The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-01-14
Highest OF ali in Leavening Power.-Latest U. S. Govt Report
Re-! B BsxdsgT
ABSOLUTELY PURE

UnK1ES7KE
always afternoon; a land beyond the
orbit of the tramp, the hook agent
and the insurance man; where the beg
gar can afford to ride and to breakfast
at 10; a land where a is forgotten by
Of his old friends, and BY others
the more kindly; where
nothing is certain but death, and even
that is a remote contingency; a land yet
invio!ate by Limberger, the Bologna or
any other flavor of civilization; a land Of
birds and fish and oysters.
This fair sheet Of shining water, so
so clear, 30 safely locked against
all storms, is Tampa Bay; stretching
the north and again to the
south is the Gulf Coast, the sportsman's
paradise; AMI inland, back along its
shores nine miles, is the future great
city of Florida-Tampa.
1t was a happy idea OF Col. Elliott's-
running the special quietly to Port
Tampa in the night and giving the ex-
.cursionists their first view OF salt water
as they awakened in the morning.
"Wait til YOU reach the port" the
Colonel said to the writer. then you'll
say, here let me stay, here let me live
and die" And there was much in what
the Colonel said. To one who has passed
most OF the years Of his life hunting.
fishing, boating and bathing around
large hodies OF water the sight OF the
bay and the delicious. warm, fragrant
gulf breeze was an inspiration. We did
not feel as though we would live there
always but We did long tor our Irish
setter at home, the Greener. the fishing
tackle and a couple Of months time.
Everything at the port is built out in
piles a mile from the shore, including
1.-The Inn," hotel built after the Queen
Ann style.
A covered way leads from the track
along the piers to the hotel, making Il
wide pavilion and a delightful lounging
place. Further along the piers are the
docks for loading vessels with phosphate
for foreign ports, and oyster depots.
The Port ia the southern term,ni of the
Plant system and is President Plants
hobby. Millions Of dollars have been ex-
pended iu improving it. Mr.. Plant was
at the Port with his private car. When
the tourists went to settle for their
splendid breakfast of fresh fish and
oysters they found that Mr.. Plant Ind
anticipated them, and for fear they
might get orange hungry before reach
ing land again Col. Elliot opened u
couple Of boxes Of oranges and set them
under the pavilion.
We were crazy to catch a 6sh-said,
in fact, that we would catch a fish before
breakfast. So, long before many of the
party were up and dressed Tom Roberts
Of Armour Joined us and we went in
quest of bait and tackle. Spanish mack
erel abound around tile piers. The man
who runs the store caught us y pail Of
minnows from the school along the piles,
and with a couple of cheap cane poles and
coarser tackle We went at it, Tom
managed to land a couple of mackereI,
but the writer wasn't in it beyond a few
lusty bites, and getting hungry coaxed
him to quit and so to breakfast.
Tom and that quiet man from Huron,
Longsta1, donned bathing suits and
amused the crowd by their antics in the
bay. THY told such tales Of their love-
ly swim that the writer went in, too.
After taking n plunge, cutting off a
slice Of a big toe on an oyster shell and
freezing our gizzard nearly we got into
our clothes as speedily us possible, ditto
Charley Hackett. Roberts and Long
staff are big - story t%ellers, anyway.
Oyster boats were unloading their
cargoes, ocean, steamers CLEARING for
Europe and Cuba and the tourists found
plenty Of seeing. The oyster gatherers
couldn't speak English. but we learned
that they were dumping tho oysters along
the edge of the shpal to give them fresh
water when the tide came in, aud food.
The trip was a bonanza fof tho relic
fend and long before the special reached
Tampa Bay it resembled a horticultural
garden and geological museum on
wheels. Great branches hanging heavy
with oranges or grape fruit decorated
the cars from end to end, lntermiDgled
with all manners of vines, shrubs, palms
flowers, scrub palmettos. and the very
Old Harry only knows what. But here
at the port was something new-sea
shells, crabs, star fish and all manner OF
truck. To please the ladies the boys,
sans shoes and stockings, waded in in
quest Of the coveted souvenirs. All
manner of she'll fish. and crabs that q,
some Of the timid ones nearly into
Mysteries, were o forthcoming and
handkerchiefs full Of the truck bundled
along into the cars until a very fail
menagerie was added to the outfit already
on board. 1t was a hot day and before
the train had been very loug away from
the piers the relic hunters learned tia,
shell fish have to undergo a process OF
preservation before exhibited to tile
populace. The crabs gasped for breath
turned over aud died and began to send
out an odor that would make glue factory
tired; the little she'll fish crawled out OF
their hiding places, gave up the ghosl
and the tourists looked upon ono another
with suspicion. 1t was only when til.
the whole mass was pitched out of I'll,
windows that gentle peace reigned
again.
We left this charming spot at 10 a. m
and In q few minutes were at III,
grounds of the Tampa Bay hotel, will
the sole exception of thu Ponce de LpoI
at st. Augustine, the finest hotel in tn,
world.
IN z I'd e