Milford chronicle., 1926-02-05
DRAINAGE PROJECT
WILL OPEN LARGE
FARMING DISTRICT
CONTINUED from first page)

hand and were far more durable
than the modern manufactured
shingles. There are shingled roofs
in Sussex today that are in excellent !
condition, despite the fact they are
one hundred years of age.
Drag Up Huge Logs
During the process of dredging, |
many of these cedar trunks, three to |
four feet in diameter, were found |
buried in debris at a distance of |
four feet, and were pulled out by the |
giant shovel of the dredging ma
chine. The trunks were apparently |
in perfect preservation. Because of |
the vast amounts of cedar taken |
from these lands, it has sometimes |
been called Cypress Swamp. There |
will be another vast quantity Of |
cedar available when it is properly |
drained and laborers can use teams |
to haul it out.
The people of Sussex gather, eV-
cry year, from five hundred to one |
thousand crates of huckleberr1es |
from this swamp. These sell at a
very high price in the city markets,
and are especially good for canning.
The idea of draining this swamp |
really originated with DR.. Francis
NJ. Gum, of Frankford, Delaware. DR..
Gum has practiced medicine in Sus-
sex county for over fifty years, and |
is considered one of its most repu-
table physicians. He is still alert |
in mind and body, is about seventy
six years of age, and does a large |
medical practice, still driving his |
horse and carriage. He is perhaps |
the only physician in Delaware who
does not use the automobile in his
daily visits.
DIR. Gum Was Pioneer
DR.. Gum conceived the idea of
draining Cypress Swamp over fifty
years ago, while a student of medi-
cine at the University of Pennsylva-
mia. One day one of his classmates
was telling him how a similar tract
of land in the State of Illinois was
drained. Previous to drainage, this
land was almost worthless, as Cy-
press Swamp is today, but after the
water was drained off, it became one
of the richest cOrn-growing sections
of Illinois.
This story fingered in his mind for
many years, during which time DR..
Gum purchased and hired many
hundred acres of the swamp. 1t was
DR.. Gums idea to place a dredging
machine in one of the vast holes in
the swamp in dry weather, then
wait until the rainy season, at which
time the machine could be made to
float. Then she was to proceed to
dig her way out, floating as she pro-
ceeded to the east.
Nothing was actually done toward
the project until about 1904, when
DR.. Gum induced DR.. Hiram R. Bur-
ton, who was then Representations
Congress from Delaware, to ask the
United States Department of Agri-
culture to make a survey of the
swamp and ascertain if the project
were really worth while.
A complete survey was made by
the Department and the soil tested
in many places. The Department !
recommended the experiment as an
extremely practical and profitable
one. 1t has been discovered that the
soil in the "Old Burnt Swamp" is
from fourteen to sixteen inches deep
and no doubt, when drained will
comprise the richest farming land in
the state. The soil is similar to the
great celery region of northwest
New York state, which was drained
in a similar manner, and is now
worth one thousand dollars an acre.
Sold His Holdings
From 1904, nothing was done to-
ward draining the land until about
three years ago. Between the years
1904 and 1928, DR.. Gum was in ill
health for about two years. After
this he sold all his holdings, except
about two hundred acres, to L. L.
Layton, a brother of Former Con-
gressman Layton. About three years
ago Mr.. Layton purchased a large
dredge at his own expense and
launched it in the midst of the great
swamp On his own land and at his
own expense, he initiated the great
project by cutting a canal five miles
in length. This canal proved to be
useless unless it were connected
with the proper tributaries to give
the water an outlet. Citizens seeing
the possibility of the plan soon ap-
piled to court and secured perm1s- |
sion to connect it with Indian River ]
Taxes are being levied upon the ad- |
Joining and nearby lands per acre ]
to meet the expenses of operating of l
the dredge, and everyone seems will 1
ing to pay them, realizing the ben
efits to be derived for the commun- I
ity in the near future. {
It would be difficult, if not ;mpOs- !
sible to say how many men would be
required to perform the same '
amount of work as this machine. |
The machine is operated by two {
men. One of them, Mr.. Simpson, an ]
expert in this work, was brought
from the State of Minnesota to do =
the work. Just at present the ma {
chine is not in operation owing to l
the fact that a new engine is being &
installed. The men, however, are go t
ing ahead of the machine, cutting off {
the heavy growth of timber that has t
grown on the banks in the past s
years. I
"Acres of Diamonds" i
Aside from the agricultural value !
Of this swamp when drained, it also !
Is now covered with a heavy growth 2
Of pine timber in many places. 1t is I
that five hundred to one u
thousand acres of pine timber large I
enough for mine props will at once Q
become available for the market c
when the water is drained sufficient S
v To haul IL n11f This timber alone d