Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-01-16
RESTORING SELF-RESPECT.
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The Green Orange Grove and Ina-
provement Company, which advea-
tised to clear land, set trees, care for
groves and do All work necessary for
non-residents, WAS about to 90 out
Of existence. John Green, its head,
had already accepted a position sla
rurser on Clyde steamer running
between New York and Jacksonville.
and Abner Green, the rest of the
company, was going back to Wiscur
sin to resume his former occupation
Of teller in village bank. The fif-
teen Or twenty discharged employees
had scattered in various directions
in search OF work, generally toward
the North, for Florida was just ROW
prostrate, with an army of idle 1ma,n
and no employment.
For almost the first time in The
three days since the great freeze. the
brothers were together in their Office.
John, usually 30 energetic and busr.
now tapped Idly upon his desk with "a
pencil; Abner stood by window and
gazed out across the blackened
squares and paral11elograms Of orange
trees, some not TnoRe than two or
three feet high, and ,others melan-
cnoly with their first crop of fruit
arozen. Here and there were tie
scattered uDpainted houses of resi-
dents; and just below, .on the same
street the half dozen stores of en-
eerprising merchants. who we're al
ready advertising their goods below
Cost preparatory to closing out and
going away. Less than a mile dis
1ant was the dark, irregular line of
The pine forest, driven back during
Inc past few years, but now waiting
grim and motionless.
Aonef turned away with a shiver.
lie and his brother had been very
successful in their Florida venture:
pu' thelf success was represented in
some OF those blackened paraflelo-
sfams. now worth less than the wild
iand they had purchased seven years
before.
During the past three days ttey
naa made a careful, unprejudiced
0.udy or the situation, and had de-
sioed that it would be best for them
" go away. They could earn more
auu a.. re-establish themselves sooner
.nan by staying here. Later. per-
laps, Nhen the natural elasticity of
~ ING state should cause it to rebound.
s, might return. Of the hundred
y. y. more orange groves they had had
.uarge OF, not one was likely to re-
.ua'h. None of the owners would
care to throw good money after bad.
nv suddenly John tossed his pencil
NpUn un, 'ne desk and rose to his feet.
NO use wasting more time on the
bas' bas.' ne said, decisively. What we
1 Wv 70 40 with now is the future"
Gov, les, agreed Abner, promptly,
- Au We been thinking you'll have
~ ~ s'aft for Jacksonville Tomorrow
tir,o Il soa wish to reach your boat in
thos ae lor her next trip. AS for me.
~ .sn { quite so much hurry"
noa. e 'ook a bunch of keys from his
tboAe. tbo and unlocked his desk. taking
F'rom "r package CT letters.
for -. suppose 1t will be just as we'll
thin oNe OF us to remain until every
said ia rounded off smoothly" he
coras. I've already written to our
tberopt" bpohoents about the loss; but
"don,t another thing" hesitatingly,
tban, you think it rather hard on
nroh after they have paid out so
have ~ I'll their groves and lost it, to
then, ~ pay US for work that does
tben, no ,, good? Suppose we write to
the ~. al that we are willing to call
1un "V,, shook his head.
'Mos.o "on do at all, he declared.
can aeo W Them are well-to-do, and
can ~ tloid their loss better than we
We ~ h, give away our work. Besides.
nora, maYe bills here and need the
like ~ 70 square them. / don't quite
and sae Idea OF selling our mules
Could nm, ons and tools Just now. We
Value. WI, get fraction of their
torvs,s and, besides, I am oking
er tvo 10 =. coming back after a year
~ country will have recov-