Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-03-24
. l,!!.. From Florida.
CoRANApo BEACH, s. 1. CoAsr OF

"
DEAR FRIENDS IN DAKOTA:
The restless surf Of the Atlantic
beats iercely alo ng this storm.
lashed shore: no rougher waters are
known upon this great ocean than
these which drift the i.fecked
sands upon this beach. The roar
and boom Of breakers; the rush and
splash Of the wares, fill the air for
ever With their d~oafening voices.
Long, dark mountains stretch
along the watery horizon far as the
vision scans, and rolling rel toward
the shore, meet the receding waves
that have already wasted their force
upon the sands, and break with
horrible crash into mountains OF
sparkling, feathery spray, then
minglc with the foaming mass that
leaves the shore. Grea. sea birds
ride the ave- into the lesping surf
then rice with dripping wing to
screetch and swirl above their
c~rests, a. If defying the deadly
power which has swallowed noble
ships, freighted with precious car.
goes, and more precious human
lives.
AT n time eighteen wrecked
vessels we're visible from this bleak
island. That was many yeass ago
before the Government had lmprov-
ed the inlets below, that now per-
nit ships to avoid this dangerous
coast, yet We have picked up many
souvenlers Of wrecks, which the
tide has brought to us from day to
day. Huge tlmbers, half buried in
the sand, tell OF the mssted boats
that here have found their doom,
and two ships hulls, and one steam
ship boiler lie out from saore in
sight of our windows.
We have been here q week, and
to-day the first ship passed this
way. A schooner owned at Smyrna
a few miles away, had been around
the peninsula Of Florida to Key
West, and was coming safely home.
How little inland residents think or
know Of the great number of beings
whose home is upon the waters, or
of the anxious hearts ut home, that
watch and wait for their safe return.
No n car listen to the awful roar
Of the ocean without giving a
thought to those whose lives are
upon its t~reacherous waves BY day
and by night.
This beach, with its high-sound-
ing name. is a huge drift Of pearly
white sand, piled high by the ever
busy winds in pillows, burrows and
miniature mountains, a mile Of
tasteful cottages facing the sea, sit
upon this sandy crest in one long
row, connected by elevated side
walks above the uneven sands.
These homes by the sea are filed in
simmer by the families Of wealthy
Southern people who seek the cool
freshness Of this breezy shore. In
winter one solitary Robinson Crusoe
keeps guard aud care over all. His
little cottage shows q bright light
late At night where he pores over
his favorite authors. We invited
him to dinner IN Sunday, scarcely
expecting him to come, but he did
and though he had lived the life OF
= hermit for thirty years, VI found
him quite entertaining IN conver'
sation and . thorough scholar.
Upon the west Of this a lovely
hammock of live oaks, palms, red
cedar ard other beautiful semi.
tropical trees and shrubs extend,
from the coast q mile to the west.
ern summit Of the island upon the
Hilla boro.
There is not a beast Of burden on
the island, boating being the only
means of transportation, and IS no
boat can stem the breakers of the
shore, a long walk through the
grand forest from the river landing
is n Of the pleasures of reaching
our retreat. We have in this way,
at various times, brought our pro-
visions and baggage to our cottage
by the sea. There are five in our
party, and each person is usually
bedecked with three or four bundles
and budgets, presenting the appear
ance Of a party Of Bohemian cmi-
grants at Castle Garden.
Sometimes we meet gay and fash
ionable parties Of tourists who have
come over from the grand hotels
across the river. They look at our
bundles laughinglv, then u sup.
pressed mirth breaks out, and we
feel strengthened for the march.
A kind friend gave lac permission
to occupy her cottage. We started
from Lake Helen with the intcn
ton of taking 3 cruise in an open
boat, south on the Indian river and
stopped one day here in my friend
cottage, gong back ut eve to the
hotel to be ready to sail the next
morning.
w " .1 H. Il.