Suwannee Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 1897-current, 1909-07-16
LOOK BEFORE LEAPING.

Various sections of Florida are max
| ing efforts to secure settlers and are
meeting with success. This state is
now gaining more rapidly than ever be-
fore from immigration; but the present
gain will seem insignificant in Compare
son with the growth of the near future
if the immigrants who are coming now
meet with the success they hope for.
No advertisement of Florida is as efica-
eiOus as letter from delighted set
tier to his old home. Nothing can in
jure the state as much as the letter of
a settler who has been disappointed.
Hon. Frank Clark has sent the Times
Union letter from a citizen of Okla
hOma who writes that there are num-
Der of families in his locality who are
thinking of settling on some of the
drained lands of the Everglades. The
letter is written to Mr.. Clark with a
request for a statement of the real con-
ditiOns that prevail there. In reply to
the letter Mr.. Clark writes, in part, as
follows:
know very little, of my own per-
sOnal knowledge, with reference to the
Everglades. l expect to go through a
portion of the Everglades next NOvem-
Der and then will, of course, be in a
better position to speak intelEgently
than am now. Twill say this to you,
however, if you are contemplating buy
ing lands in the Everglades with the
intention Of building a home there, |
would advise you to make a thorough
personal investigation before doing so.
If you have quite number of families
who eOntemplates taking this step, it
occurs to me it would be the part of
wisdom to send one of your number to
the Everglades so that he might make
thorough investigation. / want to say
tOyOu in this connection, as a citizen of
Florida, for the twenty-six years, that
| am thoroughly convinced that poor
man can do better here farming than
he can in any other state in the Union. |
He can make a living in this state and
acquire competency with less effort |
and in less time than he can anywhere !
else. While this is true, and while our |
lands are extremely productive, yet we
have thousands of acres that are not fit |
for cultivation. The state has been |
very much injured by certain unscrupu-
iOus dealers in land disappearing |
conditions and locating settlers at IN
suitable places.
In concluding his letter Mr.. Clark ex-
presses the hope that the party will
make such an investigation as will in
duce them to make their homes in this
state.
Mr.. Clark shows an intelligent regard
for the interests of the state when he
advises prospective settlers to look be-
fore buying. They could safely come
to Florida with the certainty of finding
abundance of land offering ideal cOndi-
tons for settlement. No man, how
ever, should pay out his money and get
his deeds without seeing what he is
paying for or getting information about
it from some one with whom he is per-
sOnally acquainted.
A settler who comes after taking
these precautions is sure to be pleased
f he is at all reasonable. He becomes
IN immigration agent for Florida, for
lis satisfaction draws many of his
friends and acquaintance to the state,
out the man who buys a gold brick"
.ets as a lighthouse to warn people to
ieep away. We believe there is no
tate in the Union where there are as
many good bargains as can be found in
florida, but there are gold bricks"
lere, and those who have them wish to
ell them. 1t is good business as well
S good conscience not to oyerpaint our
advantages, and to warn prospective
ettlers that while the best can be
Ound in Florida, good business sense
) needed here as elsewhere in making