The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-06
GREAT THINGS IN STORE FOR FLORIDA E. B. Bailey of Monticello is
 Enthusiastic THE CANAL MEANS MUCH Tobacco Raising Is the Source Of ths Present Greatest Prosperlty-Good
 Field for Brick and ce-
 nent Manufacture.
THE CANAL MEANS MUCH

One of the most enthusiastic believrra in the future greatness of Florida. ar rived in Birmingham yesterday fin tha person of F. B. Bailey of Monticello. who Is only waiting for the opening of the Panama canal to soc his native state take tho highest rank among southern states fin the trade which shall be cre- ated by this new outlet for American products.
 Florida is nearer the Panama canal than any other southern state." said MT. Bailey yesterday. and we are preparing to reap the benefit of this great under- taking. My state is making great strides in development and in the counties of Leon and dadsden, in which I am most interested, there can be found wonderful progress In farming.
 'The state capital. Tallahassee. is In Leon county, and not many years ago there was little evidence of prosperity. but these things are all changed. Leon and Gadsden counties are forging to the front in the production of fruit and melons, but the cultivation of tobacco is the greatest factor of present prosperity.
 We are producing tho finest tobacco ! in America equal to the best produced in Cuba or any other part of the world. and the trade is just beginning to realize 1t. While l Two at Monticello in Jeffer- son county, my greatest interests are in the other two counties and in addition to tho agricultural products. I think there is the greatest opportunity in the world for cement and brick manufacture fin that section of the state. There is an abund- anee of fine limestone and clay which can be utilized readily We have water in abundance for all purposes and q railroad is being projected through the section i whore clay and limestone are found and whel t Is completed the manufacture of cement and brick will be taken up on s large scale.
 Around Monticello and throughout ~ greats- part of Jefferson county can be found the largest plantations of water melons and pears In the south. N. ". Girardeau Is, perhaps. the greatest water melon grower in the world, although hs is not raising them as extensively as he once did He has the record for Florida as he has produced melons tipping tho scales at 18 pounds
 "One season MT. Girardeau produced enough watermelons to furnish 100000 pounds of seed besides many carloads Of the fruit which he sold to the trade.
 Monticello is one of the most beau tiful little towns in the United States. There only few thousand people there, with two or three mammoth hotels which are great winter resorts. but tae people live. it were, in a bower at roses. The country around has abundant pine forests and wild honeysuckle and wild crabapple brow freely in the fields and forests. filling the air with fra granee in the early spring.
 Come to Monticello for pleasure and health. The land is full of good things and the rose bushes grow so large that two or three of them will hide cot tage from view. Why some of our rose bushes have many thousand roses on them, such you buy here for three or four dollars a dozen and in the spring and summer and in fact for about nine out of twelve months the roses bring delight to hundreds of visitors"