The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-08-04
Our Indian River Correspondent

Editor Of The Florida Agr,cuiuriSt:
Byron wanted a hero. Our am
bition. however, does not run so high,
for we only want to find that man
"who knows how to keep hotel :"
and when we find him we want to To-
cate him right here in Rock Ledge
hammock, on a bluff sixty feet high,
overlooking the finest landscape and
"waterscape" in the State, and where
mine host can sit under his own vine
and orange tree, and enjoy the finest
climate in the world, while at the
same time lining his wallet with the
'filthy lucre" Of this world.
Let us state few facts in this
connection. Indian River enjoys a
general reputation for the sportsman,
for the tourist and for the invalid,
superior to any other accessible por-
tion of the peninsula and it can re-
deem that reputation at one hundred
cents on the dollar. 1t stands to
reason, therefore, that if we can offer
the proper inducements we can get
large numbers of all these classes to
pass a part at least,sof their winters
with us. The inducements are, first
rate hotels, and comfortable transpor-
tation. Now we are aware that the
greatest bugbear to keep travellers
away from Indian River, is to tell
them they cant get here without q
IsS fsss sss- 81 49, ii ss - :
fence. They used to tell them that a
mans life wasn't safe here, but we
hope they have got over that now.
Too much trouble, pshaw! Why an
octogenarian from Illinois, passed the
last winter down at Judge Paine's
as he has been doing regularly tor
several winters past. Why it is
most easily done. Just step on board
neat, comfortable, light-Gratt
steamer at Jacksonville, steam up
the St. Johns to Lake Poinsett,
where hacks Will take you across to
Rock Ledge on Indian River, only
three miles distant. Surely that is
not such terrible journey. To be
sure that neat, comfortable steamer
Is not on the route yet, but it will be
next tall, in time for the winter
travel. By that route the tourist
sees the Upper ST. Johns quite an
object to most persons.
Supposing that hotel was built and
opened for the public, our travellers
could at once step INTO all the COM
forts Of home. Here the tourists
and sportsmen could make his head
quarters for the season. The water
of Lake Poinsett and our own incom-
parable river would furnish them
with fine sport while the adjacent
country is full ot game The table de
hote would be bountitully supplied
with venison, turtle, fish, oysters, and
all the garden vegetables, IL say
nothing of our trnits - oranges,
pineapple, bananas. papaws, guavas,
etc. When change was desired
sailboat manned by a careful and
competent skipper, would take a
party down to Capron at the inlet.
where fish are taken in such numbers
and so easy that there's no sport in
it. A week or two down there
roughing lt-fshing hunting, picking
up shells OH the most magnificent sea
beach in the world, killing deer on
the coast where one has to kill them
or be run over, picking up oysters
off OF beds that can only be computed
by the acre-well the most enthusi.
astic of sportsmen will tire of even
that sport in time; and then he can
come back TO his hotel and the com.
forts OF home again. After a while
another trip, this time down to Ju-
piter with its superb light house, and |
on to Lake Worth, the very border
of civilization, and what many tour.
lists have called a semi.tropical para.