Foreverglades_Valiente2019

34 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
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BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
124 SW AMP TO 124 124 BELLE GLADE FROM SW SW AMP TO TO SUGAR BOWL
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Lauderdale, yet it wasn't very popular. The locks were six
She
She She announced, announced, "Lewis "Lewis Creech, Creech, Lou
Lou Lou Betzner, Betzner, Frank
Frank
Franz, Franz, B.
B. B. V.
V. V. Pace Pace and
and and Dr.
Dr. Dr. Buck."
Buck."
"Well, "Well, gentlemen gentlemen you
you you have have heard heard the
the the names names of
of of those
those
you
you you have have approved approved as
as as a a town town council council and
and and I I think think you
you you have
have
made made mighty mighty good good selections. selections. Now Now who who would would make make a a good
good
town town marshall marshall ?"
?"
?"
While While ballots ballots on
on on marshall marshall were were being being counted counted Betzner
Betzner
spoke spoke up
up up again. again. "Before "Before we
we we go
go go any
any any farther farther with with this
this this fiasco,
fiasco,
let's let's vote vote once once and
and and for
for for all
all all on
on on whether whether we
we we want want to
to to incorp­
incorporatorate
Belle Belle Glade. Glade. This This nominating nominating and
and and balloting balloting is
is is getting
getting
nowhere. nowhere. We're We're only only wasting wasting our
our our time! time! I I make make a a motion
motion
that that we
we we don't don't incorporate. incorporate.
That's the reason we're here
That's the the reason we're here
anyway."
anyway."
At
At At which which the
the the carpenter, carpenter, "Blondy" "Blondy" Newman, Newman, slightly
slightly
high, high, staggered staggered to
to to his
his his feet
feet feet to
to to make make this
this this classic classic statement.
statement.
"Le's "Le's deschide deschide if
if if we
we we are
are are men men or
or or mouse. mouse. If
If If we're we're men men let's
let's
kill
kill kill zis
zis zis perposition, perposition, but
but but if
if if we're we're mice mice let's let's go
go go crawl crawl in
in in a
a
hole!"
hole!"
Greer Greer had
had had to
to to pound pound like
like like mad mad to
to to stop stop the
the the applause
applause
while while he
he he announced announced that that Clarence Clarence Everett, Everett, the
the the Ford Ford sub­
subdealerdealer,
had
had had been been elected elected marshal]. marshal]. Then Then rising rising to
to to his
his his full
full
full
six
six six feet
feet feet of
of of blacksmith's blacksmith's bone bone and
and and muscle muscle he
he he sprung sprung the
the
the
trap.
trap.
"Ladies "Ladies and
and and gentlemen, gentlemen, you
you you being being a a representative
representative
group group comprising comprising more more than than two
two two thirds thirds of
of of the
the the qualified
qualified
electors electors residing residing in
in in the
the the proposed proposed town, town, have have elected elected a
a
mayor, mayor, a a town town clerk, clerk, a a board board of
of of councilmen councilmen and
and and a a law
law law en­
en­
enforcemenforcement
officer. officer. Having Having complied complied with with Public Public Law Law No.
No.
No.
1825 1825 of
of of the
the the Revised Revised Statutes Statutes of
of of Florida, Florida, you
you you have have duly
duly
incorporated incorporated the
the the Town Town of
of of Belle Belle Glade, Glade, and
and and I I do
do do now now declare
declare
it
it it to
to to be
be be legally legally incorporated!"
incorporated!"
Creech Creech jumped jumped up
up up like
like like a a wildcat, wildcat, "That's "That's illegal! illegal! You
You
can't can't do
do do that! that! I I object object to
to to the
the the whole whole blankety-blank blankety-blank proceed­
proceedinging!
It's
It's It's a a subterfuge! subterfuge! I'm
I'm I'm going going to
to to take take it
it it to
to to court! court! I'll
I'll
I'll
get
get get an
an an injunction!"
injunction!"
"Mr. "Mr. Creech," Creech," said said Greer Greer smiling smiling like
like like a a gator gator slipping
slipping
up
up up on
on on a a rabbit, rabbit, "didn't "didn't you
you you take take part part in
in in voting voting for
for for these
these
men men who who were were elected?"
elected?"
miles from town, and since the water below was too shoal
to navigate, all goods had to be transferred from the locks
over a rutted sandy road through the piney woods to Deerfield.
But good gosh, when you got there, except for the
railroad, you still hadn't got nowhere! Yet by the spring
of 1915 there already were some 72 starry-eyed enthusiasts
camped at Glade Crest, the most I wouldn't doubt, who
ever lived there at one time. But friend, they were having
their troubles.
BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
Lauderdale, yet it wasn't very popular. The locks were six
miles from town, and since the water below was too shoal
to navigate, all goods had to be transferred from the locks
over a rutted sandy road through the piney woods to Deerfield.
But good gosh, when you got there, except for the
railroad, you still hadn't got nowhere! Yet by the spring
of 1915 there already were some 72 starry-eyed enthusiasts
camped at Glade Crest, the most I wouldn't doubt, who
ever lived there at one time. But friend, they were having
their troubles.
Glade Crest was in the pure old peat of the sawgrass
Everglades, new and raw. I know exactly what they had
to contend with, for I was having the same problems at
the very same time in Okeelanta. Water no longer covered
the land, but it wasn't far below the surface, and clearing
that sawgrass was a terrific task, for no machines which
we had could do it.
The land salesmen had told us all, "Just mow off the
sawgrass, then plow the ground with a hand push plow."
Mrs. Daniel has said that they even had told her. "A family
of four could make a living on a single acre, since four
crops could be grown each year". Oh yes, they even said,
and backed it up with government reports, "Frost has
never been known to damage the tenderest vegetation."
And gee whiz, they even claimed there were no mosquitoes,
either!
That first winter, according to Herman Herndon, there
were fifteen frosts and freezes from December till April
5th. Farmers tried to protect their little crops by burning
piles of sawgrass, but the heat mostly went straight up,
so some plants were scorched while the majority simply
froze. Anyway, by the second night, there were no more
sawgrass piles. Then they tried covering the plants with
muck. This worked fine once or twice and with small plants,
but the covering and uncovering was near about as damaging
as the frost.
Since the first tractors couldn't clear the sawgrass, all
this had to be done by hand. Sawgrass first was chopped
Glade Crest was in the pure old peat of the sawgrass
Everglades, new and raw. I know exactly what they had
to contend with, for I was having the same problems at
the very same time in Okeelanta. Water no longer covered
the land, but it wasn't far below the surface, and clearing
that sawgrass was a terrific task, for no machines which
we had could do it.
The land salesmen had told us all, "Just mow off the
sawgrass, then plow the ground with a hand push plow."
Mrs. Daniel has said that they even had told her. "A family
of four could make a living on a single acre, since four
crops could be grown each year". Oh yes, they even said,
and backed it up with government reports, "Frost has
never been known to damage the tenderest vegetation."
And gee whiz, they even claimed there were no mosquitoes,
either!
That first winter, according to Herman Herndon, there
were fifteen frosts and freezes from December till April
5th. Farmers tried to protect their little crops by burning
piles of sawgrass, but the heat mostly went straight up,
so some plants were scorched while the majority simply
froze. Anyway, by the second night, there were no more
sawgrass piles. Then they tried covering the plants with
muck. This worked fine once or twice and with small plants,
but the covering and uncovering was near about as damaging
as the frost.
Since the first tractors couldn't clear the sawgrass, all
this had to be done by hand. Sawgrass first was chopped
Big Ben tractor and experimental plow.
I was one of them, set up camp there, and in a few years
Okeelanta became the biggest town, except for Moore
Haven, (a;d of course, Davie, back of Ft. Lauderdale, the
first one of all) in the whole dad burned Everglades. At
first, though, it looked as if Glade Crest was likely to
eclipse Okeelanta, but floods and frosts and frontier hardships
like to have finished them both. Glade Crest has
vanished without a trace, but Okeelanta has survived -
well, to a certain extent, that is.
Holland and Butterworth, who had sold land for R. J.
Bolles, but had a falling out, bought from the Southern
States Land and Timber Company all of Section 20, Township
44 and Range 38, and they christened it Glade Crest.
This land they then sold in five and ten acre tracts, "sight
unseen", to people in the north. When the first settlers
arrived the land had not yet even been surveyed. However,
the following fall a surveyor, Cleveland W. Horne arrived.
In later years he was to have the honor of being Grand
Master of Masons in Florida. Horne ran a line from the
coast, arid subdivided the section into ten acre tracts.
On this job, while burning off the sawgrass, some of
the crew got surrounded by the raging fire and had to
swim the canal. That wasn't so bad, but a few days later,
GLADE CREST 37
GLADE CREST 37
GLADE CREST 35
POLITICS IN IN IN THE THE SW SW SW AMPS 125
125
125
down with a machete, unless you were lucky enough to
down with a machete, unless you were lucky enough to
"You're "You're mighty mighty blankety-blank blankety-blank right right I I did,
did, did, and
and and every
every
man man I I voted voted for
for for was
was was elected, elected, too," too," shouted shouted Creech, Creech, who who was
was
was
bald bald as
as as a a cooter, cooter, and
and and whose whose shining shining pate pate was
was was getting getting red
red
red
enough enough to
to to catch catch ablaze. ablaze. "But "But I I tell
tell tell you
you you we
we we are
are are not
not not ready
ready
to
to
to form
form a a damn
damn town.
town. Why,
Why, we
we
we are
are
are still
still
still only
only a a bunch
bunch of
of
of
country
country muck
muck rats
rats with
with sawgrass
sawgrass in
in
in our
our
our hair!" hair!"
"Thash
"Thash right,
right, Mr.
Mr.
Mr. Creesh,"
Creesh," stammered
stammered Blondy,
Blondy, "some
"some
of
of
of us
us
us muck
muck rats
rats do
do
do have
have shawgrash
shawgrash in
in
in our
our
our hair,
hair, but
but
but where
where
in
in
in tarnation
tarnation are
are
are you
you
you gonna
gonna put
put
put your
your shawgrash
shawgrash ?"
?"
?"
Above
Above the
the
the resulting
resulting laughter, laughter, Greer
Greer pounded
pounded for
for
for order
order
and
and
and then
then called
called on
on
on Newman
Newman T.
T.
T. Miller,
Miller, a a prominent
prominent attorney attorney
from
from West
West Palm
Palm Beach,
Beach, who
who by
by
by some
some sort
sort
sort of
of
of coincidence
coincidence
just
just accidently
accidently happened
happened to
to
to be
be
be seated
seated in
in
in the
the
the rear rear pew.
pew.
Miller
Miller assured
assured them
them all
all
all that
that the
the
the town
town was
was
was indeed
indeed now
now lawfully
lawfully
organized,
organized, and
and
and just
just
just as
as
as soon
soon as
as
as the
the
the elected
elected officials
officials
were
were sworn
sworn in,
in,
in, it
it
it could
could proceed
proceed to
to
to function.
function.
Mister,
Mister, that
that was
was
was a a mad
mad bunch
bunch of
of
of country
country muck
muck rats
rats
who
who swarmed
swarmed out
out
out of
of
of the
the
the church
church house
house door,
door, and
and
and for
for
for a
a
while
while the
the
the new
new mayor
mayor was
was
was not
not
not the
the
the most
most popular
popular man
man in
in
in
town.
town. He
He
He had
had
had three
three days
days in
in
in which
which to
to
to take
take the
the
the oath
oath of
of
of
office,
office, but
but
but rather
rather than
than risk
risk any
any
any accidents,
accidents, he
he
he took
took off
off
off that
that
same
same night
night for
for
for West
West Palm
Palm Beach
Beach and
and
and hopped
hopped the
the
the train
train for for
for
Jacksonville.
Jacksonville. (He
(He
(He said
said he
he
he needed
needed to
to
to attend
attend the
the the Baptist
Baptist
Convention.)
Convention.) But,
But, anyway,
anyway, he
he
he took
took good
good care
care to
to
to be
be
be sworn
sworn
in
in
in before
before he
he
he got
got
got back
back home.
home.
So
So
So now
now you
you
you see
see
see what
what an
an
an organized
organized minority
minority can
can
can do.
do.
do.
That's
That's what
what I I call
call
call politics
politics in
in
in the
the
the swamps.
swamps.
get the cussed grass to burn. Then, with a heavy planter's
get the cussed grass to burn. Then, with a heavy planter's
hoe, the stubs and roots were grubbed up, and the tough,
hoe, the stubs and roots were grubbed up, and the tough,
rope-like connecting runners were pulled up with a potato
rope-like connecting runners were pulled up with a potato
rake and tossed behind to dry. After the sawgrass had been
rake and tossed behind to dry. After the sawgrass had been
grubbed up, then the soft ground could be plowed with a
grubbed up, then the soft ground could be plowed with a
push plow. In a long, hard day (all our days were long
push plow. In a long, hard day (all our days were long
and hard, so it seemed), one man could grub up a patch
and hard, so it seemed), one man could grub up a patch
of saw grass about fifty feet square. That's one-seventeenth
of saw grass about fifty feet square. That's one-seventeenth
of an acre. To get one acre ready for planting was about
of an acre. To get one acre ready for planting was about
a month's job for one man. Yet that first winter that's
a month's job for one man. Yet that first winter that's
how it all was done.
'
Worst of all, we learned that on sawgrass land nothing
would grow but sawgrass ! The brown, fibrous peat had
to be stirred and aerated so it could decompose into black
muck. Plants would spring up, turn yellow and die. Yet
where Irish potatoes had been sprayed with lime and copper
sulphate to prevent blight, a second crop of potatoes,
or nearly anything else, would grow fairly well. So that's
how we learned that copper in this soil was essential and
we had to use commercial fertilizer, too. The land companies
had insisted that this would not be necessary, since
analysis showed there was an excess of nitrogen. That
sounded fine, but what they didn't know was that this
nitrogen was in a form not available to plants. Oh boy,
there was a heap to learn!
how it all was done.
'
Worst of all, we learned that on sawgrass land nothing
would grow but sawgrass ! The brown, fibrous peat had
to be stirred and aerated so it could decompose into black
muck. Plants would spring up, turn yellow and die. Yet
where Irish potatoes had been sprayed with lime and copper
sulphate to prevent blight, a second crop of potatoes,
or nearly anything else, would grow fairly well. So that's
how we learned that copper in this soil was essential and
we had to use commercial fertilizer, too. The land companies
had insisted that this would not be necessary, since
analysis showed there was an excess of nitrogen. That
sounded fine, but what they didn't know was that this
nitrogen was in a form not available to plants. Oh boy,
there was a heap to learn!
I was one of th
Okeelanta beca
one of these same boys, while
Haven,
far from the settlement, got
(a;d of
bitten by a moccasin. His ankle swelled until he couldn't
first one of all
work, so the crew abandoned surveying and began frantically
to hack a trail through the head high sawgrass.
first, though,
eclipse Okeelan
They knew the direction to the settlement but with grass
ships like to h
vanished witho
so high, couldn't see any buildings. It was pitch dark when
well, to a cert
they got to the canal, and they began to shout. Finally a
settler heard the racket and rescued them with his boat. Holland and
The leg was doctored with turpentine, the nearest thing Bolles, to but had
medicine in the camp. The boy must have been pretty States Land an
tough for the leg got well, but he was promoted to be camp ship 44 and Ra
cook after that.
This land they
unseen", to pe
By the winter of 1914-15, besides Slade, there were the
arrived the lan
families of Baker, Daniel, Elsasser, Herndon, Garrett, Metcalf
and two Bissell families and a Mrs. Chisolm who was
the following f
sister to one of the Bissell ladies. Later, Shields and his
Master of Mas
son, who had some boats and barges, started a little store, coast, arid sub
and since the Hillsboro canal had just been opened, "Shorty"
Woods, in his boat Bonnie made occasional trips On this job
down it to the coast. Although this route was far shorter the crew got s
than by way of Torry Island and down the canal to Ft. swim the cana
Sawgrass plow with mouldboard slatted for better scouring.
Yet in spite of all, there were some vegetables raised.
'l'he Ft. Lauderdale Sentinel of June 19, 1914 states that
J. W. Bissell of Glade Crest had sold some Irish potatoes
for $1 and $1.25 a hamper, and they had yielded at the
r te of 150 bushels per acre. Now, to be sure, the paper
didn't state how many hampers or how many acres Mr.
Bissell had, whether it was one acre or more or less. It
wouldn't surprise me if it was less. In Okeelanta the five
of us, for our whole winter's labor, had succeeded in raising
and selling only 40 hampers of potatoes, ten hampers
of beans and a few batches of carrots and turnips. Our
potatoes brought $1.50 and $1.75.
Yet in spite of all, there were some vegetables raised.
'l'he Ft. Lauderdale Sentinel of June 19, 1914 states that
J. W. Bissell of Glade Crest had sold some Irish potatoes
for $1 and $1.25 a hamper, and they had yielded at the
r te of 150 bushels per acre. Now, to be sure, the paper
didn't state how many hampers or how many acres Mr.
Bissell had, whether it was one acre or more or less. It
wouldn't surprise me if it was less. In Okeelanta the five
of us, for our whole winter's labor, had succeeded in raising
and selling only 40 hampers of potatoes, ten hampers
of beans and a few batches of carrots and turnips. Our
potatoes brought $1.50 and $1.75.
'
'
34 BEL
In later years
B