The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-18
The Everglades Incompatible Source of Wealth

Successful drainage of the Ever
glades will make Florida the wealth
lest of states.
Five hundred millions annually is
a conservative estimate of the mon
ey value of the agricultural prod
ucts which the rich, black muck lands
of the Everglades will produce with
in decade, realizing and even sur
passing Napoleon B. Broward's
dream of vast empire in the heart
of Florida, producing foodstuffs for
the nation every month in the year
and bringing in return an uninter-
rupted flow of gold.
When the world was created, nature
concealed her choicest garden spot
in the midst of what was to be Flor
ida. She hid it well, surrounded it
with almost insurnountable obstacles
and guarded it with her most serv-
iceable element, water. Twenty lone
feet above the level of the sea she
formed huge basin, with no out
let, to receive the waters of the vast
Kissimmee river system. On the
plains below, upon coraline rock
foundation, she grew tropical vege-
tation profusely, prodigally Each
season she poured the waters
Of the Kissimmee and its tributaries
into the massive reservoir, forming
Lake Okeechobee, the second largest
lake in the United States, measuring
about forty-five miles in length and
thirty five in width, and with vary
ing depth from few feet to almost
fathomless bottom. A rock rim,
fringed with custard apple, surrounds
the lake and holds its waters in
check until the bowl is filled to
overlooking, when the water floods
down on the plains below much as
a teacup would overflow if placed
beneath a running faucet.
Richer Than the Nile.
The foods aided decay of the veg
citation, which rapidly grew again in
the warmth of the tropical sun. Year
after year, for generations, this pro-
cess was repeated and each year the
deposit of decayed vegetable matter
became greater. It now varies from
two to fifteen feet in depth and has
formed the most productive soil in
the world-a heavy black muck said
to be richer than the loan of the
Nile valley.
Contrary to popular belief, based
upon school biographies, the Ever
elades is not "an inpenetrable jungle
swamp of shiny water, infested with
reptiles and savage beasts" While
there are sections which fulfill the
fiction writer's conception Of @the big
swamp" with dense underground
which only skilled guide can pene-
lrate; with game hunting quite equal
to that Of the African jungle-deer
bear, catamount, panther and smaller
game having been killed within thret
mile range by one hunter on a sin
gle day-the water is crystal clear
revealing fish in great schools await.
ing the coming angler, and for Thu
most part the Everglades is a vas
crass covered level piain, very SINH
lar in appearance to the Western
prairies, stretching unbroken to the
horizon in every direction. Nearl,
OsbOGsbpO aIAGS VI VIZ S1I tcIlAt WlltGi
when properly drained viii produce
three, sometimes four, bumper crop.
each year without necessity of fer
tilizer and with unfailing regular
ity.
-Four Crops a Year.
The lure of this fertile plain hal
long been strong and for years hal
tempted hardy pioneers to battle Will
the floods in endeavor to reap tn,
fabulous profits which it will yield
The federal government grantet
the Everglades to the state of Flor
ida with the understanding that j
would be drained and placed in cult
vation A complete drainage system
was promised, the fertility of tn
Everglades was heralded far AM
vide and thousands of farmers, in
yestors and spectators purchase,
tracts, expecting to realize enormous
fortunes with little effort. Disap
pointment. was theirs. Drainage wa