Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1909 — FROM THE LAND OF FLOWERS. [ARTICLE]

FROM THE LAND OF FLOWERS.

L. S. Renicker Writes Another Interesting Letter From Florida. Boynton, Fla., Jan. 2. Ed. I notice in your paper that my letter of December 4 escaped the waste basket, and as I said if it did I would write again, as I feel there are a good many around Rensselaer that would like to hear from us and it would be impossible ,for me to write them individually, through your courtesy one letter will do for all. Now as Christmas and New Year's are of the past and I am sure we did not realize it at all, still the people here around Boynton keep the day as a holiday. Some keep it one way and some another. A good many of the old “Crackers’* abused the day by getting too much bug Juice, and the colored people begun the night before and are not over it yet. They celebrate Christmas like we do up North the 4th of July, by shooting of guns and fire-crackers, and that seems strange to us. Boynton has nb saloon,.but talk about booze—they ship it in by the barrel and have a good time, so they say. One can see some come in on every express train from the north. There is a great deal of money spent in that way down here. Seems to me a great deal more than np north. Just show a “ooon” a bottle and he is all right, and a good many of the old “cracker*” are an bad. Well, now about farming, as they call it here, but I don’t call it that. I call it “trucking.” One man puts out from 1 to 5 acres of tomatoes and some put out part of the 5 acres in peppers, beans, cucumbers

and cabbage, and it takes about three or four men to tend it. You would be surprised to know how n|uch work it takes to get out a crop and what money they spend. But if they get a crop it pays them. They have to fertilize everything they plant. I saw about 10 acres of egg plant the other day down oa the muck. They look fine. One company has got out 10 acres of egg plant and about 10 acres of peppers. Now you can imagine how nice they look on New Year’s day. Have seen a good many tomatoes set out and some ripe already. They are shipping peppers and beans now and will be shipping tomatoes soon. They grow their truck very fast. I saw some ripe strawberries the other day, only 50c per quart at the big hotel. Will get cheaper later on. We get lettuce and radishes for nearly nothing. Get all the pineapples we can eat for nothing Say, Editor, come down and we will + ake a week to look around and see some of tire sights which won’t cost much. We spend a good deal of our time at the ocean and never get tired. Night drives us home. It sure is a nice sight for us. Christmas day we spent there and now I want to say, you could not get me out on the ocean. The waves looked to be 10 or 15 feet high, the highest or largest waves that has been seen for a long time, so they say here. Well, right here I want to tell you something about fish. You can set on the bank and see all sizes of them, and talk about sharks, you can see all of them you want to. I went over to the ocean, the other day with a man with a team and wagon to haul them home some fish. We only got 600 pounds, so you can see we will not starve down here for fish. Say, but the fish are so plentiful down here that they will jump right into your boat and take your bait. I know Jay Zimmerman and Nat Scott won’t believe this, but I can prove it if they will come down and take a ride with me on Lake Worth. .

I must say to you, Mr. Editor, you could not enjoy 30 days better in your life than to come down here and see this part of Florida. The large hotels will open next week for the season which closes April 1. As I was taking in some of the sights around Boynton last week, to my surprise I run across an alligator. Tried to catch him but could not. He got away before I could get him, but if I stay in Florida long enough I will get one. They “don’t look good to me.” They tell me they are plentiful west of here about 3 miles. But talk about snakes—if you want to see snakes just come to Florida. I saw a large diamond rattler that had 7 rattles and was about 6 feet long and as thick as my arm. Now I don’t care to meet those kind of fellows. There were several killed around, Boynton in the past two months. They are a very dangerous snake. WJell, not knowing that I will be able to write any more, I will close by saying to anybody that wants to enjoy a nice pleasant winter, come to Florida. We wopld be pleased to see some of our Rensselaer friends. Living here Is not so high as some might think. This leaves us all well and we can eat anything set before us. Wishing all that may read this a Happy and Prosperous New Year, I remain, as ever yours, LEVI RENICKER.