The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-10-10
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
(Times-U nion)

Seventy third Congress there VII be REIN
troduced a bill to bring a great area of
Southern Florida lands lying al the tip of
the state, and the southernmost point Of
mainland of the United States, into the Ma
tionai Park system. The proposed Ever
glades National Park, app we'd by the
United States Senate, but left over in the
press of business of the House Of Represen-
tatives, is favorably discussed by all who
have visited or learned about the section.
Many scientists and others, greatly interest
ed in the preservation of natural beauty
of forest and wild lands, as contemplated
in the various national parks of the coun-
try, have pronounced the proposed park as
likely to prove one of the most favored and
popular n the park system, if taken over
by the Government.
Quite recently Ernest F. Coe, execu-
tive chairman of the Everglades National
Park Association, has beer with party ex-
ploring in the park area and in Miami few
days ago told about the trip. Although Mr..
Coe had often been in the Everglades and
was familiar with considerable part of
the lands which are offered for Ma
tional Park, he found much that was inter-
esting and, to him, new and important. The
latest trip into the park area was made on
a houseboat. 81 Mr.. Goes description Of the
johnson hammock would gain attention
of all who seek something different in
landscape and scene. ******
The mute shell mounds these people
left behind them, said Mr.. Coe, telling of
the evidences of former occupation Of what
is now regarded as jungle wilderness, tell
no tales. One of the mounds in this vast
mangrove forest region is known as john
sons hammock. 1t is located several
miles from the Gulf and east of the Lost
mans River. Growing in this hammock
are five dozen and more stately native roy
al palms in a loosely disposed group.
Whether these giant palms owe their pres
ence there to having been brought over by
prehistoric peoples who built these she'll
mounds, and there made their homes, or to
natural causes will never be known Ger.
tain it is that they are there today, majestic
in their towering proportions"
There was much more in the story,
and yet Mr.. Coe does not suggest that he
can adequately describe the great beauty
and interest of this wild land" and its
wonderful royal palms and other magnifi-
cent trees and tropical flowers and growth.
mo finer example of the native royal palm
in natural grouping is probably extant
today" he said. These palms, together
with the other native trees of the tropics
composing the growth of the hammock,
as well as the archaeologic interests obtain
ing there. mark the preservation of this
hammock as matter of national concern"
Bringing the Everglades Park into the
National Park system of the country will
mean much for Florida, Congressional ac-
ton bringing the section into greater promi-
nence. and naturally attracting many ma
ture lovers to visit the wonderfully beauti-
full area. There will. of course. be some
work done to make accessible places where
now it IS nearly impossible to penetrate,
but nothing would be undertakes that
would affect the tropic growths or disturb
the birds and wild life now inhabiting the
lands. OF greatest Importance would be
the Federal supervision and protection af-
forded the Everglades Park, when taken in
to the national system.
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