The Punta Gorda herald., 1919-06-26
Sixty Years in Florida

y. u. leIlny lives at Fedefal
Point, on the St. Johns river, in
Putnam county, For many years
he has been the local correspond
ent of the Palatka Times Herald.
Besides detailing the news and
gossip of his little community, he
has regularly interviewer thots
worthy of place with the philos-
ophy of Thoreau, Emerson and
Burroughs, From lie Times
Herald of recent date, / quote the
following from one Of his contri-
buttons:
THE day your paper goes to
press (June 6th) | will be cele-
brating my eighty-ninth birthday,
and your readers may reasonably
expect great chunks of wisdom to
flow from my pen, but the facts
are, that | do not know as much
now as | thought | did when |
celebrated my fourteenth birth
day, The facts are that / have
only lived one day at a time. Ev-
cry day of the SO years has been
a new life. No two days have
been the same, and this world
with its mysterious qualities has
failed to reveal nearly all of it's
seorets so that | find myself today
wondering in amazement and un-
certainty.
Born among the mountains OF
Vermont, | have spent nearly six
ty years Of my life in Florida, and
to Florida | owe nearly all that |
am, and it may not seem, unreason-
able since my interests and de-
sires are centered here. When |
first appeared here ] found not
much but an unbroken forest. The
state had suffered from bad
name engendered through ignor-
ance. Even its climate was re-
Iputed to be unfit for human habi-
tation. The animosities engender-
ed by the War Between the
States deferred many people
from coming here and it has TAX
en- many years to overcome all
these false conceptions concern
| ing the fairest portion of our
great Republic. AS far as its
healthfulness my own experience
will refute all the conceited ideas
of the unhealthy conditions that
prevail here, as | have had but
one light attack of chills and few
er during all the years Of my resi-
dence here. The state is only be-
ginning to be recognized at its
true worth. The old bitterness of
many years ago is a feeling of the
past and | am rejoiced to say that
this state is OUTLYING the calum-
nies of the past and is coming into
| its own.
"This is one of the pleasures a
long life has given me. | have
tried to do my bit in the develop
ment of the state and the pros
perity Of my neighbors is suffi-
cicnt reward for all my labors and
efforts. "
Someone has said Of fine and
honorable old age, that it was the
childhood of Immortality. AS the
evening twilight fades away, the
sky is filed with stars, invisible
by day. Of our venerable friend
let me say with George wv. Curtis:
81 think that to have known
one good old man--one man, who,
through the chances and mis-
chances Of a long life has carried
his heart in his hand, like a palm
branch, waving all discords into
peace, helps our faith in God, in
ourselves, and in each other more
than many sermons.
By the smooth flowing river,
urder the orange and palm trees,
and near to mother earth, with |
flowers blooming in every month,
he has lived for nearly two gener-
ations as time is measured in the |
life of man. That more and still
aseful years may be his is the
wish Of friends and neighbors
who can say with Shakespeare:
ellis silver hairs will purchase us
a good opinion, and buy mems
voices to commemnd our deeds;
it shall be said his judgment ruled