The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-21

MIdwinter Fair at Winter Park win
Open Its Doors.


Winter Park. Fla, Feb. 2o.-LasJ winter,
in defeTeRce 10 the severe freeze, The Hor-
ricultnraI Society postponed its usual mid
winter fair, which is a great attraction
10 peop.e from the colder sections of the
| country. This year, however. President
Ifeakel followed The example of the Old
Hard Shell Baptist preacher, who said:
My brethren, III drop 'pintment fer
tew weeks from ter-day, Providence per
hitting, but III be here four weeks from
To-Day whether or no." So he anonunc-
ed that the fair this winter would be held,
freeze or no freezer As this seemed
some hing like flying i'm the face of Prov
idence," ii is possible that the past three
days aud nights of freezing weather may
have come as a rebuke to President Hen
KEEL
BE that as it may. the fair has been
hard hit' In many ways, and yet It VIII
open tomorrow and lhe Northern and
Western guests at the Seminole Hote3 will
be astonished 10 see what a fine display
Of fruits, flowers and vegetables viii be
made by growers, who were prompt TO
protect their crops on Saturday. With
water freezing indoors at II o'clock in the
day, on Sunday and the thermometer
hanging around 20 degrees for three days,
the truck farmers who had out big crops
tender orange lemon, guava, banana
growth Is killed, and many young orange
grape fruit and lemons trees destroyed.
The loss IN rlants, vines and flowers Iin-
PROTESTED is very extensive and quite DIS
courag'ng In many respects.
Our rich winter residents of Florida can
protect much Of this tender growth, but
the poorer classes now suffer great loss
every winter Only yesterday ] saw on the
beautiful grounds Of several wealthy VIM
ter residents at least S1,000 worth of silk
dresses shawls. quilts, bed spreads, rugs,
carpets. etc. some entirely new, put out
to cover up plants vines and flowers, and
also small choice trees People who read
Of our Land of Flowers" and sunshine
will be astonished at this and yet for
twenty times at least, this winter, | have
had to do just this thing to save many
choice plants flowers, Strawberries,
peaches, etc. And yet there are men who
tell us the climate has not changed. Well,
I have known this climate for over TWEEN
ty years and have marked its changes
since the great freeze of some ten years
ago, and we have never had a winter
since safe from a more or less severe
freeze ~
The freeze of last winter was far-reach-
ing and slow in its operations. We did not
know until late in the summer just how
much damage had been done, and then
hundreds of old settlers packed up what
little they had left and went back West
or North. And now we are in the midst
of another just such a freeze, only more
prolonged. 1t will be months before we
can tell how much damage has been Gone.
Orange culture has had a setback, and
banana and guaVa growing are out of the
question so to the 'oastor bean, that a few
years ago promised 20 be a money crop.
AS the Times-Union and Citizen well says,
the day for tan orange trees has gone by.
! have topped all of mine and put them
in shape 10 be easily protected by cam
vas covers and oil stoves in such weather
,as we are now having. But hundreds Of
men will this winter abandon their groves
for some more certain and profitable
means of subsistence.