The Ocala banner., 1906-09-28


Breeze; Robt. McNamee, of Tampa
George M. Goolsby, of the Wauchula
Advocate; J. C. Burwell, of the
Brooksville Star; w. Ross Wallace
of the American Eagle, Estero; c. C.
lCodrington, of the DeLand News, and
the following members of the enter
tainment committee: Mayor H. A
Hendray,of Fort Myers Jas. E. Hen
dry, E. L. Evans, Representative F
]. Wilson, of Lee; Rev. H. G. Peel
man, W. H. Hendry, c. F. Roberts
all of Fort Myers; G. B. Foster, OF
Caloosa; w. E. Barney. of AlEa; E
w. Coke, of Upcohall; S. P. Bruton
Of Alva; Captain F. A. Hendry and
s.. A. Lucky, jr., of LaBelle.
The Caloosatchee is one of the pret-
tiest streams in Florida. 1t is now
dotted here and there from Fort My
ers to Fort Thompson with grapefruit
and orange groves, numbering in
size from five acres to five hundred
acres and in a little while the groves
along this river will be continuous.
When we reached Alva, nearly midway
between Fort Myers and Lake Okee-
chobee, we were met by large num-
Der of people, who had spread in
our honor big barbecue and all the
inhabitant swere out to give us kind
ly greetings. Governor Broward and
Hon. sgd L. Carter, of Gainesville,
made brief addresses and then din
nsr was announced. The table was
more than a hundred feet long and
was loaded with everything calculat-
ed to tempt the appetite.
Mr.. HI. A. Lee, Mr.. B. s. Clay and
Mr.. B. o. earn, former citizens Of
this county reside at Alva and have
fine groves and have succeeded in
making little fortunes.
There were about two hundred and
fifty people at this banquet and we
were told represented nearly every
state in the Union as well as sew
eral foreign countries.
After the conclusion of this feast
the visitors boarded their steamers,
gave three cheers for Alva and it's
generous hearted citizens and pro-
ceeded on their way up the river and
reached Lake Okeechobee about ten
o'clock in the evening and anchored
on its broad bosom for the night.
The atmosphere was exceedingly
soft and salubrious and not a single
mosquito was seen from the time of
leaving Fort Myers until returning,
and many of those who were compell-
ed to sleep on cots felt comfortable
under blankets.
After traversing several miles of
Lake Okeechobee and seeing the
great saw grass flats that tsurround
it as far as the eye can reach even
with the aid of field glass, the boatt
reversed engines and started on the
return trip. When reaching Alva
we went ashore and read and adopt
ed series of resolutions, which will
be found printed elsewhere. Fort
Myers was reached at six o'clock in
the afternoon and at eight o'clock an
informal meeting Of the board of
trade, the citizens of Fort Myers and
the visitors was held in the auditor
inm of the Bradford hotel at which
President Isaacs, of the board of
trade, Governor Broward, Col. Nc,
Nance, Senator Henderson, Editors
Humphreys, Bittinger. Russell. Pow.
ell Harris and others made brief and
complimentary speeches.
Lake Okeechobee, with the posi-
BILE exception of Salt Lake in Utah
is the largest lake in any one state
in he Unietd States and it covers an
are5 of a million acres.
The Disston canals connect Tohope
tlaligo and continuous laEes on Os
ceola, Polk and DeSoto counties with
Lake 0keechobee and Lake Okeecho
bee is connected by canals with the
Caloosahatchee river and in the rainy
season it is impossible for it to hold
this great mass of water and hence
overfiows its banks, which threaten
destruction to the groves along the
river. The past season they were un
der water for a period of ten days.
The settlers say as rule they
went there almost penniless and have
managed by hard labor to bring their
groves into bearing which now prom
Use them handsome incomes but are
liable to be destroyed at any time by
overdow and they appeal to the vo
ters of the state to protect them from
this threatening disaster. All are
united in saying that the canal, which
Governor Broward is now dredging
will lower the lake several feet