FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
213 
sands of employes of the steel trust who 
had opportunity of becoming stockhol¬ 
ders how many ever became more than 
day laborers? Energy, honesty, industry 
and morality are foundation stones on 
which true success in life must be built, 
but it is his natural ability, the instinct or 
genius or Kismet, that drives a man, right 
or wrong, onward he knows not where, 
often after the rainbow’s pot of gold, that 
is the true measure of a man, and whether 
his memory is honored or execrated, re¬ 
vered or vilified depends on the reputa¬ 
tion he has established for character. 
Mr. Painter was a typical honored and 
honorable self made man. The story of 
his early struggles, his everlasting thirst 
for practical knowledge, the unwavering 
and intense application for mastering and 
improving his business opportunities and 
the intellectual and social growth that 
went hand in hand with his business suc¬ 
cess is worthy of emulation by every 
young man entering on life. The bene¬ 
fits cannot be measured that this state has 
received through his gathering and pub¬ 
lishing information in the Florida Agri¬ 
culturist during the early days of Citrus 
culture and experiments and advice for 
improving the culture and growth of all 
Florida crops in later years have added 
immensely to the growth of this state. 
Who that ever received one did not 
look on Painter’s Almanac as a household 
friend? 
And then there was the human side of 
the man which was strikingly shown in 
his letters while traveling in Europe and 
South America. The quaint and original 
points of view with which, fresh from 
this high pressure civilization, he re¬ 
ported his impressions of foreign countries. 
But as Secretary of this Society we will 
most greatly miss him in Florida. Where 
is the man with ithe vast circle of friends 
and acquaintances who can fill his place? 
Who will ever forget the unfailing good 
humor and courtesy, the knowledge of all 
subjects under consideration and the edi¬ 
torial and printer’s trade knowledge that 
made the reports of our annual meetings 
a credit to this society and invaluable to 
horticulture. 
I am sure no member who was present 
will ever forget that meeting in the chapel 
of Stetson University last spring when 
this Society witnessed the college opening 
exercises and Mr. Painter as a trustee 
made the students an address. I am sure 
there was never a prouder moment in Mr. 
Painter’s life than when, on that occasion, 
in his former home city, he addressed 
those students on the seriousness of the 
work they should do in building up intel¬ 
lect and character for the battle of life. 
It is thus I would remember Edward 
Okie Painter, standing on that college 
platform, surrounded by the college stu¬ 
dents and members of this society, in the 
prime of life, with a noble and honorable 
career behind him and the promise of 
years of usefulness to come, which 
promise, alas, has been unfulfilled. 
