The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-07-30
0. c. LANPHEAR Sees
GREAT FUTURE AHEAD
Of LAKELAND

his paper rs III TeCclpt VI TIC loi-
lowing interesting letter from Mr.. o.
G. Lamphear, of Gatesburg, Ills, who
has large property interests here.
Mr.. Lanphear says:
Tuesday brought the News, (your
weekly paper), and If Tuesday fails
to perform this duty regularly every
one around this Office knows about
it, for the week couldn't be we'll
started without the contents of the
News being soaked in to spice up the
rest Of the days. And we need the
spice here now for it's hot and dry.
In the current issue, July II, page
/, under headlines "3O Acre Grove
Young Trees Sells for $45,O00," is an
item that is especially interesting to
me. For, I bought that same 80
acres Of land in May, 1910 for not
thousands Of dollars but for only a
few hundred dollars. And at that I
was counseled by some of the old set
tiers and earnestly advised that 1t
would not pay to spend a dollar on
it, as the ground was absolutely
worthless; that nothing would grow
on It.
However, I'm given to taking a
chance on what appears good TO me,
so went ahead and had it cleared and
Put in garden condition. My vision
could see a beautiful orange grove
occupying that ground in few years;
the deep sand trail in front of it i'm
proved into good road and the adj
joining properties put into cultiva-
walton. How that has evolved we
now know and see.
Our velvet way passes the place go
ing to the south end OF the county
and all the surrounding property is
in groves. l have a kodak photo of
that 80 taken when l first went out
to start clearing, which will be in
teresting to the present owner.
Now, what I'm getting at is; that
this present sale at the price named
is but a fair sample Of the enhance.
ment of property in the Lakeland dis
trict during the past ten years; Meth
err is it speculative, the last man buy
ing got as much for his money us The
first. Here is the progression. II
May. 1910, this 80 acres was bought
by me for $500. I had it cleared
thoroughly grubbed, fenced and raised
a crop of watermelons that winter
Sold to G. A. thinner in March, 1911
for $2,400. Mr. thinner, in the sprinl
OF 1912, set 10 acres to grapefruit
and oranges; personally did all tn
work and cultivating for four year
or possibly only 8, and sold to Mr.
Silkett for $4,000, who set tn
other ten acres to fruit and sold tn
place to Mr.. Peter Peterson in tn
spring of 1919 for $4,000. Mr.. Pc
terson owning the place less than 81
months sells to Mr.. Curtner fC
, S45,00O and the last man got az muc
proportionate value Us I did.
The point is this: We're going tt
wards the top; people are coming
Lakeland because it always has bee
and now is the best all-around hon
place in the state You will remen
|, Der how a decade ago we used
use every effort to cinch every new
conner that came to town that v
thought would make a desirable cit
zen, and did everything to keep hi
except to hogtie and lock him III
The community spirit was stron
The idea was right, but the work W;
rather strenuous. Sand roads ever
: where-taking a good team to lig
surry to make four miles an hou
y There were kickers and howle
against every advance proposes
there are always those in every col
munity; fake land schemes to combs
and a lot of other little Amusement
to occupy our time. However, tn
were good days and we enjoyed ther
= AS we 60 up and down the count
we meet people who yet are in iou
l. whether Florida is one vast sand b
% or an alligator pond; whether "
y have to shoot the mosquitoes or C
u their heads off with an axe; wheth
. you dare venture out OF the hou
i, after sunset, for fear Of being he
y up; or when you lie down to sic
you will dissolve into shauele
n blubber before morning; who thil
n the sun is so hot IN summer tn
1