Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-08

For four years I have tried to go to
Palatka and make a little visit ard
there he's always been something to pre-
vent. have been able to go to other
places but, as the darkies would say,
there seemed to be a 'hoodoo" on my
going to Palatka. 1 was down that way,
was at Brooksville, two years ago and
the day 1 was to start for there re-
ceived a letter that made my return
% Atlanta necessary and PalaUka was
given Up.
/ planned to make another trial mis-
year and wrote that 1 would be there
''if l lived and nothing happened" Wei,
something did happen that postponed
the visit a week. Then 1 really got
started, got on the train and that same
"hoodo0" nearly got the rabbit foot on
me gain. The schedule time to leave
was D. m. 1 was not surprised when
the ToTter came TIN ough and said that
we would be an hour late. Some people
got off but l decided that the car would
be as comfortable as the waiting room
AMI I snuPgled down anc went 10 a;ecp.
AT 3:3l o'clock l walked, another train
came in about that time and we started,
but don't think that start meant any
thing permanent. We went up the road
about half a mile aid backed into the
yards, from then until nearly r. m.
we moved over the railroad track with
out leaving Jacksonville. They were de-
termined to give US our moneys worth
Of riding whether we went anywhere or
not. Finally we did get out of sight of
Jacksonville, not % miles however and
again we stopped. And when we were al
most there we halted. / had just heard
the conductor say that there would be
A~af
Palatka, but he evidently did not know
the plans of that engine. Some people
would have blamed all sorts of lucky or
unlucky things but / think all OF us
have got to bend circumstances our way
or sit still and await the auspicuous
moment Don't give up, hold the idea
IL your mind and work toward il.
1 had a delightful two weeks in the
little city when I finally landed there,
Though only a little way from jack
sonvile there was even more evidence
of spring than here. The woods were
fun of yellow jasmine, plum trees were
everywhere and like snow banks. Orange
trees with their golden balls and dark
green leaves were beginning to have
the sunny stars embroidered all ovsr
them and soon they will have more
,0bite stars than anything else. There
is plenty of fruit still on the trees, one
grove that 1 saw had at least thou
sand boxes ungathered. The price is
pretty good now and pretty sooa the
groves will not be so full. Nothing
ATTRACTS more attention than the trees
full of grape fruit their color is so
much lighter than the oranges and they
are so much larger that they make a
finer display. But the most interesting
member OF the citrus family, to me, is
the kumquat, or kinkan, as l learned u
call it in Japan 1t is about an inch
long. the size of a joint of your finger,
and is eaten skin and all. There is just
enough ppngency, acid and sweet to
make delicious combination. For fruit
salad they are split and seeded like a
grape. and for marmalade the seeds are
extracted with hatpin and they are
cooked whole.
one of the incest ladies I've met in
a long time has a number of trees in her
front yard. She says strangers often
20 In and ask her questions about them,
she always tells them to pick one or
two. Not long ago two lauies from Ohio
were admiring the kumquat trees and
she said take few" "Oh, l couidn |,
thank YOU" was the reply. But they
are mine and you are welcome to
few" sh esaid. Pull one" exclaimed the
younger woman, I'VE wouldn't dare do
that" So Mrs. w. gathered five or six
for each and they went away as proud
as if she had given them gold nuggets.
1 believe that j was as much pleased
with the prospects for Irish potatoes as
was with the oranges. Several times we
went toward Hastings, the great potato
headquarters for this part of the coun-
try. There are hundreds of acres plant
ed and It would do the hearts of all
farmers good to see the stumpless, well
cultivated land where from three to five
years ago there were pines, scrub pal
metto and wiregrass! Yes this colony Is
an announcement to all those who
bought land under water for a more for
saken bit of land could never be found