The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-12-18
The Florahome Drainage.
Editor Palatka News:

In your issue of the 18th inst, re-
ferring to Florahome drainage, you
publish the following:
"For long time there has been a
feeling among the people of Flora
home that the work so far done on
the canal was not of a character de-
signed to afford them the relief from
water which the drainage district was
organized to counteract. The work,
they said, let the water from above
into the muck lands and made no pro-
vision for letting it out.
"Some have even gone so far as to
voice the opinion that the plan of
work so far followed was by design
and had for its purpose the driving
out of the yankees" who had ac-
quied property interests in district
which formerly was used as cattle
and hog range, and for which pur-
poses it would be ruined in case the
drainage project proved success.
Anyway the work has not met with
the approval of the land owners of
the district"
Now Mr.. Editor, l don't know who
furnished YOU with this information,
but | am free to say that it eminated
from an impure heart and an uncul-
tured brain. And it is as untrue as
many other things are that are be-
ing said about drainage, and | think
you were off your guard when You
allowed it to go in your paper, for
such rot and false statements only
tend to hurt a community and the
feelings of those who are trying to
work together for good.
There is no feeling between the
."cracker" and the yankee" except
the minded and mischief max
ing class, that are no more desired
here than elsewhere. The yankee"
or anyone else is welcome here if he
behaves himself, and the other class
is not desired even though he be a
Cracker"
The work done by the dredge is
satisfactory to all except the kickers;
it is what the dredge has not done
that caused the dissatisfaction
among the reasonable people.
A large amount of the money has
been wasted surveying and re-survey-
ing, and delays in many ways. Poor
management, paying men to do moth
ing, to go to work when they get
ready and knock off the same way.
There has never been a hustler on
the job. AS to the water the boat
brought down, it is as untrue as the
assertion that no provision had been
made to let it off. The water the
boat let down never hurt anybody,
and the boat was headed for the out
let and is taking it out as fast as it
can under the present management.
And the unnecessary petition which
brought about the injurious item will
not cause it to go any faster.
l am the cow man that the insult
is headed at, and there is not "yan-
kee" or anyone else that can or will
say that | ever mistreated him be-
cause he was not a cracker. | own
more cattle in the district than any
other man, and | have never done the
drainage or the yankee" any harm,
of ever opposed his coming here to
make it his home, but have encour-
aged it. | have lost more cattle by
their falling into the canal than any
other person; it has run into the
thousands of dollars, and l have new
err cussed the yankee" for it yet. |
have never murmured at any loss,
nor at the coming of the yankee"
have always tried to be broad-mind-
ed enough for my interest to stop
when it conficted with the progress
of others, and | stand ready to take
my cattle off the range when the
people are ready to cultivate it. |
advocated the present plan of drain
age and | believe then as | do now
that it was for the best if it is ever
put on business basis. | had moth
ing to do with where they put the
boat, nor the management of it, all
of which | am accused of by the
narrow-minded kickers who had
rather create a bad feeling than a
good one. The falsehoods and in
famous gossip that has been circu-
lated on the good people and good
lands of Florahome is a shame and
a crime that the Lord looks on with
a frown.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l am not writing
this for the purpose of airing myself,
but to give the facts, and to ask you
as a friend to be careful and not stir
up the feeling that existed between
the north and the south during the
sixties. That feeling should have
been buried at Lees surrender; and
if we do anything, let us give one sad
look over the loss of So many thoIIS