Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-26


- INCE my last letter to The
Journal I have been on the
wing. for a few days in Flori-
da, taking in Jacksonville,
Madison, Live Oak, Lake City, etc.
I had not been to Jacksonville until
this trip since their monumental
fire of a year ago. walked and
rode around over the city with
friends. 1t seems to me that never
saw in twelve months time such
a building up of city. Twenty-Five
hundred houses were burned In
the fire of last May a year year ago,
and in twelve months time they
have built about twenty-three hum
bred houses, and many OF them
most magnificent office, bank and
store buildings, with many fine res
licences; and all in all, Jacksonville
is now a magnificently built-up city,
and the only evidence that there
has been a fire is occasionally
vacant lot with the charred trees
still standing.
The live people of Jacksonville
take an interest in a visitor, ana
love to take him up on their ten
story office buildings and show him
the line of demarcation. Three hun
dred and. sixty acres Of solid city
burned. out, and in twelve months
time magnifcently built up. Jack
sonvilIe is a coming city. found
life and push everywhere there. The
great freeze that killed the orange
tn. Il a, a
ediction to the population OF that
state as was the freeing Of the ne
gro in the southern states forty
years ago. Florida could never have
forged to the front with a large part
of her population sitting under the
shade of orange trees waiting for
oranges to get ripe, but they are
out hustling now. F'lorida's phos-
phate beds, vegetable gardens and
magnificent farms are all in full
blast. I was amazed at the farm
ing lands and the magnificent crops
of corn and cotton saw growing
around Live Oak, Madison. Lake
City, ETC., and no hndlier people
have ever known than the native
Floridians.
The floods and winds and wash
outs drove me from the state before
I was through with my work Just
think of it! South Georgia flooded
and north Georgia as dry as an old
bum who has spent ten days out
at Judge Broyles' stockade. 1t has
been-some one counting up today
eleven weeks since we had soak
ing rain in this section Of north
Georgia and yet the corn and cot
ton is forging ahead. David said:
"I have been young. and now I am
old, yet have I never seen the
righteous forsaken or his seed beg
ging bread" But it does look like
now If IL don't rain around here in
the next three weeks you will see
both saint and sinner begging bread
this coming fall.
= 1 read Guerry's pronuncio and
manifesto in the papers of day
or two ago. was charmed with
his spirit, for he is a noble spirited
fellow, and got more brains than
any fellow 1 have seen running for
office in Georgia in years. Query
has got brains. he has got convic-
lions, he has got integrity. he has
got backbone. but If fellow has
too many good things about him
and in him he is considered a crank,
unsafe mot conservative and what
ever else you may say about him
that discounts him. Mr.. Query is
right when he says, if the present
crowd doesn't straighten up things
there will be another candidate in
the fall of 1904 setting up with them
again.
Colonel Estill seems to be like
James K. Jones, national Democrat
ic chairman, slow to give up the
fight. But. colonel. you had just as
well give it up, the gang has got IL
in their hands and they are going
to run ii for the next two years,
and If you say much it will do up
your chances two years from now.
1t won't do to sass that gang IL you
hope ever to need them. God knows
if I ever expected to run for office
in Georgia would write and talk
quite differently to what do, but