The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-09
MILLIONS IN SUGAR
BIG DEAL WHEREBY EVERGLADES
OF FLORIDA BECOME RICn
SUGAR PLANTATION
WILL BE LARGEST IN WORLD
Million Acres to ne Developed TO
Point where They Will Yield
100000 Tons An
nualIy,

George M. Merrill, representing the
Florida East Coast Drainage and Sugar
company, which has contaminated one
Of the most important Industrial deals Of
the past year, PASSED through st. Paul
yesterday, having come West in the In
terest of the company.
About enc month agoathiS' company ar
ranged with big Wisconsin capitalists to
provide $5,00O,O00 for the purpose. Of de-
veloping the lands Of the company, in
other words to- convert immense ever
gIades into profitable sugar plantations,
a work which is a most important I'M
dertaking for the industrial development
Of Florida. Mr.. Merrill said:
f'With. the capital stock now subscribed
the company will go actively to work,
expecting within a short time to begin
expecting within a short time to begin
the construction of the canals, the cul-
tivation of sugarcane and the erection OF
factories. When it is stated that the
company has acquired the right to 1000, :
600 acres, expecting to turn these into
magnifcently fertile field for the cul-
tivation Of the sugarcane crop, the mann
meth scope of the enterprise can better
be realized.
s'In addition to being tremendous in
dustrial undertaking for Florida, it is
said to be the largest project for the
raising of sugarcane and the making of
sugar in the world The calculations are
based on the fact that each acre, after
the drainage is completed, will produce
annually two tons of sugar. thus making
100000 for the whole tract, and, ac-
cording to this estimate, the Florida
plantation or plantations would be suffi-
Client to supply the whole sugar trade of
America. The lands are the Florida
| everglades. The project to develop these
lands has been Of long standing-in fact
| the inception of the enterprise was dur
ing the Indian war. The first conception
| of the possibilities of draining the lands
was made then, and the world was made
aware Of the fact through the publica-
ton of the surveys and maps prepared
by the United States. war department
when Jefferson Davis was, secretary of
war.
1.-THE lands acquired by the company
are generally known as the Everglades
of Florida an elevated basin separated
from the Atlantic ocean by a ridge of
limestone, being an average of three
miles from tide water.
''The Everglade basin is flied with soil
of extreme fertility, being composed of
drift or alluvium mixed with decayed
vegetable matter, and Is generally under
laid by deposit Of mari, source Of
much fertility and corrective of acid
ity. The bottom of this basin is practic-
ally above tide water, rendering the
| drainage simple process. The limestone
ridge on the eastern edge of the gIades
has been pierced to the waters of the
glades by numerous streams-the Hills
boro Manu. Cypress, Middle, Little, New
Arch and Snake rivers, all of which
streams cross the ridge into the terri
tory controlled by the company incorpo-
rated
These rivers have penetrated through
the rocky ridge to the ocean. The falls
or rapids at their heads are gradually
working westwardly, and in time would
by natural means effect the drainage of
| the Everglades. The object Of the Flor
ida East Coast Drainage and Sugar COM
pany is to remove the barriers at the
heads Of the various rivers, and fEasn
thence run canals or channels into the
body of the Everglades with necessary
latera& to quickly remove the impodnded
water and prepare the soil for agricul-
ture. The prime agricultural crop of the
company will be sugar. The soil is par
ticularly adapted to this plant The lands
being level, are peculiarly fitted for sugar
fields, and for the use of modern appli-
ances, the steam plow and cultivator
Cane is now growing In this district
planted ten years since"