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marsh lo, 1969.
M. P. Bedding,
Uonsulting Snits:seer
420 Hilderbramdt big.
Jacksonvillealorida.
nose ohopherd,writer.
1880 SXOLISR 001,0BY PRUITLAW PAHL
gr. H. P. Sodding, oonsulting engineer, associated idtb the
firm of Robert It. Angus, 420 Hilderbrandt building, is an snglishman
nearing 70. Speaking in short crisp-sentenoes, hie accent strongly
nritish, he relatbd the following:
"in 1886, while residing, A the Hotel de Grasse in London,
susland„ there registered at the same hotel, a man his nume I
have now forgotten who had jupt returned from rlorida, ii. S. A.
"He stated he had met some young snglishopsn, some eighteen,
()there in their early twenties, who haA been induced through an
agent for u so-called agricultural school to go to i'lorida and
engage in agricultural truinion6,.. This man had visited them in
their homes in england, paintin in glorious colora pAradise in
the tropics where oranges could be grown in great abundance and
with very little effort.
'Of course, he explained, the work vould require a course of
training, for which a certain sum was asked to cover transporta-
tion, with monthly remittances for tuition.
"The men paid the advance and signed up. They were herded
into a freighter for their trip to the united btatee, which pre-
cluded their taking much baggage. They were told their .othing
requirements *mid be very simply. but they took their dress suite,
in ard,ir to be nrOperly attired should the occasion arise in this
26081
II. P. Bidding 2.
'paradise' piotured to them an booing settled up by the wealthy
leisure oleos with nlonty of time for sooialities.
"After a two weeks' journey they finally ram:hod their
destination, forming a colony in the section of what is new known
as pruitland Park.
"Thor* was no lagrioultural school' or anything risen
tutus it just rough shake in nitride's virgin forests. The
'training' the young men received was in cutting down trees and
grubbing out palnottoes, plowing and nroparing the land for the
orange growers.
"This man said the young snglishmen were in time so short
of clothing, they were forced to work in their dress suits, which
they evidently conaludod was an good a uso as any they could put
them to, sines thsrs *aro no parties, and their menial work pAr-
mitts& no time for such diversions if there had been.
"no stated ho had seen them plowing and doing other work
so garbed. They wore housed and hid in a sort of rough barracks.
60M0 of these young men he had known as acquaintancos in .loot
btroist, .4ondon, and he oirtainly was not at all enthused about
the situation.
"In fuot he felt the young Anglishmen had keen duped,
deluded and dooievod; the actual purr.** he believed was a sobeme
of the promoters to not only seourenenoy for the dovelopment of
their land, but the Amossary labor VA well, and the guardians or
rolutives of the young men %ergo bound by contract to keep up thoir
regular remittanoes to oovsr their 'instruotionl. tn other worts,
H. I. Uedding 3.
Eiffr 41,
they paid for the privilege of doing this rough, hard work, 4.nd
the money aellsoted for their 'tuition' enabled the developers
to plant.their groves.
"You understand this is Al hearsay. I never saw this
man again, he wus only a passing hotel soquaintanoe. The °leaver-
sation with him took Pluoe over fifty years age, and while he
spooks with great vehemenoeas to his views in the matter ant I had be
roaeon at the time to doubt his assertions, I de not knot hew
the information might new be substantiated.
"No. 1 have never been to 'Fruitland Park in my life,
in fact, not even to the uriando seotion."