The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-04-01
THE SCRATCH PAD
BIZ THOMAS EWlNe pAsNEY.
FIELD AND FOREST.

It's springtime on the hills and in
the dales of West Florida; the per
fume of new plowed land is in the air;
the corn is prodding through, the
forest is splashed with dogwood.
The grass is greening in the woods,
and dainty flowers-blue and yellow
and red-beckon the city man to get
close to the earth-to lie full length
on the velvet sward and gaze into
heavens inverted bowl.
have seen and inhaled and done
these things, and know whereof II
speak wonderful automobile trip
through Escambia and Santa Rosa
counties, hundred wonderful miles.
Escambia knew already; after see
ing Santa Rosa, am gladder than
ever l am of West Florida-no liter
airy pose, that, but sincere express
sion.
With dawn just a-tiptoe, we Jeff
Pensacola and spun through the brac-
ing spring air towards the Missing
Link, the ferry with which Sim Otis
maintains diplomatic relations be-
tween Escambia and Santa Rosa
counties. In the front seat, Smith
wick, ]. H., of the resonant laugh,
beguiled the time with anecdote; I
/ formed the modest sandwich between
Judge E. G. Maxwell and W. J..
Forbes. A snoke-no, not a smoke,
a light mist, dim cloud-was at the
wheel.
Of course the ferry was late
things usually are late. Sim Otis aft
EDWARDS apologized that he didn't
think a judge, lawyer, a business
man and newspaper man could get
up that early and asked how we man
aged it. We said, by getting up be-
fore breakfast. He said "Oh" and
in the tablets of my memory I wrote
down: Punctualfty is the thief of
| time.
viii never forget that ride to
Milton through the brilliant March
morning, and my first sight of that
pretty, substantial town, whose spirit
| is typefied by the splendid high
school building. Some day I'm going
back to write about Milton some
more, and get some more ham.
For you see, leaving without break
fast, felt equal to nail kegs by now.
To make it worse, Smithwick and
Forbes and the judge had taken a
goodly cargo aboard at a restaurant
before setting sail, and both looked
it and talked it.
Gimme some coffee and ham
plus" said I, 'Let 'em fly both ways"
1t was the biggest piece of ham l
have seen in ten years. Accustomed
to the city portions that look like a
saratoga chip, had to look twice be-
fore could see it at all. You would
have needed a panorama camera to
photograph it. 1t was as thick as
my hand and so large that the two
eggs on top were as the bulls eye to q
big target. 1t was gloriously rudy
and tender and juicy with just the
right amount of fat. There must be
good people in a town that serves
such sturdy portions of ham.
If the country had been beautiful
so far, it became positively radiant
now. The land was more rolling anC
of better quality. Not much is il
cultivation-the region has only beer
opened up within the last decade, AMI
is just emerging from the logginl
stage; but from what development
there is, one may easily foresee
splendid future. The soil is coffe
colored, of heavy texture, and under
laid by stiff clay foundation. Cor
is about six inches high and the agri
cultural work is Of an EXCEPTIONAL,
: high quality = burrows straight
, ground carefully smoothed-the prid
of work that means success.
We walked over j. NJ Holland
place in the Coldwater district-par
of it, that is, for he has 800 acres
i, And when we got tired we sat dow
on log and looked at a perf1ctA
good creek and listened to the chatte
' of the water. Mr.. Holland took grea
9 pride in showing US around; beside
general crops, he is developing cattl,
J. C. McRae, who lives a few mile
G from him, is operating $50 acre.
+ though he has great deal more Ian,
He, too, Is interested in live ssocl
We took dinner with him, but lingel
: ed so long over the festive board this
! there wasn't much opportunity |
look over the place-besides he ke,
us so busy with recounting his gos
troubles that we wouldn't have hs
! the chance anyway.
4 It seems that after driving 400 gi,
: dy goats to Milton the day before |
, ship to Tennessee, he found that Il
r veterinarian designated by the sta
/ board of health to give the certificat
was not qualified, and had been bur
ing the wires ever since trying
get a veterinarian somewhere, Il
: goats, goatettes and COATES beir