The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-22
THE LAND OF FLOWERS.
Florida "a IL Is-OiL Tamps-DclIghtful
Tropical Scenes and Scenery.
lCorrespondence Of The Times.l


you this letter. trusting it may be of interest
to some of your readers
TO the South we came through its gateway,
beautiful jacksonville. rich in tropical seem
cry, typical of its genial cline. whore throngs
the curious and pleasure-seeker alike. 10 find
what is peculiar and always interesting here.
Iairying only long enough 10 rest, We hasten
on 10 the little town of Barlow. far in the in
terror but in point of picturesque beauty one
Ut the lovliost spots in al Florida. Covered
with giant live-oaks. which are beautifully
fcstOOued with ever-bOoming MOSES, Is de-
delightful retreat for the weary. IL Is truly n
natural Park. on whose beauty man can be-
stow but little Improvement. All Florida -
noted for climate" but owing TO her pecu-
spcct: too far south as she Is for the
chilling winds in winter and the scorching
heat Of summer sun is tempered by cooling
showers and constant breezes. Here. too, she
rests IN the centre of the pebble phosphate
section Immense and rich beds have been
discovered in this vicinity. and while COM
pauies with ample capital have been tormedtc
develop them. and large buildings erected ID
which the phosphate will be dried and sep
arated from whatever foreign substance may
be taken up with 1t. yet much remains unde-
vel0ped. and only needs the busy, energetic
man 70 push the work.
OLD TAMPA
Leaving this high. rich land, filed "a il is
with orange groves. flowers and vegetables,
not uHcommonly interspersed with the phos-
phate pit. We reach the old. old town OF
Tampa. IT, early growth was necessarily very
SLOW ,owing5to ia extreme isolation, and not
until the last decade did 1t reach the proper
ton of even small town and then in spite of
al the natural advantages of its situation and
the united efforts If is citizens. there came
"A lOng. long period of " stand-still" which
was not overcome until railway communica-
ton was established with the outside world.
just five years ago this was accomplished and
Tampa 40 once became the Southern terminus
of the great Plant Investment system. BY
this the spell was broken, and from that day
% this the changes have been almost magical
and the growth something phenomenal. IL
now rivals the best cities of the State, with
population grown from 800 to 10000 and Still
RAPIDLY increasing. The city now has splen-
did banking facilities and Geographic and
telephone communications; large fire.
proof tourists hotel. second 10 none
i'm the South twelve cigar factories are
IN daily operation. and the finest and best
equipped street railway in the South affords
convenient transportation. There are ice
factories. fish packing houses. steamship
and steamboat connection with other places,
electric lights and a thorough water work
system Such are some of the most impor-
tant improvements that have been made in
the last five years. The great Plant Invest
mont Company which has so successfully
managed other important interests. Is now
backing Tampa. and nothing short OF physl-
cal destruction or disaster can check or I'M
pede the coming greatness and importance Of
this city.
YvoR CITY.
While Tampa is making such strides Yvor
City the Fourth ward of Tampa, is not be-
hind. Only four years ago this was an unim-
proved and uncultlyated forest. Now II Is an
active. busting. wealthy city within itself
The cigar factories are located here. and IL ls
here where most of the cigar-makers live. and
as one rarely hears anything but Spanish II
makes you think you are IN a foreign town.
In this ward more than s35 900 is paid out for
labor every Saturday night. At Nvor's fac
tory alone 10000 cigars are daily made, at an
average OF : 100 per thousand, which IL very
low estimate. s65 being the cheapest, Ho
alone employs 100 hands. while six other fac
tories employ large numbers IL Is thought
three or four more factories will be started
within the next few months The population
Of this queer little town IS 5000. and with
dummy line. giving hourly communication
with Tampa, offers large inducements 70 In
yestOrs.
TAMPA BAY HOTEL.
Last. but not least, comes the imposing
structure Tampa Bay HOTEL With its min
a,ets and dOmes, one feels that he has been
transpauted 20 u foreign country. and IL
visiting the old Moorish structures Of Spain.
In It's unfinished state It has cost 1000 900,
! covers three acres Of ground, the building
| itself being 200 feet long, with minarets
reaching 1876 feet in the air. The employees
number 80. The running expenses are 10000
per month. or Il 600 per day. This Will give
you some idea of its magnitude. }. Watkins
lee. the popular proprietor OF towley
Springs, as many Of you may remember Is
cashier Of Tins enhancing place.
la, .f ID.
Zantine. The horseshoe arch and crescent.
prominent features of this style, meet the eye
at every turn. The main entrances are through
three pairs of double doors. ilanked 10y sixteen
polished granite columns supporting Moorish
arches over which balconies open from the
gallery around the rotunda. which Is seventy
! five feet square. two stories high. and has rows
Of coupled polished granite columns. There IL
! a hallway through the centre and the
! entire length Of the building, inter-
cepted only on the first and second
| floor, hy the rotunda. which is right IN the
/ centre. There Is an open gallery around the
r0tunda ~ the height of the second story.
/ The drawing-room Is 40XgO feet. That and
/ the writing and reading rooms are separated
/ from the rotEnda and corridors by. single
/ glasses feet wide and reaching from floor to
/ ceiling. opuOsite TO which are plate mirrOrg
/ If the same size. The rooms are arranged
| in suites aud single. with a private bath 10
about every three rooms. and nearly every
room has a large open fireplace and clothes
I room.
/ AN apartments on the fifth floor are con-
/ nected with the corridor by arches. The
music room. hall room and ladies' parlor are
each semi-circular at their extreme ends. and
/ are surmounted with dOmes and surrounded
/ with yerandas on three sides, the floors OF
/ which are level with the floors Of the apart
ments, with windows SIX feet wide opening to
the floor. Spanish furniture and decorations
/ from Barcelona and Cadiz prevail IN the draw
/ ing rooms and parlors.
The grounds are very beautiful, and the
artistic work Of "A skiilful landscape gardener
/ Is transforming them into a verltable earthly
paradise They front on the river and over
/ look the city. Fort Brook and Tampa Bay.
Tomorrow will bid adieu 20 Tampa for tho
| phosphate beds of Ocala. and a boat ride up
/ the Ocklawaha 10 Palatka. thence 20 1t.
| Augustine, where should your readers not
grow weary, you may likely hear from me
again.
snecial Notice.