The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20

When the surface of this lake has
been lowered five or six feet it will
draw in the water from the surface. OF
the Everglades. and the work of re-
lclamation will be complete. fit
should be deemed necessary, the sur
face CT the lake may be lowered ten
or eleven feet After the main canals
are completed the state viii also cut
a n1nroer of lateral canals, but these
will be intended more for transports
ton purposes than for drainage. The
soil of the Everglades is SO porous
that heavy rainfall disappears In a
few minutes, and when the surplus
water has been drained on, and the
inflow of rivers and creeks counter
acted by the outflow of the canals.
the natural precipitation will take
care of itself.
Expense Paid From Proceeds.
IL onyone has been deceived by the
interrogative insinuations of certain
newspaper which now purrs and CUR
giles softly like the flow of oil from a
pipe, and now roars and rumbles and
Shrieks like a sea-going railway train,
let him here take knowledge that the
expense of all this work has been
paid from the proceeds of the land.
The people have never paid one penny
of it in taxes, and no part of any other
fund has been diverted to that use.
The land is absolutely worthless in its
natural condition, and but for the
hope that the state viii reclaim it,
no one would purchase it at any price.
It's value rests solely upon faith in the
ultimate success of the drainage pro-
ject. If the work were abandoned
this faith would be gone, and values
lor "a dr-oi in
age scheme Is self-supporting and the
work is carried on with funds which
would not be forthcoming for any pur-
pose if the project were abandoned.
In order to drain the states land it
Is necessary to also drain large tracts
of private holdings, and the Board or
Drainage Commissioners was created
for the purpose of forcing private
owners to pay their equitable share
of the expense. The law creating this
board and fevying the drainage tax
has been declared valid by the United
States circuit court. and if this decis-
ion should be sustained by the circuit
court of appeals, it will mean great
saving to the Internal Improvement
Fund, from which the expense is now
being paid. But whether the decision
of the appellate court is favorable or
adverse. the work will be pushed to
completion at the earliest possible
date. The states part OF the Land
will pay all the expense OF reclama-
ton. and the trustees have ample au
thcsfty to use it for that purpose.
What the Future Holds.
Having thus briefly considered the
past history and present status of the
Everglades, let US turn TO the future
and ascertain, If we may, what II
promises in return for all this striy-
Inc and sturdy toll The chief point
to be considered is the fertility OF the
soil: for it matters not how we'll stu
ated a particular territory may be with
reference to climate and marketing
facilities, If the land is poor all these
things must count for naught- All
material wealth springs from the soil.
and mans efforts are rewarded IN the.
same ratio that it is rich or poor. The
soil of the Everglades Is rich--not
only in isolated places, but uniformly
rich The manner OF its formation as
already described, can mean nothing
else than almost unvarying uniform
ity.
Nitrogen is the most expensive con-
stituent of all well balanced fertilizers
and is likewise the element IN which
most soils are deficient. The air con-
tains a high percentage OF nitrogen,
and a few years ago it was thought
that the kew TO this treasure-house
hads been discovered In Soii-iUoc7lsS-