The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-10-02

Florida to entrap the innocent farmers
of the north and west.
This young man undoubtedly means
well, but his zeal has eaten his judg-
ment. He has been advertising our
supposed wickedness in the northern
papers, instead of doing his part to
locate and punish the wicked-to
"brush the mud from his own door
step"
Secretary Folsom of the Palatka
board of trade, noting the activities of
this young man, has written him a
kindly letter of admonition, which we
trust will do him good. Mr.. Folsom S
letter was as follows:
Mr.. F. NJ Runnels,
Secretary Board of Trade
Gainesville, Florida
Dear Mr.. Runnels:-
| note the Gainesville correspond
ent of the Times Union says you have
been writing to Northern papers warn
ing the small wage carriers to avoid
the Gland sharks" and "land liars" Of
Florida. There has been good deal
q that sort of thing attempted in tn
past, and it has had much to do in re-
tarding the growth of the State. 70
repeat at this time, when things look
good for the coming of more people
than ordinary, owing to unusual con.
ditions, must aruse suspicious and
keep people away. | have had long
experience in the Northwest, and on
! the Pacific coast, and heard the cry
against "land sharks and wind-swept
and snow covered deserts" and it de-
layed the settlement Of now splendidly
developed states.
Men are lying in wait to do Their
fellows, everywhere, New York, Chi
ago and all the large cities are infeSt.
cd with men eager to take undue I'd
vantage of others, but it is not deem
ed necessary G.. the part Of the news
papers to constantly warn visitors
that the "bogy man" is ready t.
catch them at the first corner.
Every insinuation sent north from
Florida about land sharks and liars
means in my humble opinion, the
movement of settlers and investors
to California ard other states wherc
the people cleaned up things on thel1
doorsteps, without advertising the
existence of bad men and questionable
methods.
No doubt there has been a gooc
deal of blue sky in Florida advertise
ments. but it is being toned down
right along, and now to renew thu
scare in the north, cannot remedy tht
evil where it exists here. The opln
ion is widespread in the north tina
Florida is sandy waste, with snakes
alligators, sharks and liars in evidence
always, and a believer only needs t.
point to newspaper articles inspired b!
your letters, and to say 81 told yol
So" To generalize is to create doubt
Who are the land sharks? Have you
a list of them? Who are their vic
tins? Have you list of them? W.
have courts to punish wrong doing
II YOU know of any of these fellow
and can make horrible examples o
them YOU will do better than to mud
DIV the pool and cast suspicion on ev
ervbody in the business. Some 0
our Florida land men are now adver
Using in Northern newspapers. Goo
or bad, they are going to suffer iron
the effects of your declarations.
Arouse local sentiment and punls
come Of these alleged swindlers, al
lit viii do mole good tan to Great
doubt and suspicion elsewhere ancu
cur state and its land men, some o
whom are not angels, but there ar
inst as many honest ones here IN pro
, portion as in Texas or California 0
, North Dakota.
The post office department bulletin
, the names and business and denies tn
use of the mails to swindlers NOV
if YOU know of land swindlers TAX
il up with the post-office department
and its agents will investigate, then
t | appreciate the fact that the dc
, sire to reform the world bobs up cor
= stantlv somewhere. The young cor
: vert to religion sees sin lurking on a
) sides and as a self appointed guar
| dian of the public veal gets muItIIC
5 iquent over it. To some folkS wa
5 street is a den of thieves and Cor
| gress made up of grafters.
am writing you in all candor, an
hone YOU will accept it in the splrl
I feel. People have suffered loss !
Florida from buying something the
, didn't know anything about Just a
they have New Jersey sands and WI
Cinia hillsides. Kansas, NebrasK
and Other western states suttere
! from storms of alleged organized vi
lianv of land men-the same Klnd Q
stuff you are handing out.
HOLY Writ abounds in warning
= AGAINST snares set by the wicked t
Il nd Innnppnf
Good Book also has its pronounce
, ments against war, and now LOOK 1,i a
the Christian nations of Europe. IN
best thing for men to do is to col
rect evils at home. AdVertlslh
them abroad will not do it.
Prof. Charles N. Mooney, who mad
the soil surveys of Alachua and Put
nam counties has said there is n
worthless land in Florida and ever
L acre can be made to produce some
thing with the right man and the righ
crop" =,
things right, where wrong is perpe
trated. and not sweepingly condemn
The wolf in sleeps clothing is foun
in the church, but the church is nc
= condemned on that account In
occasional crooked deal in lend an
! other things will continue in tlorldi
and elsewhere, whenever the occasion
al crooked man has chance to pG
one off. There are growers IN Tn
state who say the Florida Citrus ES
$ change is a bunch of holdups. Their
d are men who couldn't see a PLAIN 1a'
with a battleship search light shlnln
! all over it.
think, my dear Mr.. Runnels, 20
: have your foot on the wrong pe9dS
: md discord will be the result, CT
derstand that am not condemn
: wrong, but the thing you complal
y of should be corrected here and nc
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