Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1912-10-25
WRITES FROM FLORIDA

Former Hot Springs Couple Send interesting
Letter.
MIR. and Mrs. Lew Young, who are at
Palmdale. Florida, sent a very interest
ing letter to the Star, which we give be-
low: Palmdale, Fla, Oct. 16. 1912.
Star, Hot Springs, 9. D.
Dear Sir:
l thought it would be of interest to
some of your subscribers to know the
exact conditions of this part of Florida
as number of them hold contracts for
land here the same as ourselves.
The land is fine to look at and is of
the same character as that on which
we have seen magnificent orange and
grapefruit groves.
The present season has been an ex-
ceptionslly rainy one and l can say
that the land is not swsmpy for if it
had been the whole of it would have
been covered with water. which is far
from being the case, although there is
low spots that have not been dry since
We have been here.
want the people to understand the
conditions "that prevail here at the
present time" for obtaining goods and
transportation of same and the cost of
improving and clearing their land.
First Palmdale is reached by way of
Arcadia which is forty-five miles across
the prairie and the costs of automobile
hire is twenty-five dollars per day. The
cost per day for team hire is five dol.
lars and you have to pay for the round
trip which takes from three to three
and one half days for the trip for a load
of about sixteen to seventeen hundred
pounds.
Lumber is fourteen dollars per thou
sand at the mill and is rough stuff that
is wet and will weigh about four pound
to the square foot, Eight hundred feet
is big load and at the. rate of five dol
lars day for the team (they can make
one trip day. makes your stuff cost
over twenty dollars per thousand.
1t costs about sixty Ave dollars for
enough hog tig four foot wire fence
for ten acres.
Labor is two dollars and fifty cents
per day when you can get it.
Five dollars per acre for ploughing
after the land has been cleared of
palmetto IL there is any on the tract
The cost of provisions and groceries
is about the same as at Hot Springs.
Those thinking of coming should
take all of the above figures as the
bottom prices at which they can get
start at the present time which is in
addition to the costs Of seed and fertil.
izer and orange and grape fruit trees.
l have given you all the costs as they
are under the present conditions; will
try to make it e little brighter by giving
some of the prospects,.
We will complete bridge across
Fisheating creek this week that will
give US communication with Labelle.
which is only fifteen miles from here
and thereby cutting in half the expense
of transportation.
The railroad although not positive is
expected to get pretty close to US this
winter.
The people like ourselves who have
come early will stay and by starting
garden patches will be able to supply
those who come later with the things
we have to go without ii fresh vegeta.
bles.)
believe in the future of this land
and am going to stick although see
lots of hard work and very small re-
turns for few years but feel conf
dent that the future will reward me
for every cent put into this venture
and all my work.
Respectfully,
Louis and Mollie Young.
per Lew Young.
The weather here is balmy and the
flowers are blooming every where.
The Star Printsry does all kinds of
FANCY and commercial Printing. Give
Us trial order.