The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-11-30

November 10Th, 1880.
Dear SIR will you please grant me favor,
by writing to me and letting me, know your
opinion about going to Florida. Myself and
two or three other young men are talking about
going out there, and if we go we want to make
money We can either work cut or do business
in stores, or il We come we would like TO get
work in the country, as we think 1t would pay
better. We are from 10 to % years old, and
stout, healthy young men. Some OF us have
very good education, but all are poor boys, not
much more than able TO get out there
Now | would like your advice about whether
it would pay us to 60 out there or not. Do you
think we would have health and do you think
we could make money by working tor wages,
and how much per day; and if we get in busi-
ness how much per month?
hope you will answer this TO the best of your
knowledge, and, if convenient, give my name
and address to some of The countrymen and ask
them to write to me.
hope you will write as soon as you get this,
and many thanks for your kindness and infor-
nation. Yours Respectfully, -
There is but one short answer to such
a question, md it is comprised in one
word, " Come % Crackers will say, LET
no man come to Florida without means
to live on for a few years, until he can
establish hin self," but moments
thought will lead to a vastly different
conclusion.
Take the case of these young men in
Kentucky. They have determined to
emigrate. The question with them is
solely where they shall CO. They have
two directions only to go in, Westward
or Southwark. The respective advan-
tages of these two regions are alone to be
considered. They know pretty much all
they need to learn about the West. They
know that going there they will have
climate to contend with worse than the
one they are leaving that the cost of
living in the unsettled West will be very
high; that the lands for sale there are
not the choicest, for the choicest have
been long since taken up, or are controlled
by SPECTATORS; that in order to get good
lands cheap, they must go into the back
woods; that the cost of travel thither is
not much less, if any, than to Florida;
that there is always there an overplus of
white laborers, which reduces the price
Of labor, and that it will take them years
to accumulate enough, at monthly wages,
to set up for themselves. All these things
they doubtless know, but they do not
know what they might be able to do in
Florida, and, before deciding which way
to turn, they ask for information. What
shall we tell them?
They will Fl nd it useless to seek employ
ment in the towns in stores for there are
already more applicants for the "easy
places than there are places; they will
not be able to set up for themselves in
business in town, nor to furnish planta-
ton with stock and implements for farm
ing They must therefore expect to go
to work for wages, and by economy &C
cumulate their savings until able to be-
come proprietors, farming on their own
account. To do this they will necessarily
compete with the colored laborer,
and this they may be foolish
enough to object to instead of considering
a most undeniable fact, viz: that one days
labor perform ed by an intelligent, faithful
and industrio us white man is worth two
days. labor sIch as we usually get from
the ordinary colored laborer, and with
those who have tried both, and are able
to Judge impartially, the white man will
be cheerfully rewarded according to the
value of his work. The writer of this
has more than once received fully three
times the benefit from one days white
labor that he would have received from
three days labor of colored men.
Our agricultural system is undergoing
changes which will bring about power
full demand for more reliable and intelli-
gent labor tn an that we now have. We
must raise more vegetables and fruit, and
grain, and less cotton, or we must go into
bankruptcy. If we prefer the former,
then we must have reliable and intelligent
laborers whose judgment and foresight
we can rely on, for it will be too expensive
an experiment TO undertake TO depend
upon the untaught and unreliable labor
which has heretofore produced our cotton.
Neglect to properly direct this labor in
the cultivation of cotton has well-nigh
ruined us; and any attempt to produce
unaccustomed crops would be disastrous
indeed.
There is, then, it would seem to be,
strong demand for intelligent white labor,
and we shall fail in our duty to ourselves
if we do not recognize it and prepare for
it by encouraging it to come among us.
There is, therefore, this answer to the
Kentucky youth who knock at our doors
Come! You can get work at good wages.
You, will be will treated, You can, with
economy and prudence, gradually and
much more rapidly than anywhere else in
the Union, accumulate with view to set
up for yourself You can procure plat
of ground for vegetable garden and
orange grove, and while improving it from
time to time you can get work enough
outside to support you and help along in
your improvements. You can live cheaper