The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-02-26
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY rs, 1914.
Editor Harris On
The Old And the New.

The Jacksonville Times Union re-
Gently contained the following para
graph:
Are we to understand that it would
be Paradise Regained" If Ocala could
return 70 the day when she had "a
population of five hundred, no bank
two tannsries, four cotton gins and
Marion county had thousands of acres
of State and Government lands open
to entry If so, why demand Mod
ern Progress which involves a Par
adise Lost?
This little paragraph prompted Ed
ftor Frank Harris of the Ocala Ban
ner TO open an old memory casket and
draw from its musty depths the follow
ing beautiful picture-gem OF the olden
days:
The above awakens to memory the
dim and distant past, and we behold
a vision.
Many things troop before us.
We see as in a picture film a scene
"a plantation" a name then hateful
to- many persons living across an i'm
aginary boundary line. but most sweet
and glorious to those who possessed
one.
We see in this film picture of the
big house possessed of all the COM
forts and luxuries that virtuous and
discriminating taste could suggest or
well-filled purse purchase.
We sea the mother and the grand
mother busy with the management of
, the little kingdom, the male members
/ of the family having some time since
deceased.
In the little kingdom" there is
everything complete even to an apothe-
cary outfit including the blood letting
lances," the pneumonia cups "jollips
and ipecac." and "sheep sherum tea"
AS the reel continues we see a saw
mill with q grist mill attached,
q blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, a
tannery ana shoe shop, a dairy hid
away under the hill near the spring;
spinning wheel and loom: barns and
stables, horses and carriages, cattle,
hogs. sheep and goats.
We see some distance away, what
is termed the quarters" There are
at least Fifty of them. They are built
so as to form circle. Each cabin is
surrounded with a little yard. On the
sides and rear are patches of cotton
and tobacco. in front fruits and
flowers. In the center is the house of
worship where the word OF God is
taught. The slaves themselves con-
duct the services-preach and eXhort.
As a rule they are very religious.
The mill is run by water power.
Everything is busy. The logs are sawed
into lumber and the corn is ground
into meal. The forge is giving forth
its sparks and the workmen are busy
building houses, making wagons and
plows, tanning leather and making
shoes and the work-women are card
ing cotton, making thread and weav-
ing cloth. They not only weave the
cloth but they make the rugs and the
carpets.
There s no kingdom nor principality
in Europe more complete. There is
song. and mirth and laughter, all OF
which betokens JOY and contentment.
There is no want nor the fear of
want. The sick are ministered unto
and the aged and decrepit are cared
for as members of a household.
The big house is not n dream of
happiness, but is happiness itself.
There are Weekend parties and every
thing to make life deligh 'ul. There
are carriages and horses and man
servants and maid-servants to meet
and crafty every beck and call and
want.
We go to the courts and the spec
tacle is entirely different from those
of the present day. We see no cloud
of black faces in the criminal dock.
Nowhere throughout the borders of
the state are there any chain gangs,
convicts camps, penitentiarieS and
that monster of evil, Judge Lynch.
Sometime has elapsed and we see
another vision.
The conditions that made the pic
ture of this little kingdom" and many
mere just like it. possible all over the |
South, has beer destroyed, but the feel |
ing of sympathy between the rulers |
and the subjccts-master and slave
are still cordial and both go hopefully |
to work to make the most under the |
new order of things.
The ''old plantations are allotted into |
farms and some are farmed on shares. |
Cotton commands a big price and |
passes current coin. The factors in
the big cities extend a. line of credit |
to the country merchants and the
country merchants in turn extend the |
same favors to the plantation owners
and homesteaders and the music OF
labor and the fruit of toll again bless
the land.
In the next picture the scene
changes. The farms are abandoned
A rush is made for the cities Strikes
begin. We are visited by "hobos'' and
weary willies." Banks fail We hear
Of bread lires' and want and the
fear of want, like the gaunt wolf he