The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-15
FLoRIDIANs STILL HOPEFUL.
They viii Repair the Damage
Caused by the Freeze.

I They VIII Repair the Damage
Caused by the Freeze.
Maitland. Fla. Feb. Fit is hardly
necessary 10 teH you that the stricken
people Of this section highly appreciate
the cheering and helpful editorials OF the
Morning News In regard 10 the future OF
Florida For more than a quarter OF a
century your able journal has chronicled
the ups and downs of our state. and in its
darkest hours has eheered It's people with
words OF hopefulness that NEVER failed to
be realized. And to-day. in the midst Of
her severest calamity. as in the past. her
people. downcasG but not dispirited. are
again strengthened for renewed exertlons
by your words of hope and cheer.
When the December blizzard had passed
away and its deadly work was fully mani
Test, our psople, almost 10 a man, rose up
equal TO the emergency and at once set
70 work 10 repair, as far as possible, the
damage done 10 groves and gardens. and
/ truck farms. The Southern Express Com
Iiany, with its usual generosity. carried
lree the seed needed for replantng. and
soon the desolated gardens and truck
patches were green with a new crop Of
vegetables, and the bhghted orange trees
were slowly unfolding new leaves and
buds and blossoms. Hope revived and the
future looked inviting, despite the heavy
losses that could not be repaired.
And this was the hopeful state of affairs
existing when this last and more destfue-
i've blizzard came out of the west and
blew its icy breath over every green
thing that was giving US hope and cheer
Tor the future. Ia a single night it swept
away almost everything that the previous
blizzard had not killed outright. OF course
the people bowed in dependency and sor-
row over this second and heavier burden
that followed so rapidly upon the heels
OF the first. Then there were many hone
ful and helpful things to lean upon for
Immediate relief, but now there are no
oranges or grape fruit TO pick, pack and
ship, and the new growth on the trees.
so green and full of promise, may never
come again in many sections Of the state.
But all 1t not lost. Hope still remains
In many brave hearts, and busy hands
VIII again be earnestly at work to re-
pair the losses. Already the Southern Elk
press Company has renewed it's previous
offer of free transportation for seed to re-
plant and before many weeks our warm
sunshine and heavy dews viii start forth
new crops from our ever-fruitful and re-
sponsive soil, II the orange trees fail to
again send out new leaves they will be
dug up and news ones planted or set
out. After the December freeze men who
already owned groves bought other groves
as an Investment, and non-residents came
here and made similar purchases. 1t can
not be, with such record fresh before us,
that we shall abandon orange culture as
a losing business. Even the lemon. grow
ers whose groves We're killed out entirely
by the first blizzard, were preparing TO
renew their groves when this last freeze
came We have been hard hit, il is true,
but the Morning News is quite right In
nFadfafinur W. ha
it. with few exceptions with a fortitude
and perseverance that cannot fail to win
for US In the future, as in the past, a meas
ure' Of success and prosperity worthy a
people who have the most genial climate
and fruitful soil within the bounds of this
great republic. even with two billiards. a
year at long intervals of time.
There is one thing about this last con-
tinued and severe freeze that ought to
accomplish SOME good, and that is the
wiplng out of imaginary and misleading
frost lines. Heretofore one section of the
state has sought to build itself UP on
the misfortunes Of an apparently less
fortunate section. The town of Frost
Proof, In South Florida, is to-day as DESC
lato as any of its neighbors with less pre-
sumptious names, and the great pineapple
regions, as well as the tomato sections, are
blighted by the billiards. icy touch. Here
after let US learn that our state Is one
united section, and that we ought to be
glad to see every part of IL prosper. Let
diversified farming and fruit growing COW
err all sections from Pensacola to Tampa,
on the west coast. and Biscayne bay, on
the east coast, and may all classes unite
In q hearty, hopeful effort 10 pull our
state out of the slough of despond" into
which SO many persons seems TO think
she has fallen, remembering, however,
that God helps those who help them
| selves.
| ding Pete. who had been INDUCING In
| literature, .'wot says dere's too much labor
| agitation in dis country"
Oats wot dere is. replied Meander-
| ing Mike. Il suffers from it meself Every
| time l think of labor 1t agitates me. ~
Washington Star.