The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-05-13
BACK FROM
FLO RIDA
IS. LANDS

John A. Roston. one OF the Ogden
representatives OF Florida lands has
just returned from n trip To Florida.
and Is enthusiastic in regard to the
opening Up, settlement and future OF
the everglade districts OF that state
To Standard reporter Mr.. Roston
talked entertainingly Of his southern
trip. and among other things said:
II am just home from n quick trip
TO Florida and am more than pleased
with conditions as found them on
the east coast OF that state Work is
progressing nicely in the construction
work oil the drainage canals now being
dug there 10 reclaim a vast area, and
that section is at present the objec-
tive point OF hundreds of people who
are going there from every state In
the Union and Canada TO investigate.
A large number of people are in.
terested in Florida lands
Il left Jacksonville with Mr.. West
of Oklahoma and a Mr Maxwell OF
81. Louis. and our first stop was at
st. Augustine, the oldest city In the
United States, where we remained
a day sightseeing. visiting the Foun-
tain of YOUTH the Oldest house built
and now standing in America. the ALI
gator farm and other points of inter.
terest. From there We went TO Delray
and a little later started for the
beach. which Is only half a mile dis
tant Crossing the canal we COM
menced an investigation of condl-
tions.
I'VE visited several orange and
graDe-gruit groves. apple orchards
and tomato patches, as we'll as pack
Ing houses. asking questions and Sc
curing information from old-tomers.
One man there had about five acres
In fruit. and perhaps the same area
in tomatoes and plneapples. He was
we'll satisfied and making good
thing. Another man had thirty acres,
about half under cultivation and
planted In pines and tomatoes. We
visited his packing house. where they
were closing up the last of the first
crop of tomatoes. These were bring
Ing 90 cents per crate. but We were
told that they had been selling as
high as SLAB and even S1.95 per crate
This man had been shipping from one
to five carloads per week.
Another man, who had just com
pleted his harvest from a three.acre
tract OF tomatoes, told us he had
made Sl.500 from the produce and
still had another crop 10 come. An
mother man whom we talked 10 con.
tossed that he had made a complete
failure OF his crop. and he was then
empoycd packing house. You
see. some make good and others do
not. | heard while down there of
some remarkable profits made. but |
do not care to repeat these, as they
sound too big 10 US people OF the
north.
Florida has an ideal climate.
There Is no sultriness. and invariably
cool breeze is blowing. This Is one
OF the very few spots on earth where
something can be grown the entire
year 1t is health1ul down there and
we Wore advised that there was no
malaria. colds, rheumatism OF TUDOR
culosis troubles,
Il went up the Miami river, and at
the point where the big canal empties
into the river there is a fruit farm
on part muck land. / went through
this orchard and picked elegant
N'''A6SS u"u HloPe iiuit iiohl tltc
trees. The fruit is the finest 1 have
ever seen.
From Miami to Jacksonville is 366
miles and in that distance there are
100 stops, or an. average Of three and
half miles between towns
checked these off from time table
and know this statement to be cor
rect Some OF these towns are fairly
good-Sized little cities. and others of
course are small settlements. but the
whole country Is settling up rapidly"