The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-21
Letter from Florida.

haps should be corrected. My object in
these letters is to state facts-facts which
know to be facts, or can be substantial
ted by the best authority.
In speaking of the price of cotton l
made the impression upon the minds of
your readers that it had reached 40
cents per pound, and was the selling
price at that time.
This is mistake. should have sta
ted that the common market price ranged
from 35 to 3S cents.
One merchant told me he knew one
man who received 40 cents for his cotton.
Perhaps it was bad debt, and in order
to secure his money the buyer paid that
amount
We sre having now beautiful clear
weather. The warm sunshine is causing
vegetation to spring up and grow; birds
are singing their sweetest songs, and all
nature seems rejoicing because Winter
has gone. We can now see what mis-
chief has been done to the orange trees.
The owners Of groves, for while, were
very uneasy lest their trees should sue
cumb to the cold wave, but they are now
cheerful enough. Though most Of the
trees have been denuded of their foliage,
yet no material damage has been done to
the tree. Small trees of one years
growth have suffered most. I cannot
see that the large trees have been in
jured.
The young, tender wood that was made
just previous to the cold snap has been
bitten back. Farmers are now as busy
as can be preparing their lands for the
coming crop. Log.rolling seems to be
the order of the day. Planting corn will
| commence about the goth of this month.
Labor is getting to be serious matter
| with the farmers. Very few of them
have as many hands as they want, and
many others have none at all. So many
railroads are being built that it proves
! very injurious to the farming interest.
Negroes will flock to railroad; it
seems to have a special attraction for
them. But surely no one can blame
them, for they get their dollar and a
quarter per day, and they get it regularly
and promptly.
/ Ii this country everybody seems to be
striving to get home of their own.
Many Of the blacks, as we'll as the
whites, have secured nice, comfortable
homes. Many freedmen here have more
than $40 acres and mule" Some of
them have large bodies of lands and
several mules: They are on the high
way to fortune. A young man of ener-
| gy, sound, judgment and steady habits
can soon become independent.
lsee young men here who few years
ago did not have dollar, nor did they
own an acre of land. To-day they have
quarter of secticn Of land, a horse, a
COW or two, hogs, &c. This they have
secured by hard work and indomitable
energy. aS
. The reason of this is plain: land is
cheap and lqhor commands a good price.
Good farm hands get from $40 to Sl2 per
per month with their board and washing.
At the saw mile strong young man gets
FROM SIS to $23, per month and his board.
If he has economic habits he can "lay
up" the most of this-sum.
Your readers have often heard that in
Florida man can live easier and work
less than anywhere else. From what l
have seen and heard, am beginning to
behave this. There are many reasons
for this. The earth is generous; not
only does she produce good crops, but a
greater variety Of crops than any other
country. Potatoes, peas and pindars
grow almost without any work. Very
little corn is fed to hogs, only enough to
harden the flesh, as it were.
often think of the many young men
in Anderson County who labor hard the
whole year and can't save nickle; who
have no lands of their own and per-
haps never will have, if they live to be
hundred years old. / say I have often
thought that if they could see what
promises and inducements this State
holds out to them they would leave
the country just as soon as they could
raise money enough to get out of il. |
would not persuade anybody, young or
old, who is doing we'll and getting along
smoothly in the world to quit their homes
and go to seek better. 1t is of the
poor young man of whom l speak and
whom I would advise. What are their
prospect theref They have for years
been laboring and striving to better their
condition, and to-day it is no better than
it was FIVE years ago, and in many cases
it is much worse. And do not hesitate
to affirm that from what I see and bear
that young man of health, and energy,
and pluck, can own nice little home,
become independent and happy in very
short time. A lazy man will not succeed
here any better than anywhere else, and
| I would advise such to stay where they
are. The health of this country is good,
and I see no cause why it should not
continue so. The country generally is
high, rolling pine land, and physicians re-
commend invalids TO 60 TO such places.
There are some small swamps about, the
|