The Pensacola journal., 1910-05-07
The Climate of
Two States.

Two States.
Secretary Powell Of the Tampa
Board Of Trade is having a contro-
yersy with one of the editors OF the
Los Angeles Times over the climatic
conditions of southern California and
southern Florida. The Tampan's latest
retort is one of the neatest rejoinders
1t has been our pleasure to read. With
his wit, sarcasm and logic, backed by
cold facts--statistics If you please
Mr.. Powell rolled the California pre-
varicator up like so much paper and
tossed him out of the window.
This controversy is the outcome of
a pamphlet issued not long since by
the secretary Of the Los Angeles
Chamber of Commerce to which Mr..
Powell replied with considerable GIN
ger, which reply was published in full
by The Journal. In reply to Mr..
Powell, Mister Harry Wellington
Brook, ". D., editor of the magazine
section of the Los Angeles Times,
printed an article on Climatic Con-
trasts" in which he makes some very
bold statements in an effort to build
up California by defaming Florida" )"
It seems that Mr.. Powell has lived in
both states and knows whereof he
speaks when he compares the climate
of the two states. In nutshell, he
proves that we never have as cold
weather nor as hot weather in Florida
as they have in California.
We reprint this excerpt from Mr.
Powell's letter:
I admit that winter tourists begin
leaving south Florida the middle OF
February. They are still leaving
Many stay until the first of July. Some
of our people go to the northern sea
shore, others to the mountains. But
in three years residence in Florida
never witnessed an exodus like rats
fleeing from q leaking ship" But
will add that at the Southern Pacific
passenger office at Los Angeles on
June 3, 1909, spent two hours in line
waiting to buy my railroad ticket to
New Orleans, and spent over an hour
in line before l got a chance at the
sleeper clerk. And when l left Los
Angeles there was not an empty berth
on the train. The day coaches were
so crowded that people stood up.
will state further that it was so hot on
that train that the windows were kept
closed to keep the desert winds from
sitting the passengers. It was nearly
100 when / left Los Angeles-it was
10 at Indlo; 124 at Yuma. Al
Uvalde, Tex, we threw one passenger
off the train who had died of heat en-
route. (Write coroner at Uvalde
Tex, and substantlate this statement)
It was on this train through southern
California l wrote my story entitled
Hell on Wheels
That's talking pretty straight, but
no more so than the offense calls for
It has long been the custom Of Cali
fornians and California papers to slul
at the south In every conceivamle way
though why, we don't know, unless
they Just naturally love to lie.
Lucian l.. Knight, the brilliant editor
of the Atlanta Georgian, last year took
occasion to rap the Los Angeles
Times for its statement that the hook
worm in the south was the result ot
our poor cooking" and "malarial at
mosphere," etc, etc. Mr.. knight
stated in the course of his retort that
he had lived two or three years in 10;
Angeles in quest of health and that
the poorest cooked food it had ever
been his lot to tackle was dished out
to him. He stated further in effect
that he had to leave California to keeI
from dying. This isn't very enthus
iastic endorsement of the Pacific coas
as a health resort.
II we must take the word of those
who have been to both states it car
be seen that there Is no more com
parison between California and Florids
climate than there is between nigh
and day.
Let's read some more from Mr.
Powell's letters
Take the range of weather for April
Our hottest day here was range o.
nineteen degrees-your hottest da!
there was a range OF forty-two de
And then you deride Florid'
weather.
| admit you have mountains-ant
snowballs and high balls-and road:
five inches deep with talcum powder
You also have less rain in a year thar
we have in a month. l admit that {
man at a faucet controls your water
supply. Down here We are in league
with the Lord as regards rain. He
has never been known to turn the
water off from a poor man while the
rich with money to pay can get the
life-giving fluid. Your mountains are
all right for a back ground. but they
raise no sweet potatoes. I admit you
have snow storms in April. 1t is &