The Pensacola journal., 1922-12-29
Pensacola F ails TO
Show Appreciation
for Cooperation Of
fered by NeighbOrs
and Friends.
BY w. cHIPLEY JONES


Two or three weeks ago one OF my
West florida stories. under the cap
tion, up to Pensacola Whether She
Leads or Lags." etc. appeared in
the columns Of The journal.
Unfortunately, however, the story
was so cut to pieces with typograhp-
ical errors, that a great deal of its
sense and a greater part Of its mean
ing. was lost TO the casual reader.
Particularly was this true as TO the
main feature of the story which was
embodied in letter to me from w.
s. Reeve of Cottage Hill, which was
reproduced In full in the story. So
I'm going to reproduce Mr.. Reeve
letter again and discuss its meaning
from an entirely different angle than
was done in my former story, and /
sincerely ~tr,rst.-tltat what is to follow
may at least dent the shell into which
Pensacola has evidently drawn her
self, particularly in matters pertain
ing to the development of the. horti-
cultural and agricultural interests OF
the locality Of which Pensacola is the
center and the trade metropolis.
Here, again, is Mr.. Reeves letter:
'I note, with full approval, your
attempt to arouse Pensacola to the
very patent fact that the development
of the surrounding country may
mean the development of Pensacola.
Barring SOME specific setback,
'Satsumaland' is on its way here!
whether Pensacola will help to
carry the banner at the head of the
procession, or tag along at the tail
end as a peanut and popcorn vendor.
lies largely in the action which Pen
Jy,
or do not take, toward West Florida
producers within the coming Il to SO
months.
Wake 'em up, brother; yeu have
my hearty endorsement-and also my
sincere sympathy. ..
In my humble way I tried, for four
years to shake the scales from their
eyes.
Talk about water on ducks
back III.
And easy money!
why man, there are business men
in Pensacola right now looking with
baleful eyes upon their shares Of
stock in promotion clap-trap schemes
who, a year ago, had ample oppor-
tunity to, get Satsuma holdings which
are now annually paying 100 per cent
income upon the investment asked
fori ..
But why worry about the booster
who has gone? ..
More to the point. is the one who
stays on the job and remains to help:
The Satsqma has been struggling
for a chance to make good here fer
zen years past, 49,
The Real Question.
'It has made twice the progress
in the past three years as in the prior
seven; and frankly / say to the ous!-
ness man Of Pensacola it is not so
much a question as to whether you
are interested III the farm and hortt-
cultural products oE West Florida. as
il is in the question: Will the pre-
ducers of West Florida be interested
in you some three to five years
hence?
And again say to the Pensacola
man, that his good deeds will help
much; but 'Satsumaland' is coming,
and the producer VIII GET HIS,
whether the Pensacola business man
does or not! It's for them to choose,
and the ratio Of their gain through
wise choice is diminished by each
years delay in acting"
Feeling Of Country Fine; But
Sentimental.
Upon numerous occa sions since The
Journal employed me some weeks
ago to so out into the country to get
facts upon which TO predicate a true
-o-life presentation of West Florida
to West Floridians, / have remarked
upon the fine feeling of the country
folk, in the main, toward Pensacola.
This now repeat but with the quail
itication that 1 haven't been able to
escape the observation that this fine
feeling" is predicated principally
upon the very tickle and empty idea
that Pensacola happens to be the
largest and most pretentious commu-
nifty in West Florida; and not
Of feeling of gratitude to
Pensacola for any cooperative eff
forts which it has expended in the
great development movement which
is sweeping West Florida from the
eastern shores of Escambla bay to
the banks of the Chattahoochee. Nor
is the Reeve letter which is repro
duced above by any means my only
tion for dehneating the atti-
tude of the country as I shall in what
follows. I've heard scores of men.
from end to end OF West Florida,
talk in precisely the same vein that
Mr.. Reeve writes; and from my view
point, insofar as -Pensacoia's s interests
are concerned, a grave situation,
which promises to be aggravated as
Time wears on, unquestionabiy con-
Ironts Pensacola.