Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-02-16

Tampa. Fla.
Feb. s, 1912
TO Editor of Recorder,
Monterey, Va.
Thinking that letterfrom Florl-
ola may be of some interest to my
Highland friends | shall try in Il
brief way to give my impressions
of the Sunny South"
ileft Highland on the Goth, of
October and began migrating grad
uaEly for the South. sMy first stop
being at Fincastle, Va, remaining
here one month; from there | went
to Hendersonville, N c., a city of
about ten thousand inhabitants,
and possibly one of the healthiest
cities in the world. where spent
two weeks; from Hendersonville |
came to Gainesville, Fla, and at
tended the Florida Conference NJ.
+. Church South, and was appoint
ed by Bishop E. Z. Hoss, to High
land Ave. and Port Tampa. So |
am now in the midst of the thriy-
ing and prosperous city of Tampa,
city of about sixty thousand in
habitanls. Tampa is situated on
Tampa Bay, on the West coast CT
Florida which leads out into the
great Gulf of Mexico.
| For its size Tampa is one of the
! wealthiest cities in the Union. being
a railroad center as we'll as a ship
ping port Is also q marketing
lace iir the truck farmer. The
finest aud most costly hotel here
was built few years ago at a cost
of five million dollars. 1t is a beau
,ty too. Tampa is also tourist
/ city: it is estimated that there are
now in this city twenty-five thous-
and tourists from the North.
! But Highland is the farming
coHn'rv. Land and cattle is what
will concern most people in these
parts. Florida is no grazing coun-
| try, the land is mostly white sand.
and will not grow our fine blue
grass. Yet cattle are raised in
abundance. They are turned out
when mere calves to make. their
OWN way, no feeding necessary.
Hogs are let 60 in the same way
and run wild.
There is more money in scientific
truck farming than in any other
occupation here. If properly cared
for a crop can be kept growing the
year round. Seldom do we have
a killing frost.
know of one man within eigh-
! teen miles of this city who cleared
something over nineteen thousand
dollars from truck farm of forty
one acres, last year. Florida has a
bright future, Horace Greeley said;
young men go West" say young
men come South.
+ | consider the climate of Florida
perfect. We have had few little
frosts this winter, but no damage
done whatever. Some days it is
cool enough to have a little fire,
but usually this winter has remind
ell me very much of June, in High
land. we nave all kinds of garden
vegetables in abundance. I ate
strawberries right from the patch
a month ago. Of course it is not
necessary for me to mention the
fruits, such as oranges, lemons,
pine apple, banana and the guava.
These are as familiar the year round
as the apple in Virginia. But we
have no apples in Florida only as
they are shipped here. We get
them for thirty five cents per peck.
The summer, in and about Tam
pa are not so hot as in Virginia; the
general average is about IS and
seldom more than 90 in the shade.
The people of Florida are from
every state in the Union, and as a
general thing, people of means, ed
!ucation and refinement. But we
are now having a large per cent of
immigrants from Cuba and Spain.
These are adding but little to the
country, but paupers and criminals
At least that is true in Tampa.
| am more than glad that | came
to Florida. | have regained my
health, the principal cause for my
coming South, and was fortunate
in getting a good appointment. l
have two churches which pay me
a salary of twelve hundred dollars,
per year, and the easiest charge |
ever served. My wife and | both
like it, and have had better health
than ever before in our lives.
Well, Mr.. Editor, I suppose this
is about all the space you care to
allow me at one time, so will try
and give you another letter in the
moor f1t,1re Resnectfully.