The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-11-09
MIR. E. w. KELSO NFLORIDA
Garrett COuntain On Trip South
Writes about the Country.
To the Editor of The Republican.

flOrlda, october End, and found a city
OF seven thousand population, with
many fine public buildings and hotels,
and Is miles of boulevard, and 200 acres
of golf links. to be completed by
January. Thomas Edison and Henry
Ford have their winter residences here.
Nearly all varieties of tropical fruit and
shrubbery are grown here.
| visited 300 acre orange grove two
miles out from town. This grove is
three years old and in fine condition,
and was told that when grove is in full
bearing it will be worth half million
dollars.
Before sailing up the Caloosahatchee
River, | was informed that the beat
would leave at 2.30 p. m. for Fort
Lauderdale on the East Coast, dis
lance of 100 miles from Fort Myers, in
Guiding a relay of % miles automobile
service. This river is about two miles
wide near Fort Myers, but at a dis
lance of Al miles it is too shallow and
narrow to use boat with a carrying ca
pacity of 25 persons. On each side of
the river there are many orange groves,
although there will be but light crop
of orangeI this year, but they will bring
a good price. When we were way up
the river at dark we saw alligators and
their eyes looked like balls of fire.
Having arrived at the point where
we take automobiles, all local pass
engers has got off, and a man from
Philadelphia and myself were the only
ones that had through tickets. After
climbing up the bank and waiting half
an hour in the dark near road, the
automobile arrived and took US to La
Bella, village of four hundred popula-
ton, a distance of four miles, with
good hotels at reasonable prices. From
here we Travelled q miles in automobile
along roads, prairie and water to Lake
Hlopochee, lake six miles wide. From
this point we took boat and entered a
| canal three miles long which took us
into Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeecho-
bee IN size is SIS miles wide by IS miles
long, and is 20 feet deep. We Travelled
80 miles on this lake to Rita Island in
Lake Okeechobee. This island contains
about 500 acres with hotel near the
shore. The passengers put up at this
hotel until next morning. This idea of ty-
ing up for the night is for the benefit Of
the travelling public, and for sight see
ing. The next morning we continued
our journey on the lake with additional
passengers, and on the way saw thou
sands of ducks. After crossing the
lake we entered the canal 60 feet wide
and eight feet deep.
Lake Okeechobee is 22B feet above
sea level, and its bottom is like the
shape of a saucer; in wet seasons il
oyerflows immense tracts of land In
cutting this canal it lowered the lake
four feet making a large reservoir tor
the incoming flood. There is lock
nearly completed near the lake to low
er the water in times of freshets. An
eight mile strip of land from the lake Is
drained sufficient for farming purposes.
but the balance of the everglade land
large quantities of which is covered
with water, and as far as the eye can
see there is no semblanGe of tilling the
soil, neither can any live stock be seen.
There isn't any timber in the Eyer
glades but there is plenty of saw grass
and tropical vegetation. There will
have to be many more canals cut in
order to drain the land sufficiently for
tilling the soil. | was told that it will
take $25, 600, 600. 90 in order to accom-
plish this feat. The land is very good
as is evidenced by good crops grown on
properly drained land near the lake.
and this land sells for $780, 90 to 500. 90
per acre, and | am told that there are
about one thousand settlers near Lake
Qkeechobee. Crops Of some kind are
grown all the year round, and health in
this vicinity is also good.
On each side of the canal. in the
elght-mile strip mentioned, there are
many settlers, but on the undrained
portion there are none. | am told that
every acre along this canal is sold, and
the purchasers never saw the land but
bought through real estate agents in
many states, expecting to settle on
their land; but the drainage having
proven unsatisfactory made many
thousands of disappointed purchasers.
The canal and saw grass is an ideal
place for alligators as evidenced by
their frequent appearance But after
all, this everglade lard will be a great
country sometime in the future.
| wish to give some information in
regard to cattle that come under my
observation in some parts of Florida.
The native steer at three years old
weighs $50 pounds gross and sells for
SIG 90 per head. But as a redeeming
feature of the live stock industry of
Florida, will say that saw some fine
specimens of Poleanges, Galloway,
Jerseys and Herefords. This class of