The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-11-27
Chadman Wakes From Long Sleep.


PUNTA GoRDA, FLA, Nov. %, 1912.
The winter season is here and we are in
the midst OF the spring planting. Oh,
this farming in the winter is fine. For
the past six months people in southern
Florida have, in mea sure, loafed about
and waited for the long moist summer to
fall so that they could get their crops in.
Already the potatoes are up, cucumbers
are In blossom, and lettuce fields are
ready for the trsnsplan ing of the plants.
time and straw berries will soon be ready
to ship. This is the country of perennial
green. No deciduous trees here, and no
falling OF leaves. One season merges into
another perceptbly and without any
external change in the appearance of ma
ture. 1t is sad to think that the entire
winter will pass without a single soul
falling on the icy sidewalk, and without
hope OF opportunity of grabbing up a
handful of snow and ramming 1t down
your best girls back.
Oranges and grape fruit are turning
yellow. have been feeding off the
heavily laden trees standing in the rear
of this hotel for a month past, but the
fruit was green. You got some of our
green citrus fruit up north during Octo-
ber, and likely you-all read of the scrap
the independent growers had with the
members of the Fruit Exchange. Some
of the growers pulled the fruit and
shipped it before the redolence of the
orange blossoms had left the trees. 1t
put me IN mind of the time when num-
ber of us boys in Center county clim bed
into Tommy Custer's cherry trees, and
that worthy gentleman came out and
asked us "If de blossets hat come off dem
trees yet"
am satisfied this Punta Gorda region
is the finest in the state of Florida. 1t is
just iu the making and the makers will
reap bountifully. There is plenty of land
yet to be had here and what surprises me
is the indifference of the northern people
in regard to it. Good land can be had at
$40 an acre within a mile or so ofa town,
and or miles out at $40, and even less
OF course it costs something to clear the
land and drain. But there is timber on
all of it-timber that is worth twice what
the land costs. AS roads are made and
county bitches put through the land ad-
vances to S35 and $50 an acre.
Homesteaders come here carrying their
earthly belongings in paper sack. They
come to stay because they can't get back.
Ths weather is so mild all the year that,
no mater when they come, they sleep out
of doors until they get rude shack built
Then they clear small patch and put in
garden truck. They collect few chick
ems and couple "hawgs" and let them
roam. One man told me it cost him 81, SO
to bring up his family of eight. They can
catch fish and pick guavas all the year
round, and that is all the simple-life
livers need. OF course they miss some of
the thrills of city life. and they are with
out telephone in the sitting room, such
as your Buttermilk patrons haye the Joy
of possessing. Even in the towns here
when you ring man on the phone, you
will Immediately get responses from all
the residences OF the ward in which he
resides. This arrangement suits the
women very well, and they strenuously
oppose any attempt to change it.
What would you think of 81 days of
steady sunshine and 81 nights OF brilliant
stars and varying moon? That is exact
~ what we have had here to date and
there is no indication of a change. The
temperature is around so in the day time
and 20 at night. One or two nights were
slightly cooler, just right for slumber. l
am satisfied that there is no place on the
globe with climate superior to this part
of Florida. | have been here almost a
year now, and l have discovered that
the monotony of a good thing pals,
just as continuous adyersity dlscourages,
aud sometimes wish that, for day at
least, was back in that dear old North
ern Ohio where, about this season Of the
year, before leaving the house, you hunt
up those wrist warmers, that pair of ear
mulllers, and that neck scarf, and then
get into oil the heavy clothes you can find
hanging around.
WALLACE CHADMAN.
Clarion State Normal School.