The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-08
Florida and California.

be engaged In. In almost every news
paper in the North, and especially the
promin ent weeklies, one may find an adj
vertisement from few lines to a col
umn inviting emigration to the Pacific
slope. In almost every home you can
find circular, pamphlet, map or books
setting forth the advantages OF Califor-
mia, the immense profits in cultivating
fruits and the pleasures Of an outdoor
life. This matter is coined into the
choicest language that the mind can con-
ceive or the pen form.
This is laudable and worthy of emula-
ton. 1t Is perfectly legitimate for peo-
pie who res, de, or who are interested in
California, to write and speak in the
highest praise of the soil, products, eli
mate and natural resources of a land
that has long been called the FL Dorado.
And they have right to make compar-
isons, and highly cOlored ones at that,
but when they go beyond the bounds of
truth, when they assail the character of
another State, and support these asser-
tions with falsehoOds and misrepresenta-
tions, they overstep reason, decency and
honor.
l am not referring to apparent real es-
tate advertisements, nor to pamphlets
MES, but rather to a class of writer's who
claim a high rank among the journalists
of the day. Men who claim to be COM
petent to give information of a valuable
character of a country that the better
society ID seeking to know.
The CHdutdugtdH is the organ of the
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Cir
Gle, a monthly ranking high among the
magazines of the day. In the June
number there appeared an article on the
Industries of Southern California" by
Charles Frederick Holder. The infor-
nation presented by this distinguished
author is so questionable that deem it
worthy of notice. On page $50, June
number, can be found the following par
agraph:
'All the different oranges in the world
are found in the orange belt of Southern
California, AMI at the recent exposition
at New Orleans the Riverside orange
took the prize over those of Florida or
the Gulf States. Perhaps the choicest
is the Washington navel, a large fruit
without seed, juicy, and rich in flavor"
There is a deal of ambiguity about
this paragraph. He makes doubtful
assertion, an amb' guous leader and
blind climax. The assertion-''All the
different varieties of oranges in the
world are found in the orange belt of
Southern California
The assertion that California raises or
possesses all the varieties in the world is
a broad one. The presumption is that
country so young in the cultivation of
the citrus fruits would hardly have all
the varieties IN the world. Common
reason without any peculiar evidence
would teach one to hesitate to believe an
assertion SO loaded with questionable
knowledge. BY this assertion Charles
Frederick Holder declares that his infor-
nation in regard to orange culture is CO.
extensive with the world, but by close
scrutiny his article presents conclusive
evidence that il does not extend quite so
far. Indeed, his knowledge is worthless
and his information very unreliable, and
indifferently represents California.
The leader-''And at the recent expo
position at New Orleans the Riverside
orange took the prize"
The recent exposition" must have
been the one held In 1SS4-5. That is the
only one in which the oranges of Flor
Ida and California came in competition
Tor premiums, and the leader asserts that
1.-THE riverside orange took the prize"
Not tho California orange, or oranges,
but Riverside orange. Riverside is but
a small spot in the ''orange belt" of Cal
ifornia. 1t is the writer's intention To-
convey the idea that California took the
prize over all. He very cunningly avoids
saying what prize. He does not say it
took the first prize. the leading prize,
the best prize or a majority of prizes,
but it reads 1.-THE Riverside orange took
the prize" This means the (OHiy) prize,
or all the prizes, IA there ore no other
prizes spoken of. If Charles Frederick
Holder had said that the Riverside or
ange took the prize for the best River
side orange, he would have told the
truth, or in the common expression of
the day 'hit the nail on the head, and
that is Just what he would have said had
the paragraph ended with the word
''priZe," the climax lover those of Flor
ida or the Gulf States"
Charles Frederick Holder knew that
Riverside vs.. Riverside, or Riverside over
Riverside would be but cypher with
out value o. character, 50 in order to
attract the attention of the world and
give sworth and stability to the dec
of superiority, he adds lover
Florida or the Gulf States" 1t Is ev-
ident that he intended the reader should
infer that CalifoIn oranges were supe-
rior to those raised elsew here. But he
may offer in evidence that he did not
mean oranges, because he said orange.
This argument will not hold, Iscause he
says in his assertion that "all the differ
ent varieties i'll the world are found i'm
the orange belt of Southern California,
and then again, the full force of such an
argument would be broken by the after
perhaps the choicest is the Wash
lngton navel" Here Is where he puts
on the blind bride, disg using the word
orange" It is well known by those
who have visited California of late years
that the Washington navel when raised
in Riverside is called the Riverside navel.
The reason given for doing so is because
that the Washington navel ia brighter
and cleaner when raised in their section
than these of the same variety raised
elsewhere in that State, and they call it
Riverside navel" to distinguish it from
the Indifferent ones from other localities.
so Charles Frederick Holder should have
said Riverside navel, without perhaps"
is the choicest. This would he evidence
that he was somewhat acquainted with