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