The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-09-27
BY j. K. SIMMONS


SACRAMENTO, Calf, Sept-In
a previous letter. told you OF having
come nearly 5000 miles to California
to study her manner ,nd method OF
development and tell it to the people
OF Georgia through the Georgia news
papers, in order that Georgia nigh:
become as we'll known as California.
You will remember | told you in the
opening paragraph that the story
could be told in one word-ADVER-
Using.
| have now been in the State about
three weeks, and | am more firmly
convinced than ever that my first
estimate is correct | have been pref
ty we'll over the State, and can't help
but think what wonder-state Geor-
gia would be if she were to put forth
the same effort that these California
people set forth. For, you must re-
member, California is a sand desert
until artificial moisture is secured. r.
rigation is the only way they can raise
any thing out here
Georgia farmers have no such OBJ
stacles to overcome. All they have to
do is to put fence around their acres,
do little preliminary clearing up and
go to work No bother about water
Nature provides that The Califor-
nian will tell you, with water every
thing is possible in California. With
out it,nothing is possible
1t was my first intention to draw
a comparison of Georgia and Califor-
MIA, but there is no comparison
Georgia is too far ahead in her nat
ural resources. There is only one
thing that Californians have that we
haven't, and that is her climate. And
come to think of It, was talking
with a young man few days ago
who is not native of this State
When asked what he thought of Cali
fornia, he replied very promptly that
lit was all right, except the bloom.
ing climate is too monotonous."
! have been unable to gather any
intelligent statistics on the tempera
ture OF the state, because it varies Sc
widely in different parts. But I tak'
some data gathered in Los Angeles
the most favored part of the stat,
from climatic standpoint learr
that it occasionally freezes that fa
south, and that the thermometer some
times goes over 100, so, it will b.
seen that they DO have hot and colo
weather out here sometimes.
: But, as | have already said, we are
not going to try to compete with Cali
fornia. What Georgia must do is tc
wake up and take advantage of the
wonderful natural opportunities tina,
confront us. We have first got to sell
Georgia to Georgia people, and then
the selling to outsiders will be the cas-
lest thing in the world, just as it is for
the California people to sell California
to outsiders.
have been much encouraged by
talks with some of the large farmers
and truck growers here. So long as
talked with chamber of commerce
representatives and land development,
agencies, / got only the most glow
ing accounts of successes, but when |
finally decided to seek out the sons
OF toll | then began to get down to
rock bottom and get the unromantic
side of California life. And | found
these farmers to be about as interested
III Georgia as we have been interested
IN California. They all, without ex-
ception, tell me that, Georgia farmer
on his Georgia acre can make as much
or more, on his peaches, watermelons,
cantaloupes. cane, potatoes, peanuts
and live stock, as the California man
does on his acre. True, we can't raise
oranges and lemons and other such
like crops, 5u. we don't have to- The
Gal;sQrp.a people themselves admit
HiatSa California peach viii not COM
pare with Georgia peach, and when
4 Mentioned Georgia watermelons' to
4 mani here a few days ago, his face
lighted up and be told Of having once
been in Georgia and" how he enjoyed
those delicious Georgia watermelons
The largest have seen outhere would
not weigh overetensor twelve pounds
and they taste flat. Il happened to be
talking one day with prominent pro.
duce man and mentioned something
about the delicious Georgia cane sy.
rup. The man said he had tried ev.
cry year to get supply OF Georgia
cane syrup, saying that he had nevet
in all his life eaten any syrup to com
pare with it. ] have his order for a
supply in my pocket right now.
fsmas talking with a party OF Cali.
fornia business men one day and some,
one said something about potatoes.
suggested that what he meant by DO.
tatoes was Irish potatoes. He replied
oh, no, meant sweet potatoes. bu,
am frank to tell you that we canno,
raise anything as delicious as your
famous Georgia yam. The only ones
we get out here are those that come
canned and whifn thew ara hat+a. al /. :,