1674-18 Pancoast Family( ... .
, 1 --caRt GSC,
w
out the pro- c--
,f grass. It
bird would
el roof of a0„,,j,„,,.24,-;•,„„,, " •
place, yet
do so when -,` •i ) .d. % "-
• acity. , �'
)st devoted " �', •ti -- ,�� +, 1.
if
�,
if discover- I • - ..,,.�; � Y ; ' b " � <
ig her wings •
..,_. 3 .
an effort to • : ', _ , r ,, ,,, ,
her home. • _
1 species of , y - _ ,
"estern, the
.ch differing
id color, the i
)lest in form - �'s
white wing- .r,,.tk
primary in- .. ..-`
in the other ,z•t
eatures and Clearing Land by Machinery
ight hawk is
not attach
(y, but holds
we have to A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE
ful skill and (Concluded)
'e this sky-
inks for the —BY—
n while he
ct life—such J. ARTHUR PANCOAST
nts, beetles,
s too numer-
Continued from the August Tropic Magazine
is, the whip-
chuck-will's-
g to pass by N the last number you read the ceive what that means unless he ha's
will have to story of the two Jerseymen who been in Florida and seen a rank growth
,. their story. planned to get rich by planting of palmetto. Fven t h a t i s n o t
forty odd miles of Florida beach with enough, but just let him try to grub
cocoanuts, and who found to their sor- out a few. Then and then only will
row that they had nothing but the he realize how much of a proposition
land and the trees in return for all it was to clear 200 acres. When one
their expenditures. So much for the considers that the average farm or
I failure; in this article you are to see grove in Florida is approximately 10
how they turned the day. acres, it is evident that the cocoanut
Part of their land lay on a penin- failure, as big as it was, did not take
sula, just across the bay from the these fellows' nerve. It was here that
--A1 wonderful city of Miami. This penin- they commenced to prove to anyone
sula had both the advantage of an who cared to observe, that their am-
unparalleled location and exceptional- bitious energy was governed with a
ly rich soil. Having been fruit grow- goodthick coat of orginality.
,
ers of some note at home, they recog- As an instance; they purchased an
nize that here was an opportunity.
The first thing they had to do was ordinary road tractor and had a heavy
to clear the land. Nobody can con- disc harrow made to pull back of the
•
•
0
four or fiv(
his skill a]
•
converted s
•
a thrifty a
in the worl
i. �fisi.4 ., �' Was Mr.
N, x .1 51.4,. ,<: �a' - j big undert
4 <4.12/04:PIM WIL,...n more thin
f a f k �s � 1i i M° � "�h�i�a L y —�_�3" 'l -ii Commun
e3 3* Tkc-e4..�' al A.• i.' Sok L ♦ 4.
-,, 6,..t % •
I z rr `i Miami was
; � . ---,IV -. ' '"-�' . , ""'��' '! "-� vel four anc
r��°�"� .F' Nt� `. ,,, _ -,s�` i- .31, y '� v `c.'� Miami in E
5. P A." Mrz.- "`' ;,• '$- .7 . ?` --.7.4:47'- _ r-, r( t ,�(',. , • south the
�'� • < ,.,� 4���� , ,• �d'• � /• ,-•.-.0c Indian Crei
-mac � , /.ry •.; .. a % d.- x one of the
t
e
y
s
n
cuI' .-a : ' � a ' . graceful
t7,61. .„',......----;.,..• ' ' .' ='5 ," r t --. ' 4r. �.� . ,�- . • , s �- '. fir '' , r i.''. water and
� �A. �' ,., banks. T]` `:t ? g : -
, ' r , necessary a
=.:xd _4..-i � .. , ,
z. • time.
A 200 Acre Avocado Grove. Bananas in Foreground. Said Mr.,
from the hi
bay it will
tractor. The harrow was to cut the cado they found just what they want- three and o
palmetto roots as it went over ed. The history of the farm for the Here his
them; after this it would be a corn- past six years might be summed up , . other poke,
paratively simple matter to pile them in the old phrase "Try, try again." will have a
up and burn them. But the harrow Each effort was a gain. I creek and t
wouldn't cut, and the profit and loss At the present time there are 200 cocoanut pa
column of their ledger had the price acres in Avocados, 25 in choice bud- to build a hi
of the harrow added to its already ded mangos, 15 in pasturage and 25 The die N
fat total. However, the idea of mak- in winter truck. The grove land is all ' the canal v
ing a machine do the work, in order been using
that the Nassau negro migt rest in under irrigation. Two up-to-date
the shade, still stuck with them, so pumping plants have been installed 1912, many
for
two huge flanges were made to bolt to water the young trees. This, of "So purely
on the rear wheels of the traction course, will be used less and less as far
engine. As it ran over the ground the trees become established. Wind- automobiles
its great weight was sufficient to breaks, cultivation and fertilizer have quickly acct
force the flanges, or knives, as they been experimented with till now, in well as to tl-
might be called, through the tough the season of 1914, the trees look bet- - across Bisca
roots. They designed a plow, to fol- ter and have more fruit on than any one else wil
low the traction engine, which would the writer has seen in the county. did.
skim along about six inches under During this period of expansion in Work on
ground and cut off the tap roots. This the grove industry, a change of started in J
arrangement worked so well that it ownership had taken place. The old 1913, the lor.
would clear as much in a day as fifty partnership no longer existed. The world was cc
men could. Since then they have two Jerseymen who had been at it so only made a
bought another and heavier engine long together, with a common inter- building this
of bridge, b
and all told have cleared about 500
est, now found their goals had separ- Miami a gre:
acres. ated, and Mr. John S. Collins bought j sible for thoi
In deciding what to plant they look- out the other's interest in 1,600 acres. I quickly at air
ed about for something new, some- To Mr. Collins is due great credit for As these
thing exclusive,and in the Trapp Avo- what he has accomplished in the last planned, Mr
•
1
1
1
w
THE TROPIC MAGAZINE 15
four or five years. It was his energy, would be necessary to have some one
his skill and his ingenuity that has younger than himself on the scene of
converted a waste piece of land into action all the time. As his represen-
a thrifty avocado grove—the largest tative he chose his son-in-law, Mr.
in the world. Thos. J. Pancoast, who has been ac-
Was Mr. Collins satisfied with this tively in charge since July, 1912,
big undertaking'! Not he. Here are when the bridge was started.
more things that he has done. In eighteen months, under the care
Communication to the grove fromof these two men a paradise has. ; il
Miami was by boat. One had to tra- sprung up. Thousands of trees have
- i vel four and one half miles north from been planted; about two and one half
Iv 'T Miami in Bay Biscayne, thence back miles of roads and side-walks have
`` r� F? - . -; south the same distance by way of been laid; Indian Creek has been
;: Indian Creek, which, by the way, is deepened and thousands of yards of
F/ � one of the most beautiful inland wa-
fill made. New houses are built and
s' r- �' .`,. terways in the whole state with its are being built, where, scarcely two
i' '` graceful curves, beautiful sheets of years ago, Nature was supreme.
-,
i - •; water and densely wooded green Every one now has an opportunity of
c • " banks. The nine mile trip was un- living in a place where it is cool
necessary and entailed a great loss of enough to sleep under a cover all sum-
mer and yet where frost has never •
time.Said Mr. Collins, "If I dig a canal been known in the winter; where a
from the head of Indian creek to the gentle breeze blows every day in the
! bay it will shorten the route to about
;they want- three and one half miles." •
arm for the Here his imagination gave him an-
summed up other poke,whispering, "Yes,and you
try again." will have a strip of land between the •
creek and the ocean all clothed with , •
ere are 200 cocoanut palms. What an ideal place ?li choice bud- to build a home."age and 25 The die was cast and late in 1910 �
the canal was started. People have `1 ct
ie land is all been using it since its completion in jg 1
up-to-date • 1912, many seeking pleasure, many
..n installed for purely business reasons. ,�-=
This, of "So far so good," reasoned Mr.
and less as Collins, "but Miami is getting full of " , "'R
.hed. Wind-. automobiles, my property should be , 1
tilizer have quickly accessible to those people as .
till now, in well as to the boat owners. A bridge
!es look bet- across Biscayne Bay will do it. If no _:
one else will build it I will." And he `` .<
m than any '�`^_` .�. �,
:; ! iin
in0 he A .
:e. The old , world was completed. Mr. Collins not \ .,
isted. The only made a monument to himself, in
,een at it so building this two and one half miles ',..•I
mon inter- of bridge, but has done the city of . ,�:
had separ- Miami a great service, making it pos- -!s `i
sible for thousands to reach the ocean h -�-
Mins bought _
1,600 acres. quickly at any time. - ,>
tt credit for • As these undertakings were being
i in the last planned, Mr. Collins realized that it H.oh Divin,at the Pool
A
1•^.7
•
- .•"4"q, —; s ' /•g• . ,i .—
•
-itrr
—Z 5r !� at '''V"...1
i t V», '61 t x
e
T` `` IA.
y
YtJ1 ar' • t�•1 -. ..;••••• ,••••',7,441 _1*._
'�.rry`fit= ' ry x�k
; �yamFc.-..-r14',..!!... •1.rt xt4 •�(
. ,1
Site of Pancoast Home
year; where one.has choice of ocean ter and summer, people enjoy surf .
sports on one side and placid inland and still water bathing. 1897-98-99
waters on the other; where the finest Mr. Percy Cavill reigns supreme ter is a ple
automobile road in the country has here, adding to the thousands he has having hin
just been completed. already taught to swim. Cavill is the show you
The next step was to build an im- oldest member of the world famous Mr. Coll;
mense bathing pavilion and swim- family of swimmers from Australia latest pet s
ming pool where day after day, win- and was champion of the world in • . with the Pr
4
1
1111 r i lI
s
i 'regJ '
g 1 ,,
„, .
R't, , , . . ›.,rw _`'�� "res , .
.. :. J•.-
agds? s ,4_;.::...",,,-1..- to—
T.!:.
The Pancoast Home. This picture was taken 18 months after the one above.
L
rt • t 4
• 4.". , . i
rty
a; ,'• � .11
/ . . , f ,to i • ^ %' w
r-- • 1.4 '.fib ;ii-U4'..;.5,-,1".'.1- 4'.`,, ,'.dt -:i ti _ „t •fir ms. -, _._.s
, .....)_ ., ......
....., 2...,.
....,i.dr je, ,.
y5. r >,...4,40r.:,.1' C a
.t.GZ+•.'�el'-. 1.� .-1-1....'',.;;;-•,.,...u . " _ -. . .
Mr. Collins and his Avocado Trees
enjoy surf 1897-98-99. To watch him in the wa- Fisher, is laying out a 120 acre golf
ter is a pleasure only to be beaten by course, which will be one of the finest
is supreme having him, in his characteristic way, golf links south of the Mason and Dix-
ands he has on line.
., show you how to do it.
) ld is ous Mr. Collins is now working on his Let us take our hats off to Mr.
n
n famouAustralia s latest pet scheme, and in conjunction Collins, one of the foremost boosters ie world in with the Prest-O-Lite King,Mr.Carl G. of the south!
•
- ' f •aek4
r /
,Ir� ilr I
A , ,A . „
i j. _•"'74$aa ! .. 'u�1 7b i' A�;!•i/, �It iti F.vi liZtarVi {' . •
,�� .
II sr
I•;,—,...,...;-:t..
��(a,,, M
: R
e- r •
i•�-. -.w- y � SIM�=9,. •
•
_. l l�
r
A View of the Collins Beach.near the Pancoast Home
_.