The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-06-02
"FLoRIDA'S WEALTH INCREAS-
ING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS"
ress." Says Mr.. T. n. Harris of
the OcaIa Banner

Mr.. T. H. Harris, who for many
years has been prominently connect
ed with the Ocala Banner, the oldest
paper in Florida, passed through Chi
cago recently, and in an interview
with the editor of the New Florida
said:
Il have lived in Florida all my life,
and believe l have had the opportu-
nifty of seeing conditions change, not
only in my own locality, but in the
entire state of Florida, as well as any
one. l want to say that Florida is de-
veloping wonderfully-her wealth is
increasing by leaps and bounds.
1.-THE immigration of the thousands
of new settlers in this state, the i'm
provements that are being made on
every side, all constitute definite
and substantial basis on which to
build a permanent business future
Not only are the citizens of Florida
awakening to the possibilities of their
own state, but capital from the north
and east is coming here seeking the
rich fields for investment that are to
be found everywhere. Until recent
years Florida seems almost to have
been in rut. There was very little
effort being made along manufacture
ing lines. Local capital seemed to
have been content to stick to timber,
turpentine and phosphate, and out
side of these Florida did not seem to
grow. Only in recent years has Flor
ida looked to her millionaires outside
Of the men engaged in this work
intensive farming has really just be-
gun here.
Il can remember, however, when
was boy, occasionally heard peo-
pie say, Mr.. Brown has made so and
so from his land But this did not
seem to quicken our desire to investi-
gate the value of Florida SOLVE
were probably too close to conditions
to appreciate their value.
'But we are glad to see the north
ern people come into our state-we
are glad to give them our hand of CO.
operation and assistance. There is no
getting away from the fact but what
We need more people to develop our
opportunities, and while, of course,
there may be here and there small
pieces of land which are not up to
the standard, at the same time there
is wealth of fertile soil that is wait
ing only for the hand of the practical
man or the farmer. Florida's popula-
ton is increasing with the right kind
of people and all this rich fertile land
will, in very short space of time, be
under cultivation.
Florida differs from many states
in her method of farming, yet 1 have
seen men and women come down from
the north, with comparatively little
knowledge of farming and trucking,
and make good. You people of the
north realize more than we do the
ing, for we raise practically every
thing right at our own door, we might
say, and here in Florida we can live
for less than you can. For one thing
we have no big coil bills to pay-no.
high rents.
There is a good demand for labor,
and l do not believe that anyone need
hesitate in coming to our state. OF
course, like any place else, they
should have some capital. enough to
carry the mover until they get we'll
started. But this is true in any coun-
try. l do not, however, know of any
state where a man can make a living
so easy as in Florida, if he tries. Of
course, we have among us some peo-
pie who are disgruntled, but these
are very, very few. Invariably, they
are class of people who would be
disgruntled everywhere.
Yes, the wealth of Florida is adj
vancing rapidly. | have seen property
double in a very short time. l re-
member junst the other day of seeing
a man buy a lot in Ocala, my home
town, for $1,000, and the next week
he sold it for $26OO Good farming
lands are also increasing in value I
have seen many instances where a
man has doubled his money. A north
ern man will find it very hard to rent
a house in the south. Ocala has
grown rapidly, but the influx of peo-
pie seem to be more than the city can
handle, though on practically every
side you will see new homes being
erected.
Il have been asked many times by
people how much they ought to re-
alize from an acre of land. This is
hard to lay down in exact dollars and
cents, because it depends somewhat
upon the man, as well as the charac-
ter of the soil. 1t also depends upon