The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-16
MISS BELL
ON CAPITOL
CITY TOPICS
Melancholy Days Bring Back
Summer Wanderers to
Home and Duty
Again.
MUNtI IN IUBACCO
Gadsden County People Are
Going Crazy on the
Subject.
CHIEF ENGINEER NEWMAN, OF
THE DRAINAGE COMMISSION
TALKS OF FEASIBILITY OF
GREAT scHEME-DREDGES ARE
'NoW AT WORK ON PROJECT
AND DRAINAGE BITCHES ARE
BEING DUG.
BY Miss jefferson Bell.


with its mild melancholy days is
bringing back to the capital our sum
mer wanderers. Hon. Jefferson B
Browne, chairman of the Railroad Com.
mission, Mrs. Browne and their pretty
little daughter, Susan, were among the
advance guard returning. Mr.. Browne
has spent the greater part of the sum
mer at Battle Creek, Mich Mrs.
Browne and Susan were at Sewannee,
Tennessee, where Joseph Browne is at
the university. the early part of the
season and later went to the Battery
Park, at Asheville. where they an
nually meet a party OF friends.
Mr. and Mrs. j. Emmett Wolfe also
returned this week from their wedding
trip.
Governor Broward LEFT MONEY for a
two weeks campaigning tour down in
South Florida. He will make speeches
through the southern counties on the
drainage of the Everglades. On his
way the governor stopped over at
Jacksonville to make an address at
the Turpentine Operators Convention
At this meeting Mr.. T. A. Jennings in
his response to Governor Broward' S
address made his maiden speech,
which was a rather graceful effort.
Everglades Drainage.
Reverting to the drainage of the
Everglades l had the pleasure of talk
ing with Mr.. John w. Newman, chief
engineer of the drainage commission,
last week upon this subject. Mr.. New
man lives at Bellair down on the
west coast, and is the surveyor who
was employed by the late H. B. Plant
to make a survey across the Ever
glades, from Fort Myers to Miami.
Mr.. Newman is an interesting talk
er, and an enthusiast on the subject
of drainage Away back in the fif-
ties" said Mr.. Newman, Jefferson
Davis, then Secretary of War, had q
map made of Florida, several copies
CT which are yet in existence. This is
one of the most complete and valua-
BILE maps ever made of the State. Mr..
Davis recognized the value of the Ev-
erglades then and said that some day
that vast tract would be drained and
the lands reclaimed.
SIN 1893" continued Mr. Newman
II was ordered by Mr.. Plant to run a
line across the 'Glades from Fort My
ers to Miami l was personally &C.
companied by Mr.. James B. Ingraham,
then president of the South Florida
Railway. 1t was on this trip that the
value of the Everglades was discov-
cred We were nineteen days cross
ing the Glades. We examined every
feature carefully. We may be said to
be the first to prove the excellent
quality of the land in the 'Glades. So
favora'bly was Mr.. Ingraham impress
ed with the land that he organized a
sugar company and made all sorts of
efforts to secure the lands from the
State, promising to drain and to use
them for the culture of sugar cane.
This trip proved the practicable
bility of drainage to Mr.. Ingraham
as well as my own. My
idea then was to cut into Miami river
at the Rapids. Long afterwards
studying the subject carefully, i de-
c;ded that there was too much rock
near the Miami river and after care
full survey | discovered a place where
the eastern rim or basin of the Ever
glades has only about three miles OF
rock. This point l selected for the
trustees of the Internal Improvement
Fund as the outlet for their canal.
81 made this survey for the trustees
IN November and December, 1905. l
have no idea what induces some peo-
pie to think the drainage of the Ever
glades SO difficult task. No grea:
engineering work must be done. The
main thing is to cut through this rocky
eastern rim, and then cut as many
bitches as the farmers who will GER
tainly use the land may need.
AFTER I made survey for the trus-
lees I superintendent the building of
he dredge Everglades for them. This
lredge is now at work and is doing
excellent work cutting out rock with
out the use of explosives. and long be.
'ore the detractors shall have had
(contInued on eeeond Paae.)