The National tribune., 1909-08-05
An Iowa Editor Visits Florida and "Sees
Things

An Iowa Editor Visits Florida and "Sees
Things"
Austin P. Haines, editor of the Her
. aid, Grinnell, Iowa, goes to Florida a
disbeliever and returned home convert
ed. This is what he says about his
trip: s4-
s.z--.aThere was a tragedy enacted down
I'm Florida a few weeks ago-a beauti-
fui theory met some hard, stubborn
facts and was killed. This theory was
one which is held by exactly 2,231,S6
people the population of Iowa at the
last census, and 1t consists of the con-
fdent belief that there is no other State
in the sisterhood, and most certainly
none south of Mason and ,DiXons line,
which produces such fine corn and gar
den truck as does the Hawkeye state.
This theory made a brave struggle be
fore it finally died in the minds OF
party of three Iowans, who saw in Flor
ida corn growing 10 feet high that will
yield 40 to 60 bushels to the acre (the
average in Iowa last year was hardy
half this much), and tasted garden
products of all kinds which fourished
there in an abundance and OF a faVor
unapproached in Iowa soil.
"Our party comprised three travellers,
who started from GrinneH, Iowa, on
May Is, determined to investigate the
big tales that had come to our ears
from this Southland of bumper crops,
big profits, line climate and rich hunt-
ing and fishing grounds. We wanted to
learn for ourselves just how much OF
these rumors We're false and how much,
If any, true.
"One of our party was retired
farmer, who had recently spent enc
Winter in California and had returned
thoroIy dfsgusted with the climate and
sore at the nature-faking land men
mot to use a shorter and uglier term),
who had told him about the beauties
of California climate and soil. Before
we started, he said he was just going
down to Florida to see how big "a iar
a certain Florida land man was. aWhen
last saw this farmer he had purchased
a section of land from this same land
man and was apologizing for his DOUBTS
concerning the mans Veracity. lie said
that the half had not been told him.
No more California for him. He is go
ing to move his family down to MS
newly purchased tract on the banks or
the beautiful Caloosahatchee River,
where he will make big profits on to-
matoes, eggplants and all kinds of gar
den truck and citrus fruits.
"A second member Of our little group
was a land investor, who had already
invested in Florida land and was going
down to look over adjoining tracts and
investigate the advisability of further
purchases. He was quite enthusiastic
before starting over the outlook for big
profits thru a promised rise in land
values When / saw him he was more
enthusiastic than ever, had purchased
another large tract and was neSotiat-
ing for more. He is more than pleased
with his investments in Florida lands.
and is going to make some big profits
in the next few years, as the country
develops rapidly and land values go
soaring. He will make as much as the
farmer by simply letting his land in
crease in value.
The business of the third member
of our Iowa party was that of a news
paper and magazine writer He thought
that any country which could produce
such q luxnI,lnt crop of big stories as
he had heard from Florida would GER
tainly be an inspiring location for q
writer of fiction. After spending two
weeks there he has come home with his
mind full of its beauties and his shoes
full of Florida soil as the natives say,
that grows heavier the farther away he
gets from this land Of sunshine and
beautiful landscapes. He is determined
to take his wife with him to Florida
mex. Winter, and with the coming of
the first snow flurries in Iowa he will
be found with his typewriter, sitting
under a Florida palm tree, trying TO
set down in cold type a part of the pic
turesque beauty of the scene. II he
could but catch the Inspiration of the
place his fortune as writer would ,.e
made forever.
Thus does Florida make its appeal
TO the different types of mind repre-
sented in our cempany-.to the farmer
who wants piece of land on which he
can raise crops and reap profits beyond
the widest dreams of the Northern
farmer; to the land investor, who does
not want to till the soil himself, but is
looking for good investments with large
and quick profits thru rise in land
values, and to the man who is looking
for the most attractive place in the
United States TO make his Winter home,
with ideal climate and beautiful sur
ronndings. To each of these it makes
a strong appeal and one which is likely
to prove irresistible to anyone who
senses ii at first hand.
1t seemed to me to be a land of
golden opportunity, which 1 can per-
haps say without being suspected of
interior motives. ASH am not directly or
indirectly Interested in a foot of Flor
IDA soil. II seems TO me to offer unsur-
passed opportunities 10 the farmer, the
land investor and the homeseeker, tand
its future seems mighty beyond the gifts
OF human prophecy"