12 FLORIDA IS FINE EXAMPLE OF INITIATIVE AND ENERGY OF ITS CITIZENS; WONDERFU LEditorial t orrcspoiidcuce.] Florence Villu. Fla., March 18. 1916. -—During the few weeks that 1 have been privileged to spend in this de lightful section of Florida, the con viction has been forced homo that the evolution of a Commonwealth, like that of a municipality, depends not so much upon laws as upon the initiative of the citizen. Harrisburg has not been helped by the alleged progressive legislation of recent years; it has, in fact, been hindered. Florida likewise suffers in her development as a re sult of laws which must be repealed before the surging energy of a large element of the population shall tlnd its full expression. For years the Peninsula has been growing in eve il legitimate way, however, notwith standing a body of laws which have stood as a serious barrier to progress in several directions. Here as elsewhere the good women are asserting themselves through a State federation of civic leagues. One cannot help being amazed when the part women are playing -in the de velopment of Florida is properly un derstood and appreciated'. Of their particular activities, I shall speak hereafter. Busy. College Men -\iany college men from all parts or the North are here also and these are plunging with enthusiasm into the l)ig things that are making for the expansion and prosperity of 'this fruitful ami beautiful corner of the United States. The other day I ac cepted an invitation to attend a regu lar weekly meeting of a citrus ex change and the discussion was a reve lation. Here the young men fresh from the big universities —managers of important citrus intestests and promi nent in other activities involving the substantial growth of Florida—ap peared at their best. They expressed their views clearly and forcefully not only upon the subjects which came immediately within the scope of their organization, but likewise gave at tention to the other interests of the community and the State as embraced in the good-roads movement and canal construction. This is the type of men who are going to give Florida its greater prominence in the future. They are opposed in a way to the na tive element, generally denominated as 'Trackers." Thes<* latter are regard ed as the ultra-conservative element of the population who believe that what was good enough for their fath ers and still more ancestors front the beginning is quite good enough for them. And this attitude upon the part of some thousands of citizens naturally makes more difficult the pro gressive work of the Northerners. Among the people, however, there seems to be a material breaking down of this antagonism and the men with >vham I have discussed the subject are quite hopeful of better conditions ■within a few years. Perhaps the old Florida may be best described in a couple of verses which are upon a blackboard of this hotel. They run as follows: 1 wlsht 1 was a little rock. A-settin' on a hill. An' doin" nothin' all day long But just a-settin' still. I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't drinli I wouldn't even wash, But set and set a thousand year And rest myself, by gosh! Old Florida Is Parsing But when one sees the hustle, energy and intelligent direction of the interests of this section manifested in civic associations and leagues for pub lic improvement, lie must realize that i lie old Florida is passing and that a new era is dawning with the building of permanent highways, the connect ing of the myriad lakes by canals, and the general transformation that is tak ing place everywhere. Florida may be compared, in its physical shape and development, to the horn of plenty inasmuch as there is flowing into it. from the top of the boot to the very toe, millions of out side capital through the expenditure of tourists and heavy Investments of outside capitalists. Millions of dol lars have flowed into the State dur ing this winter and prosperity is evi de.nt on all sides. Last year the or ange crop was not a financial success because the demand was not up to expectations as a consequence of the business depression and the European war. but this year there will be ship ped out of the State not less than a million boxes of oranges and probably half a million boxes of grapefruit, in nddition to the other products of this randy soil worth millions. lam told that the citrus industry is more or less a rich man's game. The grower must have patience and be prepared to stand a loss one year which may be made up the next. This gives the business the element of chance which appeals to many investors. It ought to.be said, however, that the doubtful feature of the citrus industry is grad ually being eliminated through scien tific treatment of the soil and care of the orchards. Even the United States government is taking a hand in sup pressing the citrus canker. Guests at this hotel are permitted to stroll among the trees and help themselves to the fruit freely and gen erously. Within a mile or two of the Villa are some of the most extensve grapefruit and orange groves of the State. One New York capitalist is said to have paid $1."0,000 for a large grove near here which is managed by his son. a Princeton graduate. Other energetic college men are looking af ter similar investments for their lath ers up North. (iiKMI Road-. Propaganda Just now the most important mat ter engaging the attention of the live vires of Polk county is a proposed bond issue of $1,250,000 for the build ing of over 200 miles of improved highway within the county, and the interest in the loan is so intense that men and women are taking a strenu ous interest in the preliminary can vass. A straw vole was polled the other day through the various asso ciations and it is said to have indi cated the success of the loan at the election in May. Inasmuch as this is not a partisan or political question, the negroes are being registered and in some cases their employers are taking care of the occupation taxes and other primary requirements which Mill entitle them to vote. In my hear ing the question of permitting the colored voters to participate in this election was considered. One large triiit grower expressed doubt as to the expediency of encouraging the col ored voter to come to the polls. He feared there might be a collision and more or less shooting. An influential and large employer of negro labor de clared that he would see to it that his men were registered and he would also •see that they were permitted to east their ballots. This was said in such a decisive and significant way that further discussion of the point was dropped. Woman I.ivcrtvfrc Dr. Mary R. Jewett. who is presi dent of the Woman's Civic League at t.h» present time, is one of the active workers In behalf of the good roads movement. She is a New York wo man who has resided here for scv~ THURSDAY EVENING, HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH MARCH 23. 1916. era I years. For eighteen years she practised medicine in the metropolis land what New York has lost the dis trict of Winter Haven has gained. ; There are »!,000 wide-awake women enlisted in the civic league work of Florida and one like Dr. Jewett lead ing the way it wMI not require more than a decade lo entirely revolu tionize conditions here. She told me something to-day of what the local ! league has accomplished and it may lie an inspiration to the good women of the Harrisburg Civic Club to know ja little of what has - been accomplish ed under great difficulties in this at tractive corner of Florida. She didn't know that the work here differed in any essential particular from i he civic clubs in the North, though perhaps it is true that in the newer communities of the South the conditions being more primitive—the need of reform in matters of sanita tion was more urgent and file men, being so busily engaged in the neces sary development Work in a newer region, the initiative in matters that have to do with moral and physical ; health and with the cleanliness, or ! der and beautification of the home 1 surroundings must be taken to a igreater extent, than in older and and attractive station in the town, men. How They Succeeded Dr. Jewett .remarked that the Wo man's Civic League of Winter Ha ven ■ and vicinity' lk little more than two years old. but she was sure that any observing person who walked through the streets of the little town at the time of the organization of the league and returned to-day could hard ly believe himself to be in the same place. She said that the organiza tion had been instrumental in bring ing about a larga part of the change, mentioning how they had cleaned the streets, compelled sanitary treatment of the markets and fruit stores and how in effective ways the women had secured the co-operation of the council of the town. Writing to the owner of a meat market, for instance, the lea gue officer said: "The members of our league dislike to buy meat and other food stuffs in such an unsanitary and unsightly place as your present market. Our town must have a clean and sanitary mar ket. Are you going to give it to us? If you do not, somebody must be found who will." This communication brought im portant results and good markets. Clean stores and clean streets are now the rule in Winter Haven. The lea gue was also successful in Inducing the railroad company fo build a new more settled communities by the wo and the ladies are now raising a fund, through weekly rummage sales.forthe erection of a fountain in the main park of the village. They have also purchased a fine site upon tlie edge of a beautiful lake for a clubhouse which will also be a public library. The league has employed a man to work in the streets and sidewalks through the middle of the town, clear ing away the litter which reminds me of the good work, done several years ago in this direction by the Civic Club of Harrisburg. There also has been purchased, through the activities of the club, a well-framed picture for each of the sixteen class rooms of the new school building. in short, the league of Winter Ha ven is doing what the progressive wo men can do and are doing in many other communities throughout the country, but they are doing H here under more of a handicap than in most other places owing to the un usual conditions and the greater re sponsibilities resting upon the mu nicipal authorities. Dr. Jewett ex pressed so well her thought regard ing work of this character that 1 have set it down here for the benefit of the members of the Harrisburg Civic Club and all others interested in pub lic improvements. She said: Civic Improvement Bug "Civic work is the most inspiring, but at the same time the most exacting, and I might almost say tile most dis couraging. work In all this workaday world. The worst thing about it is its inevitableness. If you once get - the fever you are done for. There is no es cape. Tou always see the 'might be,' and you never can rest till you bring It to pass. Perhaps that Isn't the worst of it; perhaps the worst of it is that you can never let anybody else rest. If you want to lead a comfortable life and a peaceful one, and if you want your families to load comfortable and neace lul lives, get yourselves inoculated so that the 'bug' of civic improvement cannot 'work.' if perchance you should become infected with it. Not every body is vulnerable, so perhaps you are not in danger. Tf you never get it' you will probably be a much more comfort able person to live with; you will, per haps. live longer, no doubt you will sleep better, but you will miss a tre mendous stimulus and a. tremendous op portunity. You must pay a big price for all the fun you get out of it, but then isn't that true of anything really worth while that you ever do get?" All who have had to do with the transformation of Harrisburg during recent years will realize how truthful is this view of civic work everywhere. 1 was also Impressed witii a remark of Dr. Jewett's regarding the benefit of expert advice in the making of pub lic improvements. She said: Need <»l" Expert-, "If we could only afford, or per suade our citjzens that they might well afford, to employ some able ex pert to come here before it is too late to give us some good advice as to how to make the best use of our great natural assets in park lands, in lake front lands, in possible boulevards! But I suppose in our stage of de velopment we can hardly expect to at jtain such foresight. We shall have ,to wait until we are older and wiser, I but when that day comes, as come it will, the only work that will fit the case, with reference to many things that might be possible to-day, will be those saddest ones of tongue or pen, 'lt might have been,' for enterprise which might be undertaken now will have become impossible -then." And how true of all communities. But lit tle old llarrisburg saw the light in i time. After talking with such a woman j one must lie Impressed with the worth while character of the activities of such organizations whether in Har | risburg. Winter Haven or any other j section of the country. Dr. Jewett Is ja type of thousands of'clear-headed, .forceful and devoted women who are | giving of their energy and experience 'and vision to the betterment of their own communities and the general wel fare of the nation as a whole. Har risburg is indeed fortunate in having so many like her and the record of I their achievements was an inspiration lof her when 1 described what had I been done in the capital of Pennsylva- I nla. Junior Civic League By the way, as an outgrowth of the work of the ladies iti Winter Haven, there has been organized a Junior Civic League, pledging the members to good citizenship and to the pro tection of birds and plants and the w'Ol'k of a clean-up campaign. This subordinate body l.as already accom plished great good, prizes having been given to girls and boys for essays on bird protection, the best kind of a birdhouse. and the care of plants and trees. Over 550 Australian Oaks I Were planted upon the streets of Win ter Haven through the efforts of the women and (hese have been growing one year without a single loss. The trees were planted, boxed.watered and fertilized under direction of the lea gue. This letter has already gone far be yond what was Intended when 1 began to set down these random impressions of civic work in Florida, but the little study which it has been possible for me to make has been so full of in spiration that it is passed on with the hope that it will be of some help to those who are giving of their time, effort and means to the Improvement of conditions therein and the welfare of the community which the Tele graph and the writer are endeavoring to serve. 1 J - S.—-Among the guests here is Mrs. j Charles Corss, of Philadelphia, jdaughter of Governor Pollock, who has some interesting childhood reeol j lections of Harrisburg. In the earlier : days the Governor had no perma | nent abiding place and always had quarters at the leading hotel. "Do I you know," said Mrs. Corss, "that my lather served in Congress with Abra ham Lincoln and that he introduced ithe joint resolution providing for the I lirst transcontinental railroad? As is I true of all statesmen with a vision he j was regarded with something akin to j ridicule in certain quarters, even when -lie prophesied in a speech at Lewis burg that the ladies of that university j town would soon be wearing silks .brought directly from the Orient over Ithe Northern Pacific. When the line I across the continent was an accom plished fact my father was the guest of honor at a large public function in San Francisco. Me was hailed as the prophet of the first railroad connect ing the Atlantic and Pacific and many beautiful and costly presents were be stowed upon him." There are many interesting people here from all parts of the country. "There goes a man." said a gentleman in the lobby, as a portly individual passed the group, "whose annual in come is about a million dollars a year, but he gets more fun out of llshlng with his little grandson for perch than in cruising on his handsome yacht." M. E. Gillett, of Tampa, who was mayor of the city when the troops from this country were being sent from that port to Cuba during the Spanish-American war, has large in terests in Florida and is a frequent guest at this hotel. He came South as a young man from Wisconsin and is an aggressive representative of that hardy northern stock that has achiev ed so much in the development of the Peninsula. His son. Collins, is the young man who was instrumental in securing the necessary appropriation iby Congress for eradicating the cit rus canker which so seriously threat ened many large fruit orchards. Since hearing that story of that young man's successful achievement at Washing ton, enlisting the support of "Uncle Joe" Cannon, the President, and lead ers of both houses, 1 have great re spect for the rising generation of Florida hustlers. Several Harrisburg tourists have I been here at different times. Among them Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Herman, , Airs. A. G. Knisely, E. Z. Wallower, Mrs. Elizabeth Graybill and Mrs. Cas per Shaak. These had been traveling |in different directions, but met here for a little family reunion one day last week. Air. and Mrs. Herman, who have probably reached home by this time, however, spent several weeks at the Villa. Ike Walton has no more devoted fol lower than "Ike" Kinsey, one of the officials of the Overland Automobile | Company at Toledo, Ohio, and a prominent manufacturer of the Buck eye State. He and his family have : been coming here for several years and are so delighted with the cli mate and this region that (hey have purchased a site on a lake nearby and will have a bungalow erected during the summer. Mr. Kinsey is the cham pion fisherman of the colony, his big gest bass weighing 13% pounds. We leave to-day for Tampa and will spend the week-end there with the view to taking the Ocklawaha river trip on our way northward. More hotels is the demand of those who understand the situation, one big caravansary having declined reserva tions for two thousand persons during the present season. All the East coast hotels were congested and it is said hundreds walked the streets of • Miami because they could find no place to sleep. That was the story also at Sea Breeze, at St. Augustine, and at Palm Beach. It has been a wonder ful "invasion and now the flight is to ward the North, the wild fowl leading the way. E. J. S. To Investigate 111 Treating of Americans in Italy By Associated Press Home, March 23.—Thomas Nelson Page, American Ambassador to Italy, to-day visited Baron Sonnino, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, to make representations regarding cases of Americans who complained of ill treatment in Italy. Widely Known Phila. M. E. Minister Is Dead By Associated Press Philadelphia, March 23.—The Rev. Josiah Bawden, a widely-known Meth odist minister, who was retired by the Philadelphia conference at its recent sessions, died last night, aged 72 years. Dr. Bawden served churches at Gl rardville, Minersvllle, L.vkens, Cres sona. Spring City and churches in or j near Philadelphia. CHARLES 1-:. MAXWELL Charles E. Maxwell, Sr., aged 48, died Tuesday evening at the llarris burg Hospital. Funeral services will be held to-night at 7.30 o'clock at the home, 10." 1 South Ninth street, with : tin Rev. K. L. Meisenlielder, of Trinity 1 Lutheran Church, officiating. Burial will be made at Duneannon to-morrow morning. Mr. Maxwell is survived by his wife, seven sons, three daughters land five grandchildren. IIOLD PHOTO CONTEST Technical High School students who compose the institution's camera club will conduct a photographic con test in the near future. The amateur photos will be exhibited when the school Is next thrown open for pub lic inspection. Martin Miller was elected manager of the "dark room" succeeding Cornelius Menger who re icently left school to prepare for enter ing the United States revenue cutter I service. MALTAS BIG XIGHT Knights of Malti' from the various i local, Steelton and Mlddletown lodges, ; will meet to-night as the guests of Nazareth coinmandery, Thirteenth and Derrv streets, at an elaborate social. Many of the Grand and Supreme of ficers will attend. Rumors of More Revolts Give Sinister Turn to the Situation in Mexico [Continued From First Pago.] the other side of the river, but there is the greatest apprehension that an out break on one side would be followed jby an outbreak on the oilier. There are about 35,000 Mexicans in this city out of a total population of 71,000. i The miliary and civil authorities have made vigorous efforts to forestall trouble by arresting every Mexican who was suspected of Inciting their fellow-countrymen against Americans. That such a system, apparently or ganized, has been carried on for some time, has been well known. Numerous arrests have been made, especially among the Villista colony, which is quite large. Nip Riot Plot The police last night renewed their efforts and detectives were sent into e very section of the city, who arrested btween fifteen and twenty Mexicans suspected of being engaged in anti- American plotting. The most impor tant arrest was that of Melchor Her rera, brother of General Luis Herrera. Herrera was arrested as he crossed the international bridge after a conference with General Gavira at Juarez. Ac cording to the police, they have proof thai a plot had actually been per fected by Herrera and his associates to start rioting on a large scale in El Paso. Americans I'ndcr Tension The belief of Americans who are familiar with Mexican affairs was that if the reported revolts in Chihuahua seriously shook the power of the first chief, it would not be long before there was trouble in Sonora. This state is the headquarters of the Obregon ad herents and has never, according to in formation here, been more than luke warm to the Carranza cause. It is the native state of General Obregon and its people are said to be devoted to his interests. General Calles, the military governor of Sonora, is known to be an out-and-out Obregon supporter. Whatever be the outcome, the nerv ous tension along Ihc border has .in creased to such an extent that tnanv Americans frankly admit that they would prefer a definite sundering of relations between Washington and the de facto government to a continuance of the existing situation. Prepare For Rapid Action Along Border as More Troops Threaten Revolt By Associated Press San Antonio. March 23.—Orders go ing Irom Fort Sam Houston to-day provides for rapid action at points along the border should new rebel lions in Mexico make it necessary. General Funston w as not altogether convinced of the truth of the report that General Luis Herrera. the de posed military leader at Chihuahua, had entered in the field with Villa against the United States, but the re petition of the report and the absence of acceptable evidence to the contrary caused the general and his staff to regard it as probably true. The censorship imposed at El Paso by General Bell was done without or ders from headquarters here, but it is known that General Bell has authority to go far in the exercise of his own judgment in meeting an extraordinary situation. State officers of General Funston studied a more extended area of North Mexico to-day. The probable moves of Herrera and his 2,000 men were carefully considered and at every poijit along the border, note was taken of the positions of American troops and the time it would take to move them to meet any situation. Army officers believe that if Herrera has re volted his activities will be confined to operations that have for their ob ject the strengthening of Villa s bands and the harassing of General Persh ing's force. May Cut Line It was feared that he would cut the Northwestern railway over which General Funston hopes to receive permission to move supplies to the American troops, now almost 2'>o miles into Mexico. To prevent this move General Funston is powerless and it Is doubted if Carranza's troops are in position to oppose Herrera. Reports at headquarters that Gen eral Gavira's garrison at Juarez was about to revolt and that the troops at Torreon were manifesting disaffection were regarded with apprehension at the fort. The Mexican consul here continued to deny their truth and re iterated his assertion that Herrera had not taken the field. Guatemalans Clash With Mexicans and Kill Many Mexico City, March 23.—According lo a traveler who arrived here lasf FIRE OF GERMAN GUNS INDICATES DRIVE [Continued From First Page.] tons. From this ship 23 of the crew were picked up. Claim •"><* Prisoners Berlin announces the German ad vance at Hancourt, northwest of Ver dun, as completing the success achieved in the Avocourt region by the occupation of French points of support on the mountain ridge'there. The taking of 450 prisoners is claimed. The continued assaults of the Rus sians on the eastern front have not shaken the German lines in the slight est, the Berlin war office declares. Re peated attacks have been made on both sides of the Dvinsk salient posi tion, forces being employed, but these are asserted to have resulted in no success. The Russian assaults near Postavy have not been renewed. Prompt Action by Miners Saves Property From Flood By Associated Press Brownsville, Pa., March 23.—Two hundred miners employed by the \V. J. Raine.v Coke Company near here yes terday. hurried to the surface when couriers ran through the mines shout ing the tl ever rei ord n"Vi >ty ,t nm r ,s Court permitted in.. am M phone Company in favor of the Com | monwealth Trust Company, j The filing of the judgment was al | lowed in accordance with the sugges ■ tion in the report of Henrv M. Tracv, receiver for tlie old company. The re j port was confirmed by the Court to -1 ay \\ ~,|n. Among tlio marriage licenses granted to-dav w»» I one to George Arthur Watklns. New Cumberland, and Mamie Morgan Cathc i t ine Resz. The bride is n divorcee. r'£Xi. n f. received her papers Tuesday from the Dnupliin Countv <'ourtH Conflriurii. — \ Follow ing are the acounts of guardians and trustees which were presented to the Dauphin County Court to-day for confirmation: Mrst and filial account, Harrishitrg | Trust Company as committee for Kate Miller, a lunatic; first and linal account i John Gordon, guardian for Mar>- Cor don, Derry township, n weak-minded [person: annual account of principal and trustees of Km&us Orphan House. \t Itt'Klntr.'ir's Cit \ Scaler i Harry l>. Reel yesterday was given letters of administration In the estate of Ills mother. .Margaret Keel. Adelaide Taylor Rot letters in the estate of | Charles R. Taylor. ! he stepped into his automobile with j Mrs. Wilson. He went io the office of j his oculist, where he spent only a few ; minutes. Following an automobile ride Mr. land Mrs. Wilson planned to leave for Washington, where they will arrive in time for dinner. I Tlie President brought with him dis j patches concerning the Mexican ait | nation sent to the White House by Sec retary of War Baker before his de parture. He expects io see Mr. Baker soon afler his return. | The President's automobile as it was [driven through crowded streets to fhe oculist's office was preceded by a pla- I toon of mounted police. The street in i front of the specialist's oflice was crowded while Mr. Wilson's eyes were being examined, and when he and Mrs. Wilson came out they were greeted I with cheers, which the President ac knowledged by raising his hat. The President before going for the automobile ride visited his sister, Mrs. Anne Howe, and her daughter. Anne ; Cochran, in Spruce street, near by. Army Headquarters Denies That Motor Trucks With Supplies Are Missing Columbus, N. M„ March 23.—Al though officially denied at army head quarters as an "unfounded falsehood." reports persisted to-day that some of the motor trucks carrying supplies to {General Pershing's command in Mex jico are missing, together with their drivers and guards. ! Two trucks with two drivers and ' four guards which left Ascension for it'asas Grandes last Monday have not j been seen since, it is reported. It al so was said that a driver reported to the advanced base here without his truck. Further report# indicate that era! Luis Herrera, Carranza's former military governor of Chihuahua, with I his 2,000 men. is between the San | Pedro river and foothills of Sierra I Madres, just north of the line of the Mexico Northwestern railway in Cen tral Chihuahua. Communication between the mili tary base here and General Pershing's command in Chihuahua, was again interrupted by intermittent rains dur ing the night. Both the wireless and field telegraph line was hampered. It Is expected however, thift conditions j will he normal later in the day. MICHAELS TECH WIRELESS MAX Alvin Michaels, a member of the junior class, has been chosen wire -1 less operator at Technical High ! School for the ensuing year. John 1 Keller of the same class, was elected ! assistant operator. Michaels won his 1 job by establishing a new receiving record, in a hundred word test, he received ninety words without a mis take.