West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-05-04
WAY down SOUTH.
A BuCkTheat Among The Oranges,
AllisatOrS, PiCCaninnioS, and
Phosphate Beds.

LA, NpIll @4f 1905,
EDITOR ARGUs:--If you will kindly
allow me space l will tell you Of
my experiences in Florida.
The first thing l did on reaching
Crystal was to do what every one
does, ego fishing" and succeeded
in landing one three feet long that
tipped t h c beam at twenty-five
pounds.
bought twenty foot sailboat
and tor some time was engaged in
the fish and oyster trade along the
Gulf Coast and, at the end Of the
oyster season, navigated twenly
miles to town called Inglis,
This town is situated seven miles
from the Gulf of Mexico on the
Witlachoochee river but is mostly
settlement OF negroes
After staying two weeks in this
place my brother and ] stocked ouI
boat with provisions and set sail
into the wilderness.
We soon found we had a crook
cd road to travel for the Withla-
coochee has the most crooks and
turns of any river / ever saw, for
at times we met ourselves coming
back.
We started from Inglis at p. m.
Saturday, and camped that night
on the river bank, and it was not
until late next day that we came to
ferry where we met the ferryman
and his daughter. They were the
only people we had the pleasure of
seeing since starting and after fill
ing our jug (wlth water) we started
again.
The river now became so full of
rapids that in order to get along it
was necessary to use the sail ropes
for snub line pulling the boat
along from tree to tree over the
worst places. A ftcr proceeding
this way for twenty miles We came
in sight of Dunnellon at 4 p. m.
Monday. My brother killed an
alligator on the way but we could
not get it before it sank.
Not caring to travel any farther
we paid visit TO the phosphate
mines. This is where the con
victs of tn c State use pick
and shovel under guard from sun to
sun.
The phosphate rock is twenty
feet under the ground but with the
use of steam shoyels tlc dirt is soon
removed and the rock ground up
and several train loads shipped
daily. The most Of it is taken to
the Gulf where it is loaded on ships
some Of which carry forty-fye hum
dred tons.
The place where the convicts are
kept at night is called a stockade. It
is a wooden building surrounded
by high board wall and at each
corner Of which a guard stays
armed with Winchester rifles. The
building consists of two long rooms,
one for eating and the other 10
sleep in. In the eating room are
two tables the length Of the room
and as they were set for supper this
was their bill-a fare. A bowl con
tanning a piece Of meat and some
soup together with a small piece Of
corn bread constituted their meal.
The sleeping room was arranged the
same way only the beds resemblcd
store counters with a few blankets
on them. Running through this
room is a hall built Of Stats for the
guards to stay in at night Every
slat and board used in the construc-
tion Of walls, doors, windows etc,
are daily tested by the guards to
see that they arc securely nailed
fast
Accepting an invitation from the
guards to dine with them, we had a
better supper than the convicts but
it was cooked and served by a con.
vict which somehow took my an.
| petite
Two days later I took two men
IN the boat and started down the
river arriving at Ingls in six hours
where we were met by a gasolene
launch and towcd down The coast to
Crystal river The scenery along
these rivers is unsurpassed and it
well pays anyone 70 make the trip.
am now running an ice plant at
night at Duuncll5n, Florida, and il
anyone keeps cool viii, for ice
placed around bucket Of cream a
little while is very tempting.
Not wishing to rob The Rambler
Of his space will close by asking
| you Mr.. Editor to please send my
paper to Duunc.lon.