The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-01-21
FINE FLORIDA
DEVELOPMENT
The Chicago Tribune Gives Our
Fair State d Deserved Boost
POOR MANS PARADISE
No Longer Simply Rich Mans Play
ground Opportunity for Profitable
Investment are Plenty


There is new Gland boom" on that
bids fair to eclipse anything of its kind
ever inaugurated in America. For
years Florida "the neglected state"
has been known principally az the win
ter playground of the rich. Magnificent
hotels along the East Coast of Florida
have catered to the whms and fancies
of those of unlimited wealth; fabulous
fortunes have been spent in providing
luxurious accommodations for those
who could afford to escape from the
rigOr of the northern winter and bask
in the smiles of the perfect climate of
Florida. ParadOxical as it may sound,
or less idle rich-have been the pioneers
of the new Florida.
Men of affairs from the north coming
to Florida to dspOrt in the surf at Palm
Beach or to idle away the hours in the
orange groves along the palm-embOwer-
ed walks of DaytOna, could not close
their eyes to the possibilities of the
state. Upon every hand they saw
evidence of enormous agricultural
wealth simply needing the man behind
the pillow to develop it's wonderful re-
sources. They saw an empire in itself
providing everything necessary to the
health, wealth and happiness of its in
habitants. 1t was not difficult to pic
ture Florida as a future agricultural
paradise where men weary of the fruit
less struggle against reluctant nature
IN the north might come and almost for
the asking take fortunes from the fruit
fu soil of this wonderful country.
TO such men to think was to act.
Cooperating with the railroads of the
state--always the advance guards of
civilizatiOn-theyw went forth and spread
the gospel of Florida. They poured
their money into enterprises designed
to develop its natural resources and in
every way known to man advertised the
advantages of this section of the United
States.
Gradually the farmer and homeseek-
er of the frozen north began to sit up
and take notice of the Gland of Dreams"
The reports of the wonderful produc-
tiveness of Florida read like fairy tales
to the discouraged agrculturist wrcst-
ing an existence from his barren field.
He found it hard to believe that in Flor
ida the soil produced three and some
times four crops year. 1t was impOs-
sible for him to conceive of land of
perpetual sunshine, whose ten or twenty
acres of ground could be made to pro-
duce more than 100 acres in the north.
However there were enough venture
spirits to take the plunge and see for
themselves what this INV Ell Dorado
had to offer.
What they discovered in Florida is
history. They found indeed that the
half had not been told. They found
land where fruit grew wild in luxuriant
profuson-a land where the soil pro-
duced almost every crop that could be
grown in the north climate that exceed
ed the livelest imagination, country
teeming with possibility. They found
that celery could be made to yield as
nigh as 5000 an acre profit, grapefruit
$500 an acre, potatoes and all kinds of
vegetables as high as $500 an acre. Is
it any wonder that they named it the
enchanted land?
1t is almost impossible to describe
Florida without recourse to superlatives.
1t is easy to understand poor Ponce de
Icons faith in the fountain of perpet-
ual youth after one has experienced
the delights of soJourn in Florida.
No pen can do justice to the magnif-
cent vistas of waving palms, luxuriant
vegetation and wide sweeps of primal
verdue.
Florida offers today more opportuni-
ties to the poor man than any other sec
zion of the country. A little capital
goes long ways here. At the present
time good farm land can be obtained as
low as SO an acre and ten acres proper
Iy handled should produce profit of
$500 year. The farmer in Florida
does not have to work as hard as his
great deal more for his labor. Owing
to the richness of the soil, crops spring
up almost like magic and at a time when
the northern farmer is planting his crop
the Florida farmer is almost ready to
market his first crop yield.
The movement towards Florida is be-
coming more and more pronounced as
the northern and western homeseeker
becomes acquainted with actual cond-
tons in this state. No efforts are be-
ing spared by the railroads and other
large interests to properly advertise
this marvellous section. Millions are
being spent in this educational work
and the result is apparent in the thOus.
ands upon thousands and inquiries being
received by the different commercial
as sOci atoms of the cities of he state.
1t is only a question of short time
when, instead of being known as 'the
rich mans playground" Florida will
continued on maze a