Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-01-28
A Aewsy Letter
From Mrs. Shirley

Well. we have reached the @PrOm-
ised Land" ct last, after leaving Bslt
a just month ago, today. We spezs
} thirteen days in actual driving ca
the highway route. the balance Of the
time was spent IN layoyers for ~
pairs. or on account Of storms or bad
roads.
From Denver on south the roads
were good and we passed through
some very interesting country. do
not mean that we liked the country 10
well, but the conditions were 50 DIFF
ferent from what we were accust0mr
ed to. It seemed more like conditions
should have been fifty years ago. Foe
instance. we saw them hauling logs
with oxen, four yoke to each wagon
and the oxen were Jersey bred, poor
Hcrawry littlesthings, which looked as
If they could hardly crawl along thsan
selves. not to speak Of pulling loa6.
But It was really surprising what
those poor little animated skeletons
could pull when they started out.
i It became quite common thing as
we Travelled down through Texas and
Alabama to see q pair Of oxen drives
to light wagon or cart, BY both ns-
groes and whites.
Now and then we would see en- ola
negro NANNY humping along in
singlt oxcart, taking her basket Of
eggs to town.
II a negro family wished 20 have
an especially high class outfit, they
would get an old dilapitated top bug
gy, TO which drove one OK or shaggS
longeared donkey and they do noe
drive with lines, but with a single
jerk-rope. The negroes do not seem
10 be able to endure any cold Abous
the time we were IN Alabama, tha
weather was unusually cold for thaa
part of the country. Il WAS 82 de-
grees above zero and every ne9Tv
would have his ears tied up and mna-
fler around his neck One would see
them standing Ia groups by bonfIrss
alongside the rDad where they wwr@
at work We met one colorsd gsntss-
man who thought he had solved fhs
problem Of warmth He was drfv-
ing an old horse with sides like
wash board, to a dilapitated wagon
with wheels that wnbbled comically
and he had an old iron pot with .
fire built in 1t. He would drive with
one hand and hold the other over the
fire. The natives tell me this Is
very common sight during cold speIla.
The "piney wsoodss as II Is called
by residents IL fuIl Of small cattle.
sheep, goats and hogs all running
wild. They run from year to year,
uncared for, till no man knows whmA
belongs TO him and I doubt II he could
catch one II be did know without q
gun. for they are Wild as deer,
This condition Of things continusd
until we were several hundred miles
Iouth Of the Florida line. when things
,egan to change considerably, imprOv
ng az we travelled south.
Florida was q great surprize TO uai
We did not know It was 50 big. There
IRE thousands Of acres Of wilderness
md unsettled land in northern Flor
da. One will drive miles and miles
through woods and jungIes, then
.ome suddenly upon beautiful little
.ity BY the side Of beautiful lake.
There viii be fine homes, flower and
hruba Of every description and the
treets will be shaded BY magnificent
I've oaks, from which hang great
treamers Of Spanish moss. There
iii be stately palms, fern trees, mag
oIias, WIistarias. Hybiscus, RoseA,
and Poinsettas in bloom.
hen one will drive out Of this place
ito the same condition Of wilderness
! before.
We have driven over 1000 miles ii.
Iorida and have just reached the
art which is being settled; we arr
lst on the edge Of the big boons
,untry and the difference here is an
her surprize.
Sanford is very progressive. live
city Of about 1900 population.
is on the st. Johns river and has
big future ahead Of It, II is in the
inter Of the celery and trucking dis
let, this district in turn IS surround
by Orange and Grape gruit groves
y the way oranges are 12c per dozen
ID Grape fruit csc
Unless one were here TO soc it, h
,uId be impossible II imagine the
Mount Of work that IS beng done IN
E way Of development. Building Of
uses, hotels. roads. laying out sub
,isons. surveying ate There arv