Arizona republican., 1909-05-27
FROM CUBA
TO START NURSERY
G. G. Norton, Who Left Here a
Rough Rider, Comes Back as an
Orange Grower.

C. G. Norton, formerly of this city
but who has been marooned in Porto
Rico and Cuba ever since the Spanish
American war, has returned to this
valley with the intention of remaining
permanently. He lived here when
conditions were about the worst ever
nevertheless there was still enough
gooc in the situation to attract him
back again and now that conditions
are about as near ideal as they can
be on earth for one of his tastes and
ambitions. he proposes to make this
his home. He is planning to go into
the nursery business somewhere in
the valley and will devote himself
largely to the growing of citrus trees,
in which he has had several years
experience in Cuba.
Mr.. Norton and his two brothers,
Ollie and Edward, and a sister, Miss
Dorothy, came here in the nineties
and made their home on a small farm
on the Tempe road some distance be-
yond the asylum, where the brothers
went into the nursery business. The
panic of the middle nineties was fol-
lowed by a series of dry years and
with water shortage and money
scarce there was little doing here for
the nurserymen, or, it must be con-
fessed for anybody else who had a
desire to eat and wear clothes. Ollie
Norton left the farm for Ann Harbor
where he began the study of medi-
cine Then came the Spanish war
and the three brothers Joined the
rough rider regiment. G. G. and Ed
ward went from here with B troop
under Captain McClintock and Ollie
Joined them later. Ollie was killed in
battle on the island of Cuba and
the other two went to Porto Rico
after the war, where they remained
until six years ago when they went
to a point twenty miles from the city
of Pinal del Rio and eighty miles
from Havana, in the province of
Pinar del Rio, and engaged in the
nursery business. Edward is still
there and doing well and will prob
ably remain in charge of that nurs-
cry. G. G. Norton having acquired
rather more Cuban fever than his
system relishes has returned to boil
it out of him here. Their sister who
was known here as Miss Dorothy
Norton and who was a talented
is married and lives in San
Fla.
Asked concerning Americans, Amer
lean influence and the future of Cuba,
Mr.. Norton says that the present con-
1itions are quite hopeful President
Palma he says was a patriot and an
honest man but he was advanced in
years and lacked the firmness neces-
sary to deal with the Cuban people.
President Gomez while not more hon
est or patriotic is a younger and
more vigorous man and thus far
seems to be meeting the problems of
government quite successfully. The
natives occasionally require a vigor-
Gus example set and as in the case Of
the two incipient revolutions since
Gomez administration began, they got
Il. 1t depends entirely on whether
this policy can be and will be sue
carried out. The Americans
as well as the natives hope that it
will be and that the republic will
prosper, but all seem agreed that in
The event of another failure this
government will take charge again
and establish some kind of a per-
Detual protectorate. The patriotic
natives seem imbued with the idea
that their autonomy is now in the
balance and they must make a sue
,ess of the present government or
ose their day in court
Regarding American influence, Mr..
Norton said that he believed three
-ourths of the land interests of the
,apital, including the sugar planta-
ions. American influence is quite
notable in the government, indirectly,
just as it should be, and if
he native government maintains its
to profit by the advice
md help of Americans all will prob
IDLY be well with Cuba.
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