The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-08
To the Editor of the Times:

1 have had SO man, letters since ]
came here asking me about Florida,
ITS conditions. opportunities and pos.
sibilities. that l haNe decided l can
story in the Times. as all uf the in
qulrers seem to come from my old
friends among the Times readers.
II am not concerned i'll the sale OF
Florida lands and have no crouch
against North Dakota. so thai wha,
I say is more an answer to inquiry
than a dissertation upon this state.
apology for what follows.
In the first place. l want 10 say that
Florida Is not without its drawbacks.
The climate during the winter-or ut
least since l have been here-is ideal
about so to so above-and thu
breeze is balmy and gentle. The
changes of weather are not abrupt.
thermometer gets down to 80 above
not oelow-the old residents shiNer
as much as North Dakotans do when
II reaches that much below. III YOU
We're to add 10 tn" winter so4nperature
here the difference between what it is
in winter n summer in North Da-
koia-hout 12o degrecs-it would be
SO hot that the place about which the
preachers used to talk would he like
an ice house. However,. it is said
that it seldom goes into the COS in
the summer and sunstroke is I'm.
known.
People from the north suffer from
the heat even in winter until their
systems become adjusted to the chans-
eaten here-far less than in the
north-and other heat producing foods
seem to he automatically rejected by
the system-that is. there GEMS to
be no appetite for them. The fruits
and vegetables are less heat produce
ing than what We eat in the north,
and thus the body adjusts itself TO
the climatic conditions.
A number OF people have asked me
whether or not this state is a healthy
one. reply that it seems to be SO
except for colored people who COM
nit crimes. They seldom live long
after the commission. notice. too.
that people die here the same as else
where. but for those diseases wh:rh
are caused or aggravated by the rigor-
Gus Innate Of h north. the change
is worth more than medicine. Speak,
ing personally. l was not IN invalid,
neither did l study medical almanacs
20 find out If any Of the symptoms
fitted me. but the relief afforded from
rheumatism would amply compensate
for a trip and winter here. even if
there were no remuneration. One
thing I have noticed about northern
people - including myself - is that
when they hit this country they gorge
themselves with citrus fruits and the
sudden change from the meatier foods
produce a fevered condition that until
nature gets in balance, is decidedly
injurious. made the same mistake,
but discovered it in time to back u
and make the change gradually and
without rho DSIo1 poS,S1to Tho l4u,
altiture makes the system sluggish
and this in urn produces the laziness
for which the south is noted. How
ever, there are hustlers here. who can
hold their W with any from the
north and these are tho ones who
are taking the cream from Florida
opportunities.
Everybody wants to know about
the land. l did too. wanted to
know whether it was the foundation
for a fortune or the place to waste
energy and time. l. have learned
much about it in the two months I
have been here-more than I hoped
to know in a year. ! nave been for
newspaper that tells the truth
never served on any other kind-and
which brought me into touch with the
real estate conditions Of south F7ori-
da. as others not SO fortunately stu
ated would be. 1t Is easy. too, to see
land. Just let il become known that
are a prospective buyer. and you
can spend every hour Of the day in
the automobiles of the agents being
shown over the country.
1t Is an easy matter to be fooled
in Florida lands unless you are right
on the ground to look at it or have
someone who can he trusted to do 1t
for you. Florida has lands that are
worth $1,000 an acre. M others thai
are not worth ten cents. There are
millions Of acres of good land that
can be bought now for $50 and $40
an acre. and IL the right land is select
ed, 1t is a good investment. The $1,000
land I mentioned is celer, land and
the income per acre is more than the
cost. but It takes one to operate
a celery farm. 1t must be suh-'rri-
gated. to carry off the excessive sur.
face water in summer n supply the
requisite moisture in winter. The in
,vestment in lumber for bleaching
boards is heavy as we'll as the cost
OF setting the plants. Onion land is
while the expense of operating is not
Ordinary vegetable land that will
grow nearly all the vegetables to be
found In northern markets can be
purchased at about $40 per acre in
the raw state. 1t costs $50 to $25 to
clear and fence it and the first crop
Is not very. productive. After the
soil is exposed to the sun for a season,