Part 16 (1/2)

If the iving the colonies upon our uncultivated lands, the vexing problems and contests between labor and capital would be easily solved and obliterated; the unskilled poor would be at once enabled to respond to the call of the poet--

”Come back to your mother, ye children, for shame, Who have wandered like truants for riches or fa in her cap, She calls you to feast from her beautiful lap

Come out from your alleys, your courts and your lanes, And breathe like your eagles, the air of our plains!

Take a whiff from our fields, and your excellent wives Will declare it all nonsense insuring your lives”

CHAPTER XXIII

MONARCH OF ALL HE SURVEYED: THEN DEPOSED

Here on elevated lands around a pretty clearwater lake, directly on the Florida Central and Peninsula Railroad, and near a fa deep into the earth, at the botto peculiar fish, near the noted Eichelburger cave, and vast forests of gigantic trees with sloping hills around, we founded the town of B----

I was elected general er, and went north to sell the 100,000 of capital stock, convertible at the option of the holder into our lands at schedule price, leaving a Mr B---- as superintendent to cut avenues, build a hotel, and conduct the general affairs in ies very successfully to selling the stock and organizing colonies of settlers I paid ten per cent dividend on the stock while I wasthousands of dollars to defray expenses of building a handsome railway station, a fine coood hotel, and providing good roads

I went to Tallahassee, and log rolled through the state legislature a bill enabling us to forovern in our nen by incorporating said prohibition into all our deeds After securing these funds and many settlers, also Ex-Governor Chamberlain of Maine as president of our board of directors, I moved to the neith my family, there to reside perreeable, because useful, for quite a long ti fro to the wants of the newco thehts of this inco in the choir, and soan I was the father of the town in al authority, and was expected to settle all disputes whether between man and man or between ymen offor the lucre to be obtained by preaching in our union church Ihi upon each one officiating in turn and taking therefor the contents of the contribution box on his day

The air resounded with the prayer- shouts of these ecclesiastics who all secretly worked against me, because I would not allow them to found as many churches as there were inhabitants

Many of the iainst ht work and heavy pay So all sanitary laws, became unwell and then cursed the clinore all instructions as to the agricultural methods essential to success in this climate, and then denounce me on the sly because their crops were not satisfactory

Many wished to act as real estate agents on commission, and when one succeeded, the rest, fired with jealousy, would accuse me of favoritism because their own incompetency did not secure for theht, so that we had to cut a hole in the outside door to talk with the a little sleep

We formed a temperance, literary and musical club which every one in the town attended, and at this, at least, we spent many pleasant and useful hours I was president of this club, and perforery necessary to its success I established a general store at which goods were sold at about cost, but many complained because they could not have unli desert, was the outside colony of freed avenues, and the air resounded with their cheerful songs, and I had the pleasure, with much labor, to save from the rapacious white robbers, the farenerous Uncle Sam One case will illustrate the many instances in which I appeared as umpire

Uncle and Aunty Peter Gooden owned a fertile farent labor thereon A white ”cracker” coveted this property, and told the ignorant aunty that he would let her have 300 on e at two per cent per week, so that she could buy a new yelloagon, silver-eous red silk dress with hbors These unsophisticated, honest ”coons,”

thinking it meant that they would have to pay only two cents per week, accepted the offer, affixed their X lory was arrayed like this simple couple

In a short ti, tellingthem out of their house and houilty of violating the laws of the state by defrauding and by false pretenses, tendered hial interest, and threatened punishment by law if he did not accept He said, like the fabled raccoon in the tree, ”Don't shoot, I'll come down” I paid the money for which, in due time, Uncle Peter reimbursed me

I secured the hatred of the ”crackers,” but the undying gratitude of the negroes, who vied with each other in bringing us ga tears if we offered pay to be allowed to show their thankfulness by these free gifts If one of theht with a shotgun, and would shadowupon any of my assailants

[Illustration: Ups and Downs in the Wild Woods]

I provided a school and church for these loving, dusky children, and it was pathetic and cheering to see theray heads, going regularly with their pri to learn to read and write

Many pleasant evenings inthe bale blossoht and starlight; listening to the songs of these dark-faced but white-souled serenaders, the whites of whose eyes and perfect teeth could be seen beah the dusky shades of the forest

On the evening of the day when news arrived of the first election of Grover Cleveland to the Presidency, ere sitting as usual on our piazza, when, suddenly, I saw a flash of fire in the woods, followed by the report of a rifle, then others in quick succession Rushi+ng to the scene I found a few Southern whites arroes carrying a motley array of pitchforks, scythes, razors, clubs, and a few ancient shotguns Yelling: ”Hold up!” I sprang between the embattled hosts, and demanded to knoas the row