The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-11-02
1 fA1aB IDEA ABOUT FLORIDA


ID our last issue We published ali ar
ticle from the Atlanta Constitution
under the head Of Environments, 2
which, like certain article recently
published III the Jacksonville Metrop-
oils, does the climate and population
of Florida rank Injustice. The article
quotes approviugly what Mr.. Waiter
son says the results of environments
had upon the northern man in the
south, and the southern man in the
north, just anterior to the breaking ont
Of our little unpieasantness." Some
of the most intensive secessionists in
the south were from the north and
came here after having attained their
majorities. Mr.. Watterson mentions
the Bufords, the Prentices and the
Crittendens OF Kentucky, the Draytons
Of South Carolina, and the Buchanans
of Maryland Slidell of Louisiana and
S. S. Prentiss of Mississippi. Colonel
Sanderson, of this state, who drew up
the ordinance Of secession, was from
Connecticut. While on the other
hand Lincoln, Sherman, Hawley and
Thomas were southern born. These
men part0ok of the sentiments exist
Ing where they resided and acted upon
them. Environments, unconsciousiy
to ourselves, exerts a wonderful infiu-
ence upon us. The white races of the
world paint the devil black; while
the black races paint him white. He
is sometimes PAINTED red and some
times yellow, but the artist never
paints him his own color. All this is
the result Of environments. The
thoughts, opinions, character and
methods Of men are changed by them;
but when the Atlanta Constitution,
but little way removed from US, says
that If the puritan is sent to Florida
before ten years he will give himself
up to life of Incidence and pleasure
he exhibits a gross ignorance of the
conditions and effects of our climate.
The climate of Florida has no such
effect upon IFS inhabitants. Perhaps
in no state in the Union are the people
less given to '.indolence and pleasure
Mr.. Agnew, a resident of this city,
and perhaps the richest man in Flori-
da, is up every morning by daylight,
winter and summer alike, never re-
tires until eleven, and for thirty years
has never lost day from his business
on account of sickness. A piney
woods boy, without advantages, he
made his opportunities and has grown
rich by habits of industry and econo-
my. We could name large number
of others in our own midst and they
are abundant all over the state. We
were surprised seeing in the associated
press dispalche some weeks ago an
item about certain preacher with
streaming white hairv, trembling
form, Z "bowed down under the weight
of ~ years. in Kentucky taking the
stump against Breckenridge. Another
dispatch gave an account Of a woman
slowed down under the same weight
of years" who was active in her sup
port against the "silver tongucd ora
tori AS we stated then the residents
of Florida are not "bowed down. at
Y. Judge Finley, until few weeks
ago resident Of our city, has passed
his sd year and can take hand in
political canvass with the best of
them. General Dickson and General
Bullock, both old enough to have been
generals in the Confederate war, are
still active men, and are among the
best campaigners in the state, and
Captain "Billp Kendrick, who was
man grown when Osceola was boy,
expects to participate in the barefoot
races with our fire laddies at the COM
ing tournament. Men in Florida rise
as early, retire as late, work as hard,
and carry their years as lightly as the
residents of any state in the Union.
In fact we believe that Florida, for
hard and continuous labor, can put
the world to the blush.