The Pensacola journal., 1922-12-29
Super Sensitive Folk.

Super Sensitive Folk.
IN aware Lnat when the foregoing
and wha. is 10 follow is printed. there
viii be some super-sensitive Pensa-
colans who are going to throw fits OF
indignant, but entirely unjustified
wrath, and while they are throwing
their fits. they'll be bleating a sonor-
Gus refrain that ! am gratuitiously
and without justification, throwing
verbal bricks at somebody about
something that l know nothing about
But super sensitive folk have never
bothered me since l discovered years
ago that their ilk don't amount &c
much when there is something really
worth while to be done. However
I'm not going to throw any verbal
bricks at any individual person or in
stitution; so let's let that feature OF
this go at that.
No Soft PedaIing or Mncina of
Words.
What I'm driving at is to try to
arouse Pensacola to the fact that she
is tagging away behind in the pro-
gressive procession which is sweeping
through West Florida, like a prairie
fire. And since I've never had any
patience with the hectic policy of
applying the soft pedal when there is
something important to be said, am
not going to indite- any observations
in what is to follow, that will be sus-
ceptible Of being misunderstood.
What Pensacola Isn't.
There is no gainsaying the fact
that Pensacola ought to be a city OF
100000 prosperous and contented in
habitants; that it ought to be in the
vanguard Of progressive and wide
awake communities which have been
placed, as it has been placed, with
every natural environment to make
it city Of 100, 900 souls. Nor is
there room for doubt, that Pensacola
ought to be the center of every on
ward activity in West Florida. But
the fact remains that Pensacola isn't
amy of these things which she ought
u be. And of course there is a rea-
son why she isn't.
Natural Advantages Idle Drivel.
I've lived in Pensacola since / was
a child, back 40 years ago, and my
diagnosis of the old towns ills, is
that we are given too much to that
idlest of idle drivel, viz prating about
"Pensacola's. marvellous natural ad-
yantages," instead of getting down to
the bedrock of things and doing, in
the sweat of our broWs, some of the
tasks which God has intended, all the
while that We should perform. ere
the natural advantages which we
prate about shall become availabl in
their fullest measure. In other words,
we who live in Pensacola, are still
dreaming dreams of mama being
sent from the heavens. never taking
thought of the fact that natural ad-
vantages have handicapped more
cities than they have ever helped
over. the rocky roads which lead to
commercial and industrial metropo-
Uses; never pausing an instant to
consider that Pensacola'S natural ad-
vantages, perchance, has been the
mill stone about the old towns neck,
which has hampered it's progress and
retarded it's growth-which has kept
it from being a city of 100, 900 busy
and prosperous men and women with
vision and ambition to lead them
stiu onward and upward to greater
things in the development of their
old home town.
What Pensacola Hasn't Done.
What Pensacola hasn't done to help
herself would fill a book She hasn't
been sufficiently aroused from her
dreams of heaven-sent mama to
have ascertained, in the fullness of
it's wonderful details, that a glorious
transformation has taken place
throughout the section of which Pen,
sacola is the natural trade center and
metropolis; that the while she has
been dreaming dreams OF a restored
export commerce in lumber and naval
fl1A <,f
time, plus the greed of man for gold,
have forever destroyed this source Of
its chief export commerce of the
past; that where a score, aye,
dozen years ago, stood millions upon
Of feet of virgin forest
growth, nothing but stumps remain
as mute reminders of the glories of
the lumber and naval stores age;
that, within the comparatively recent
past, a. very empire of marVelouSly
fertile lands have been opened up
West Florida, for devel-
orment into productive areas to be
when settled, to the staple
crops of agriculture and the highly
remuneratiYe crops of horticulture;
that already, tens of thousands of
acres Of these cut-over lands, which
a half decade ago We're forested with
giant pines and stately oaks, have
been transformed into farms and
fruit orchards which are making
their owners rich: that, in conclusion,
while she has been dreaming dreams
C natures gifts to her in her geo
graphical location and her "woEdrr-
full land-locked harhor," there has
been developed all around and about
her, and without a turn Of her hand
to help, a very Eldorado OF wealth
which is going 20 flow into West Flor
da from her Satsuma orange, beTrE,
peach. pear, plum and grape harvest |
Of coming years.
What Will Pensacola's Harvest Be? !
And the question naturally arises:
What will Pensacola's share in lie |