The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-27
p
fANC|FUL TRIP
BY AER0PLANE
Imaginative Writer Sees
Wonderful Things in the
Dim and Distant
Future.

The Times-Union thus describes a
fanciful trip by aeroplane down Cor
rather over the East Coast Of Flori-
da in 1910: g The airshlp
descended as It lowered over the
south end Of Amelia Island and passed
several times In front of the works
at that point to give the inspectors
view of the crab fisheries. This Is the
most important station in Florida OF
that crab fishery which has been
transferred from the Chesapea6e-the
hundreds of fishing boats, the marshes
covered with wired pens for the care
of the soft crabs and the activity of
a large force of men with the facih-
ties for shipping provided, shows the
volume of the business. 1t
was busy scene that next met our
eyes, and it required an effort to real
ize that five years ago Mayport could
scarcely be called town. 1t now
does as large business as the port OF
! Jacksonville and is known throughout
the country as the headquarters or
the products of the ST. Johns Fishing
/. Company. We were already
lowering over the great clam factories
4 of Matanzas before we realized it.
Here the investors have secured pro-
/ prietary rights over the great marshes
/ behind the inlet and the factories
4 behind the shell bluffs on the seaside
are busily laboring night and day dur
/ ing the season in preparing this ex-
/ cellent food at great profit to them
! selves and the state Only a few
years ago these marshes were consid-
cred without value, but they are the
natural home of the clam, while the
care Oh the experts employed by the
factories make the supply practically
ineXhaustible. The whole Is careful
! ly plotted and marked off into Sec
tons and the age and condition of
the CLAIMS in each Of these sections
can be learned in moment by ref
erence to the maps in the superin-
tandents office-the work of each
/ day is under direction and only the
prime product finds its way to market.
IL After an hour we ran OF
the highway and approached the
shore to catch view of Smyrna in
let. The airship lowered over the
works for an hour. There are side
issues" but at Smyrna inlet ct is
: fish," as she expresses it From the
great barges that run. out behind the
tugs for the menhaden that furnish
oil and fertilizers to the delicate mul
let and sea trout in their season, 'it
is fish," Years ago the menhader
were taken and the presses set go
Ing, but It was then found "the sharks
. take all the profit" Now the sharks
become part Of the pfofit-"all is fist
: that come to the net" How every
: cent of value is taken from so many
varieties of fish, how the losses once
considered ruinous have been stop
ped, how the induStrysis so carefully
managed that the supply increases in
stead of diminishing, will be matter
Of careful investigation and particu
; lar study on the return trip Of tn,
delegation. Coming to thu
enclosed waters of Biscayne Bay W,
find that condition that made the Ches
: apeake the storeIhouse of luxuries 70
the table reproduced. Careful treat
ment has paved the bottom of thi
4 exquisite body of water with oyster
at frequent intervals above Miam
the sea water is let in at will, an,
the waters Of Smoke River, Arcl
creek and other affluents from tn
Everglades placed entirely under cor
; troll so that the conditions for perfec
: care of the bivalves are never disturb
ed. The director tests the water
of the bay and his stand-gates ar
G lifted to the east or the west and sal
y or fresh water added as may be d.