The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-10-02
THE I'VE DID IT.
RUNNELS.

Florida 5 progress.
Runnels has only been in Florida
three months, but he's made more
noise than if he'd been a whole brass
band and here since the days Of the
food. And to hear Runnels tell 1t;
he knows all about Florida-especial-
ly the alleged mistakes we are max
ing-and he's here to make US behave,
and incidentally to stop the splendid
influx of good farmers and truckers
into our state.
We read in the Times-Union Of Fri
day Sept. 18th, that "Runnels has adj
dressed communications to a large
number of publications in the Moth
in which he undertook to warn small
wage earners and buyers against the
land sharks who hold out promise Of
extravagant incomes from five and
ten acres of land in Florida, in many
instances this land being located in
isolated spots and of worthless char
acter."
No less an authority than Prof.
Charles n. Mooney, of the United
States Bureau of Soils Washington,
on April 9th, at Palatka, made the
statement that there is not an acre
of worthless soil in Florida-that ev-
erv acre will grow some kind of 4
paying crop"
Runnels has his nerve to put him
self against a government soil ex-
pert on the value of Florida soil
Runnels, the newcomer.
But that's nothing for Runnels.
He's a wonder.
We would suggest that Runnels reg
ularly read Hon. Frank Harris Dali
" Banner. In a recent issue Of that
most reliable publication, Mr.. Metfert
widely-known and successful far
mer near Ocala 1--WE mention this be-
cause Ocala is not far from Gaines,
villey made the statement that he
picked out the poorest land he coulc
find and planted thereon peanuts that
brought him from $50 to SIS an acre
And the Banner has plenty of gooc
similar farming stuff daily.
Now that you know this, dear read
er, could you place any reliance OF
what Runnels says?
As to the isolated tracts of lane
that's bosh, too. If Runnels eve
corresponded with prospective buy
er of Florida land from the Nortl
he would know that these men ask
thousand and one questions-som
sound and some foolish. The frs
thing they want to know is how far i
the land for sale from a railroad
how far from water transportation
schools, churches, etc, and they wan
maps, too. These men are onto tn
game, and Runnels can't teach then
anything-not about Florida. If tn
facts are misrepreseHted and they &c
skinned they have all the correspond
ence and they have recourse to tn
law, and if entitled to damages, Ca
recover
The Gainesville board of trad
should at least have a secretary VIII
does not write from hearsay state
ments obtained from the knocker, bu
from personal knowledge. Runnel
could even learn much by carefuInes
and study. He should 90 into HI
subject thoroughly before going of
into a tantrum. Where ignoranc
is bliss It's folly to be wise" Run
nels has displayed not only ignoranc
of the true conditions in the Florid;
land game. but he has shown rockies
folly too.
Runnels warns the northerner abou
Gland sharks and land liars" Ii
says: "Some of our Florida friend
have grieved because WE drove tn
knife into these folks without reserve
WE had to do it. There was no othe
way when the honest people of Flor
da did not take effective steps to shu
off and punish the land liars who wi
steal a mans home. Now the Flor
da people are awake and they ca
do effective work"
1--WE drove the knife into them!
In other words Runnels drove tn
Florida people to it, Ell?
And drove the knife into who, Rur
nels?