The huge four-story building for a fish-rending
fertilizer operation was the largest structure
in southwest Florida, if not the state.
She also recounts the search for a lost
child in a hurricane-strength storm, a
visit to the largest sailing ship afloat
and two murders.
Quotes from Hattie’s diary follow
dates. Brief explanations of unfamiliar
names or terms have been added in parentheses
by me. Further comment concludes this series.
AUGUST 12, 1903 -- Yesterday I was 25
years old. I feel as though it is a rather
great age. Time flies so fast. The days
follow each other in such rapid succession
that I never can do all I wish to and have
almost no time to read.
I am going to try to work faster and
waste no time. I hope that if I live, I
shall do a great deal more good for others
and become a great deal more like Christ.
Went to prayer meeting. On the way back,
got some ice-cream which was being sold
for benefit of the (town) band boys.
AUGUST 25 -- There was an excursion to
Punta Gorda today. During the morning I
went to the tent to see if the Presbyterian
ladies needed my help. As they did not,
I went to meet the train.
There were so many people getting off
that I missed Mama and (brother) Bub arriving
from Bowling Green. There were two train
loads of excursionists. I returned to the
telephone office (where sister Nettie worked.)
Ma and Bub were there waiting for me.
I went to the tent
and helped wait upon table. Didn’t have dinner ‘til
late. Then, Emily Whitten and I went
over to the now-deserted tables and
got us some bread and fish. I was
treated to ice-cream by Mr. Grant.
We worked faithfully
until about time for the ball game.
Then, we went to General (Albert) Gilchrist’s
office, he is a candidate for governor,
and viewed his museum. He gave us
a pretty souvenir of a tarpon scale with
a painting upon it. (Gilchrist was a
candidate for state representative at
this time and won. He was elected governor
in 1908.)
There were several political speakers:
Gov. Jennings, Mr. Taliaferro, Mr. Stockton,
etc. Met Senators Taliaferro and Sparkman.
We then went to witness the ball game.
Kissimmee beat Punta Gorda 8-5. We returned
and waited upon table.
There was upon exhibition a 10-foot alligator
which had been killed from one of the wharves
that morning.
The band played occasionally. The Presbyterian
ladies took in about $40 at the sale.
SEPTEMBER 9 -- Since I wrote in here
last, Mr. Williams, night watchman, was
shot and killed by Mr. Pope -- caused by
drink. A Negro was killed down the bay
a few days ago also.
SEPTEMBER 18 -- Last
week we had very strong winds and
heavy rains for several days. A great
many men were out all night hunting Mrs.
Chadwick’s
lost child -- 4-year-old Floyd. He
disappeared about 5 P.M.
The men searched all
night and found the boy about 10
o’clock
Saturday A.M. He had gone into an
old trunk. The lid fell and imprisoned
him. The trunk was not far from the house.
Mr. Cooper and (son) James were in
the woods but returned. There were many
pines uprooted east of here.
The storm washed away part of the railroad
bridge at Shell Creek and other places.
So we have been isolated for nearly a week.
No trains have run for several days. We
can get no mail. The town has had many
avocado pears and mangoes, etc. in town,
as they could go no farther.
OCTOBER 8 -- Mr. Jones (of Bowling Green)
told me that they wanted me to teach in
Arcadia beginning Monday. So I shall have
plenty to do to get ready.
OCTOBER 13 -- I am in Arcadia and have
taught two days. I arrived Sunday morning
about 1 A.M. Went to Cottage Hotel.
Attended Sabbath School
at Presbyterian church, preaching
at Methodist. Monday night I came to
Mr. And Mrs. Hudson’s ‘til
I get a permanent place to board. (Mrs.
Hudson was a teacher.)
OCTOBER 17 -- Taught one week. I enjoy
my work. Corrected a few papers. Made 14
bags for children to put waste paper in.
Tried on corset cover. Found a wash woman.
NOVEMBER 1 -- Have
been in Arcadia three weeks. I like
my school very much. I expect to board
here at Hudson’s. They are
very kind and nice. They are from Washington,
D.C. Have been to Sabbath School today,
then to preaching at Baptist church. Very
good sermon on “Giving.”
I have 34 pupils enrolled, but Friday
only 16 were present. They have the measles
mostly.
NOVEMBER 9 -- Yesterday, Miss Withers
organised a Junior Christian Endeavor Society
at Presbyterian church, Arcadia. Mrs. McSwain
was appointed superintendent and I assistant.
I am going to try to do the best I can.
I am very busy now
with my school duties and Junior
work. I ought to study and practice my
music but don’t often. I talked
over phone to Nettie, also Miss Norma
Pepper, at Punta Gorda tonight.
NOVEMBER 17 -- Moved
my second grade into Mrs. Williamson’s room and promoted
about 10 to Mr. More’s room.
Sent letter to Nettie and one for a
book of Bible quotations.
DECEMBER 13 -- Last
week seemed short for we had few
pupils on Wednesday on account of a (traveling)
show in town. We did not teach on
Friday for we had teachers’ meeting.
School will be out December 18 for
Xmas holidays. I am expecting to have
an enjoyable time then for I will be
at home (in Bowling Green.)
JANUARY 3, 1904 -- Bub was at the station
(in Bowling Green) to meet me. This was
the first time I had ever seen him in his
U of F uniform.
We had a houseful for Xmas. I gave more
presents than I got. I received a pretty
chatelaine pin, Xmas card and a change
purse of pyrographed (burned-in designs)
leather.
On Xmas Eve, Nettie and I got a tree
for the children and fixed it up. It was
their first. Though very poor, it pleased
them.
On January 1 we had
a very nice picnic at Peace River.
I didn’t have time
to do all I had planned, but I made
a pair of drawers, made Bub a pretty
sofa pillow with blue and orange ribbons
stitched on, made Grandma an apron.
JANUARY 9 -- Arrived back in Arcadia
and worked five hours for Mr. H.E. Carlton,
clerk of court.
FEBRUARY 8 -- I am
sleepy and am going to bed early
as I sat up last night ‘til
the lights went out.
Went to usual services
yesterday and, in addition, to a
meeting for women led by Mrs. Marvin
Culpepper. Subject was: “Whose
Daughter Art Thou?” We are daughters
of America, 20th Century, church, God.
Went to church at night and heard Mr. Culpepper
on “Backsliding.”
FEBRUARY 14 -- I have
been going to the meetings held by
Mr. Culpepper several nights. Today I
heard him preach on “Home.” Junior
Christian Endeavor is postponed today
on account of temperance lecture at 3
P.M.
MARCH 3 -- I received a letter from Rev.
Ferran saying he had on February 28 baptised
and received my brother Calvin into the
Church at Lake City. I thank God for this.
I hope I may be a help to Calvin at this
time.
APRIL 16 -- Every month I send Bub some
money, usually $10. Today I sent $4 for
some etiquette books, also $1.35 to Sears
Roebuck for manicure tools and a tooth
brush.
I received a letter from Mr. Cooper (DeSoto
County tax assessor at Punta Gorda) saying
he wished me to work for him as soon as
school is out, so I think I shall go.
I have just had my life insured for $1,000.
Policy is made out to Mama.
I am to be in a play, gotten up to pay
expenses of commencement.
MAY 12 -- Had play “An Afflicted
Family” last night and made $60.
The paper said in
commenting on the play that Dr. Barnett,
Mr. Leitner and Miss Blanchard “did
remarkably well.”
MAY 18 -- Arrived in Punta Gorda May
16. Went to work this afternoon. Office
is half-mile away in Fish Refrigerator
building on beach. It is big and cool.
JULY 21 -- We finished extending the
school tax in the personal property today
and commenced to write the last two indices.
Ellen and I have some
hopes of taking a trip to Cuba with
Capt. McKay after we finish work. It
is Nettie’s
birthday -- 24 years old. (Apparently
the trip to Cuba did not materialize.
McKay was a famous blockade runner
from Charlotte Harbor Town during the
War Between The States.)
AUGUST 18 -- Today
about 9 A.M., a party left the wharf
on the “ Phoenix” and
went to the Long Dock where we met the “Albert
F. Dewey.” One of the party had
been left so we went back and got her.
This delayed us about 3/4 hour.
We started on the “Dewey,” a
tug, about 10 o’clock. We had
a fine sail, going a mile past Boca
Grande. I saw porpoise, flying fish,
pelican, sea pigeons (gulls) and schools
of fish in the water.
We passed several
Spanish smacks (a type of fishing
boat) and went to a five-masted schooner “Prescott Palmer” of
Boston. It is the largest boat I have
ever seen. She carries 45,000 tons of
coal but came for phosphate which it
is taking to Norfolk, Va.
The “Dewey” towed
her into Boca Grande. Mr. D gets
10 cents a ton for it. We went aboard
her and looked her over. Then we had
dinner and went ashore. Some went in
bathing. After an hour or so, we started
for home. A squall was coming up, and
soon the water was pretty rough. The
waves dashed spray so we could not stay
in the bow or right side. We reached
Hotel dock at 7 P.M.
AUGUST 21 -- Went
to Mrs. Tucker’s
to help make comfort bags for fishermen.
We made seven. Put in needles, thread,
wax, thimbles, emery buttons, court
plaster (adhesive tape), Vaseline,
Testament, Psalms etc.
AUGUST 28 -- Attended church but not
Sabbath School, it looked so much like
rain. It is the last Sunday which I shall
spend here for some time probably.
I feel badly to leave
the town where I first joined the
church and have such good friends. But
there are other reasons why I am glad
to go. There are so many bad people and
meanness going on that I feel glad to
get out -- although it doesn’t
affect me at all, only hearing of it.
I shall miss the water.
OCTOBER 16 -- I am now at Arcadia. There
is a diptheria scare here now which has
caused my school attendance to drop from
50 pupils to 12.
MAY 25, 1905 -- School is out today.
I have mingled feelings of pleasure and
regret. I have some very sweet children
whom I shall miss very much. However, I
shall be glad of a little rest and a visit
home again.
The Consolidated ice and fish-rending
factory made only one test run of ice.
The Philadelphia owners were bankrupted,
and the building stood idle until it deteriorated
and was torn down as a public hazard in
1914.
Hattie suffered what she described as “nervous
exhaustion” in 1906 and was incapacitated
for most of that year with paralysis. The
symptons indicate she suffered a serious
post-viral condition known now as Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
She went to Tampa in the Fall of 1907
to substitute for Nettie who then was working
in the Tampa Northern Railroad freight
office. While returning home on the train,
Hattie met George A. Wright, a construction
worker going to Bowling Green to work on
a new house with Hattie’s father.
Hattie and George corresponded for a
year or so, were married in May 1910 and
lived thereafter in Tampa. They had no
children. Her last diary entry at age 75
was a list of the deaths of her parents,
husband, sister and brothers.
Giant fish-fertilizer plant -- here shown
under construction -- was largest structure
in southwest Florida and a curiosity for
visitors.
