Document text
,s
Fibrumry 27, 1940.
Life History
Mrs. V. S. Williamson,
Room 609, Dyal-Upchuroh
Building,
Jaaksonville, Ylorida,
fersonal Interview
(Revised and corrected)
Ross Shepherd, writer
MSB. VIRGINIA S. W. WILLIAMSON
(MU. ALBART M. WILLIAMSON)
Called from her desk in Roam 609 Dyal-Upchurab Building,
where she has for some time been serving as an editor for the
PA Ylorida Writers' Project, mrs. Williamson said she would
be very glad to be interviewed oovering her interesting life
experienc4s.
"MY great-grandfather was Joseph Branoh, a brother at
John Branch, who quoting from a pamphlet 'John Branoh,
,1182-1863'-- reprinted from The North Carolina Booklet,
October, 1915, and published by the Commeroial 2rinting Co.,
Raleigh, N. C. 'was three times speaker of the Senate of
Borth Carolina, three times Governor of that State, member of
the united States Senate and National House of Representatives,
Secretary of the wry, mamb)r of the North Carolina conatitution-
al convention of 1836, lust Governor of the Territory of Ylorida,
und first Aoting Governor of the State of Florida.'
"Joseph Branch and his wife both died, leaving a daughter
Susan Simpson Branch, and four eons, all small. They went to
liv 16 with Governor Branch, who reared those five orphans exactly
as if they were his own children, held he himself was the father
of nine sons and daughters.
"Rebecca Bradford Branch, daughter of Governor John Branoh,
26101
Mrs. V. w. vf. Williamson 3.
bye hands that he left his resignation; the second son was my
grandfather, Robert vshito killiams, and the third was Christo-
pher. The others of the williameloonneotions I knew very little
about.
"When he was only 19,,my grandf,4ther, Robert white williams,
rode on horseback from Tennessee to Pensacola, Ylorida whore the
land office was, and became conneoted with the office of Surveyor
General. Later his work took him to Tallahassee, which had just
been selected as the state capital, and he surveyed the site +int
laid out the lots for the city. Sventually,.he acquired a groat
deal of nroperty in what is now Leon County, including two largo
plantations one culled 'Centerville' and the other 'Horseshoe
Plantation'.
"He bought slaves to farm these sections, but never sold
them. If one of his slaves me4fried one of another plantation,
he always tried to bug the other, and if he.could not, he let
his go, so that the two would be together.
"Ono of my earliest recollections concerns my grandmother's
book in wiltsh she kept a record of the negro children born on
the plantations. when I was about seven, I remember negroee used
to come from all ov,r that section to see my zrandmother and get
the birthdates of their children.
"When in 1826 the Congress of the United states &Warded to
the Marquis de Lasayetto the sum of 1200,000 and a 'township of
land' in tokln of his services to the colonies in the Revolution-
ary Wax, a township was allotted him out of Government lands near
Tallahassee, and my grandf.ther became his agent.
Mrs. V. w. t. williamson 4.
"General LaPayettio never cane to Plorida, however. Accord-
ing to history, *80,000 of the money voted to him was used to pay
hie most pressing debts, and the balance of *120,000 invested for
him in interest -bearing Unieed States bonds, while it was his
idea to use the grant of land for colonizing purposes, retaining
part as an estate for membirs of his family. Two or three col-
onization efforts were nade, but they were not wucoessful*
"On page 7 of the kobruary, 1934 number of the Tallahassee
Historical 000iety Annual, in her article oil Layayette and the
'Latayette -Land Grants,' Kathryn TS Abbey writes:
*41**
Lalayette yielded to the inevitable preseure of his
debtsm and allotted 11 bul a small portion of his Property to
be sold. Armed with his authority Colonel xobert W. Williams,
his agent, oonoluded the deal with muttall, Braden. and Craig,
Bovamblr 18, 1833. Hy its tarns the General baulked himself to
tkie sum of *100,000 to deliver a good 4,nd perfect title in fee
eimple to 26-3/4 sections of the township upon payment to him
or his heirs of ;46,620 on or before January 1, 1844, with 7,
annual interest. Of the remaining 9-1/4 sections of the township
two quarter -sections had already been sold and two other tracts
of one section each, spoken for. This left 6-3/4 sections in
the hands of LaPayette and his heirs instead of the 1-1/2 sec-
tions requested.
"Ana continued on page 8 'When January, 1844,
arrived, final payment of the *42,620 was not possinle as the con-
dition of the country was oath that °omissions had to be MAO to
purchasers or the lands sold at a heavy sacrifice. Gradually,
adjustments were worked out, and by 1866 williams was able to
Mrs. T. k. lliamson b.
state that enough had been collected to disoharwthe obliga-
tion to ths heirs. The previous year, the lust of the lands
originally retained by the LaPayette !welly were sold.
'Thus ended the long and varied history of LaPayettels
township.
*IP..
POr twenty-four of it') thirty-one years of
oxistenoe, n. W. Williams bad been its steward. unly ono* was
a Layayette in Florida, namely,in 1860 when Rdmond do lAatuyette
and Ferdinand de Lasteyrie, grandsons of the Marquis, visited
the united states and one outh to confer with williums. The
charm of the name still lived, however, for the gentlemen were
enthusiastically welcomed and the General Assembly voted Illmond
dahaFayette "the hospitalitiJe of the State" and invited him to
a "seat within in the bur of either house". "441
"On the occasion of the) visits of -the two f!randsons men-
tioned, young sdmond de Laiuylitte was invited to address the
General assembly of the Territorial uounoil, and for many ,ears
kept a sheet of paper on which he had hastily scribbled notes
of the speech he m,cle at that time expressing his thanks and
appreciation of the gift to his -randfuthar. M y brother in
washington has this treasure now.
"My father, Mobert Williogghby williams, was an only child
of mobert white milliams add usun nimpson Williams. During the
War between the states he was a student at the university of
/forth Oaro4nu, at uhupol nil.
"He was very anxious to enter the war in setvios with the
uonfederatos, but his parents were opposed on aueount of his youth.
r!re. V. filliamson 6.
My grandfather, i# addition to the two plantations he owned
in florida, had also acquired a large property in Louisiana
about ten miles back from the mississippi Aivor an what is
known as old Aiver in Mast Oarroll Parish. no, his mind made
up, my father left Ohapel hill and went to the Louisiana planta-
tion where he joined the Oonfederato army and served under
Genatal 4dmund kirby-cmoth nntil the aloe* of the war.
"In 1865, shortly after hostilities ceased, he married
Virginia Dutton, daughter of ailliam autton, who awned a large
cotton plantation on the missiseippi nover which he oalled
'Vista' about five miles iboveAitke.irovidenee. They were both
very young for such responsibility, he being 19 are old on the
21st of lebrua,17, 1866, and she 20 on the 19th of Pebruary.
"about three months nrevious to the wedding, my Pmandfather,
nobert white seilliams, died very suddenly in Tallahassee. nue to
the condition of the south at that lime, news traveled vary slow-
ly, but us soon a my father and his bride learned of my grand-
father's death, they set out for Tallahassee traveling on horse-
back, by boats, by stags any way to get there. They stayed
with my gTandmother for a short lime, when my father had to re-
turn to Louisiana to be mustered out. He found his futherinlaw,
Mr. William Sutton, in vary poor health, and shortly afterwards
he died. ',hi).* my father had always considered Tallahassee his
home, having been born in the house built by his father in 1831,
qhwn he learned he and another soninlew had been made executors
of mr. Sutton's estate, he returned again to Louisiana and
operated the 'Vista' plantation for a number of years.
During this time, the summers of the family were spent in
ire. V. a'. villiamson
7
Tennessee, where grandmother "Ultima had been made lady principal.
of the Ward Seminary, an exclusive school for young ladies, now
continued under the name Of the Ward -Belmont Uollege, of mashville.
During one of these summers I was born in Uolumbia, Tannessee
July 8, 1869 in the horie of ire. Mary Polk Branch, widow of
grandmotherla brother, Joseph Branch, who had been 4torney-
General of Aorida in 1845-7.
"Her father, .11ium Julius Polk, had six brothers. all
of them Dith the exception of his oldest brother, Thomayolosated
in Mississippi, lived within a few miles of each other in Tennes-
see. In 1837, oi a site doni.ted by the youngest brother, antra.,
on the familiestate in Murray Uounty, these woven Polka built
for the eommunity St. Johns ripisoopal Church. In her book,
lA Genealogical Record and -nnals of myr,Past,,g Mary Polk Brunah
'refers to this little church us 'the most historic church in
Tennessee. It lifts its ivy-orowned head 46 if to tell its
:tragic story. around its walla fought Uontecterate soldiers,
upon its floor were laid the dying and dead, at its feet rests
the soldier at peace, after his unavailing struggle.'
."In tA.s little alluvial j was baptized by bishop Quintard,
who was u close friend of the family, and I have a photograph
of the Bishop given my father for me on that day.
"During my father's residence in Louisiana he was very
prominent, being for a number of years president of the Police
Jury of last Carroll Parish the lea -making and governing
board of the Parish, and consiAured a great responsibility.
"My father, however, ulays considered himself a Sloridiam
Mrs. V' villiamson 8
and Tallahassee his home, so in January, 1883 he moved back
there to remain permanently.
"In 1876 when I was about seven years old, my sister and
I spent the winter with our grandmother in Talahassee, although
wa had spent muoh time with her in Tannessee, whore hor school
duties required hr to live.
"I never attended public schools. When we were with
grandma she taught us; at other times, while in Louisiana, we
had governess's, two of whom I remember with affection
Mies Carrie Franklin, of Bun itntonio, Texas, and Miss Midi*
Moes, of Boston, mussauhusetts.. Miss "Addle" was an accomplished
musician and taught us, as r,e11 our mother, who was a musician.
When we came to Tallahuesee to reside permanently in 1883, urandma
was our teacher. I oannot remember when I began to study, as
Grandma thoulrht a child was never too young to learn, nor too
old to continue to do so.
"The first important event registered in my memory, in
.conneetion with public affairs, wt e the inauguration of qovernor
William D. Bloxham, in 1881. That duy it poured torrents of
rain, and intztead of taking the oath of office an the east portico
of the capitol, all ceremonies had to be held in the hull of the
House of itepresentatives. The Bloxham homer was just across the
street from ours.
"Prom that time on 1 have h. personal i,oquaintrence with
every succeeding Govarnor of Florida, and have attended the
inauguration o)remonies of ,11 except tha present uovvrnor uons,
and one or two others that occurred at times wheTi temporary
absence from the ctate prevented mur going to Tallahassee.
Yrs. V. W. Williamson 9.
"311en Call Long and Mary Call Brevard, daughters of
Governor Niohard IL., Call, rere intimate life-long friends of
grandmother. Jennie brovard, (Mrs. Thomas Darby). and alio*
Brovard, (Mrs. George Gwynn), rere thm associate@ of my sister
and me.
"I knew all of the old families in Tallahassee the
Shepherds, beards, Winthrops, Williams, Hopkins. To enumerate
my friends and associates would be like a roll call of these
people, prominent in the life of the state capital and in Florida
affairs.
"I finished sehool at sixteen ad beoe4me my father's
seoretury.
"In 1893, I mihrried mr. Albert M. Williameon, who was in
Tallahassee rnprosenting the 9th senatorial District composed.
of Citrus, Pasco, and Hernando uounties. as a bride, I went to
live or an orange Trove in uitrum county. That was in the fall
of 1893. In December, 1894 there was a bud freeze which de-
stroyed all the citrus fruit.
"In January, 1896 my baby was born, said in February, 1896
a second freesia came which destroyed the grove. Following the
freeze we moved to Inverness, the county seat of citrus County,
where sr. Williamson owned and published a weekiy paper, in
existence now as the Citrus County Chronicle
"In April, we went to Tallahassee for the legielative
session, ae Mr. illieon was still senator from the 9th
Distfict. Just at the close of that session, in fact, the
day after, our baby. dud, in Tallahassee.
Mrs. V. d. Y. Williamson 10.
"The opportunity came for Mr. Williamson to sell the
newspaper, und in Douomber, 1895 we owls to Jaoksonville to
live. Temporarily, Mr. 14illiumson took u position with the
Vs's or Life Insurunce Uompway. But he soon went back into
the bueiness of journalism, operuting plant for J. M. Barre,
21eusu4A nolt, tad his ussodiates, whose names I have now forgot-
ten, a wAlkly paper devoted to legal udvortisemente, few
yeiru latsr, he tought tha Yloridian which het been estublishet
iu Tallahuesee in 18, and moved it to Jacksonville. Having
experienee as seuretary to my father for six yours before
I wus married, I told mr. Williumson i would assist him in his
%%ork. Before the fire, I iid not aotually work in the office,
except to r,..14.d proof OnJO veek. a result of the fire in
1144, 1901, we lost everything. Then 1 told my husbund if he
%mild build.0 house where VO ootad have the offioe right in our
home, i would or in the olfice for him. He built the concrete
house tith basement at 213 3ust Adums street, now hattng th4;
number of 211. The printing,offioe was in the basement. We
needed a linotyps maehine, mudI told him if he would purohase
one, I would learn to operate it. it the assistunoe of a
friend employed on the Jacksonville metropolis who ammo to our
office after hours, I learned to use the linotype.
"Until Movember, 1918 1 worked side by side with my husband
in every department of his weekly aavepaper.
"In the meantime, my mother in declining years, spent part
of her time with us, and part with other relatives. She had this
old home in Tallahaseee in all the yours there had never been
mrs. V. w. Williamson 11.
a debt against it, and naturally she wanted to RO back there
permanently.
"Of this historic home in Leon uounty, the eibruary, 1934
number Vol. I, of the Tallahassee Historioah Society. page 41,
contains the following:
'OLD HOM IN TiLLLHAS833
By Svelyn Whitfield Henry.
ROUT W. WILLIAM8
(419 Borth ualhoun St.)
the
'Perhaps the oldest house standing at/present time in
Tallahassee is the Williams home on the s. E. corner of CalhOww
and uarolina utreete.
"It was begun in Aril, 1831 by pol. Robert 114. Williams
as the home for his bride, Rebeciou liranoh. It stood alone on
the whole block, surrounded by beautiful gardens. some of the
old shrubs are still blooming in the yard:
'Colonel odilliame was acting as surVeyor-General for the
Territory of Blorida during the time the grund of land was given
by the United States to General LaBuyette. when General Lalayette
decided to sell the land, Col. Williams acted as his agent. In
1880 General LaBayette's grandson cams to Tallrliassee and
visited in several of the homes here. He was greatly pleased
with the manner in which Col. Williams wadi bundling the
LaPayette estate, and when he returned to prance he tried to
express his appreoiation in a gift to uol. williams. The gift
wua two bleak marble mantels; these are still in the old house.
'hen the War came on, the War between the Stateu,
pr. Inglish brought to Tallahassee a wounded Virginia soldier,
Mrs. V. 4. W. Williamson 12.
a young boy, rho hoped to have his health restored in our mild
olimato. He was Capt. John H. Beall. one night Dr. Anglish
oume to play ohess with Uolonol williams, and brought uaptain
bean along. b0011 the older mon beoame so absorbed in their
game they did not miss the youn7 poople, and Captain Beall
persuaded another guest of the home, miss Martha O'Bryan, to
stroll through the gardens with him. They fell in love that
night and had planned to be married, when uaptain !mall was
taken by the lankees and hanged on Governor's Island, AIM Iork.
'after the War, General Poster took oharge of the town with
the Yederal troops. He had expressed the desire, whioh was the
same us a command, to have the Williams home for his headquarters.
When General roster mcmed in, he ordered a United States
flag hung across the street in front of the homes. The flag was
30 large it filled the whole street. It was hung very low and
everyone who '4enit that way had to pass under the flag. General
/foster stayed in this house until he was moved to 6t. Augustine.
'The house was oloseA for many ,,oara. !dually the family
oame back from Louisiana.
tit is still, aftor 100 years, in rossession of the
Williams family.'
alb
"Sol continued Mrs. Williamson "when my mother desired
so muoh to return to this old home in TallahassAs in 1$0.8,
Mr. Williamson and I decided it was right for me to go with her,
and let him olose out the business hare and come to Tallahassee
later on.
Frs. Y. 14. tilliamson 13.
"The Armistice came, and he wus delayed much longer than
he had anticipated in closing up his affairs in Jacksonville.
Finally he made the neoessar;i arrangements, and on coming to
Tallahassee wus stricken with an illness that kept him confined
to his bed for two. years.
"In the meantime, i had taken a position in the office
of A. C. Crawford, Seoretary of State for Florida, in March, 1921,
actin! as seoretary to Mr. Crawford for about six years. Then
I was secretary to mr. Guyte moCord, Tallahassee Uity ,uttorney,
until ertember, 1928.
nu. Williamson had secured a polition in tho office of
Fleming nowden, Duval Uount;T Tax uollector, in Jacksonville,
and in oeptember, 1928 WO rAurned to this city.
"We had always retained our oitizenship in Jacksonville,
returninr here from tire to time to vote when necessary.
"In u short time i was offered and accepted a ,osition an
secretary to sir. Prank Owen, a mambor of the Jacksonville city
uommiesion, which I held for two years, or uptil may, 1929.
Mr. Owen was not a oandidate for re-election, as he had decided
to retire from politics, an4 i re ained as secretary to rnest
Anders, the newly elected commissioner in charge of Jacksonville
public utilities, my duties also including tLose of chief clerk.
to o.'7. Tyler, of the electric light and water department, as
the two offices had been combined.
"I was in this position from 'MILO, 1929, until January, 1930,
when I went with an. Owen in his private, offioe in which he handled
various utility projects. he was treasurer of the Florida Inland.
Navigation District; president of the einellas water uo., which
Mre. V. 6. williamson 14.
installed the preeent water system of the city of St. Petersburg,
Plorida; also president of utilities in iaabama, Georgia, and
South Carolina. -es part of his activities, he built the eleotrie
lknis that goes to Myrtle Beaoh in south curolina.
"That position 1 held until Mr. Owen's death in Deoember,
1936.
"Meanwhile, mr. Williamson had been appointed by senator
DUncan U. Yletcher, of glorida, as un usher in the United States
senate, in Washington. .4-fter mr. Owen's death, i went to Wash-'
Inc and WS9 there durin,7. three sessions of uongreen, spending
my entire time in the Visitors' gallery when uongress was in
SOSSiOn.
"When 3enator rletcher died, mr. williamson's pOSitiOn
oame to un end, and he WOH anpointed as a statistician in the
mesearch Divit“on of the IN1?1 in the slorida headquurtere in
Jaoksonville, his work beinR mainly in eonnection with the
_oheoking of payrolls. He was in this tork for almost two years,
or until hie death in may, 1939, wheli jrvas certi:Aed by the
wrA, and have aontinuousl.; since been connected with different
projects.
"I might say one of the most interesting things in con-
neetion with work on the rloridian, mr. Williamson's weekly
Jacksonville paper, was that after the fire i frequently set
in type briefs oomniled in the U. se;,. Circuit uourt. une case
in which U. s. District Attorney J. M. Stripling represented
the government ras the goat OuSO, which attracted a 'reat deal
of attention. The firm of eisbee and model' represented the
Posts, and they wore assisted by :it. Clair Abras, John Hartritgo,
and A. W. Cockrell.
Mrs. V. b.'. Liiiiamson 14.
"Aleo about this time, in 1900, i set the firut copies
of the first erimary Law of the 4tate of slorida that is
tho now luw ;Authorizing el'utions by a rrimury. This was under
tha sweervision of mr. ,Irthur T. Williams, who was uhairman of
the btta Democratie Tateautive Committee, and tr. J. V. Barre,
Sworetary. Sovera hundred thoueand copies were sent out. I
did this work personally under their dir:totion while sax. Williamson
WAS absent, having i;een palled out of town on business.
"My time was given exclusively to this wori, in the office
of the Ploridian, and 1 derived un immenee amount of pleasure
frost this work for the contacts it gave, not only in Jaekeonville,
but aleo in Tallahassee.
"And (Israel:411y did i enjoy m4 work while conneoted with
the office of ioteretary of nate R. C. Crawford, in Tallahassee,
for the same reasone.
"On Iffe. 20, 1934, the oentennial an:liversury of the
death of ueneral Larayette•-- held by dolline College, in Winter
Park, at which tha uounte de uhambrun represented the Yriondh
Republic, I wus also invited as a upeoial guestm on account of
the cloee conneotion of my grandfather, e;1. Robert W. William*,
in his eervios as agent for the !trench tioneral in tha sale of
his ilorittu, property. My brother in Waehington hum A number of
papers and original letters of inetruotion from LaPayette to our
grandfather in regard to the handling of his property.
"Rot did Lino's Brunch, who hod been so prominent in North
Carolina, as. us WaShim7ton affairs, happen to come to
laorida?
Mrs. V. '4. W. Williamson 16.
"Gov. John Branch was Secretary of the Navy under President
Andrew Jackson, who had previously offered him the position of
Territorial Governor of Plorida, but he declined. In -awl]. 19,
1831, he tendered his resignation as Seoretary of the Navy.
"In the meantime, his oldest daughter, Barth& Lewis Henry
Branch, had been married to Dr. dward Bradford of North Carolina,
on November 10, 1825, and they had. located in Tallahassee. The
glowing letters of Dr. Bradford fired the whole Branoh family with
enthusiasm for Plorid.a, so in 1836, Givernor and Mrs. Branch, with
three sons and two daughters settled on a plantation at Live Oak,
three miles from Tallahassee. In addition, there were already
living in Ylorida, Dr. Bradford and his wife, rho was Murtha
Branch; my grandfather, Col. Robert h. Williams, who had married
Rebeoca mranoh; Dakiel B. Donelson, a nephew of Mrs. Andrew Jack.
son, whose wife was margaret Branch; and Dr. James Hunter, whose
wife was Sarah Brunch.
"The first tract of land acquired by Governor Branch was a
part of the LaPayette grunt, December 27, 1833. In 1834, he again
returned to Ylorida, but did not settle here until 1836, all the
time, however, retaining his citizenship in North Carolina.
"He and President Tyler were also old time friends, and it
was through him that on Juno 4, 1844 he was appointed Governor
of the Territory of Yloridu, to take effect on the expiration of
the ()omission of Governor siohard X. Call on august 11, 1844.
When Nloride beown a State on the 3d of march, 1845, he became
its first Acting Governor.
"He was one grand gentleman, as as statesman, and was
always affectionately referred to in our family as 'Uncle Nranalk.1
Mrs. V. Williamsen 17.
"I think the most important thing within my memory, us
far as offeoting the entire State of ilorida is uonoerued, was
the oonstitutional convention in Tallahassee in 188b, when an
entire new State Constitution was adopted. I attended nearly
all the meetings and listened to the speedhes pro and eon. The
hon. Samuel Pasco, of Monticello, who was afterwards United States
Senator from Florida, was tha president of this convention. I
remember there were one or two negroes from Duval County sent as
official representatives, and this was new experience for me.
"Perhaps one of the most heatedly discussed subjects ever
brought before the residents of Florida, however, was the pur-
chase during 4overnor Aloxham's administration of four million
auras of land at twenty-five cents per uore by Hamilton Inset=
and his oomlahy oi Mew ngland assooiates. It paid off the full
debt of the Internal Amprovement *fund, alAd this million dollars
in Florida's treasury at that time was of much benefit otherwise,
although there uus'a great deal of oriticism and intimations that
the Governor had provided handsomely for himself out of the pro-
oeeds. its for myeelf, I never believed that, as our family and the
hlexhams were friends and neighbors our homes were just across
the street from each other and there was never in evidence
anything that could be uonstrued as the acquisition of sadden
wealth. I never believed there was any justifioation for the
criticism.
"Another outstanding thing I remember very well was the
establishment of the State Board of Health during Governor
yleming's administration, after the yellow fever epidemic of
1888.
Mrs. V. 64' W. Williamson L.
"Of immense importanoe, too, was the adoption of the
State Primary Law in 1900. I was very muuh interes,ted in this,
and as before stated, set the type and printed the first eopies
of this important law for State-wide distribution by the oemooratio
Bxecutive uommittoe.
"Governor aohn mastings administration coming during the
'boom' period whensuoh u great anount of new money was flowing
into Plorida was remarkable in many respects. While the 'boom'
did not reach Tallahassee, so far 48 buying and the rapid exchange
of Property titles was uonoorned, it caused a grout increase in
work and personnel around the Capitol. At that time I was in
the offioe of Secretary of State Crawford, where the work had.
been handled by the chief clerk, his assistant, undthree typists,
but the 1923 legislature increased this number to twenty-three.
This was necessitated for the handling of the tremendous inerease
in articles of incorporation being filed by new firms entering
into business under Ploridu laws. Ours wus probably the busiest
office, with the poseible exception of the State Land Office.
"At that time they had what wus referred to as the Board
of State Institutions, handling all business trunsaotions, and
called in the capital the 'big Board.' on Tuesdays they oonsit-
ered State lands. Beginning an Mondays the corridor of the
Capitol leading to the 4ov!rnor's office w,uld be. crowded with
people going there from all over the State, and from other atates,
who wi,theod to make purchases of State lunds. In the excitement,
the State often made hundreds of times the value of the land in
nuking the eale.
"Governor Martin, too, was lot in for u great deal of
Mrs. V. 6. W. Williamson 19.
adverse oritioism, but L oun say honestly that uovernor martin
really had a big task, and he probably handled it as well as
it could have boon taken (Jure of by anyone. He did the job very
well, indeed.
"At the close of Uovernor martin's administration in 1928,
I returned to Jacksonville, and have not winos been so olosely
associated with affairs at the eapital.
"The. hew Deal of Xrosident hoosevolt's administration of
natioal affairs has been a. problem in welfare and economics
never before attempted in this country. There was no %example
to follow, as there had never boon u praeedent, and while mistakes
have probably been made, I am thoroughly in sympathy with all
that he has on and tried to do. Personally, I um very grate-
ful for thq purl; that has 00M3 to me and to my late husband,
like a great many :others, I(Jall eay, what would. we have done
.without this assistance?
"I feel that one of the :1.reatest oontributions tothe cul-
tural development of our kate and throughout the Nation, has
been the Wfiters Project, to say nothing of the condition of
those who v oaL havo been oompletely stranded without it. Iam
not well acquainted vith tha heads of departments of other
projects in the educational and cultural braukets, except in the
branches of tha vork with vhich I have been oCnnected, and 1 will
say th4 the ie;ork of Dr. earita Doggett corm), Stat )irotor of
the writers' Project for Plorida, he been most'outatanding as
well as oonsciontious. In all my eontaots with her she has im-
upon
pressed as well as upon others, the great desire that our
work be effioiently done, and that nothing which could not be
substantiated be incorporated in our work."