The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-02-23
ReclaiminG the EVeralades.

AluCu Hdb UCCIl bdlu VI AhJG hUOuN NC-
claiming the Everglades, and the FEAST
bility and utility thereof have not been
questioned. The Everglades Is terra
incognita in the true sense of the word,
and the expeditions which have succeed
ed in crossing this immense saw-grass
covered inland sea can be counted on
the fingers They took notes of what
they saw the first few days out; after
that they had to hustle to get to terra
firma before they died of starvation or
exhaustion. All that is knowg Of this
region comes from those expeditions and
is, as far as concerns soil and water con-
ditions, as follows:
The Everglade is a shallow basin of
of coraline limestone, having water from
a couple of inches to several feet in
depth The water is clear and contains
lime; it comes partly from the over
flow of Lake Okeechobee, partly from
direct rainfall, but to great extent
from springs that are frequent in the
rough bottom. 1t has slight souther-
ly current and has broken through the
rim in several places, forming water
Rest. The rocky bottom is often bare,
but generally covered with muck from
a few inches to several feet in depth.
This muck has been formed from de-
cayed saw-grass, and would probably
have been deeper, were it not impreg-
mated with lime, which rots it even
while under water. A little island Of
low elevation on which grow trees and
bushes, is met with occasionally, other
wise saw-grass, often ten feet high is
everywhere and would bar all progress,
were it not for tOrturOus passages
through it.
While it has been ascertained that
there is fall sufficient to drain off the
surface water from the Glades, it is
very doubtful if the interior and north
ern parts could ever be drained enough
for agricultural purposes. AS soon as
NE water left the muck and the saw
grass roots rotted the soil would settle
considerably. The inevitable fires
would burn up the upper stratum of
muck, lowering the elevation still more.
This would necessitate cutting every
ditch through the rock. The springs
would give endless trouble in places,
and where the muck was shallow it
would dry up and rot away. Soil COM
posed of pure humus is not permanent
in character; when exposed to the air 1t
soon decays.
Before settlement could be effected in
the drained Glades roads would have to
be built. Where these crossed bare
rock it would have to be .smoothed off,
and over muck plank roads would be
necessary-a very expensive undertake
ing. The place would be disagreeable
to dwell in on account of the mosquitoes
that would breed in the pools, and de.
caying vegetation on every hand ''0uld
engender malaria. The only one VINO
would flourish there would be the Semi
mole Indian, for thickets to which Lit
He'll Bay" south of Lake Butler, would
be as a parlor floor, would soon spring
up and harbor the animals he likes to
hunt.
The State should let the Everglades
severely alone, at least until private en-
terprise has experimental and found
the project feasible. The effect of
draining this reg o would be felt hun-
dred miles north of it, and, perhaps,
not to the welfare of the jewellers there.
--Starke Telegraph.