MAKING A HOME IN FLORIDA. 
There is a class of people that comes down to Florida merely 
to escape from the cold and discomforts of winter. Whatever 
there may be of beauty here does not seem to appeal to such, or 
only in a small degree. They arrive in November or December 
and after spending a winter or two here they buy a piece of land 
and build. After completely clearing out all the native vegeta- 
tion from the land they put up a cheap and nasty house of hide- 
ous design,—I say design, because their builders appear to have 
deliberately intended to make them unattractive. The final 
touch is perhaps added to the pile in the shape of a paper roof. 
Almost any kind of a shelter seems to be good enough,—though 
probably their owners are abundantly able to build decently,— 
and in this they remain until March or April and then flit north, 
leaving the place to look out for itself, to grow up with the vilest 
weeds which spread their seeds over the land of those who remain 
here. 
I am not attempting to cast any slur on the tourist or winter 
resident in general. There are thousands of such who are 
charmed with the beauty of Florida, who fully appreciate its 
splendid climate and who are ready to join in any move to up- 
build it and advance its interests. Neither am I wishing to 
say anything disrespectful about those who haven’t the means 
to build expensive places. Itis easily possible at a cost of seventy- 
five or a hundred dollars to construct of rough boards a house 
that will be attractive, and to surround it in a short time with 
inexpensive trees and plants in such a way that the whole will 
be a veritable bit of paradise. I am simply berating in my 
gentle way the man or woman who merely comes here for phys- 
ical comfort, who cares nothing for the welfare of the state or 
its people, whose eyes are blind to beauty, whose ears are deaf 
to progress and the general welfare. 
There are many thousands in the states to the north of us 
who are honest, willing to learn, energetic, who come here and 
are ready to help on with the glorious work of making Florida 
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