The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-17
BELLE OF THE BUNCH
Continued from First Page

lians in Florida-you will find re-
urn ticket in his pocket.
And why should Floridians not be
in Florida considering her
advantages OF climate, natural OPP
portunities and progressive citizen
ship.
| will give some specific reasons
why Florida has so long been neg
lected and her advantages so slow in
receiving recognition abroad /
She has been yariously nisrepre-
scented. First as a swamp an later
as a sand bank.
The swamp fallacy was originated
by the government surveyors report
ing much good land as swamp. All
OF this supposed swamp land was lat
er ceded to the state by the general
and it is now we'll
known that large quantities of fine
lands thus passed to the ownership
of the state.
The sand bank idea gained cur
rency from the fact that much of the
best lands were taken up prior to
the advent of the railroads, and the
appropriations for building these
were made from the poorer lands.
1t was of course natural for the rail-
roads to build thru railroad lands,
and thus the flying tourists of the
early days rushed thru the state see
ing her at her worst and reporting
accordingly. 1t is sufficient to cite
the fact that the soil of Florida is
now being shipped all over the world
10 fertilize the soils of other coun-
tries. Eighty-one per cent Of all
the phosphate produced in the Unit
ed States in 1911 was mined in
Florida.
To give one instance showing how
misunderstood and underrated Flor
ida has been some of these lands
sold by the state to Hamilton Dis
ston for % cents an acre have been
found TO be worth from $50 to $50
an acre Some OF it contains 5000
to 10000 tons of pebble phosphate
per acre worth from 50 to So per ton
net at the mines. At last, however
the true Florida is coming to the
front.
While California has for years
been battering the eastern mind and
eyes with the evidences of her fitness
Florida has never made any organic
ed cooperative effort to make her adj
yantages known excepting spasmod-
ically at the various expositions, and
/ sometimes then in a very half
hearted way.
One night in Cleveland years age
| | heard a great voice sounding from
| the Superior viaduct, and looking
| about, | soon discovered that it was
the voice of california on Wheels
| There was a whole TRINIDAD of Cali
| fOrnia products attractively display
/ ed, actually carried to the people
who had not come to her. But WheT
| did Florida ever send out so mucl
as a wheelbarrow with her product
for show purposes except to the ex
positions as already stated!
1t is about an even drawn between
California and Florida, which cal
teach the other, for each can Learn
much from the other One thin:
California will have to go to Florid
for is, to learn how to plant orang
and lemon trees. California citr.
growers do not begin to appreciat
the appalling loss they suffer ever
year from the improper planting O
) their trees.
On the other hand, Florida ha
already come to California an
learned the art of cooperative pack
} ing and marketing of her fruits
But let us put California on motto
! that Florida is still in her swaddlin
} clothes and when that infant puts o
, long dresses, California will have t
. be everlastingly en- her sweetest bt
. havior- if she expects to be the bell
! OF the sisterhood of states
Carnival of the States
The directorate of the Federatio
OF the state and provincial organize
tons of Southern California, consis