The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-12-30
nineteen TEN WAS
GOOD TO PALATKA
Live Merchants all Had Pros
porous Year and City Has
Money to Cremate.

Florida, and Palatka and Putnam county
have come in for their full share. The
farmer who got behind his mule and
showed has been rewarded with good
crops. The cattle in the woods have
multiplied and fattened, and the "razor
back" has thrived in and monopolized
the Swamps. The orange grower has
Just had his inning, and as a result his
wallet is bulgng with plenty Of the long
green. The prosperity OF the people
has been shared by the merchants and
bankers and there is smile on the face
of the tiger.
Providence has been good 10 US and
many of us have been good TO ourselves.
Neither the "peStilence that walketh
in darkness nor the destruction that
waSteth at MONDAY" has come nigh unto
us. There has been no epidemic ill
ness and the grim destroyer has not
worked overtime. The mortality record
is short Some mighty good citizens
have their names engraved thereon, while
others, more deserving of attention,
have been spared 10 more appropriate
season, possibly with the view of serving
society as an example of what mean
man mean mau is when he means 10
be mean. But we won't attempt 10 in
terpret the ways OF Providence; IFS ways
are past finding out. Let us stick TO the
things that we can see and know are
the result of natural causes, and be thank
full for the good, patient with the bad
and always hopeful for something bet
Ter, being careful always to deserve ii.
improvements have been the order OF
the year in both city and county. The
city has done the work preliminary 10
extensive street paving and the laying OF
new concrete sidewalks, while in the
country great progress has been made in
the construction OF hard roads, Out
siders have seen and heard of these i'm
provements and are beginning 10 sit up
and take notice of the city and county.
| HundredS-perhapS houSand-familieS
have come among us and are already en-
gagged in clearing land and founding a
home and family. More are preparing
to follow. The census shows a healthy
but not remarkable increase. The tide
of immigration set in too late to share
with the balance of US the humiliation
of being overlooked by the enumeralor.
But you can't loose Putnam county.
1t is going ahead by leaps and bounds.
Census figures are among the figures
that do sometimes lie, but the fact that
we are filling up with good and thrifty
Yankees is apparent to any one who Will
look about.
While the year just closing has been
good, the incoming year promises to be
better. Not in the amount of expendis
lures, but in the steady increase OF popu
lation. The city and county has needed
people more than anything else. In the
coming year of our Lord, 1911, we arc
going TO get Them. Our good lands will
be titled and made valuable and Assessor
Bullard will note the fact like q true
official and patriot, and place them or
the books, where they can share with u,
in the expense of government by ano
for the people-aS interpreted by the
board of county commissioners.
Palatka is good and growing city
For a number of years ii was undecided
whether to grow or die of innocuou!
desuetude. Several years ago the live
business men of the city began to agitate
the fact that Palatka, by reason of it'
favorable situation on one of the nobleSt
most beautiful rivers of the world, be
cause of the fertility of the outlying
lands and because of the fact that the
city is a center for nearly all the princi
pal railroad systems OF the state, Shoult
rouse itself from its lethargic condition
and at least make bluff at doing some
thing. The bluff was made. Some o
the more active enjoyed the exercise sc
we'll that they kept it up until the habi
was formed, when others joined th'
movement in Self-defenSe. The blui
, worked; outsiders saw it and though
we meant it, Then in Self.dcfcnSe we
were compelled to indulge in the rea
thing. Now we like it and are keeping
il up. 1t has become a fixed habi
+ with US.
, The Palatka of five or six years ago il
not the PaIatka of today, and the city o
today is only glimpse as through dari
glass of what the Palatka of Ten year
. from now will show. A man doesn'
: have 10 be prophet to see into the fu
ture of Palatka. 1t is assured OF steady
!, permanent growth as the result of assert
ing itself and the proclamation of it
natural advantages.
The Palatka of today has population
of over 5000; the Palatka OF 1920 vii
have from $4,000 TO $4,000; instead o
being the trading center OF lS,OOO peo
pie, il will in ten years be the CONNER
cial center of from IS, 600 10 ~, 900.
The past year has witnessed the ercC
ton OF many new homes and buSineS
places. The magnificent new cour
house has been completed. The Unite'
States government has appropriated 500,
600 for the site and erection of nev
postoffice building, and has made pro
vision for deepening the channel OF III
river to permit the navigation to Palatk'
of vessels of deeper draught
Palatka is the poSSeSSor of the largcS
cypress lumber mill in the world, ais
The largest cypress Shingle MILL 1t ha
a great cypress door factory and one
the largest factories in the world deVo
ed to the manufacture of cypress tank;
There is building a large factory for tn
manufacture of pals and tubs. Their
are several large Havana cigar manuiat
tories in the city, besides other an
. smaller manufacturing interests, all giN
ing steady employment to labor at goo
wages,
The city is in fine condition financia
, ly; the December report OF the Gil
treasurer tnOWeQ DaidnCS Vi hole thd
| S21 900 in the strong box, with the bul
: of the years taxes yet TO come in. Ih
bonded Indebtedness of the city is br
" S175, 900, and to meet this sinking fun
:, is being added TO yearly and the intere
promptly paid. Our banks are Stron
m and money is easy. Our merchants al
up to the minute in enterprise and son
OF our mercantile establishments wou
ar be credit TO a city of 100000 peopl
We have no saloons and the moral tor
'r of the city is the pride of the peopl
ar All of the leading denominations
Christians have houses OF worship. III
er high and graded schools are in char
pr of modern teachers and the graduates
our high school rank with the best
'd the south.
l. In the country several large tracts