Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-02-08
Arcadia, Fla, and Vicinity.

AIthulds Glhss anu fiCiuitts
Mr. EDIToR:-This city is comparatively
new. Ten years ago II had only few
scattering houses. About that time the
| railway system was changed from a mar.
I row gauge to wide gauge. The severe
freezes of the northern part OF Florida
are driving the people further south, but
a small portion of the people are natives OF
Florida. Nearly every man you meet
came from some state further Dorth-VIr-
/ ginis, North aud South Carolina, Georgia,
/ Mississippi, Alabama, ETC., one family
from Vermont, while Ohio, Indiana and
all northern states are represented. 1 find
the people sociable, well disposed towards
tourists and settlers. Ten years ago, when
this town kept open bars, the cowboys
made practice of coming 10 town Satur-
day evenings and, after getting erazed
with rum, painting the town red before
I leaving, but free rum is OF the past. The
town authorities generally do their duty
and all is quiet.
/ Nearly all the immigration to this part
OF Florida is OF people looking for
warmer climate on account OF lung
troubles. Many people who were near
deaths door when arriving here, are now
/ in fair way to live for years. Thus far
three frosts have visited this part OF Flor
/ ida, which did no damage to oranges, but
Z injured garden vegetables. Nearly every
dav the Thermometer registers from 500 to
/ 500 above zero. Bot few storms occur al
this time Of year. The weather is delight
/ fol.
have not seen a blanket for a horse
/ since i have been in Florida. Barns are
1 built Of open lattice work aud back from
/ the city barn is only a roof TO keep on
/ the rain. No hay is cut here. WHAT is
used for horses and COWS Is brought 10
/ town in bales from the north. The same
/ rule holds good in nearly all the cotton
/ states.
oxen are driven with ropes on their
horns like horses, in most cases, and VIII
weigh from 500 TO 500 lbs. each. The soil
| is Of wbitish sand, with not a stone in all
/ Florida that have seen.
Place river runs near this town not half
mile away. A bout 10 years ago bevy
OF northern Yankees we're seen proving
around this river, seemingly with view
/ to buying up the lands along it's banks 20
convert the timbers into paper. Lands
4 for nearly so miles were bought for 25c.
/ per acre. After the final sale OF all the
lands, il was discovered that large de-
posits OF phosphates OF petrited bone
/ we're mixed with the ssndy soil. Ma
\ chinery was put in in the form OF power
/ full steam pumps attached TO large fiat
I boats. The waters and soil with the pet
rifed bone are pumped high into screens
which separate the soil from the bone,
the bone being dropped on board harges,
4 10 De IOMtu 10 Ant nANhuA Ahtatos "hANA
carry IL high into tanks to be loaded into
cars, then taken TO dry houses, 10 miles
away From the dry houses 1t finds its
way to the sea coast A large portion
goes TO Germany, a portion goes to the
north, " here oxides are applied TO make
the bone give up its plant growth materi
al The works are now owned by the
/ Bradley Phosphate Co. OF Boston.
/ Iavailed myself OF az invitation to visit
! these works five miles away. Every at
| tention was given me by the superintend-
/ ent to see its operations. Eight powerful
steam vessels with pumps attached were
running a stream OF waste water and sand
/ at least 10 inches in diameter. At times,
several acres are pumped over without
getting 90 barges of rock, as they call IL,
/ other localities are rich in rock. This
/ netrihed bone or rock must have been
/ here for ages, when Florida was the bed
4 OF the ocean. The rock is rich in fossils
/ OF all kinds OF fish, sharks teeth, oyster
shells, bones OF one very large Dish, one
I Joint OF its back bone being six inches
4 through. The pumps run down from 10
\ To is feet and no farther as they strike the
/ first bed rock which holds water 6ll over
/ Florida and which keeps Flortta from
/ being a desert, as its rivers would other
wise sink into the earth. Pine tim Der Is
/ being cut along the river banks, which
I is used for fuel for these monster engines.
| Pine here is full OF turpentine, which
makes il burn with great rapidity. As the
railroad along this river bank is owned by
the Phosphate company and used for no
other purpose, people wishing to visit ITS
works only have to signal the train near
| Arcadia, when you get ride free OF
| charge Two sets OF workmen are en-
moved so these pumps run night and day,
except Sundays. The workmen live along
| the banks in cheap houses and tents. l
/ saw one large fly or sheet OF cloth without
sides, which was the home OF several
workmen, this warm climate making II
/ possible. A trip TO this novel and inter-
/ estipg place will never be forgotten.
| There is no running water in this state,
I save in the rivers. What are called sur
/ face wells are reached at the first rock,
\ from 10 to rs deep but the second bed
/ rock is reached from 800 to 600 feet deep.
| Retween the first bed rock and the second,
the drill finds oyster shells in large num-
hers, Ask how long has the world stood
| Drill the second bed rock through ana
Won have artesian wells overlooking, a
large number OF which smell ana taste
strongly OF sulphur and are considered
yery healthful. In places, the second PED
/ rock is so hard that il is next to Impossible
/ TO drill IL and not without great expense.
| The wonderful construction OF the earth
I conld not have come by chance, as u
/ clearly shows the design OF the Ruler OF
Z all things.
ITO be continued.)
q. W. FLAoa, Arcadia, Florida.