The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-05
BILL ARp'S LETTER.
Corn Is Now Growing Where Orange
Orchards We're.
Atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
Idon't see any difference in the weather
Georgia. It ia q delightful spring every
where down South. The ride from Jack
sonville here was pleasant-no heat, no
dust and the scenery along the way was
lovely. or course I missed the orange
groves but never saw Rreener trees or
brighter flowers or more luxuriant grass.
The cattle were all fat and the corn was
on boom. It WASH the silk and tassle
and higher than I ever saw corn In Flor
ida. It was planted on the ground OF the
old orange groves that had been fertilized
and shaded for years and will make fine
crop. Vegetables and wateymelons have
also been given place In many Of these
old groves, and so something will be made
out of the great disaster. Most Of these
groves have been cut down and from
many Of the stumps new sprouts are
growing from the standards
but none from the budded trees. They
are all killed root and branch, and don't
care much. have an idea that we have
been dwarflng our fruit trees too much in
the last twenty years. The old standard
peach trees in Georgia have gone. We
boys used to climb to their high tops and
gather great, big yellow peaches that had
nipple on the end. They were red and
yellow and Juicy. And there were large,
white ones called English peaches, and
there we're old-fashioned Indian peaches
that ytu couldn't eat without having the
Juice 10 run down the corners Of your
mouth. And there were small, pinkish
olearstones that we pesled for cream and
sugar. And there were the white Octo-
ber clearstones that we're almost as good
what has become of all these standard
varieties7 The Elberta Is fine, know,
but it strains the little trees to bear them
and makes them short-lived. An old
time peach tree was good for twenty
years but these budded ones give out in
ten. Just so it Is with budded orange
trees; they are short3ived and they can't
stand freeze. rode out to see the re-
mains Of tho famous Speer grove and was
surprised to see the trees sending up tall,
vigorous shoots from near the roots. The
shoots will be bearing fruit. That Speer
grove offiye acres has given net income
of 81, 900 a year for twenty-five years, and
It may do it again. Florida is not dead
by good deal. Business is very dull
here In Sanford, but the people are not
hacked as bad as they were three months
ago. Almost everybody has found
something to do. Truck farming is going
on and the river is still full of fish. The
workshops of the railroads keep hun
dreds Of hands busy and their wages
maintain many families. There are still
many wealthy people here and near here
who had other properties besides orange
groves and 30 trade and traffic go on In
q limited way and Sanford is still one of
the prettiest towns in Florida. I have
not.6eard word about politics or silver
or gold since I've been here-and I don't
dare to introduce the subject. Judge
Welborn said had better not. was In
Texas when the Hogg and Clark excite.
ment was up and one day drummer on
the train rose up and said: "Gentlemen,
I rise to make motion. move that
the first man who mentions Hogg or
Clark in this carshalt be put off the train. I"
The motion got half q dozen seconds and
was carried ,tumpltnously. Very soon
another drummer AJAX another for some
tobacco and he cut OF half Of 1t and put
It in his pocket. The drummer said,
"Well, I wouldn't make hog Of my
self" and they had; liked to have put
him off for that. I-wiBh the newspapers
would let us all rest month or two. It
is too soon-there ia no election In sight.
But I do hear good deal Of talk about
the exposition. Florida will be on hand
with full display Of her wonderful re-
sources. I witnessed the preparations OF
the Plant system today. They have begun
on magnificent scale. Mr.. Plant had an
exhibit at Paris, but this will eclipse that
and any other that railroad corporation
has ever made. He Is having a map
made Of Florida that will be sixty feet
long and twelve feet wide that will be
geographical, geological, tropical and
and every other seal" and will be the
finest and most artistic piece ofmap work
ever made. It will take his artists two
months more to finish 1t. Ofcourse, the
But I am not authorized to disclose what
the Plant system has designed.
to emulate Mr.. Plant and will be on hand
And 30 the great exposition keeps on
swelling in it's proportions and it is now
certain that 1t will be grand show and 9
Thought that 1t was the most cheeky,
foolhardy thing ever heard of, but At
lanta knows no such word as fail. The
southland is coming to the front. Even
the reunion at Houston Is not only tole-
rated but patronized by Northern SOL
diers. General Schofeld was there and
smiled gallantly and lovingly on Miss
Winnie Davis. I love everybody who
loves her, for she Is the daughter Of the
Confederaoy. She Is our Joan OF Arc.
Florida is still the same delightful land
the land OF flowers. AL kinds and
colors aflorn the grounds that border on
the sidewalks. They were not killed.
The sweet odor from the cape jasmine
perfumes the air wherever you 90. But
Florida was not named for flowers.
Ponce de Leon discovered 1t on Easter
Sunday, which in Spanish is "Pasqua
Florida" or the feast OF flowers. With
its 1000 miles of coast and its balmy
breezes that are ever breathing-breath-
ing gently from the gulf to the Atlantic
or the Atlantic to the gulf-it seems to
have been created by q kind providence
as a sanitarium for this great nation.
Blessed are the sick who come here.
Would that all could come. but human
destiny is still the same as 1t was 1900
years ago. There are still some who,
when the healing waters are troubled by
the angel, haYe nobody TO carry them
down to the pool. N6R. u Is "a strange,
mysterious fact that for q month and
more have had Distressing cough that
;racked me day and night and no medi-
cine would relieve me. The day arrived
In Sanford it left me and has not returned.
This was my wifs's experience last fall
when she reached Clear Water and 1t is
everybody's who comes with similar
nOm n1Qintg BILL ARP.