Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-23

DIR. w. x. Pendleton, of Eustis, Flor
ida, is a guest of his nephew, Hon.
John o. Pendleton. DR.. Pendleton is
on his way to Bethany. He was ldent-
flied with Bethany College as one OF
its first presidents. DR.. Pendleton was
Vice President from 1843 to 1866. Dur
ing this time Alexander Campbell, the
founder, was President, but from 1860
to 1866 Dir. Pendleton attended to the
duties of that position. In 1866 he was
elected to succeed Mr.. Campbell, and
served until 1885.
In that year he resigned and went
to Florida, where he has since been
living in the winters, spending the
summer months in this vicinity. After
resigning the presidency DR.. Pendleton
retired from active life and has been
deyoting a portion of his time at his
Southern home in raising oranges and
cultivating a grove which he owns at
Eustis, about 120miles south OF jack
sonvlle. He engages in this occupa-
tion more az a pleasure than bust
ness, but finds it profitable. In
pleasant talk which d Register man
had with him last evening DR.. Pendle-
ton told about Florida and its orange
crops. The oranges raised in this
State are the largest and acknowledged
\ to be the best in the world. They are
superior in quality to the California
fruit, and DR.. PendletOn stated that he
had a neighbor, engaged in the nurs-
cry business, who shipped thousands
of trees to California each year to be
transplanted. Florida's usual crop
was about five million boxes, but this
years would not amount to more than
$4,000 boxes. This is due to the frost
in 1895, which withered nearly all the
fruit bearing trees. This frost was a
calamity, and predictions were made
that the industry was ruined. DR..
PendletOn said the crop would neces-
sarily be shortened for few years, but
would recuperate. He thought good
would come out Of the present misfor-
tune 1t will teach the farmers econ
omy and tend to diversity the crops
Florida is a large State and only a
belt of it is suitable for orange grow
ing. The people have heretofore de-
pended almost entirely upon oranges
for sustenance and have laid on their
oars" and awaited the harvest.
Since this has failed temporarily
they have realized that they must Gull
tivate other products to get along and
have begun to raise hay, corn, sweet
potatoes and all kinds Of Vegetables.
There is an abundance of rain in the
summer and the soil is very rich. The
sweet potatoes are the finest in the
country and are produced in immense
quantities. They are kept in the soil
until ready for use, as it is not neces-
sary to take them out to protect from
frost. The vegetation is luxuriant and
the farmers are now raising their own
hay
DR.. Pendleton says he is raising hey
at cost of SIS ton instead of paying
$26. While oranges will always be
the chief product, the recent failure is
causing the people to raise other pro-
ducts as we'll.
Work in gathering the great ORANGE
crop in Florida is commenced in Octo-
Der and continued until spring. Since
the failure of the crop Florida ORANGES
are selling for So box instead of 70
cents and 81. The size of the average
orange grove is about ten or twenty
acres. The largest contain SO or 100
acres. One Of the largest in the State
is owned by a company composed of
government clerks and employees at
Washington
Asked what he thought about the fl
ture of Bethany College, DR.. Pendleton
stated that the institution was bound
to rally and would be in better condi-
ton than at any time in it's history.
1t was his opinion that it's present diff
ficulties have been caused by a lack of
necessary attention to finances.