HIGH PRICES OFFERED
FOR DRAINED LAND OF
FLORIDA EVERGLADES
GOLD POURS INTO FLORIDA AS
RESULT OF DRAINAGE OF
SWAMP DISTRICT
CONSIDERED ONCE WORTHLESS
Seminole Indians were sole Inhabi
tants—Subsisting solely On
Fish and Game.
(By Associated Press)
TALLAHASSEE. Fla., Mar 11.—
The state of Florida is reaping a bar
est of gold from the vast tract gen
erally designated as the Everglades,
as a result of drainage operations
begun there more than a decade ago
and now half completed.
Land that formerly was covered
with shallow water and supported a
growth of saw-grass and other semi
aquatic vegetation and considered
practically worthless at one time,
now is looked upon as a bargain at
anywhere from $500 to $L000 an
acre. W. J. Conners, Buffalo, N. Y.,
newspaper tracts of the land, recent
ly offered the stale $50,000 for 51
additional acres fronting on Lake
Okeechobee, the second largest i-esh
water lake in the United States,
which lies at the head of the Ever
glades territory.
The Everglades cam1 (•> Florida
from the United Sia-"s under iho
provision of an act of Congress of
1850, known as the swamp and over
flow laud grant act, on condition
that the land be drained by the
state. Prior to 1905 the territory,
consisting of 6,000 square miles, re
mained in its primeval condition and
little was known of the soil, flora or
fauna. Seminole Indians were the
sole inhabitants, having their home
on the edge of this vast inundated
prairie and subsisting on hunting
and fishing in the interior.
As the drainage operations pro- j
ceeded. however, and adventurous
pioneers began to settle here and j
there over the land, it was discov- \
ered that almost any crop produced
anywhere under the sun could be
grown on the land that was being
made tillable, and the scramble for
possession of farm sites began and
has never subsided. The soil con- j
sists principally of muck or peat. I
Reclamation of the land is auth-1
orized by state law and is being ac-;
eomplished by canals and other I
drainage works, the entire cost being
borne by levy of drainage taxes up-1
on the lands being reclaimed.
The drainage operations are in ;
charge of Fred C. Elliot, civil engi
neer of wide experience, who saw
service in construction of the New
York City subways, later in the min
ing districts of the west and of Mex
ico. He has been chief engineer of
the Everglades drainage district
since 1913 and knows every mile of j
the territory, which is located in the
southern portion of the Florida pen
insula.
In undertaking to drain the land
says Mr. Elliot, Florida has em
barked upon the greatest reclama
tion project ever begun by any state
in the union. “The turning of this
expanse into land means adding
more than 6,000 square miles of
territory to the domain of the state,
which is equivalent to annexing a
strip of land 60 miles wide and 100
miles long, or an area greater in
size than the states of Rhode Island
and Connecticut combined,” he de
clares.
Approximately 500 miles of canals j
have been constructed to date in
carrying on the work, representing a
total excavation of earth and rock of
62,231,122 cubic yards. Fourteen ma
sonry locks and dams have been con
structed and other important work
accomplished, at a total cost to date
of approximately $10,500,000. Locks
and dams in the canals make nav
igation possible for boats as long as
100 feet with proportional width and
draft. Boats may cross the state
from Atlantic ocean to the Gulf of
Mexico via the canals and Lake Ok
eechobee.
The health of people living in the
Everglades is said to be as good as
anywhere else in the country.
Those faithful politicians at the
Territorial capital who had it all
doped out as to the governorship
may mark their score cards: Nc
hits, no runs, no errors.—Ex.
Radio Hunch
'THE battery which powers a
* radio set is frequently slipped
out of sight iu some dark corner
of the room. When such is the
case there is no easier way to
take a hydrometer reading or make
sure that connections are tight
than by the use of a pocket flash
light. The battery shown above
was kept beneath the piano and
all the owner had to do was to
pull it within reach and use his
flashlight.
Much-Sought Foundling
Disposed of by Lottery
PAALOZALA, Italy, Mar. 11.—A
baby boy was recent the capital
prize in a lottery arranged by the
mayor of this city. The child was
found abandoned in the market place
and turned over to the mayor. With
in an hour eight childless couples
had sought to adopt the little found
ling.
The mayor had difficulty in choos
ing among the would-be parents. So
he arranged to raffle the baby off
and allowed tickets to be sold only
to persons who could make desir
able parents. The tickets brought
a good price and all the proceeds of
the lottery were turned over to the
winners of the child to purchase a
lay ate.
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
TO CONVENE IN OKLAHOMA:
PONCA CITY, Okla., Mar. 1.—A
national convention of Indians, who
will come from every state having
Indian population and from Mexico
and Canada, will be held here May
18-24 under the auspices of the Okla
homa Society of Indians, of which
Sylvester J. Soldani of Ponca City,
himself an Osage Indian, is presi
dent.
Forty-six different tribes will be
represented. It is planned to make
the “pow-wow” the largest held since
tribal relations were severed.
The Society of Oklahoma Indians,
organized last year, had its first con
vention at Tulsa. Six thousand In
dians were visitors.
A tract of about 80 acres near the
city will be obtained for the Indian
camp that is to be pitched. Large cir
cus tents have been engaged to
house the many attractions that are
lo be offered. The housing ques
tion will be partly solved by the
majority of the Indians living in
their own tepees.
A pageant in which all the tribes
will participate, will be a special
feature of the program on three af
feronons. Each afternoon will be de
voted to some special entertainment
the mornings being given over to
business meetings of the society.
POISONOUS VOLCANIC
GAS CAUSES DEATHS
IN DUTCH EAST INDIES
THE HAGUE, Mar. 11.—Seismic
and volcanic action has been inter
mittent in Java, since the earthquake
at Wonosobo last November, accord
ing to colonial dispatches received
here.
Papandayang, a volcano about 8,
000 feet high, 87 miles southeast of
FRATERNALORDERS
SEWARD LODGE NO 219, F. & A. M.
SL Stated communications first
■^KU^and third Wednesdays of each
/yr\month; visiting brethren wel
come, J. P. Hannon, W. M.; Harold
Painter, Secretary.
RESURRECTION LODGE NO. A-7,
I. O. O. F.
Meets every Thursday at
8:00 p. m. in Odd Fellows’
Hall, next to the postoffice. Visiting
brothers welcome. Fred Martineides,
N. G.; Chas. Lechner, Secretary.
AMERICAN LEGION, SEWARD
POST NO. FIVE
Meets the second and Fourth
Tuesdays of each month,
at the Fire Hall. Visiting
members are always wel
come. J. S. Bogart, Commander; L.
W. Olson, Adjutant.
IGLOO NO. NINE, PIONEERS OF
ALASKA
Meets every Second and Fourth Fri
day nights in Odd Fellows’ Hall; John
Flowers, President; Coll A. McDou
gall, Secretary.
SEWARD CHAPTER NO. 10, ORDER
OF EASTERN STAR
Meeets the second and
fourth Mondays of each
month in Odd Fellows’
Hall at 8 p. m. Visiting
members always wel
come; Goldie Blue W. M.
Mrs. Viola T. Swetmann, Secretary.
SEWARD REBEKAH LOGE NO. 6-A,
I. O. O. F.
Meets the first and
third Mondays of
each month in Odd
Fellows Hall at 8:00
p. m. Visiting mem
bers are always wel
come. Mrs. John
Rosness, N. G.
STEAMSHIP ADMIRAL WATSON
Sails from
Seattle
March 4
March 24
Arrives
Seward
March 12
March 31
South from
Seward
March 14
April 7
Calling at all regular Southeastern and South
western Alaska ports in eluding Seldovia and
Kodiak.
MOTORSHIP ADMIRAL PEARY
March 27, with gasoline, oils and explosives, for
space reservations telephone or wire agent at
Seward.
WAYNE BLUE, Agent
Telephone Main 81
Res., Madison 40
Pacific Coastwise Jerviee
^ADMIRAL LINE
iH.F. ALEXANDER.
111 ■ '
STEAMSHIP STARR
NEXT SAILING OF STR. STARR WEST, APRIL 5
San Juan Fishing and Packing Co.
G. C. HENDERSON, Agent
PHONE MADISON 13*. SEWARD, ALA8KA
Batavia, the capital of the Dutch
East Indies, is showing increased
activity, several craters having form
ed into a huge one which is belch
ing poisonous gases by which some
native overseers have been killed
and surrounding vegetation destroy
ed. The volcano is also emitting
streams of hot mud, ashes and small
stones, and local earth shocks and
tremors are felt continuously. Gov
ernment geologists have gone to the
| scene to investigate.
A violent and edstructive erup
tion of Papandayang occurred in
1772.
CAN USE A FEW MORE CUS
TOMERS AT THE 0. K .BARBER
SHOP.
LADIES PLEASE NOTICE—that
Schweizer’s Spring samples are now
on display at Urbach’s Store. k31
Join the Chamber of Commerce.
Read Frye-Bruhn’s adv in this issue.
Picture Framing at the Alaska
Shop. tf
Brunswick Pnonographs and Re
cords. The Alaska Shop. tf
The Alaska Railroad
TRAINS LEAVE SEWARD
8 AM.
Monday and Thursday
TRAINS ARRIVE
8 P. M.
Wednesday and Saturday
I
Let Morrison Fix it for you
Next to Crawford’s Shop
CITY EXPRESS
Billy Patterson
Meets All Boats and Trains
0. K. BARBER SHOP
Clean, Santiary Baths, Expert
Barbers and Reasonable Prces
Keep Us Busy.
Thomas Jasper, Propr.
FRESH MILK,
CREAM AND ALL
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Our Motto:
“The Best”
SEWARD DAIRY
F. B. MOORE
Gore Bldg. Adams 145
WALL PAPER PAPER-HANG
ING, and PAINTING
TINTING
Gas Launch
KENAI
FISHING AND HUNTING
PARTIES CARRIED DOWN
LAKE KENAI FOR THE
DAY OR TRIP. TELE
PHONE ARRANGEMENTS
TO MILE TWENTY
Louis Bell, owner
ALASKA STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
Southwestern Alaska Route Schedule
Vessel—
Alameda
Northwestern
ALASKA
Yukon
Northwestern
Alaska
Scheduled
Lv. Seattle
March 7
March 14
March 21
March 28
April 4th
April 11
Scheduled
Ar. Seward
March 14
March 21
March 28
April 4r
April llth.
April 18
Scheduled Sail
from Seward
March 14
March 21
March 28
April 4
April llth.
April 18.
Steamers in the above schedule will make all regular ports of call
in Southeastern and Southwestern Alaska.
Freighter Oduna is scheduled to sail from Seattle March 23rd.
J. H. FLICKINGER, Agent
PHONE MAIN 125 SEWARD, ALASKA
AN EMPIRE BUILDER
As all railroads in years gone by have been the greatest
contributing factors in development of the regions through
which they passed, so also is THE ALASKA RAILROAD each
day accomplishing much towards the building of an empire.
In place of the old, tremendously expensive and inconve
nient methods of transporting supplies of whatever character
over rough trails from the coast, there is now a modern rail
road that carries supplies and equipment in greater quantities
to and from the Interior, and along the way, in much less
time and at far less expense than was formerly required.
This great steel highway offering regular twice weekly
freight and passenger service between Seward, Anchorage
i and Fairbanks; and tri-weekly mixed service over the
Chickaloon and Chatanika branches, is at your service. For
further information write
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
McKINLEY PARK ROUTE
ANCHORAGE ALASKA
Special week-eend tickets (one and one-third actual fare) on
sale at all ticket offices
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