The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-18
UNIQUE WORKER.
Champion Blackboard Slater and His
Florida Plantation.

Cleveland Plain Dealer
Mr.. Phares II. Bell, of Sumterville, Fla,
tneNch1mpion blackboard slater. Is in the
Mr.. Bell has been engaged by the Board
OF Education to remove the blackboards in
all the schoolhOuses in the city. This is the
eleventh successive year that he has done
this work in Cleveland.
About twenty years ago Mr.. Bell STUN
Dled on to preparation which could be APP
Piled to old blackhoards and make them
SHINE like new ones. Not only did they
shine, but they We're better than ever for
the school children TO write upon Mr.. Bell
had this fluid patented and has since that
time been over the blackboards in the
schoolhouses of Atlanta, Danville, Lexing-
ton, St Louis, Columbus, Chicago, MilWau-
kee Cleveland, Seattle, Wash, and scores
of other cities.
1t is an interesting sight, to see Mr.. Bell
work. He has a great brush, twenty inches
long, with which he puts the fluid on the
board. He yields this brush with ease. and
with a few strokes of his arm the board is
covered with backing. 1t is allowed to dry
and then is sandpapered to secure a smooth
surface. Mr. Bell can cover 1000 square
feet of surface in a single working day. He
is willing to pay any man S25 who can do
this amour Of work in the same time that
he does. 1t will take only three weeks to
do all the work in the city. Mr.. Bell Is a
unique character He has been in every
State and Territory in the Union. He be-
gan life as an army scout among the West
ern Indians. When the civil war broke out
he entered the army and served through
out the war
d
Sumter county, Florida. He has in all zoo
acres about one hundred being covered
with orange trees. In the center of the
land is large grove of massive oaks.
Some of these trees are over six feet in cir
conference. Mr.. Bell has a plan to cut
certain of these trees down, leaving high
StumpS, and on these stumps build a great
summer hotel. The most interesting thing
on this great plantation is the trace of a
great stream that flows underground from
far up in the north on down to the Gulf of
Mexico.
Five miles west of the orange grove
owned by Mr.. Bell Is what is known as
down in the earth. 1t is about sixty feet
square, filled with water, and no bottom
has ever been found. If stick be thrown
into the water It sinks and never rises
again. 1t is evident from this that there
must be a stream that carries the water
from this little pond away to the gulf, and
of course there must be another that brings
the water into this natural reservoir.
In the country around this wall sink
depth; none with water in them, however.
They are cone shaped and are slowly being
the farm of Mr.. Bell, ard he decided to see
what he could discover. This hole was
about ten feet deep. He had ten dynamite
cartridges placed in the bottom and fired.
but no water was found Again dynamite
was exploded and still deeper, hole was
forced into mother earth.
Mr.. Bell had a ladder let down into the
cavern and climbed down himself. He then
found that the hole extended down about
fifty feet. The opening was in the form of
a great bowl, and the soil was of blue clay.
He dug a small hole into the earth at the
bottom of this cavity and placed in it more
powder. The powder was set off, and two
and half miles away the shock of the eX
plosion was felt. AS the smoke cleared
away the hole was seen to fill with water.
and soon the earthen bowl was full of
clear, pure water. No bottom to this huge
well has ever been found, and where the
water comes from is a mystery. After Mr..
Bell finishes his work here he Will leave
to fulfill a contract he has with the city of
St Louis Mr.. Bell says that the school
arrangements in Cleveland are the best of
any city in which he has worked.