The Parker post., 1911-07-29
MACK WRITES
FROM FLORIDA
TWenty-DoIIor Florida Land No Good
Saws Mack-SoiI ShaIIoW-No Win
Mo Florida for Him.

The following newsy letter comes
from one of our valued subscribers
who has been taking a taste of Flor
ida life:
%. B. Flanagan, Parker, Ariz. Dear
Friend: Will renew my subscription
of the Parker Post as soon as l get
back to town which l think will be
some day this week. 1t has been
just as hot here as it is in Parker
eff any of your friends talk about
coming to Florida for some of that
good land at twenty dollars an acre,
keep them at home. For it takes
barrels of money to farm down here
soil only three inches deep, turn up
yellow sand, nothing will grow. Not
only that; l have seen ranches ship
their crops to the north and other
points. For instance, just a few weeks
ago three cars of water-melOns ship
ped from this station 1000 to LOO
melons to the carr brought about
$25 for three cars. The railroads
and commission men got what the
farmer ought to have, and the mel
ons just rotting in the fields. 1t does
not pay to farm in Florida. Have no
market for your stuff. They can get
better rate from Havana, Cuba, to
New York City than right here. They
are only sure of sweet potatoes, pea
nuts and COW peas. The corn crop
won't amount to much this year. They
can't grow stuff all the year as they
claim they can do They haven't any
winter rains to speak Of. From Janu
ary 1st to May Ia was very dry. They
will tell the newcomers it is unusual
found out it has been that way for
the last thirteen years. | have lived
among the Florida Crackers and
worked with them. They will treat you
right The wages are very poor
$1.25 a day from daylight to dark,
supposed to be. ] have picked ofan-
ges from daylight to dark for that
money.
FLORIDA has never recovered from
the freeze they had fifteen years ago.
Have run across quite a few (white)
people that can't read or write. The
state is very poor; she is dead. All
waiting for the tourists to come back
from the north and other places for
the winter. 1t is not a cheap place to
live. 1t costs just as much to live
here as in the southwest. She has
the summer climate. They have lots
of shade The rainy season just
started the other day. The sun makes
them hunt the shade; it is hot. Have
not experienced hot night this sum
mer. l live right close from the wa
ter's edge, (about. 100 feeD. | have
heard girls say at dance they would
not dance with so-and-so, because he
did rot have a pot Of gold. Not so III
Parker. The people are not sOclaDle
like they are in the glorious west. 1t
is safe to say that there are ten
thousand people in Florida today that
have been stuck with worthless land
| Lots of them walking out of the
state.
81 have tried to tell you in a rough
way what l have seen and learned
since coming to Florida. Cuba is
. the coming country. Florida has nc
frost line. The orange crop will be
short this year. There isn't so much
to be made in orange as grape fruit
growing. Arizona oranges bring the
best price in New York City, and
guess anywhere else. |. was MOI
stung with the worthless land.
81 sail for New York City Monday
or Tuesday, oath or 25th. Good many
people here enjoy reading the Post
Some of them think that the west is
still wild and woolly, just because Ar
izona isn't a state. | expect to be
back sometime but can't tell just
when. Give my best to all the boys
Your sincere friend,
MACK"
81 see Parker put it all over Wick
enburg. The Wickenburgers will have
some excuse for their defeat"
Quite number of Parker men are
now widowers, at least for the sum
mer. The women have been extremely
! activa in aSortin0 their lords the