The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-21
All is Not Quiet
on the CalooSahtchee.

Right urgent and emphatic is the
tone in which the Fort Myers Tropi-
cal Breeze sets forth the need for
more water if navigation on the old
Caloohahatchee is to be continued
The Breeze very plainly intimates
that they are looking to the federal
government to remedy the shortcom-
ings of the Caloosahatchee and ex
pect Congressman Sparkman to obtain
the federal aid. However, according
to the Breeze, when they ask Mr..
Sparkman 'How's things coming on?
writes for data concerning the
commerce of the river, and it seems
that Fort Myers people are getting a
little touchy on this subject, or at
least the Breeze is. After stating
that with the late Senator Mallory
Mr.. Sparkman had made a trip up the
in order that he might see for himself
what was needed, the Breeze contin-
ues:
Recently he has written for data
concerning the commerce of the river
We believe this is the fifth time in
two years that Mr. Sparkman has
written requesting data and each time
it has been obligingly furnished, and
each time the matter has apparently
ended with the request for data. For
the Lords sake send Mr. Sparkman
the data this time and if he fails to
get anything from Uncle Samuel lets
quit bothering Mr.. SpaTkman- We
have heard that data gone over so
much until we believe we would recog-
nize every COW shipped from Punta
RaSsa, while we are satisfied that
every member of the board of trade
can tell you exactly how many times
the wheel of the steamer Edison re-
wolves on a trip between here and
La Belle.
The, river has been surveyed so
much that every stake and Snag in
the river appears on the maps compil-
ed by the engineers. These maps
are so perfect that you can locate
within two inches where JacObus
caught his last tarpon.
Now, surveys and data are alright.
but We need an appropriation to clean
out the snags and sandbars and
straighten the Caloosahatchee river.
and We expect Congressman Spark
man to do something this time. We
Sparkman's ability to help us, and 4
he can't deliver the goods-then-
oh, well, nothing"
The Breeze and its friends in Fort
Myers and Lee County should not for
get what the congressman from South
Florida is up against when he asks
for an appropriation to improve thu
navigation of an obscure stream down
so near the jumping off place, and .'.e
name of which so many congressman
never heard till Mr. Sparkman tried
to pronounce 1t. And then when
they have heard it, they will per
haps be impressed with the idea that
river with such a name must never
have been intended for navigation by
vessels other than birch bark can ,c5
or dugouts, and that the Inhabitants
along its banks have little to transo,.r,
beside bear, deer and alligator SKINS
Then again, congressman wnuso
/ homes are on such bold streams as
/ the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Hud.
son, Potomac and Escambia are incl1n.
ed to hold the notion that some bays
! and rivers were designed by the cTea,
. tor for navigation by large craft re
| quiring deep water, while others were
made to suit the requirements of small
er boats of shallow draft It is also
/ barely possible that Uncle Sam be
heves some of the streams that flow
/ into the sea were never intended for
| commercial purposes at all, out Nicely
| to afford drainage to tract of COM
Try ;aat would otherwise be too We
at times.