The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-07-29
EAST COAST is
ON THE INCREASE

Cutting canals being the fashion,
reminds US of famous canal cut in
Florida something over twenty-five
years ago. AS most people know,
there is a strip of tidewater rivers
along the East Coast, making an in
land waterway from Jacksonville to
Miami. Very few, however, who
haven't made the trip, ever heard of
the Haulover. This was the name
of marrow neck of land, only a few
hundred yards wide, separating the
Hillsboro and Indian rivers, and SO
called because the Indians and pio-
neers passing from one river to the
other hauled their boats over it.
About twenty-eight years ago, a
canal, deep and wide enough for riv-
Ier steamers, was cut thru it, afford
ing an immense aid to coast naviga-
ton.
The Star is reminded of the canal
by letter from its night linotyper,
Mr.. j. D. Bulky, who has been spend
ing part of his vacation there. Mr..
Bulky, who will return from his vaca-
ton in a few days, writes of the
East Coast as follows:
THAT Indian river section is sure
ly some orange grove country. I've
never seen such pretty groves, espe-
Ecially those from the head of the In
dian river, thru Shiloh to the Haul
over canal at Allenhurst. Just be-
low Shiloh is located the Griffith
nurseries, perhaps the largest single
citrus nursery in the state, including
20 acres in nursery stock, or some
thing like 100000 orange, tangerine,
grapefruit and lemon trees, beau
tiful and wonderful sight to any one
who has never seen such.
-'On the west side of the Indian
river, south from Oak Hill, the coun-
try is being rapidly opened and col
onized. All thru the old Turnbull
Hammock small towns are springing
up as if by magic and in short
time that section will be a vast
stretch of orange groves, with hun
dreds of beautiful homes. Until a
few years ago this hammock was an
almost impenetrable jungle. with not
an acre under cultivation, due to the
fact that the grant was held under
English patents from the Spanish
owner. These old patent rights have
been readjusted and transferred to
colonization companies, who are now
giving clear titles to the lands.
Few people travelling overland on
the East Coast have not seen the
ruins of the old sugar mills at Port
Orange and New Smyrna. These
mills were once kept in operation by
the enormous cane products of the
Turnbull Hammock from Port Or
ange south past the head of the In
dian river. Even now one may see
the lateral bitches, cane burrows or
beds and other evidences of cultiva-
ton of sugar and indigo, on the
thousands of acres of this vast ham
mock. Here it was that DR.. Turn
bull, the English adventurer, sub
jected to slavery thousands of Minor
cans, who, under promises of riches
and life of ease and pleasure, were
induced to come to the New World,
only to find a life of serfdom await
ing them in the Eldorado of the
West. The story goes that these sim
pie Castilians were forced TO toll for
their English master amid scenes OF
horror, receiving only sufficient
clothing to cover their backs, and
one mullet day for sustenance,
hence the nickname "Mullets."
MANY of the descendants of these
same Minorcans are scattered among
the colonists in the new towns along
the coast, making homes, engaged in
business enterprises of various kinds
and proving themselves ideal citizens
of our Land of Flowers-the real
cosmopolitan of the western hemis-
phere."
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