The Palatka news and advertiser., 1914-03-27
CRESCENT CITY
GETS "A "R0AST"
Editor Of Florida Grower In.
+ teryiews a "Knocker" and
then SkIps Out.

Ger ADVERSE cOnQlJlonS l was so IN
toxicated over the charming location
that when l tried it my tongue trip
ped.
Crescent City had never been more
than a name to me up to this week. |
knew that there was sucn city up in
Putnam county, and that it was a
great citrus producer, but | had new
er received an invitation to visit it,
and never had any occasion to 60
there on business. Perhaps these
reasons are why it is still truly ru-
rail-"
Old, and yet SO new it has never
been discovered by the outside world,
is the story of Crescent City in Put
nam county. "Why," said one good
lady l met there" it is not even on
the map" and it is fact that it is
not on the railroad maps, because it
is rot on any railroad, being about
one and half miles away from Cres-
cent City Junction, where the packing
houses are located. When this was
called a junction, it was planned to
run a rail road into the city itself,
but the residents said NO." they
want to remain truly rural" and are
succeeding up to certain point"
[ once wrote to Crescent City ask
ing if it had a board of trade, and
when l learned that it had l naturally
supposed that it was working some
underground system of publicity, for
while | had never heard of Crescent
City being pushed it seemed that it
must be, for why else the board Of
trade. On this trip | found out why.
The board of trade is here to discour-
age people from coming, and elects
as its principal officers prominent men
who are satisfied with conditions as
they are, who do not want any change
and who keep down men who do want
to go ahead.
Here we find city with 1000 peo-
pie within its corporate limits that
has no newspaper, no moving picture
show, and (think of itD, no real es-
tate agent. No crash of traffic dis
turos the serenity of its residents, the
proud bossy walks serenely up the
main streets or on the sidewalks, dis
tributing her favors where she will,
unrebuked. The razor-back saunters
along unmolested, even admired and
respected, and when the moon is shin
light, and yet these people are pros
porous, live in fine homes and have
splendid orchards, and know how to
take care of them.
Crescent City is splendidly located
favored by nature in every way. In
sact, one could hardly plan better
setting. The country is rolling, the
city sits on hill, while to the north
with its encircling arms tapping over
and around to- the east and west, is g
crescent shaped lake which gives the
town its name, which is eighteer
miles long and five wide, connecting
by navigable waters with the st
Johns river, an easy run to Palatka OF
Jacksonville by small boat, or to the
Joys of the picturesque Ocklawaha
where many picnic parties go for 6
days run and outing.
At Crescent City, right in town anc
outside, we find continuous orchards
one after another, something rather
uncommon in Florida, where, as {
rule, they are widely scattered. Herr
it is more like California in this re
spect. Along the shores of the LAKE
are said to be five miles of continuou!
grove. This lake shore was original
ly hammock land, and there were
some wild orange trees there, the lane
back is of the high pine; strong lane
and fine for fruit, but not the bes
vegetable land. In fact, Crecsen
City raises few vegetables other thar
for home use. It's 1,500 acres o:
grove produced last year 100000 box
es of citrus fruit, and | am told tina
It is eXrected to total 100000 this sea
son, though | should think that def
mite data would be at hand, as owe
80 per cent of the crop has gone for
ward. Of the total citrus crop abou
5 ger cent is in grapefruit. | note'
quite few tangerine groves, and
believe that this is very Favorable
section for tangerines, as the fruit
tasted this week was very fine, Will
| know that in some localities furthe
to the south the tangerine is getin;
rather dry this late in the season.
This is he furthest point north il
Florida where fruit is grown in guam
. tity. l know there are many grove
north of here; but no large communi
ty groves. 1t is over 100 miles du
, north of Tampa, and yet was no
touched in any way by frost that wen
, as far south as Miami two weeks age
but which did not seem to hit the ives
coast at all. The residents claim tina
they are particularly immune fror
frost damage on account of location
also citing the statement of some at
thorities to the effect that the furthe
north citrus fruit can be grown, tn
better it is, which assertion will c
course be disputed, and the resident
are further convinced that nowher
in South Florida can groves be foun
to compare with theirs, and | have n
doubt that many residents of the ful
ther south will rise to say that tn
Crescent City people are not trave
erS.
What a charming place this coul
be made. Good roads would go
per cent toward the goal, for tn
roads are horrible, either sand c
poorly made clay, but even as the al
! to bobbed US over the ruts we coul
not help seeing what a fine citru
country it is, and, cheap! Why,
heard of one waterfront ten-acr
= six-year-old grove that could hay
; been bought at the beginning of til
= season, crop and all, for S4,00
The crop alone, should be worth thf
| every year after the next four CON
and go. l heard of another, ter
acre grove, thirty acres of other lam
house and all that sold for even les