The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-07
BILL ARp,S LETTER.
Arp Gives Ills Theory Of tho Creation OF
Florida.
Atlanta Constitution.

ME CnaG Ill SoIuc S[edt COHF uloioh h'
ture upheaved the peninsula just
barely above the waters. 1t was a
mighty struggle whether it should be
land or sea and all around the south
crn borders from Key West to the
main land nature failed to uplift her
burden and so left thousand islands
to mark her lack of power. Indeed,
the whole State marks her Weakness
her last great struggle in dividing
the waters from the waters. If all
the lakes and bays and rivers and in
lets and swamps of Florida were meas
ured the dry land would hardly exceed
them in area. 1t is water, water in
sight almost everywhere and the rail-
roads and wagon roads have to wind
around and dodge in between to find a
way from place to place. Some Of
these lakes are as large as whole coun-
ties in Georgia. I have just circled
lake Apopka, which is sixty miles
around-a lake that is bordered with
early settlers, some Of whom found it
just after the Seminoles were driven
away and some who came just before
the late war, but more who came since
the war and they have lived upon the
fruits and vegetables that luxuriate
upon its rich banks. I never saw
such growth anywhere, not even in
the sugar cane regions Of Louisiana
I never saw the acres Of cabbages so
dense and luxuriant. [ could almost
hear the big heads whisper and say:
''lie along, get further, don't scrouge
me" for they did touch each other in
the rows, and the ground could not be
seen under them. They are sold by
the carload and hurried away to
Northern markets. The farmers used
to realize four and FIVE hundred dol
lars per acre, but are content with
half that sum now. Alternating with
these cabbage fields are orange groves
that are just immense. Most of the
fruit has been gathered and shipped,
but there is still enough left to show
how burdened were the trees. I saw
one tree that was loaded to the very
ground with bending fruit, and two
oranges of the naval variety that 1
plucked from it and brought home
were a curiosity even to old Flori-
dians. I measured and weighed them
-one was eighteen inches in circum-
ference and the other was eighteen
and half. The two weighed five
pounds; who can beat that for
oranges !? One of my little cousins,
Chester Norton, from Louisville, KY,
had a birthday party last night at the
Seaview hotel, and these oranges we're
my gift, and when cut gave good
sized slice to all the little folks. Isaw
a natural grove at Oakland for the
first time. 1t was down in hammock
that bordered on Lake Apopka. They
had all been budded, of course, and
there were no rows or regularity, and
as the trees kept growing and spread
ing in that rich soil, the ak and the
pruning knife have to be used. The
growth all around Oakland was a reve-
lation to me. Weeds grow in the
muck near the lake that reach fifty
feet in height in one years growth
and are as large as a barrel. The
Oakland people prepared one last year
for the World Fair and cut hole in
it's stump and tied coon in it, but
they could not get transportation.
Oakland is the headquarters Of the
Orange Belt railroad, now called the
Sanford and St. Petersburg-a road
that is blessing to the gulf coast, for
it is the only road in the State that
charges only three cents mile, and
it is very popular with the people.
Mr.. Macleod, it's general manager, is
young Scotchman who began at the
bottom and has worked his way up by
that diligence and integrity that marks
the highlanders as a people. The road
belongs, I think, to Phil Armour, or
else he has the controlling stock.
How these Northern millionaircs do
spy out this Southern land and plant
some of their money in paying enter
priscs. That's s right, let them do it.
If this road had not been built there
would have been no Tarpon springs,
no Sutherland or Dunedin or Clear
Water harbors. While at Oakland l
was the guest of Mr.. Wise, an old
Georgian who married in the Spear
family, a family we'll known in Geor-
gia. Judge Spear located 1900 acres
here with land warrants and now his
descendants and their kindred are
profting by his wisdom. He kept
open house here for many years and
many pioneer shared his hospitality.
I wish that he was now living to see
the development of Oakland and the
thrift of her schools and churches and
the shipment Of her fruits and vegc-
tables.
I found the little town of Apopka
few miles further on around the lake.
1t is made up pretty much of Geor-
gians, and there I found the Ander-
sons and Woffords and Lins and 9TH
ers of my own County of Barlow. 1t
was there that [ got into the tail of
tho blizzard and I actually suffered