The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-26
DIG INCREASE
IN PRICES
Everglades Land is Rapidly
Becoming More Valu-
able.

f. z. CoIcord of Jacksonville writ
ing in the Metropolis regarding Ev-
erglades land, says:
The morning newspaper returns to
the attack again on the drainage of
the Everglades, with an editorial
yesterday commencing: Would it
pay the state of Florida to sell lands
in the Everglades for 81 per acre,
and contract to drain them % and
again in another part of the editorial,
We are asked. What are we 10
think of the man who sells these
lands for 81, while pledging the state
to drain? He sells them under a
contract to drain, he sells for 81 what
he contracts to make worth $50"
In reply, let me ask, what are We
to think of the conduct of a newSpa-
per, which with the facts before it,
and confronted with the provisions
of a written contract, which is on rec
ord, and has been partly published in
the public press, deliberately mis-
states and misrepresents the facts in
order to deceive its readers. In
your issue Of Jan II, you published a
quotation from the contract between
the state of Florida and Richard J.
BOlles, which provides in the most
plain and explicit language, that the
state of Florida is not bound or obi
gated or pledged to drain or reclaim
any lands. The state of Florida is
not pledged under this contract, TO
construct or excavate any canals, of
an given dimensions, nor along any
route or location; neither is it obi
gated TO lower the water level a sin
gle inch on a single acre of land in
the Everglades or anywhere. This
contract is on public record at Miami,
Fla. You have a copy Of 1t, and so
far from the transaction being secret
in any way, a copy of the contract
was offered the morning paper for its
information, before it was sent to Mi
am: TO be recorded.
The States Agreement.
Under the provisions of this con-
tract, the state of Florida has sold to
Richard J. Bolles, of Colorado, $685.
600 acres OF land in the Everglades,
in alternate sections in each town
ship, the state reSerVing to itself
half of the land in each township, in
alternate tracts of one mile each.
The object of this is, that any drain
age operations will benefit the lands
of the state. as we'll as those purchas-
ed by Mr.. BOlles.
This land is to be paid for at the
price of 81 per acre, or $1,0O0,0O0 in
all, at about the rate or SZOO,OOO per
year. The state agrees to expend
one half of the total amount Teceiv-
ed. that is, 100000, at the rate of
S100.0 900 per year, in the work of ex-
cavating FIVE drainage canals, run
ming from the ocean to Lake Okeech-
obee; one canal from the HillsbOr-
ough river, two canals from New
river, being those now parity COM
pleted at Fl. LaudeTdale; one canal
from the Miami river, and one from
the CaloOsahatchie river. These ca
nails are to be located in the diScre-
ton and judgment of the Trustees OF
the Internal Improvement Fund, and
by its engineers; and the state obi
gates itself to nothing further than
to eXpend the money! as received, on
the work of drainage in an eCOnOmi-
cal and bona fide manner. If the
expenditure of the whole 100000
fails to produce any results, that is
the risk of the purchaser solely; no
obligation rests upon the state to
drain or reclaim a single acre of
land. nor any liability in case of the
failure of the drainage operations.
On the other hand, in the event Of
the successful drainage Of the Ever
glades, the 100000 which Mr.. Bodies
will pay, will drain and reclaim the
alternate sections reserved by the
state, and benefit them equally with
his own. He will pay the whole cost