Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1915-12-25
FROM SOUTHLAND
C. w. Bush Writes From ST. Cloud,
Florida Condition There not
to his Liking
ST.. CLoup, Florida. Dec. 10. 1915

finally landed in sunny Florida. We
enjoyed the trip immensely, and especi-
ally in Dixie land have met with many
new scenes as well as many surprises.
One surprise being the small percentage
of the laad in the southern states, Flor
ida in particular, that is in actual culti-
tiyation. am told about eight per cent.
| But, of some three hundred miles we
have travelled in Florida the eight per
cent we think would stand being divided
by two or possibly by yet another sub
division. And this state having the old
est town IN the Union would suggest
that there is something wrong some
where, either with the people, the soil
or the climate. ! will not venture an
opinion until after becoming more ac-
quainted with conditions. However,
having promised several people in and
near Custer / would write them as to
what l thought of Florida, will iot down
few OF the things which we have
noticed.
Jacksonville is the first town of note
in Florida through which we came. We
stopped over couple OF days in this
city, which is situated near the mouth
of the st. Johns river This is beau
tiful city and has an extremely nice
location. One can not help but notice
the contrast between the narrow, traffic
crowded streets, of many of our cities
farther to the north and the broad level
streets of Florida's metropolis. And the
palm and many other trees with which
the streets are studded, together with
the many flowers in almost every yard
add beauty that is indeed pleasing to
diately surrounding Jacksonville con-
tributes but little to its wealth but the
city being the natural gateway to the
greater part of Florida, and being so
conveniently situated on this river that
is navigable for quite large vessels,
which are continually arriving laden
with fruits and vegetables and other
products of the south, give it an enviable
position.
The country through which we travel
ed for some thirty miles to the north
and for about that distance to the south
of Jacksonville is very low and swampy.
There are but few inhabitants living in
this part, and what few there are are
mostly colored people. The main in
dustries in this part of the country seem
to be, in order of Importance; first, the
gathering of turpentine from what they
call the long leaf pine; second, manu-
featuring of timber into railroad ties
lumber, etc. and third, the raising of
cattle, if indeed this business is sufi-
ciently developed to be called an indus
try. The most of the timber is pine,
but little of which is over a foot in
diameter, much of this, within sight of
the railroad at least, has been turpen-
tined to death as the method CT obtain
ing that product is by barking and cut
ting somewhat into the sappy portion Of
the tree strip several feet in length by
eight or ten inches in width, and the
larger trees have a similar spot hewn
from opposite sides of the tree. The
sap is caught in small vessels which in
turn are emptied into barrels and down
to the station for shipment to refneries.
The cattle are of an inferior, rough,
dull colored Jersey looking breed, the
largest of which, that we saw, weigh
scarcely six hundred pounds. Western
cattlemen, that have spent considerable
time investigating, think there are great
possibilities in the cattle business, es.
peciatly in the south central portions of
the state.
About the first We seen of the citrus
culture of any note was some forty miles
south Of Jacksonville, and there was
from there on occasional groves Of
orange, tangerenes, grapefruit and lemon
trees. On nearing St. Cloud banana
trees mostly in small garden plots,
made their appearance. Pineappes
seem to do we'll here All of the above
fruit are just beginning to ripen. II
there is any money in the fruit business
here in the south there is no end of land
seemingly as good as that which is now
in cultivation tha. awaits the hand of
the tiller.
/ said at the beginning of my letter
that would not venture an opinion,
but there is one thing feel safe in say
inK; many parts of the West are spoken
of as being sandy loan, but all / have
seen of Florida might be spoken of as a
sand without the loan. Just simply
sand and with nothing but more sand
for subsoil, or in other words this sand
has no bottom to it, and because of the
teaching process which will be contirn-
ally going on under such conditions
there must be frequent additions Of
fertilizer OF some kind or other TO take
the place of that which has been carried
to such depth as to be no longer avail
able for plant life.
st. Cloud, which is less than six years
old, has population of about five thous-
and, and is located on the south side of
East Lake Tohopikaliga, which lake is
about seven miles across, and / am told
that this with various other lakes which
are near abound in fish. Hope to soon
oe able to voucn for the last statement.
st. Cloud is called an Old Soldiers
town, which indeed it is as several hun