The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-03-09

GaAAA-NA8NANS
estimates Of the cost Of this levee and
Of the necessary drainage and irrigation
canal system through this saw graas re-
gion.
Without going into details, his esti-
timtae5 contemplate an expenditure for
the completed system Of between nine
and ten million dollars, and in his opin-
ion this IL the only practical scheme for
the reclamation Of the arrable portion
of the famous Everglades. 1t will be
seen that his plan is diametically OPP
posed to the propositions publicly an
nounced by Governor Broward in his
message to the Legislature, and in his
public interviews in the press of the
State.
a SUICIDAL POLICY
In Keller's opinion, the construction
of merely ocean canals, having for their
prime object the lowering of Lake Okee-
chobee and the drying up of the Ever
glades, II a suicidal policy, as in his
opinion the Everglades, even if drained,
cannot be made productive, without the
most efficient system of irrigation, ex-
perience having taught the bitter les
son that unless ample irrigation is pro-
vided for these muck lands, they are
not only unproductive, but will un-
doubtedly be utterly destroyed for agri-
cultural purposes by fire. Keller's tes-
timony is all the more interesting for
the reason that during the last six
months or so he has been in commune
cation with the drainage commission
ers.
OTHER EXPERT WITNESSES.
Among other expert witnesses for the
complainant are w. L. Van Duzor, of
Kissimmee, who was for many years
the superintendent of the same drain
age company and was in charge of their
construction work at the time that these
Okeechobee canals were cut. His tes-
timony coroborates that Of Keller. Al
80 DR.. j. Hobart Egbert, of Washing
ton, D. c., scientist, who is attached
to the United States Coast and Geodet-
ic Survey, who is now detailed by the
government to make magnetic survey
of the Okeechobee country; also Capt. |
Clay Johnson, of Kissimmee, the oldest |
steamboat captain on the Kissimmee
river, and who was also in the employ
of the old drainage company; also j.
E. Mosely, of Kissimmee, profession
al surveyor of great experience and
high standing; also W. A. Roberts and
/. S. Singletary, Of Fort Myers, both |
we'll known surveyors and timber ex-
perts; also J. ]. Singleton, of Arcadia, |
civil engineer of the highest standing |
in South Florida; also j. o. Fries, Of
Titusville, county surveyor of Brevard
county and one of the bast known civil |
engineers in the State, who is now in |
the employ Of the drainage commission
ers, and who last August surveyed the |
canal running from the east shore of |
Lake Okeechobee through the high pine |
Fort Drum ridge to the st. Lucie river; |
also Capt Hendricks, of Orlando, the |
Florida agent and timber expert of the |
complainant; also W. G. Welles, of Noe |
atee, a we'll known lumberman and mill |
owner; also J. M. Lee, Of Kissimmee, |
late clerk of the Circuit Court of Osce-
ola county and president of the Lee-Par-
sons Cattle Company; also c. F. Nc
Quaig, of Orlando, a we'll known land |
and timber expert; also William King, |
of Avon Park, chairman of the Board of |
County Commissioners of De Soto
county; also Senator John W. Whidden, |
of Arcadia, than whom there is no high
er authority on the topography Of the
upper part of the drainage district; also
c. Mailing, of Kissimmee, formerly a
steamboat captain on the Kissimmee
river, and who had charge Of the Legis-
NOIuHllIICG III 4OCOg WlliGh NOilN
mittee investigated the drainage prob
lem in connection with the operations
Of the old drainage company.
BILLY DOCTORS TESTIMONY
In addition to the above, there are a
number of other witnesses, men who
have been all through the Everglades
and whose practical knowledge of that
unknown and almost impenetrable coun-
try corroborates the testimony of these
experts, among them being a FULL
hedged Seminole Indian, Billy Doctor,
Of the Big Cypress tribe, whose testi-
mOny as TO the extent Of the arabic
portion of the upper Glades and of the
rocky and worthless character of the
lower Glades, is perhaps the best testi-
mOny that can be obtained on the sub
ject.
Among the facts established by this
expert testimony are the following:
That the lowering of Lake Okeechobee
by a system of canals will only benefic-
tally affect limited area of a few miles
in the vicinity OF Lake Okeechobee and
the strips of marsh bordering the lower
bed Of the Kissimmee river and the up
per valley of the Caloosahatchie river
and the channel of Fisheatng creek,
and consequently that the lowering Of
the general water level at this point
cannot affect the vast extent of terri
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