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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1912)
THE BEE: 0MA1IA. SATURDAY. MARCH 2. 1012. 13 ACRES OF WATER UNLOADED Millions Secured from Sale of Florid Swamps. PBOSPICT OF DBAI5AGE EEXOTE Haw Proraoter Dadgrd th PMI effte Deeertaat sad Scoeaea " tm the Meaer of ! veeier. Buamariung th testimony taken by - tfc committee of wmim Invest lgattng the Brergladee land ewtndl la Florida, la Washington correspondent of the New Tork World present these con nected (acta: Mora than sixty years ago the Ever glade were ceded to Florida by the United Statea government. The region contains 4 (XX) MO acres, most of which Is covered by from one to fifteen foot of water. The agreement was that Florida should devote to Its school fund the rev enue from the Everglades, If they were rented or sold. Aftef many different reports bad been made a to the feasibility of draining the region and the probable value ot the lands If drained, Hamilton Dlsston. the Philadelphia saaniaker. uadertook In MM the first actual work ot re cismatlon. The Florida Internal Im provement board, which bad charge of the swamps, agreed to pay him S cents an acre for drainage, lie did not get far with the project. It took years to settle the Dlsston claim against the state. The reclamation of the Kvergladea did not get another boost' until Napoleon B. Broward was elected governor of Florida in 1MB. Reclamation had been one bis battle cries In the campaign and he re habilitated the project after begot. Into office. Broward and former Governor Jennings, a cousin of W. J. Bryan, con trolled the Internal Improvement board. The first result of their agitation was the isle of some small tracts of the swamp at from V la d an acre. Drl.age l.veettv.rjo.. . At about that time Major J. O. Wright, then an engineer of the United States Agricultural department, was sent to Florida, by congressional resolution, to repcrt on the feasibility of draining the Kvergladea. He alto was scheduled to report on the probable, agricultural value uf ti e reclaimed lands. Wright spent many months in the re. k!" In ISM and 190. While be was there il? rtate of Florida began to dredge the ranals through the swamp and agreed to pend 11." an acre on drainage. Specu lators bought small sections at S3 an cere and sold them with some success throughout the country at a much higher price. in July. 190s. Governor Broward and former Governor Jennings Interested r.lchsrd J. Bolle of volnrado In the Kvergladea plan. Bollea, who had made a fortune In western irrigation, went to Florida and bought from private Indi viduals 400. 009 acres and from the state MOOM acres of the swamp at IS an acre, payable In Installments, thestate agree ing to spend ll.M an acre In drainage. The last of Bolles'i Instsllmsnts Is due in '31. by which time the state baa con tracted to complete the drainage. Major Wright, In IMS. ompleted his re port on the Kvergladea and turned It In to the agricultural department. He as serts that his report was not intended either to boost or condemn the plana for (he Everglades, but. contained all the available evidence pro and con on the plan so that the publlo could draw Its va n conclusion. portions of the Wright report found their way Into the hands of the swamp boomers and were widely circulated as commendatory. It la alleged that on the. strength ot these extracts from the Wright report, the speculators sold scores of thousands of acres of the swsmp at from 1J to ISO an acre. Itara. Profits tar Belles. One batch of Us.OM acres ot this land w as sold through the Florida Fruit Lands company to persons In the middle west. There is a suit pending for recovery on tho part of It, Out persona who Invested In this batch. The plaintiffs In the case aver that Eoliea received ft.MCM gross tor this land on which he had said the state ot Florida about tc0.000 and on which he is expected eventually to pay IISJ.OSO. Hla selling agents. It Is said, received on this batch, commissions ot 1400,000. The Bollee agents,, under. many names, .sre selling the lands in all sections ot the country at M an acre. The pro moters have cut the country up into sections, and virtually every state In the tiolon. with the exception ot Florida and the adjoining states. Is covered with the Bgcncies. ' The postofflce department got on the 1 traH of the promoters. Through the so- tiHties of the postal inspectors, 8. B. Loll", a brother of Itlchard Bolles, has itwen Inttcted In Florid with others. The Indictment charges him with using tbe tnlted States nulls to defraud. Tbe promoters have evolved a scheme to best tbe postofflce department. They do not use the-mails any more. They have opened up offices all over the coun try where they prove" the value of the property by showing prospective pur. chasers what will grow on the aoil. Tbe soil Is In buckets In their show windows. They show the purchaser beautiful views of the level E-erglade In a state ot cul livatton. They show him vegetables ot sll sorts and fruits growing rapidly In .earth supposed to have been transplanted from tbe Everglades. Almost leaeceeelale. They do not tell the purchasers, that the land In the Everglades, with tbe ex ecptiva of the fringe, is almost Inscces- (,1,1c and that nothing but wild vegeta tion Is growing thereon. Along tbe canals that have been cut Into parts ot the Kverglades bouses have been built and tome tanners are prospering In some ssc tluns. These canals are mile apart and between them la nothing but water cov ered land with no prospect of drainage. Engineers who have examined the law's say the present canals will never cany off the water; they are not targe enough. The state of Florida, has not ejsranteed to build any further canals. It has no money with which to build them. The people who are not Interested hi the Everglades win not furnish the millions that it Is estimated will be r auired to complete the work. The sand companies, according to the Moss com mittee, are net setting aside any money to complete the drainage. The Peril al the CtreaH. The long haired actor man was bar. ..,.,nr fnr m rooa.' "I want it plenty long enough. be at Id. . "In case ot tire" Inquired tha hard ware dealer. "In case of an Impatient landlord and a ejuick getaway, repiieo ine actor. Twill want about sixty feet." said All of that." replied the actor. "The last rope I bad was too short snd my trunk puiiea me otii m xnm .iiwok. -nd be rubbed the back of hie head jeBuniscenUy. Cleveland Plain IMaler. HIGH LIMIT FOR ARMY AIRMEN Creator Altitude Thaa d.OO Feet Deeaaea I'setee tar Obsn ia tlaa Work. Th army aviators now In camp at Augusta. Ga.. where they are having lot ot trouble owing to the weather that has prevailed In that section ot the coun try this winter, have agreed among them serre not to make any altitude flights of a greater height than one mil. Thla height, they have found, la sufficient for military purposes, sine at greater alti tudes mlUtsry observations are ot prac tically no value. . . Frank Coffyn. the aviator whs mad th hydro-aeroplane flights la New York last week, and who was sent to Ban Antonio to Instruct th army aviators In th us ot the Wright biplsn when the army was mobilised on the Mexican frontier last spring, knows personally all tbe of ficers who belong t the Army . Aviation corps.. He sstd yesterday that he h agreed with Captains Chandler and Beck and Lieutenants Arnold, Foulols. Milling and Kirk land that eltitudes over one mile were useless for military purposes. ."It seems to me.", said Coffyn. "that this agreement ia both sensible and prac tical, in my opinion a height ot one mils should be quite sufficient to safeguard the aviators either from rifle' or artillery tire. In the event that It la not proved so In the first encounter, the military avi ators can very quickly adapt themselves to altered conditions. , . - "The chjef reason why aviators should not fly too high lies, of course,, In th rapid change ot atmoapherio conditions In both ascent and descent, and advert to thla is the nervous tension attendant upon flying at great altitudes, a. tension that la ever present no matter how experienced the aviator may be, or how great his nerve. . . W all know that aeroplane can be driven to heights of N.0W or even IXOW feet, and that the aviators do 'get away with It,' but after all. that Is all they da There is seldom If ever any valid excuee for going up 10.000 feel, and men have been doing It only because the promoters of aviation tournaments regard altitude contests as good paying attractions, and therefore put up big prize for this most dangerous ot all aeroplane contests. "For military purposes a height of 1.000 or (.000 feet will keep an aviator almost out of range of guns of all type. I believe that some day aeroplanes win fight seroplanes and that there will be machines that may be called aeroplane destroys!, and maybe some other day. still farther away, aeroplane-aeroplane-destroyers, just like they have torpedo boat destroyer In the navy new, "From th experience I gained whlie flying In Texss last spring, mostly with Lieutenant Foulots as rr passenger 1 be lieve that little accurate observation work may be aocompHahsd at altitudes of more than 1,000 feet, certainly topographical work at heights greater than that .could not be accurate, since It would be very dif ficult, It not impossible, to ascertain the true nature of the country above which you are flying. I am not optimistic about bomb throwing from aeroplanes, tor at sny reasonable altitude, .and It .would have to be reasonable to drop the bomb accurately, the artillery would surely get the machine before msny bombs were dis posed of. "I can cite an instance of Just what Is going to happen when an aeroplane file too low over even light field pieces. Bene Simon, a crack French aviator, flew his elxty-mlle-en-hour Blertot about 1,000 feet over four batteries ot the Third United State Field Artillery at San Antonio last spring. They tired at him, using blank cartridge of course, Th concussions al most knocked Simon out ot his seat, and snly his wonderful airmanship kept him safe. His machine rocked and bucked like an untrained broncho. Artillery will not have to hit aerooUsee'or their pilots If high artillery explosive can be de tonated within fifty yards of the flying machine attacked It will certainly bother th airman flying too low. So a military aviator will have to fly at least 1,000 or 4,000 feet for safety when passing troops.' New York Times. PEARLS REGARDLESS OF COST laereaerd la.eart.tl.. ras ladleatre Prosperitr . la Patrhes. , That the hlsh coat or H.lnr which so much Is being said, haa little effect -upon the destre ot th public for uiamonoa ana otner gems is shown by th big Importation at th port ot New York during Ull, and If th receipt at the custom bouse during the Initial moots ot ths new year can be takes a an indi cation the American people will be as anxious ss ever to buy diamonds, pearl and ether precious stone during Ull According to figure complied by W, B. Treadwell, examiner at the Public Store In New York City, the value of the Jan uary gem Import reached tha almost record figure of 13,111,0s, as agalnet 3.06U.47O a year ago. Th Import Indi cate that th precious stone and pearl trade In New York have found th de mand for certain lines ta h.r. in decreased sine the holidays. Of tbe gem Imported during January tbe value of tbe cut ararUm .inn.. Pearls srs reported a t2.J9t.JOS. coro- parea wiw sz.zw.ib in January, jh, while th value of tha uneut r.n.. i..iMn. diamonds. I placed at I8M.S44. In the last iweive year in importation of gem dur ing January have exceeded tha tsit la only two year. During utt the value or tha -.w... reached th country through the port of New York was 4.s7,S, exceeding all other year with th exception of U01 During the last rear th i- -. . arsoaid by Maiden lane dealers to be ran i. in oemana lor pearl neck laces. new xork Herald. et Wasted. Hannibal sent a message to th chief of the Ligurtans. "Sir." he said. "I have about reached the conclusion that your asslstsne is doing me more harm than good. There- - - - " j mim ?wur ii l Lie Dam of followers to offer me no more public The Ligurlan leader was attest for a moment. "And row do not fear my enmltyT" -"I few that even lees," replied th cheerful strategist. Whereupon tbe Ligurtan went away and took counsel with certain sympathetic friends. Which show that history Is (till a re prater. -Cleveland Plain Dealer. Th Ge.tle Crate. Occasionally a soft answer "starts a tough house. A peck of troubl ha com out of many a half-pint flask. Sum mule kick without any nor rea son than oom men. The linguist may be able to master "all the modern tongue except hi wife's. A woman's Idea ot a good photograph Is on that look Ilk she would like to look. About the only people who have time to think twice beiore they speak are those who stutter. somes are more economical than men. A maa will manufactui a lie it th whole cloth, but a woman will generally ! mm urn remjiaiiia New Xork Tunes. I L. ! Reasoa for Kaaaevelt Caadtdary KENESAW. Neb-, Feb. 3Tj the Editor ot The Bee: Colonel Reosw.elt'B reply to the governor that he would ac cept the repubttcaa aomlnatloa tor the presidency of the United Ststea in 111 tt tendered him make most sober minded republican aa well aa democrat sit up and tax notice as to w hat It all means. When we look back to th night ot No vember s. not. when he. made the follow ing statement: "Under no circumstance will I be a candidate for or accept an other nomination. When we look back to th ether date ot December n. . 1907. .wnen he said as follows-, VI have not changed and shsll not change that decision taua announced." Lt us, compare these statement with the on mad February M. IMS. a follows: "I. will accept th nomination for pre!, dent tt It Is tendered to me. and I will adhere to thla decision until th conren Uoa haa expressed Its, preference." . Thet a former president should make such conflicting statements In so short a space of time seems unthinkable. That Theodore Roosevelt would tura hi back and betray hi friend, the pres ent occupant of the White House, seems very unbecoming to a men who poses as great reformer. It is one of the greatest mistakes Theo dore Roosevelt ever mads to break his word to ths American people. The gov ernor should have left the colonel alone The people of their respective states would have thought more of them. Our own governor Is not making himself more olid with the people for the part he has taken. There Is no valid reason why the republican party should turn down Presi dent Ts ft for Theodore Roosevelt. NEILS MIKKEL8EN. Th M. W. A. Hates. . HARVARD. - Neb. Fan. -ST. h. Editor of Tha Bee: If v .ii.il. t... Just been called to the reply ot John Steel to my suggsstton- that the rate question In the Modern Woodmen of America camp be adjusted along lines now in use by the . Ancient . Order of Lotted Workmen only thet tha m limit such settlement may be made, be al any tlm after fifty years in plscs of seventy. Ills Illustration of a fir Insur ance company policy la not well taken. Unless a man ha Inured largely and loss by. fir ha beea liehi few ir ... vr pay what they receive back. As comparatively few of the many buildings insureu are ourneo, tna company are able to nay thoss who loss from th money received from those who do not liu. m a fixed rat of loss to clsrs Insured, and when they find they have an undesirable risk, they withdraw a soon as possible. It I not rlstmed by the Chicago cem rcntlon so far ss I havs heard, that th present advanced rata art- flat rat f ft per tl.930 take effect . a eurncient to par tha death inaa r tho members after that data If all atav In the order and mature policy by death, but thst the rate of ths younger members ha been ' leaded" to help ths old mem ber out on his rste he otherwls would have to pay. 1 do not know the number, but for ihu purpose assume 100.00 memhara r order paat so years of age, that would giaoiy retire lor a per cent of what they have paid la. In plac ot continuing their payment and maturing policy by death, no doubt a aavtng to th order ot two thirds th face of their policies, we think much more. This I not an occasion for u "utn.' to make figure high or low, for as to that w say nothing, but what ws do ay I this; , Th order has advanced their ment from the first promlss they gave the member to carry a Sl.ou policy for a monthly payment of II. al sotne years ago to H and new the nam policy to IS per month, alvlns tha m.nh alternative but to pay or get out ot tbe eraer. . Th order haa not kept It word, a bellev had th management so desired. iney couia nave made terms with mem bershlp along line we hsvs suggested to ths sdvantags ot ths member and the ordsr, then let thos stsy who wish to do so and others retire. T. A. UARUUL'R. ' Another Ias.ni.ew rfwtest. FLORENCE, Neb., Feb. J. -To the Editor ot The Bee: Permit me to say th raise In rales In tbe Nebraska Mutual Life Insurance company ot Jlastlngs Is unjust. Srsn If necessary, it was not made In accordance with th original plan, but should bar beea an extra as- sessment each year Instead ot a raise on tbe "quantity" of Insurance, a we all atarted la the company alike with KM Insurance, and th old age benefit is wrong to allow members to commence to draw out money before tbey bar been In the company twenty year from th tlm ot it adoption. But I "cap th nex" th proposed new policies gives nsw members the right to take out In surance up to I2.000 from th start. which doe not conform with our other polteie that you and I took out at two each; It doe not show aa quality basis and will be th worst mixed np mess ot life Insurance I ever saw, unless the member get together, aa they ere doing in, th Modem Woodmen and rout th on who sre working on selfish motive C. L, NKTUAWAY. ' ' Selling the Mlaw Sky. OMAHA. Feb. Jl-To the Editor of Th Bee: Rsgardlea ot poltcical situations, why should not th enlightened and pro grssstv psopls of Nebraska protect their own Interests Why can't we Nebraskans see that as good a law la passed In our commonwealth a was lately enacted in neighboring Kansaa. , We refer to the law requiring reports from concerns thst offer Mock for sole, with power to bar thos thst will evi dently prove protltsble to nobody-except th promoter. No valid reason exists why Nebraska, which pretend to protect It chisens against theft ia other form, should countenance by Inaction that biggest and erueleet ot modera swindle. Kansas claim to have saved Its dti- ens by this law several million of dol lar during th last year. "Selling stock m ths blue sky." a It Is called, and all other fake stork wmdles should be barred by law In Nebraska a well as elsewhere snd the promoters mads t softer the penalty. ft. W. E. Grand Opening Saturday, March 2d LEEDS WOOLEN MILLS ef SUITS TO ORDER UNION I MADE '- ' " FREE $5 TO $8 PANTSFREE On Our Opening Day With Every Two-Piece Suit Remember, we are the only people known to the $15 Suit system using the high quality of work we employ in the construction of a suit to sell for DON'T BE SATISFIED WITH A PASSABLY GOOD SUIT GET ONE PERFECTLY MADE. $15.00 Money Deposited With Us is aa Safe as With a Guarantee Bank If We fail to Please. The more skeptical may doubt our ability to produce a substantial suit for a fifteen dollar price, but the wise need only to know we have located at 318 SO. 15th ST., BOURKE'S OLD STAND MAM tZCLLE, ManagwF. ORIGIN OF LOCOMOTIVE CAB Varleas ftalraaate lor the Heaer ot Balldlag abetter . for ' Raaia Me, Th question, who first applied a tab to a locomotive for the protection uf the engineer will never be ssttled. There sre several people credited with being ths first to Introduce a rab-lo cover the foot plate ot a locomotive, but there la no certainty about any of the claims until we come to the "Ksmuel D. Ingham," built at Philadelphia In IS. Th necessity for having a esb to shel ter the men operating a locomotive was not recognised for years after railroads were put In operation. The need for pro tecting engineer from th weather was not regarded aa being more argent than thet of sheltering stags coach driver and marine pilot whoa occupation exposed them at all time to th weather. When th proposal was first msde In Britain to protect engineer from tha weather, It met with noiay opposition, as being calcu lated to enervate a highly wbrthy clsss of men. and the argument waa considered so fordbl that Utile attention ha yet been bestowed In Europ to protect en gineer from th beat of summer and th rigor of winter weather. Probably th asm kind of argument wer used on this ski ot the Atlsntic In early railway dsya, for th application ot Invention designed to shelter the englnemen made little progress till about ten year after th first American railroad started run. nlng trains. ' Crude appliances were Introduced on different railroads, especially In ths north, to shelter engineers, snd old msn used te be mat with from all part f th country who claimed that the road they worked oa was th first to Introduce locomotive cab; but th Idea progressed so slowly that aa let a 1S47 Hellers steep grade locomotive wss Illustrated with nothing more than the boiler head to shelter the englnemen. Dsvld Matthew, one of tbe first master mechanic of th Mohawk at Hudson railroad, claimed to have applied a cab to a locomotlv In the early Ms, but no particular were ever given and David lied a weakness for claiming to b th originator ot nearly all locomotlv Im provement. Th first exsct record of a csb being applied to a locomotive waa when Eastwick llsrrlion. In II. built th "Hamuel D. Ingham" for tha Braver Meadow railroad., nsw a branch ot the Lehigh railroad. John bVottt, one of the pioneer loco motlv engineers of the Baltlraor Ohio, claimed thet he invented a loco motlv cab which waa applied In VBtt to th engines Traveler. American, . and Antelope. Mr. Scott I (lalmed to bav effected Improvement boon th loco mo. I tlv whlstl and to hare Invented th copper-wire Joint that came to b tarsV versally used. W hsd repeatedly heard the claim made that the first cab applied to a locomotlv waa'oa th Boston V Albany railroad, so w mad Inquiries several years ago. We then learned that In 1KB an engineer named Kills applied a crude cab to the engine "Tartar" that consisted of corner post covered with canvaa. Th Invention proved popular among th en glnemen. and th modern cab waa soon developed from thst primitive arrange, ment. Locomotlv Engineer. Fpeclsl trouser sals at Berg, Raturaay. ' ' Maffled Knocks. "Thank you so much for your singing, Mrs. Uwyer; It man's th guest lively snd lalkatlvs In a Jiffy." "It tn so kind of you to drop In, Mrs. Oolllfer; jou know FYs never re turned the call you mad a year or two ago." . . The key to aueeeas la business ts ths persistent and Judicious use of newspaper advertlslnr s '.,'lCl a Ull South Omaha 20 Delow Omaha Price-Not One Day, Dut Every Day lig Spring Announcement of High Class Furniture. Carpets and Rugs fYou thould use a DiseH-i'jr! I nn vnttr rirnsft and ni e) T71'eJ7-.,:,': ii if you want to keep therticlt lti-double their life. . I .0 The best at much below the prices you' muit pay in Omaha. 27x54-inch Velvet Rugs 95c 27x54-inch Axminster Rugs, $1.45 6x9 ft. Seamless Brussels Rugs at $4.75 9x12 Seamless Brussels Rugs at f9.75 9x12 Velvet Rugs $12.50 9x12 Axminster Rugs .... $15.00 See our complete line of Body Brussels and Wilton Rugs, fur nished In all sixes, MUCH BELOW OMAHA PRICE. Solid Oak Side Board with largo plate mirror 14.00 hp Good, small size Steel Couch, with two rows of supports at .. $1.85 Solid Oak Rocker, like cut at ....-$2.75 Full Line of Bisstls Carpet Sweepers at . . . : $2.50 Acorn Stoves We sell n god 4-hole Range for . . .$2-1.50 We sell a good 6-hole Range for ...$26.50 Set up in your home. Full line of Famous Gas Ranges in all sizes. STOVES SOLD OR PAYMENTS ISP ACORN