was considered
worthless property. In 1850 at the instance OF
Hon Frank Hall OF Dahlonega who then
member of the House. bill was passed providing
for the sale of the swamp. which contains about
400 600 acres at the rate Of 12s cents an acre. to
Philadelphia parties. There was some agitation OF
the matter In the newspapers and the bill was
criticised because the proposed sale was non.com-
nettiye The bill was amended 60 as to provide for
Competitive bids. and in that form became law
The result was that after advertisement and con-
siderable newspaper agitation. the swamp was sold
for c6i. cents per to q company made up OF
(seorgia and Philadelphia parties: General Henry
r. Jackson and Captain Harry Jackson were largely
interested In the enterprise and furnished much CT
the capital which has developed the property.