Middletown transcript., 1912-09-21

took back what we did not use in camp,
(their own offer) and treated US just as
though they were dealing with regular
customers whose trade they were court
ing.
As to Mr.. Tandy, the dry goods man,
we all fell in love with him, especially
the ladies of the party. We went into
his store to buy some fifteen cent straw
bats (the big VIII, at straw hats farmers
use here in DeIaware) and the clerk
showed US some hats at fifty cents each,
saying they were the kind people used
thereabouts. With some little irritation
in the voice of the ladies, who thought
they knew what they wanted, said they
would not pay so much for hats to wear
only two weeks and then throw away,a and
were about to start out when Mr. Tandy
came up and in gentle voice reexplained
what the clerk had already stated, began
to talk of Winter Haven, kindly offered
to show US some photographs of Views( be
had big pile of them in his store) of the
town and vicinity and offered, also, if we
had time, to take US to one of the prettiest
places about the town. Then he went
with US to see the place, introduced US to
the owner, fine old gentleman who has
a home that must be like a paradise in
winter; stayed with US an hour or two
aiding us in seeing Winter Haven, and
giving US many fine points as to land
values, and why; and then as we walked
back toward his store kindly offered to
take US out in his auto obile and show
US his country place, and some other
famous groves; all in most gentlemanly,
| kindly way imaginable. Two hours of
| his time we had used by this time, under
his benevolent guidance; and as we now
reached his store, with the offer of the
automobile still before US, the one who
had thought straw hats at fifty cents en-
tirely too high whispered in my ear 81
think we better buy the hats Don't you?"
Rain presented our getting the promised
automobile ride, but rain not even Florida
rains, can wash out the pie easing impress
sion made upon us all by Mr.. Henry
Tandy.
Then there was Banker Il wish 1
could recall his name) to whom Mr.. Col
lins introduced us. He very kindly al
lowed us to place the iewelry and cash
in the vaults of his bank while we were
in camp, and cashed checks for US stran-
gers without money and without price"
And the next Sunday, when l went to !
the cosy little Methodist Episcopal |
Church, South, to worship, there found |
my Banker friend blowing the cornet in |
Sunday School. and also in the regular |
church services. When l found how
active he was in church was not surpris
ed how kind he had been to US pilgrims. |
And heard that day an exposition OF
the General Rules of Methodism by the /
pastor of the local church, Rev. Mr.. |
Glazer, that for honest candor and sincere |
courage and conviction l have never |
heard surpassed. None of the Methodist |
Fathers, of whom all branches of Metho-
dsm boast, ever spoke more courageously |
for what he believed was right aud truth
than did brother GIazer that day. l was
only too glad to accept his cordial invita-
ton to preach for him that night; for ]
know just how minister enjoys hearing
a sermon occasionally from lips other
Al IL or mo
as live man. And so must be the minis
ter OF the Baptist Church, for l was not
in Winter Haven forty-eight hours, as l
afterward learned, before he had called at
the hotel to see me, and invite me to wor-
ship with him on Sunday; but we were
in Camp on the day naned.
So : have had to revise my estimate of
Winter Haven From the dead town of
few years ago there is now live town
with electric lights, with two large pack
ing houses, with excellent stores, with
much paved streets (some hundreds of
feet were laid while we were in camp,
and with an outlying country that
betokens prosperity and happiness.
And what has made the dead town
into this live modern one? Que
word tells the story, cooperation. Every
man | talked with talked for Winter
Haven. Every man met let me plainly
understand he wanted to help me. The
railroad agent Mr.. Cameron did several
favors for me, fsvors such as any railroad
man can do, and yet be fair to his Com
pany, and did so so cheerfully that you
saw that be had the Winter Haven spirit
while Mr.. Fuller and his good wife de-
voted several hours to giving me infor-
nation that was very helpful indeed to
one in my position. l believe other
towns might proftably learn the lesson,
and by seeking to help others would find
they are really helping themselves.
But all my pleasant recolections of
Winter Haven run back to one place; the
two hundred dollars and more we spent
there were spent there because of one
event; the buying of the farm by my
nephew and sister, and their making per-
manent settlement there, all grew out of
the same apparently small thing; and
that was, that one day early last spring,
when the frosts and mists were still in
our northern air, a cherry postmaster,
away down in the land of sunshine, sent
me song of good cheer as bright and as
hopefully helpful as ever a mockingbird
sang in one of his own orange trees, in
that last line of his letter, IF can do 6
anything in any acay to help yOu IN planning
for yotT trip just command me, and 1t WU {
be a pleasure to serre yoat" Blessings on
him, for ever and a day!
We have one car of Pure Fultso
Medterrean Seed Wheat. Absolutely
free of Smut and Garlic.
S. B. FoARD
Middletown, Del.