The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-05-12
GREAT FAITH
IMPORT PIERCE
Western Newspaper Interviews
New Conner to this State
PRAISES FORT PIERCE
Farmers and Stock Raisers of The West
are Told OF The Advantages and Op-
pOrtunities to be Had Here

The following article appeared in the
Daily DrOvers Journal StOckman, of
South Omaha, Neb, in its issue of last
Saturday:
"a. M. Kitchen, who is very we'll
known in Omaha and in South Omaha,
but who, for number of years back,
has been residing in the south, where
he has large land and fruit growing i'm
terests. was a visitor here today renew
ing old acquaintance. Mr.. Kitchen is
certainly good advertising agent for
the south, especially Georgia and Flor
ida, having apparently unbounded faith
in the future of those states. While
making his home in Georgia, he spends
much of his time in Florida, especially
at Fort Pierce, in st. Lucie county.
Fort Pierce is already an important
point, having a population of about
$500, largely northern people, and with
all the up.tO.date improvements of a
thoroughly live community. They have
wide-awake board of trade and no
western city can be found with more
push or enterprise. One of the chief
duties of southern board of trade at
the present time is the answering of
questions and furnishing of information
to settlers who are flocking into the
country by the thousands, just as they
did into the west twenty-five years ago.
The location of Fort Pierce, on the ia
nous Indian river, about sixty miles
north of Palm Beach, makes it the nat
ural center of the pineapple industry
and hundreds of carloads of the finest
fruit in the world are shipped during the
season. 1t is also in the very center of
the district that produces the widely
known Indian River oranges that are
said to surpass all other fruit of the
kind. But fruit growing is not the only
industry. Fort Pierce is also the center
of an enormous fishing industry, the ex.
tent of which may be partially realized
when it is said that four or five carloads
of fresh fish are shipped from that
point by express daily. =,
Like all men who have resided in the
west, Mr.. Kitchen naturally takes a
great interest in stock raising. 1t was
the stock growing possibilities OF the
country of which Fort Pierce is the out
let, that especially attracted his atten-
ton. Just back of Fort Pierce, towards
the interior of the state, is fine tract
of beautiful land, 250, 900 acres or more,
much of it open prairie and covered with
the most luxuriant growth OF grass.
This land, though all held under private
ownership, is being used as an open
range and is supporting large numbers
of cattle that are as good as western
range cattle and the best to be found
in the south. Mr.. Kitchen saw hogs
that were carrying good flesh that mad
never received any grain whatever, nav,
mo grown fat on palmetto berries and
the nutritious grasses.
"He believes that it is only a question
of time when this land will be cut up
into highly productive farms. The soil
is good, with splendid clay subsoll
that holds the moisture. and it is due
largely to this fact that the country
aronnd Fort Pierce has made such a
reputaton as fruit growing section,
rs drouth does not injure it. Splendid
artesian water can be secured at most
nlaccs at a depth of only 100 feet.
'BeSides being thriving commercial
center, Fort Pierce is also a noted re-
sort; many prominent people having
their winter homes there. The late
senator Quay, of Penn sylvania, made
lhnt his winter home for many year
and il used to be said by the residents
that some of the most important policies
Of the government were settled upon
At Font Pierce rather than at Washing
"Mr. Kitchen, after spending a few
DAVIS visiting friends and relatives, vii
reiurn tO his home in the south.