The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-22
FARED BAD IN HONDURAS

Some time in April a number of
Floridians left their homes in South
Florida to seek their fortunes in Hon.
duras. Arriving there and purchas-
ing lands they were stricken with
malarial fevers, exhausted their re-
sources and are now back in Tampa.
The Times of that city says:
with health and fortune wrecked,
and three of the original party dead,
victims of pitiless tropical fever, the
surviving members of the little band
of south Florida people which bravcly
went to Honduras few months ago
in seach of wealth, returned this
morning on the steamship Morgan
from New Orleans, practically penni-
less. Hollow cheeks and eyes full of
dumb misery still show the traces of
the terrible experiences of the party
when the gaunt spectre of tropical
fever stalked through their camp,
claiming four victims, and leaving
the others helpless in a strange coun-
try.
| The dead A. J. Lindsey, promoter
and leading spirit of the enterprise;
Mrs. Mary Brown, Matthew Tucker
and Leila Tucker, the three-year-old
daughter of Matthew Tucker.
Eighteen Stricken at One Tire
"The party of homeseekers, most of
the members residents of the section
around Mulberry and Fl Myers, left
Tampa during the latter part of last
April, some thirty in number, and
landed at La Ceiba May 1. A. j.
Lindsey made a purchase of 12O
acres of land on which was a banana
plantation, and the party settled
down to cultivate the fruit Within
three days after reaching their desti-
nation Mrs. c. w. Lee was stricken
with malaria in it's most malignant
form, and from that on, one by one,
the members of the colony were ia
ken sick, until in one house lay
eighteen stricken persons, and only
one boy to wait upon the entire num-
Der.
"'The people of the neighborhood
were very kind said Mrs. Lee this
morning to a representative of the
Times, and rendered every assistance
in their power to aid the unfortunate
sufferers. But in spite of this kind
ness four of the party died
All Their Money Lost
unable TO cultivate the land IN
which they had expected to grow La
| nanas, the colonists were unable to
meet the payments on the property,
which had been purchased on the in
stallment plan, and the money which
they carried with them was quickly
dissipated. A J. Lindsey was a fair
| ly prosperous ice dealer of Mulberry.
some $4,000. All this was lost, and
practically everything which the OH
er members of the colony possessed.
| Starvation faced them, and the sur
vivors of the party were in desperate
straights.
Zone of the worst features of their
experience was the fact that the col
onists were compiled to drink river
water, and this rendered them an
easy prey to all the tropical diseases
which permeate that section.
Appeal to American Consul
Realizing that to remain in Ho1
duras meant death to the entire par
ty, the colonists appealed to the
American consul, who secured trans
portation for them to New Orleans.
They arrived at the latter place last
| Thursday, and through the kindness
of those who learned their story, were
able to secure passage on the Morgan
to Tampa.
with but little ambition remaining
the members of the returning party
are preparing to take up the struggle
for existence at home, and reconp
their fortunes in their native state
They are preparing to secur eemplJy-
ment and once more take up life
where they dropped out few months
ago when' they sailed for Honduras IN
their fruitless search for wealth and
riches"