The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-10-13
fine GROWTH
OF FORT PIERCE:
Writer Compares City TO Condit-
ions Existing "a Years Ago
THE M'CARTY GROVE
Splendid Citrus Section With Rich Prairie
Lands of Back Country Promises Much
FOR Future Development

1t is interesting to compare the pre-
sent general conditions of Florida with
those existing back in the SOS. Twen-
ty-four years. ago taught school in
Fort Pierce in little log hut with a
great hole in the floor, cracks in the
sides one could throw cat through"
and slab benches for seats with slab
shelf along the wall which could be
used as desk. There was a hole in
roof which with the wall openings, let
in plent of lightly, and no door whatever.
Still, some of those pupils are prOmi-
nent citizens in Fort Pierce today and
ranked as high in their classes as do the
children in the modern school accom-
modatons of which the city is justly
proud.
There we're less than half dozen
houses that were even comfortable,
and transportation depended upon a
tri.weekly steamer-that is the steam
er tried to get around on certain days.
If it didn't it was because of an Oys-
ter bar or mud fiat had gotten in the
way. The channel was not well defn-
ed and, anyway, the pilot always was
a Jolly good fellow and his friends, the
passengers, enjoyed being in the pilot
house and could you expect man to
keep his mind on boat all the time?
We used sometimes to 90 back to
Five and Ten-Mile creeks for fishing
and hunting. The Hendrys lived at
one and the CARTONS mt the other.
Around their houses were few guava
bushes, mango and orange trees, etc.,
and they ever had fine supply of
vegetables for the table, but the whole
country was one wild cattle and hog
ranch.
Recently l took, the same trip. The
city of Fort Pierce reaches we'll out
along the road, then come the prairie
and fat woods lands dotted here and
there with comfortable homes and
beautiful groves, and spO.s that later.
in the season will send carloads of
vegetables to Northern markets.
Our goal was the grove at Ten-Mile
owned by Mr.. Dan McCarty. In this
season Of light citrus crops it is at
tracing even more than usual atten-
ton, and no wonder ! Words could not
convey to the mind the wealth of fruit
there. 1t is not one heavily-laden
branch, nor one particularly fine tree,
nor even one ''best spot in the grove,
but throughout the whole acreage there
seems scarcely room for another fruit.
Several hundreds of dollars worth of
props are supporting the branches, or
the trees could not bear the burden.
Mr.. McCarty has been liberal with fer
tilizer, but at the same time the
amount he has used have not been at
all exorbitant. The land naturally is
rich and, with good cultivation, drain
age and irrigation Mr.. McCarty knows
so we'll how to apply, it is one of the
best instances in the state OF what
can be produced by properly directed
energy.
Adjoining the McCarty grove is one
owned by Mr.. J. D. Almond which,
while not as heavily loaded, !s yet
treat to the eye. The trees are in per-
feet health and bearing good crop of
fruit. Some OF these trees Melted S20
per tree the season they were eight
years old. y
So much has been done, bat Fort
Pierce always has plans ahead. Some
land company has an extensive system
of drainage planned and already has
two dredges at work. AS the land Is q
heavy loan underiaid with mari, when
the drainage is accomplished We may
expect to see hourshing groves and
gardens al! over the vast tract.
Fort Pierce has large and tofMle
black country" to draw upon, bpl her
people pay full attention to other de-
velopments. 2. p Cobb'S great de-
partment store would do credit 10 any
town, while numerous other stores aud
houses representing about every nced
of the human family make the business
portion of the city busy indeed.
Fort Pierce also has every reason to be
proud of her professional men, some of
the states brightest lights having
their homes there.
Two substantial banks handle the
funds gathered by these various enter
prises and the whole country joins in
good roads and every other project for
general advancement.
Long prosper Fort Pierce Mrs. N.
M. G. Prange, in Times Union.