davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24

There have been q number of amendments to
classifcations, giving certain articles specially low
rate to meet peculiar conditions, such as rates on
plants shipped from nurseries, sugarcane shipped to
mills, seed cane moss for packing plants shipped
from nurseries, agricultural implements, Herty cups,
etc
At every hearing that the Commissioners have
held where it has been proposed to further reduce
rates. the representatives of the rairoadsthe vice.
presidents, or some other equally high oficia-men
of character standing and integrity, have stated to
the Commissioners that their revenues have been
duced since January, 1909 hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars Will those who claiming that the
Commission has done nothing charge that these gen.
tlemen have been untruthful to the Commissioners
about the result of their reductionsY II not, then
the people have been the benecaries to that extent
There are now pending in the courts seven
brought by the railroads to prevent further reduc'
tions in their rates ordered by the Railroad Commits
sioners In five Of these cases njunctons have been
obtained from the United States Courts restraining
the Commissioners from putting the proposed re-
ductions into effect. It appears therefrom that in
stead of the Railroad Commissioners having done
nothing they have not only greatly reduced rates,
BUT REDUCED THEM TO SUCH A DEGREE
THAT THE FEDERAL COURTS IN FIVE IN
STANCES HAVE RESTRAINED THEM, UPON
THE GROUND THAT THE REVENUES OF THE
RAILROADS COULD STAND NO FURTHER RE-
DUCTION.
Apart from any affirmative relief which the Com
mssioners have afforded the people, what they have
prevented in the way Of increased freight rates. dis
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24
Work. of Florida
Railroad Commission
Continued from Third Page

Prohibiting withdrawing special rates without
authority from the Commission
Requiring the West Shore Railroad Tor extension
to Pametto to be operated as part OF the Seaboard
Air Line Railway thereby saving to all persons re-
siding on the line of these roads from having to pay
two locals, thus materially reducing their freight
rates. This case went to the Supreme Court of
Florida upon application of the Commissioners to
require the railroads in question to obey their order
and was decided in favor of the Commission. The
railroads, however, took the case to the Supreme
Court of the United States, where it is now pending
If this had not been matter of very material ben
eft to the people along the entire line of the West
Shore Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railway,
the railroads would certainly not have fought it so
vigorously.
A reduction in phosphate rates of about rs per
cent. This case also went to the Supreme Court of
the State, where it was won by the Commissioners,
but has been appealed to the Supreme Court OF the
United States
Better train facilities between Yulee and Bald
win for the convenience of persons living along that
part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway.
Better train facilities by the Atlantic Coast
Line Railroad and the Florida East Coast Railway
between Orange City Junction and New Smyrna, and
Sanford and Titusville.
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24
Farm Eight Hundred Years Old.

Berlin.-Farm Stubeckshorn, near Luneburg, con.
tanning Of the oldest buildings in Europe, sur
rounded by thousand;year.old oaks, at last passed
from the BillunMeier family, which held it for $50
years. The last remaining daughter Of the boss
farmer, Dora married and sold the property to
stock company.
The farm was originally the property Of Herman
Billun, celebrated general Of the German King
Otto the Great The Billuns died out in the twelfth
century and since then the descendants Of their last
major domus, Meier, have ruled Stubeckshorn They
never accepted any title of nobility but waxed rich
and powerful in the of centuries. There Is a
long iron stronghold full Of documents, signed by EN-
perors and Kings and Dukes, making various grants
to the Bun.Meers who, like kings, were allowed TO
drive with four horses and to use greyhounds in
hunting They were also masters Of police in seven
villages.
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24
THE SUN
Ole Florida Everglades

Hilsboro river there is wedefned streak of 'bog
ore that runs high in iron The timber is scattered
over the hammock islands, pine and considerable
cypress. When the canals are in operation the
cypress timber will be an item to the credit of the
expense OF drainage and if only rs per cent of the
area is made habtable the revenues from the timber
and agricultural land will more than pay the ex-
penses of drainage.
On the east coast the principa streams that flow
from the Everglades throughout the year are the
Miami river. Little river New river and the Loxa-
hachee river. There are other streams or rivers
flowing east or southeast from the Everglades, but
the above named are the principal ones that flow
during the entire year. The largest of these streams
is New river, at Fort Lauderdale 34l miles south of
Jacksonville.
eight miles from the Atlantic ocean, At the mouth
of the river it spreads out and forms q bar which at
high tide will permit vessels drawing seven feet of
water to come inside with safety. Inside the bar
the channel is sand bottom, of from five to ten feet
deep from New River Sound to the Cooley Hammock,
where Snyder creek empties into it, and mile of
dredging from Snyder creek to the is all that
is needed to make New river navigable for deep
draught vessels, for over six miles from Snyder
creek up the river the average depth is from twenty
to forty feet.
About three miles from the ocean the river forks,
one fork leading northwest and the other southwest
to the Everglades. The north fork is navigable for
about two miles for boats not drawing four feet
lie souCh loTk IL nuVlSaDie LOT lOur miles, ana
small amount of dredging and cutting off points
would make seven miles of deep water in New river.
OF the climate nothing need be said, as this is in
South Florida, and the soil furnishes all that can
be grown in the way of fruits and vegetables.
The land department of the Florida East Coast
Railway has expended several thousand dollars in
drainage both forks of New river and the records
of vegetable shipments from Fort Lauderdae for the
past eight years shows that drainage is good invest
ment. Land that ten years ago called Ever
glades, is being cultivated, and the records of
of the muck land of New river, what is
called the Everglades, would make Forty-niner or
Klondiker turn green with envy.
Although the orange and grapefruit industry is
new there are as fine groves in the New river section
as can be found in the State.
At Fort Lauderdale Governor Broward has started
to make good the promises he made in the campaign
of 1904, when the Everglades improvement was the
paramount question discussed by him, and the peo
pie of Florida nominated and elected him Cover
nor on that issue.
Chief Engineer j. w. Newman has not explored
the Everglades from the tops OF pine trees with field
glasses, nor has he gathered his experience from
steamboats, on Lake Okeechobee or any of the row.
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24
Value of the Lands
BY J. w. Stranahan

boat excursions out around the edge Of the 'Glades
In the early nineties Engineer Newman crossed the
Everglades from west to east, and the experience
gained on that tour of exploration has been added to
by surveying the canal route west from the head OF
New river to point where the largest natural chan
mel flows from the northwest to the river. The levels
and soundings taken by Engineer Newman show
clusively that canal from New river to Okeechobee
lake will reclaim thousands of acres of valuable muck
and prairie land, and will open up transportation
to the hammock islands and timber lands.
Governor Broward is to be congratulated in
curing the services of practical engineer, who can
tell from personal experience of the of the
Everglades, and the most practicable and economic
method of retaining the land the natural
for the benefit of The people OF Florida.
Some Of the opinions of civil engineers and other
persons the features of the Everglades are very
strange to those who have had practical experience
in this region. l have not travelled all over the
'Glades, but from the Miami river west to High
Key and up to Long Key, Pine Island and north to
the big rubber clump, sufficient experience to
make the assertion that there is sufficient land that
will pay the expense OF drainage OF it. There is
water in the Everglades now than has been
in the past five years. and the necessity for drainage
is very plain to the vegetable growers who planted
their crops near the sawgrass or islands near the
edge of the 'Glades. Muck land that was drained
suffered but little from the recent heavy rains, and
there is large of muck land that the canals
will drain that it can be cultivated successfully
Taken business proposition, the drainage and
retaining of rs per cent OF the Everglades will be
good investment for the State. The average price of
muck land in the New river section is $35 an acre,
and prairie and hammock land is from 500 to $35
acre.
Florida at present receives no revenue from the
overaowed lands in the Everglades, and reclamation
of one.fourth of the Overfowed will give the
State million Of land that would be
sidered cheap at from $40 to $25 an acre, and the
revenue from the land sales would more than pay
the expenses of drainage
Land values for taxation would be increased, and
equitable system of taxation in which every land.
should pay in just proportion to the benefits
received would provide fund to meet expenses Of
irrigation of the high hammock islands and drainage
of the overAowed lands surrounding the islands.
These are self.evident facts tnat will stand the
test of the awise prophets who oppose draining
the overhowed lands Of the Everglades. Injunctions
and lawsuits may temporarily interfere with the
operations now under way but Governor "Broward
will dig" enough during his term Of office to prove
that Everglade drainage the paramount issue In
the State campaign Of 1904, and will be the para
mount issue in the State campaign Of 1908.
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24

There is no place in the United States where the
conditions SO against exploration as the Ever
glades.
The Rainy Lake country of Minnesota is some
what similar in many respects in the summer time,
but when winter comes and ice forms in the lakes
and streams it is possible to travel anywhere one
peases to 60, provided that plenty of food and heavy
clothing is taken along.
The southern part of southeastern Texas and
southwest Louisiana is in many respects similar to
the Everglades, but the Everglades, in few years.
will become well known either of the two Sec
tions mentioned, and when the canals opened to
Lake Okeechobee there will be rush for homes such
as the State of Florida has never SEEM
In the Rainy Lake section the summers are short
and hot, and mosquitoes and gnats so fierce that
the timber explorers seldom do any prospecting until
late in the fall in winter; then with their snow
shoes and tobOggans they travel through the
and over the ice until the winter is over There is
nothing in the Rainy Lake country in the way of
climate, except July August and winter, and the
only resources timber and mineral The land
even in the summer time, would make u person
hungry to walk over it,
The swamp sections of Louisiana and Texas have
been thoroughly explored by lumbermen, but the
lands subject to overflow at any time from the
rising of the rivers which flow from the swamps, the
resources will be exhausted when the lumber trust
gets through cutting the timber With the exception
of the evee districts the land is worthless to home
seekers.
The national Government has spent millions of
dollars in the evee districts, and although large
porations and control the most of the land there
are thousands of people living where but few gen
eratiOns ago there was nothing but a struggling
waste of water and canebrakes.
When the water is low in the rivers large areas
of this land cultivated but when the Mississippi
river gets to high water mark great many streams
flowing to the river at low water change their course
and flow back into the swamp country have seen
river near Toras, La. change its current within
few hours, and instead of emptyng into the Misss-
sipp flowed from it back to the bayous and swamps.
The climate in the swamp sections of Louisiana
and Texas has no equal this side of Dantes Inferno.
The summers are long and hot, and the galinippers
and mosquitoes furnish the fire and birthstone. The
winters are short, but the rainfall and wind is
enough to satisfy any person who was ever there in
the winter that Dante must have drawn some of his
ideas from that section of the world.
The formation of the Florida Everglades is very
peculiar. The elevation above sea level is sufficient
to successfully reclaim large area of vegetable and
fruitgrowing land by system of canals
There are mineral resources OF any extent
known, but I have "oxidized mica" (pgrm
gold) in many of the running streams and near the
The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-24

ordinations in favor Of and rebates TO- certain ship
pers, has been of incalculabe benefit and these in
themselves have been the means OF saving to the peo
pie Of Florida thousands and thousands Of dollars
per year, than the cost of the maintenance Of
this department of the government.
Editors Note.-Ths story will be continued in
the next issue of THE SUN, when Mr.. Browne will
deal with other important work Of the Railroad Com
mission.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Pleasures Of Being a Negro.
From the New York World.

III.
A negro's life never lacks the interest
which flows from variety of incident He
may have desire to serve the country In
uniform The kind young "Anglo-Saxons''
at West Point or Annapolis will keep him
fully entertained. He may have talents
for the law or for medicine. Gaining a
professional degree has for him all the
excitement of the strenuous life, and when
1t is gained he can serve only his race,
which has little money to pay him.
Most negroes in the north settle down to
the occupations Of walters, Pullman por-
tiers. carpet-cleaners and the like No
matter how thrifty, intelligent and orderly
they may be. they must live in tenements
where they pay higher than average
rentals. often for the privilege of being
herded with the worst specimens of their
kind. These lively neighbors prevent life
from becoming monotonous.
II white man commits a crime 1t never
occurs to any one to organize a mob and
''clean out" the entire block in which he
lives. Colored men even OF the most ex-
emplary character and conduct live always
in danger of this treatment. It has been
melted out to them in New York. Yester-
day in Springfield, Ohio, on the line OF the
underground railroad" by which so many
negroes escaped to freedom before the war
the simplicity of the treatment was varied
by burning down a row of negro tene-
ments. To be driven half-clothed from
their blazing homes with the children
clasped to their breasts must have varied
the dull monotony of life considerably for
the negro women of Springfield.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Spelling Reform.

The National Education Association is in
session at Louisville. Yesterday in the
course of an informal discussion of spelling
reform resolution was adopted requesting
the association to order the following twelve
phonetic words used hereafter in all its
publications:
" Bisness. for business; 'enuf. for
enough; 'fether for feather; mesure. for
measure; plesure,' for pleasure; red for
read; ruff, for rough: 'trauf.' for trough;
thru for through; 'tuf for tough 'tung,
for tongue; yung,' for young"
There is no question of the plain logic of
the spelling reform proposition. 1t appeals
to the reason. Its advocates can talk into
silence any one who undertakes to defend
the present arbitrary. Unsystematic code of
symbols on the ground Of science. Yet
when all is said and DONE the opponent of
the reform has only to say that the thing
cannot be done by law or resolution, and
that ends the debate. Custom is the de-
termining factor. If the National Educa-
ton Association adopts these twelve phonetic
spellings and sticks TO them. and then if
the textbook publishers agree to adopt
them, and If the teachers strictly follow
the books and the children are not corrected
at home. and If there is no prohibition of
the process by statute. the next generation
VIII probably write somewhat as follows:
''Bisness over for the day the yung
woman set forth for plesure. She put ON
a hat with red fether and measured her
way toward the country, passing thru a tut
part Of the town. where the yungsters
crowded about the horse traufs, their lungs
sending forth ruf words which she had
never red without blushing.'
Could we ever get used to such spelling?
OF course we could. We can get used to
anything. We acquire taste for cayiare
occasionally. and most OF us are now able
to visualize John ID. Rockefeller with a wig
instead OF a bald pate. But In this matter
of spelling reform 1t is always TO be said
that the adoption of the plain and simple
combinations Of common sense will at one
fell swoOp destroy the lines which now
are drawn between certain social groups
No longer can the good spoilers lift their
eyebrows IN mute scorn OF the poor SPELL
ers casting them into outer darkness No
more VIII misspelled letters be joyfully
read aloud In newspaper offices as diver
sion from the weary grind of the days
work Great reforms are always costly.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Paris.

There used to be an old gag that fash
ionable Americans when they died went to
Paris. Some Of the people exposed by the
insurance investigation in New York are
picking out the town while III the flesh
Judge" Hamilton and young Mr.. Hyde are
now there and the McCurdys sailed this
morning for the gay place The French
capital is an attractive retreat for many
kinds of people. 1t is full of entertain
ment. and the natives can show visitors
how to drive dull care away The true
Partisan never grieves over split milk. It
is bad form Why repine because after
years OF fairness there comes an end? Such
is life. 1T is better to laugh than be
signing" Into this pleasant philosophy our
disturbed Americans will now be plunged
and will probably come up smiling, IL not
confident. Still, Mr.. Jerome has the last
say, and under the prodding he is now
receiving may call those who have fitted
back to the old home to take some very
unpleasant medicine.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01

what would do or would not do In regard
to the support or nonsupport of any cam
didate for Congress in the eleventh dis
trict OF Ohio. and ! do not believe 1t nee
essary at this time for me to make any
statement in regard to that matter or any
other matter connected with my devotion
to duty in the matter of political action
There is the suggestion here of poor
loser. and as a veteran who has given and
taken many hard knocks, and had many
more ups than downs. Gen. Grosvenor
should be careful to avoid that reputation
Mr.. Douglas. who won over him III the
nominating convention, is now the republi-
can candidate, and as such Is entitled. we
may believe. to the party's support Nat
ura1ly one thinks of Gen. Grosyenor as taxi
ing the field for him and exerting every
EFFORT to bring out the party's full vote on
election day. And in the end We shall prob
ably witness that.
A service of twenty years in Congress u
notable, and testiies to both capacity TOE
political management and capacity TOE
public business. The achievement too y
more difficult In the newer than In the older
states. and especially the far eastern states.
The ferment In the newer states Is greater.
In OhIo-which although not chick Is stiii
not an old cock In the walk--it has always
been great. A youngster out there becomes
politician before he sheds his cap ana
knickerbockers, and the passing OF the
twenty-ir year Is almost in itself an an
nouncement for office. Every bird Is
early, and as the worms are no more nu-
merous than elsewhere 1t stands to rea-
son that bird that has been feeding well
for twenty years is a bird, indeed Ana
such bird Is the Athenian. who. at last. Is
to come off the perch. He may fly again
Who knows?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Grosvenor,s Announcement

II is easy to sympathize with Gen. Gros-
renor In his impatieice with the gossip
circulating as to his plans for the future
lawyer of standing and in good practice,
and politician of national reputation, he
objects to being represented as a lame
duck in need OF hospitable atteation now
that his career in Congress approaches its
close. Especially should It be, as IT Is,
objectionable TO him to have his name as
ISOLATED with some consular appointment,
which might go to Hedging in affairs, or
TO lieutenant who had faithfully served
a local leader. The Ohio veteran announces
that he can take care OF himself, and In
tends TO do so.
This paragraph from Gen. Grosvenor
statement might, however. have been more
clearly put:
II have never made any statement pub
iiciy or privately. orally or written, as to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Fame.

Oh the pathway unto glory
Is long and rugged story,
You must climb
= All the time
As you dream OF heights sublime,
And when you at last are standing
Steadfast on the topmost landing,
Do you gaze In peace complete
On the world there at your feet
Far from sordid cares rude touch?
Not much!
Cameras from ambush take you.
What a freak the artists make you.
Many sneer,
Others jeer
As your hopes they seek to queer.
Knocking, knocking all sonorous,
Still resounds the anvil chorus,
And your gratitude is stirred
By single kindly wordi
But you stand It just the same
That's fameI
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Washington an educational Center.

Those WashIngtenians who believe that
the capital should be developed as great
educational center Will doubtless find that
the dinner planned for the 14th instant
by the trustees and alumni OF the George
Washington University win lend forward
Impulse 10 the movement to that end. 1t
Is expected that this dinner will be at
tended by eminent representatives OF va
rious lines Of endeavor In the educational
world. the purpose being to foster an en-
lighsened civic pride In the attainment OF
the capitals fun stature as seat OF learn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Russia Still Aggressive.

Russia Is stealthy and tireless. Even
while its armies were being defeated In
grip on parts of the Chinese empire. The
fact that Russia has line of military
posts across the northern part OF the Chi
nese empire has been kept secret from the
publication In a Russian provincial news
paper. Russia's purpose. beyond the salts
flying of its old lust for dominion, can not
be determined. Whatever II Is the powers
interested In maintaining China's territorial
integrity are directly affected.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01

ing. The advances scored during the past
few years are highly encouraging. WASH
ington Is now rated as one of the Inn
portant university cities of this hemisphere.
and with the years viii come a more
marked appreciation of Its advantages In
this respect. Such meetings as that now
In prospect will hasten the process.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
A Crime Against Children.
From the Baltimore American.

Whatever views may be held of divorce
there is one feature of divorce trials which
Is repulsiye to all people of good feeling
which 1t Is a pity there Is not some law to
abolish, and that is bringing little children
into court as witnesses against accused
parties. Such Impressions as are then
gained might never leave a child's mind
and general public policy seems to be
against the practice.