The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1907-03-08
T9E CONTROL OF LAKE OKEE
CHCBEE
ca1t. Henry writes Of Reclamation IN
c7c Caloosa River Valley

c1e caloosa River Valley
The matter ,f securing legislative
a.@ ard retaining ,1e Ca.oo-a river
valley IS one Of vital Importance %
land and propert. owners FROM enc
end ct Ca.oo-a valley 20 the other. and
in order 10 secure It W. uust be-
amt. We We're practically n unit in
~JpporinS The drainage amendment.
buJ OF course we lost in .al- contest.
5ul not discouraged because some OF
the leading papers of rng safe and
many distinguished gentlemen who
opposed the drainage Amendment. are
committed 20 aid in any project look
ln- I'D or relief by the legislature.
We believe they meant JUST what they
saId and are ready to- aid is. While
this is tact, We, the people who are
mostly interested, are supposed 20
move in this matter. ASK and demand
just what We need. JUST what we
want is just what We should decide
upon ana de- 20 quickly.
The writer has SO often expressed
in no unmistakeable terms his views on
the subject that il seems entirely I'M
necessary 10 repeat. 4 dam and lock
or gateway sat or near Hicpochee
Lake with leyee extending through
the low marsh north and south 10 the
nigh lands seems to- be the leading
idea by many. Mr.. \. P. Jordan. OF
the Punta GOrda Herald. some time
ago suggested this idea Senator
Harris seems to favor this idea. and
ever SO many others. II indeed this
plan be settled upon il is right in line
with the work done three years ago
at a cost of near five thousand dollars
This work has a history and a very
important one.
It was then called by some people
that the dam across the canal near
Hicpochee Lake, was the cause of the
disastrous overflow in 1903. and it was
secretly destroyed At that time the
south OF the dam to high land was
being discussed. and there is no doubt
but what the trustees of the |. l. F.
would have constructed the levee and
fixed a lock or gateway if the dam
had not been blown out with dyna-
mite. A plan for a levee had been
OIL ~ Of no trvyc
tees. and request by him that the
plan be submitted TO the board, but be-
fore the plan was submitted the dam
was destroyed. The trustees of the Il.
1. Fund authorized The building of the
dam and appropriated literally to-
ward IT'S construction and was willing
then 10 do all they could for our re-
lief just how they feel now about
similar work nobody knows. Certainly
he board you'd like TO know II the
same dam destroying element exists
today which existed then. The writer
is inclined 10 believe that If the legis-
latarc would pass law directing the
trustees 10 close the HicpOchee canal
and construct = canal and construct a
levee * indicated above and make IL
a severe penalty for anyone 70 destroy
il. that il would stand. He believes
that those who manipulated the de-
siruction # the dam repent of their
dirty work.
With all these conditions confront
ing us what snail We do? We can't
wait for the dredge boats, fifty miles
from Lake Olleechubee. 20 reach that
great lake and draw the water east
10 the Atlantic Ocean. which would re-
quire four or five years. We can't
afford 90 fold our arms and see the
valley of Calpu~a menaced and de-
stroved b. an increasing volume Of
water from Lake OkceCh0Dee. through
a canal increasing in volum. and ca
paciry every lav We should come 10
some decision at once. Would II not
be- well for our Board % Trade 20 call
a special meeting and formulate some
decisive plan 10 work upon - + a
Hcndry m r. Meyers Press.
Senator Carmack went out % the