The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-09
and I know what I'm talking about"

and know what I'm talking about"
With yeay little encouragement in the
way of questions, Bill drawled out his
story. Ten years ago he was a fairly
prosperous farmer in North Carolina
raising cotton, corn, potatoes, etc. But
he got ambitious res less" he called it
and sold his farm for 50, 900 cash With
this money IN hand-he has no family in
cumbrances he bought some land near
Savannah and went TO truck raising But
he didn't do much at it. One year of il
was enough for Bill Then he sold out at
a sacrifice and, going to Mobile, worked
as a 'lOugeshOreman there for a couple of
years, adding few dollars to the little
pile he had "salted." Then he got the
orange grove fever, and paid out all the
money he had for some land in Volusia
County, Florida. lie set out a small
grove, but had TO restore TO trucking"
again in order 10 get a living. His land
was poor and his trees didn't thrive The
place was mortgaged in order TO buy fer
tillizers. etc, and for three years he
struggled with the mortgage Then he
had chance TO sell the place for $1,000
more than he gave for it, took up with
the offer, and "A week later landed ia
Tampa, where he bought fishing boat,
and began the task Of making a living
out of the waters Of Hillsborough Bay.
But luck was against him again, and
the month of December, 1882, found him
dead broke in Titusville.
1T was there" said Bill, "that |
caught on again ] got q lob working
at bridge building on The East Coast Line.
The pay was good. and the living fair. l
took up a homestead of 1875 acres on the
St. Lucie river, not far from Sewell's
Point. and have occupied it for four
months out Of every year since accordin'
TO the law. have put up comfterble
shanty. cleared 20 acres, and set them out
in pineapDles; and upon my word, man, 1
could live there for $50 a year! What |
mean is that $50 q month is all the cash
il takes"
Bill went on TO Explain that with his
gun and his fishing-rod he could keep his
table supplied with game and fish every
day in the year; he raises his own pota.
toes and grows his own cane for syrup;
he works for the fruitgrowers during
the picking season, and 80 gets all the
fruit he wants free; his land also pro-
duces corn, cabbages, tomatoes, cucum-
beers and other truck in their season
aud berries and small fruit grow wild in
great abundance. Two suits Of jeans will
do for o whole year, with only one hat
and one pair Of shoes underclothes and
socks not coming into the calculation az
all a little money has TO 20 for hog meat
and flour occasionally, and for coffee reg
ularly; and all the rest is for tobacco.
Next summer" concluded Bill, 81
shall have a crop Of pines that out ought
10 bring me in at least 1000 cash money
and then / shall be Just where / was
when ] left Carolina in 1884 only ! shall
have a l25-acre homestead beside, and
the whole thing acquired in three years.
Living the way do, / ought TO be worth
$4,000 inside Of five years Then III be
willing TO quit. But just think OF il,
stranger, how ! Knocked about for eight
years and had 10 20 broke before /
struck this yere east coast country, where
an industrious man can earn from S8 900
TO 5000 year easily by gaising pineap-
pies, and live on $780,"