The National tribune., 1910-02-10
THE TIMBER AND TURPENTINE
LEASES,


So very much has been said with re-
gard to the timber and turpentine
leases on the lands of the ST. Cloud Col
ony that a full and public statement
seems desirable. The facts are exceed
ingiy simple and plain.
In order to secure what we deemed,
and what has been approved by the
location in Florida, and also to secure
the requisite amount of land in one
compact body, it was necessary to take
a portion of this subject to the almost
inevitable timber and turpentine leases
which cover so much of the land in
the South. These leases apply only to
trees which will square not less than
four inches 16 feet from the ground.
These leases extend to only portion
of the lands acquired by the Seminole
Land & Investment Company, and the
contract was that they should be cam
celed at the rate of 1000 acres or more
a year. This cancellation is going on
even more rapidly than contracted for,
and small mills are now being put in
which will clear off the timber and can
eel the leases at the rate possibly of
from 5000 to 5000 acres a year. The
town-site is absolutely free from these
leases, and 1000 to 5000 acres have
been released already and from 1000
to 1000 acres more will be released
within the next few weeks.
Where a purchaser has desired to
Immediately enter upon the work of
improving his land we have offered him
equally as good land in those tracts
that we know arc now free from leases.
great many have chosen to retain
the land first assigned them, while 9TH
ers have exchanged for that which was
free from the leases.
The wisdom of our selection of the
site for the colony is abundantly con-
firmed by the fact that the Hamilton
Disston Company, which had more than
| !, 5000 acres, selected the location
between the four lakes for its principal
operations in sugar growing and other
productions. Mr. Disston, man of the
highest ability and practical knowledge,
made this selection. His enterprises
were only stopped by his untimely
death.
| There is another point that might be
alluded to in passing. The lands upon
which the colony is located are of ex-
ceeding levelness. This is propably not
equaled anywhere in the whole coun-
try, and nearly the only variation in
the country are shallow depressions,
sometimes only few inches and some
times more, rarely more than two or
three feet. In these the water collects
in the rainy season, and in some of
them the water stands the year around.
They are not ponds, sloughs or wal
lows" in the sense of similar small
bodies of water in the North, since the
water is clear and pure.
There is no mud around the edges,
as is inevitable about ponds in the
North. In the $4,000 acres which the
company purchased there are perhaps
! 900 acres that are not suitable for cul-
| ItiYation, and wherever n purchaser has
found his land wet we have exchanged
his allotment for one that we know is
dry. AS a matter of fact, these depres-
sions have dried up in great numbers.
and this will go on increasing as the
system of drainage now in contempla-
ton is put into operation. When these
lands are drained or dried up they are
much the richest, and many prefer
them on that account.
| 1t will be thus seen that no investor
can have any reasonable ground for
complaint as to the manner in which he
has been treated by the company, and
that every right is given him that any
reasonable purchaser can claim, and
no efforts have been spared to make
everybody satisfied.
Time has quickly and triumphantly
justified the Seminole Land & Invest
ment Company's selection of location
and its policy thruout towards its in
yestors 1t has been fully justified by