Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30
A WINTER TRIP.
The Enjoyments to BE Found at Tar
pom Springs.

The Enjoyments to he Found at Tar
pom Springs.
Correspondence of The Evening Star.
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. Dec. o.
1t Is no wonder whatever that residents
OF the north who can possibly afford 1t
come south during the winter season and
are always loath to tear themselves away
even after the winter months have passed.
Inere Is 30 much. entirely varied and dis
tinet TO occupy ones time and mind while
here that II seems as IL the delights of see
ing something new and interesting would
never cease.
experiencing all these pleasures he is at the
same time enjoying a climate with the
tnermometer registering from 90 to as de-
grees even during the coolest months and
the discomforts Of the cold, icy weather of
the north are entirely escaped.
There Is great deal of Florida and quite
varied In attractions are the various Sec
tions' but our party have just completed
one OF the most enjoyable side trips. in our
way of thinking. found in the state.
Startng from Tampa, the embarkina
point for all sections ON the west coast we
Pe ys steamer rom the port over to st.
eteeours, which lies just across TAMPA
pay, q distance of only eight miles. Si.
petersburg is situated on a peninsula form
60 py Tampa bay on one side and the Gulf
~ oho mes nc on the other The peninsula is
ABOUT SIX miles wide and on the gulf side
are numerous keys separated from the mem
insuia by deep channels. We took a steam
launch and slowly worked our way along
IN, .nese enanneis ana bays. The principal key
we visited Is known as Anclote KEY
ana Is the headquarters for the sponeins
Meet, and large and handsome varieties M
sponge are gathered from the coral rock
In this vicinity. We passed the towns of
Clear Water. Dunedin and Ozone. ali IA
nous fishing points.and containing weIl-kept
hotels, which are full from January TO NAV
Our first stop was Sutherland, a very
pretty village.
This vicinity is very tropical. and bananas
pineapples, oranges, mangoes guavas and
sn2duocks were found in Quantities W..
enjoyed some of the finest oranges right
from the groves, in which all strangers are
welcome visitors.
At Sutherland we left the channels and
entered the San Marine river from Lake
Butter, a beautiful sheet of water, seven
miles In length and one wide The river is
genuine scene Of the tropics, winding
around, its banks alive ana oyerhanCing
with vegetation, and at most every turn
could be seen huge alligators basking i'm the
sun, who would rapidly slide into the water
on the approach of the boat. Navigation
on the San Marine is very difficult. and
meme but an experienced boatman can pilot
a launch through this beautiful network of
the tropics.
its shores and visited the boiling spring in
the center, which causes the tide i'm the
lake to rise and fall three feet 1t is be-
lieved that an underground river, fully
1OO feet below the surface. runs from the
lake to the gulf. where similar springs are
found near Sutherland. and thus feeds the
lake by the tide water of the gulf. At low
water We could see the opening in the bot
tom of Lake Butler, about ten feet square,
from which the water was boiling.
Returning TO the gulf again by overland
passage we continued our way SIX miles to
Tarpon Springs. one of the largest towns
along the orange belt Tarpon Springs as
It's name. implies, is the home of that beau
tiful fish, the tarpon, and to have the
pleasure OF catching even one of those
huge gamey fish rewards the angler for
days of patient waiting. Other fish are
found In great numbers, and besides this
We succeeded i'm bagging several quail and
wild turkeys on the peninsula but a short
distance from our boat landing
The Anclote river Is also a beautiful
stream and extends for several miles from
the neighborhood OF Tarpon Aligators
could be seen quite frequently, several fully
ten feet In length. The county authorities
do not allow cunning for gators in this
section, and for that reason they are much
more plentiful than I'm other portions Of the
state.
We returned. making a number of stops
and on reaching st. Petersburg, on the BAY
side. again enjoyed the nshing from the
famous pier at this point, capturing a num-
Der of Spanish mackerel trout. blue fish
and sheepshead.
during the winter a perpetual period of en-
Joyment. and with summer weather exist
ing all the time one cannot but appreciate
a sojourn in Florida. c. E E