Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-11-11
Must Keep His Mouth Shut.
Hartland, Fla, Oct, 26, 1892

darJlanu, Ia, OcI', Zoj loJZ.
Friend Jas. A. Menzies, | would like
to tell my friends in your country how
| am getting along in this land of
flowers and will do so through your
paper which is a welcome visitor every
week. First | would state that the
Democrat party have it all their own
way here, u damn Yankee, as we are
called, must keep his mouth shut on
politics if he is Republican. 1t
makes no difference what nationality
we are, Irish, Dutch, French or Scotch,
we are all damn Yankees. | have
never been to the polls to vote since |
came to this state, neither do | intend
to, but ! am as ever a true blue Re-
publican and would like to be north
to cast my vote once more for Harri-
son. Another thing about the crack
ers as they are called, they are for
free trade to a man. This state passed
a law at the Legislature two years ago
that before man could vote he must
pay one dollar. 1t doesn't make any
difference about color or age, a man
may be ninety and nine, he must pay
that dollar before he is allowed TO cast
his vote. This law was passed to shut
out the negro as most OF them are
poor and can't very well raise the dol
| lar and they would vote the republi-
can ticket if they are allowed to vote
at all. This part of Florida was most
ly settled by men who had been in
the Rebel army, they came here and
squatted on Government, State or
canal lands, keep few cattle and
hogs that run the woods. They COW
pen their land and raise right smart
lot of sweet potatoes, power of to-
bacco, little corn and sugar cane.
That consists of their crop. BY the
way they consume right smart lot of
tobacco as every one of the family
smoke and chew; the old man, the old
woman, the little child who can just
toddle around, the young lady in her
teens, all use the weed. But as much
as they despise the Yankee, they are
still coming and settling along the
coast. A man with his family from
West Virginia have just arrived in
Hartland. He has taken a homestead
near by and rented one of my houses
until he gets one built. The steam
boat lands at my dock and delivers
the mail at my Office every day now.
| am furnishing one line of boats with
wood and sell $50 worth every month.
The farthest / have TO haul it is one
mile. We are looking for railroad
here soon, the surveyor passed my
place last week surveying a line from
Titusville TO Lake Worth, a distance of
40 miles down this east coast The |
road above me is nearly completed to |
Rock Ledge, ten miles from here. 1t
passes through my lands about 800 |
yards back from the river, so | think |
| have struck bonanza. A great |
many northern men have settled |
along the river in the last three or
four years, and are raising pineapples |
very extensively and this railroad is |
reaching out after the freight, as there |
will be great many shipped north |
next season. The pineapple will grow
and do we'll on very poor white sand
land as it is more of an air plant and |
feeds on air. The pineapple plants |
are brought here on schooners from |
Key West and the Bahama Islands and |
sell here for from SO to SO per thous- |
and. They are planted out same as
you would cabbage from 10 to III
thousand to the acre, are planted in |
July, Aug. and Sept, and some are |
planting now. Next March and April |
they will blossom and June, July and |
August the fruit is gathered and ship
ped North. There were five large |
steamers on the river carrying apples |
this season and they could not handle |
them as fast as they would ripen. l |
am planting out quite garden this
fall, my young orange grove is look
ing finely, some of the trees had few
oranges on this season. | shall plant |
800 more trees in January, have the
ground all ready for them. ] am
working very hard and am as tough
as pine knot, have not had sick day
since l came here nearly three years
ago. This part of Florida cant be
beaten as far as health is concerned.
Now all you who read this, vote for
Harrison, then sell out and come to
Florida where you can enjoy good
health. ResptY. j. G. HART.