The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-13
A Trip North. and n Comparison of
the Two Sections.
MCMEEKIN. October II, 1886.


Special Correspondence Of The Daily News.
In reviewing my trip through the
North. / cannot help but note the marked
difference in the surroundings, customs
and habits of the people of the North, as
compared with their brethren of a more
favored climate. While the former are
- rush and hurry, have no time for
courtesies, each one appears to be on an
errand for something they are all after,
and the one getting there first Is the one
to take the prize. In that hurry and
greed for gain all due regard for their
fellow man seems 10 be lost. This Gus
tom grows more and more apparent as
the density of the population increases.
How much different the picture is in
the South. People are hospitable and
courteous to the stranger as well as to
the neighbor, and never appear To be IN
hurry, always having time TO talk and
answer a civil question.
The reason is, here in the South people
have tw elve months of the year in which
to do their work, while North the same
work must be done in six months, and 1t
takes a man the other six months to keep
from freezing to death, and he has no
1t has been said that the people of the
South are not SO prol ressive rs the people
of the North. That is mistake. 1t is
true the buildings are not as elaborate,
and we see but few brown stone fronts.
The reason of this as that the material for
them does not exist in the South, but
brick and iron are being imported to
great extent. and the buildings of the
South to-day will compare favorably with
81 - NJ, 4. toto 3 ~h.so "A
age of improvements, all things con-
sidered.
There is one class of visitors who come
TO Florida who do the State a positive
in Justice, a few of whom l encountered
while at the North. They are those who
have no particular business at home, and
a limited amount of funds. They read
some of the many articles written about
Florida. and with their inexperienced
vision they picture 10 themselves a land
that is all high and rolling, and
covered with flowers and bread ur"duc.
ing plants, with game that 81.
into any sort of trap g" ii!.,,,. my eX-
ertion on the part of the hunters. Filled
with these idHas they muster up few
dollars and buy ticket for Jacksonville.
Having arrived at that city they are dis
appointed because it is not quite so
fine as New York city or Chicago.
tilcu NtIlluIe lltttC AuIlDCE anu
buy tickets for Palatka, thence to Silver
Springs via the Ocklawaha, and return
via the same route; and while on this
route it is no wonder they are dIsap-
pointed, having expected to find north
ern mountainous scenery in a tropical
climate, and they find plenty to sympa-
thiZe with them on the same journey,
and with the conclusion that the whole
State is a swamp and only fit for alliga-
tNr,a Il hoe Il,,
without having seen any of the best por-
ton of the State. and denounce the
whole State of Florida. having seen
scarcely any of it. But as rule these
people have little if any influence at
home outside of their own class, and
Florida is better off without them, and
the sober, industrious and intelligent
people, and men of capital and brains
who know that blood cannot be drawn
from turnip," are coming TO our State,
and when they come here they look up
on things in a common sense light, and
If one place does not suit them they
wisely look for n location that does
suit. Not one person did meet of the
latter stamp who visited Florida but
that went home well pleas L and more
than satisfied, because Florida has
large territory OF high rolling
hammock and pine lands, fronting on
beautiful fresh water lakes. These lands
will produce abundant crops if properly
worked, but no one need come to Flor
ida thinking they can live without work
To all such | will say they had better
stay where they are.
The State has fully recovered from the
effects of last winters freeze, and many
a hard working fatmer in the North
that has made nothing for the past two
years would be glad 10 sell his farm and
take his chances in Florida for making
a living, as against the North with its
sudden changes. d. L. c.