The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-10-30
RESTORING SELF-RESPECT

Ol our exchanges, CICultCu W l11C
Craftsman. We copy it because it re-
1ates to the great calamity which came
upon SO many orange growers in this
state a few years ago, and because the
story has an excellent moral, teaching
a lesson which should be learned by
many:
The Green Orange Grove and I'm
provement Co., which advertised to
clear land, set trees, care for groves,
and do all work necessary for nom
residents, was about to go out of ex-
istence John Green, it's head, had al
ready accepted position as purser on
Clyde steamer running between
New York and Jacksonville; and Alb
ner Green, the rest of the company,
was going back to Wisconsin to re-
sumo his former occupation of teller
in a village bank. The fifteen or
twenty discharged employees had
scattered in various directions in
search of work, generally toward the
North, for Florida was just now pros
employment
For almost the first time in the
three days since the great freeze, the
brothers we're together in their office.
John, usually SO energetic and busy,
now tapped idly upon his desk with
pencil; Abner stood by a window and
gazed out across the b1ackened
squares and para1lelograms of orange
trees, some not more than two Or
three feet high, and others melancholy
with their first crop of fruit frozen
Here and there were the scattered,
implanted houses of residents; and
just below, on the same street, the half
dozen stories Of enterprising mer-
chants, who were already advertising
their goods below cost preparatory
to closing out and going away. Less
than mile distant was the dark, IT.
regular line of the pine forest, driven
back during the past few years, but
now waiting grim and mOtlonless.
Abner turned away with a shiver.
He and his brother had been very
successful in their Florida venture;
but their success was represented in
some Of those b1ackened paralle1o-
grams, now worth. less than the wild
land they had purchased seven yesrs
before.
During the past three days they had
made a careful, unprecedented study of
the situation, and had decided that it
would be best for them to go away.
They could earn more and re-es-
tablish themselves sooner than by
staying here Later, perhaps, when
the natural elasticity of the state
should cause it to rebound they might
return Of the hundred or more or
ange groves they had had charge of,
not one was likely to remain. None
of the owners would care to throw
good money after bad.
Suddenly John tossed his pencil up
on the desk and rose to his feet.
mo use wasting more time on the
past" he said, decisive1y "What we
have to do with now is the future"
eyes" agreed Abner, promptly,
'Fand I've been thinking you'll have
to start for Jacksonville tomorrow if
vou wish to reach your boat in time
for her next trip. AS for me, there
isn't quite so much hurry"
He took a bunch of keys from his
pocket and unlocked his desk, taking
therefrom a package of letters
1T suppose it will be just as we'll
for one of us to remain until everv-
thing is rounded off smoothly" he
said, GIVE already written to our cor
respondents about the loss; but there's
another thing" hesitatingly, "don't
YOU think it rather hard on them, after
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