Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-05-07

coming the successive obstacles to be
overcome in the building of state aud
home. First the Spanish land grants
and consequent defects in land title.
Then war with all its depressing ef-
fects poverty and isolation, then came
the killing parts of 1892 from which
they ''puled through with sacrifice
and patience unseen and unfelt by an
outside world. Again more erretriev-
able, more hopeless, whose hopes had
been beaten down and crushed came
''the great freeze" that swept the
state in 1895 Slowly these people are
recovering nerve and learning to turn
| the ''accursed luck" as one old native
Eloridian put it I" into blessing, by
teaching them to try diversified farm
! ing" Now all over this part of the
state can be seen orange and citrus,
pear and peach, tangarine and grape
fruit, banana, fig and plum bearing
| fruit. Also acres and acres Of lettuce,
cabbage. cucumber, watermelon.
beans. peas, tubers, etc. $4,000 is
considered "a conservative estimate
net yield per acre of truck farming
| Not far from here are acres and acres
of celery rivaling Kalamazoo's famous
! fields, and for winters use.
Watermelons need on this soil
change of location once in two years,
$50 experts tell us) and generous fer
tilizing for every crop, equaling ore
pound per hill, costing one and half
cents pound, they plant hills not
over ten feet apart in November, be-
gin to ship in May One person that
| know received a check for $S4 IS net
for five barrel of melons, All through
February and later January our table
has been lavishly suppliedA with let
tuce, beets. peas, beans, sweet pOta-
toes, turnips, tomatoes, etc, freshly
pulled Shippers and railroads are
taxed to keep up to the requirements
Of the trade.
The unsol,ed labor problem erec:s
its walls Of offensive oppression even
here, in the land of poor whites and
unregenerate negroes. A house
servant will only work fraction of
each day, going home between times
aud always lodging at home Lander
! ing c. SITS more here than in the north,
/ less efficient house maids, nurses, etc,
get larger wages, indeed. many
northerners prefer to bring their do
mestic servants with them. ga white
man is worth one and a half niger
| to work" a small contractor told me.
A resident here, man of means, and
owner of four groves said to me one
day pointing to field of velvet beans
unharvested, There! [ paid Sc so
pound for seed to plant that crop, 13c
a pound 10 fertiiiZe it, and can't get
it picked, and all these great lazy
niggers setting around doing nothing"
Where may be injustice in the re-
mark, but certainly the sober reliable
working negro is sadly in the minority.
The pine lands throughout the
country are being used for turpentine
purposes. First the trees are tapped,
as we tap our sugar NAPLES north
only the cash cut in the side of the
tree is often two or three foot, blaz-
ing. leaving a cruel unsightly cash
| through which the trees life slowly
ebbs away trickling into the deep cut
| ''boX" prepared to hold the pitch. /
have seen three of these cuts on a
tree. The pitch dries in the sun, is
gathered and sent to the still where
the turpen6ine is extracted, tar is also
made, but the many by-products to
that hold sure returns for their manu-
featuring remain, las the Spanish moss
softer, lighter and more to be desired
then excelsior) unused. Only yester-
day in drive over the country / re-
marked OH the exceeding beauty and
fineness of color and natural granting of
pine boards used for fencing hotel
grounds. Nothing could have been
more beautiful for fnishings, inside
decorations, mouldings and picture
framing, than the rich deep gold SO
lavishly displayed where sun and rain
will soon destroy.
Kaolin lies just beneath the surface
and even just under the waters of Lake
| Harris. 1t is as an industry in its
undeveloped infancy, However, there
are number of plants where it is
prepared for shipment and shipped to
| New Jersey for manufacturing.
While still in its infancy, there is
however, on Lake Harris in easy reach
of Leesburg manufacturing plants
where Kaolin is manufactured in it's
cruder forms in pots, tiles, ETC. We
may yet find in Florida cities and
villages spring up like magic where
the white sands of Kaolin will be
utilized in creating the finer forms
Of art in dish, or vase, or tile for
decorative effect rivaling Wedgewood,
Haviland, Limoges or Serves.
i Florida is slow in the race but she
will get there some day to be the pride
and beauty spot of all America.
i A word about the law abiding char
acter of its people. There are two
graded schools, one for whites, one
for colored: four white churches, two
colored, a library and various social
organizations and clubs.
The mayor, L. E. Dozier, born and
bred in Leesburg is sort of tom
Lawson idolized by his friends, feared
by his enemies. An indefatigable
worker and tireless promoter for his