The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-06-28
THE SOUTHERN BREEZES.
They Made a Favorable Impression
on the 6azette's Staff Cor
respondent,
Who Tells About Quaint Old Tam
pa, the Cnbans, and Live
ly Mobile.
(By a stan correspondent

mODnSs
(By stan correspondent
A summer sojourn in the sunny
south with it's anticipation of terrible
heat, insects and all that makes life
unbearable; indeed the prospect was
not encouraging as we left Minnesota
for Avon Park, Florida. But the pre-
dictions of our friends were quickly
dispelled after reaching the land of
flowers and perpetual sunshine. After
spending a week among the most
beautiful lakes my eyes ever rested
upon, started for Tampa, the Queen
City of the Bays, situated upon the
Hillsborough river which flows ma
jesticall y::..nine miles below into the
Gulf of Mexico. The history of this en-
ergetic city dates from 1924, at which
time Capt. Brooke established a mill
tary post on the government reserva-
ton known as Fort Brooke and was
used during the Indian war as a hos
pital for the army. While wandering
through the busy streets I stepped in
to real estate Office, meeting true
Southern gentleman, E. NJ. Hendry, of
the firm of Wier & Hendry. He soon
found that I had decided to settle at
Avon Park, but with that full hearted
hospitality for which the South is not
ed, he telephoned for carriage. The
morning was pleasantly spent visiting
the chief points of interest. We first
drove to the old reservation, pictur-
esque spot filed with clusters of grand
old oaks, which are adorned by Nature
with the festoons of beautiful Spanish
MOSES, which touch the ground, max
ing it seem wierd and beautiful. The
city expects that the government will
donate Fort Brooke for park.
Tampa is really three cities in one.
Electric cars connect it with Ybor
City and as you enter it's long narrow
streets you feel that you are in some
old Spanish city. Half naked child
rem peep at you from behind climbing
rose bushes, noisy groups of Spanish
cigar makers are passed, sitting at
tables, filled with wine, and their ia
vorite dishes. A black cigar is re-
moved for the mouth just long enough
to eat or sip glass of wine. They
are all inveterate smokers, even the
feminine sex enjoy cigarette. On
this street can be seen the first cigar
factory started by Signor Ybor, who
is the wealthiest man in the city, an
owner of immense cigar factories. We
passed many large buildings resplend-
ent with many colored paints, built in
the Spanish style of architecture.
These are the clubs of which every
Cuban is a member. No matter how
poor he is or how squalid bis home,
here for a few hours in the day he
can recline in luxury, imagining him
self in bis Cuban home, while he puffs
a fragrant Havana.
Crossing the Hillsborough river we
come to West Tampa, which in the
last few months has sprung up like a
mushroom. Here are situated most
of the large cigar factories, with the
homes of the busy workers grouped
around each building. Most of them
came from Key West. There are
about IS factories employing over
1000 Cubans, Spaniards and Italians.
The yearly product of the factories is
approximately $,5OO,OOO. The popu-
lation of Tampa is 1900, an increase
in two years of 5000. We were kind
ly shown through one factory which
employs over $50 men and women.
Ascending to the second floor our eyes
rested upon busy scene. Here were
about three hundred men at long ia
bles rolling the tobacco into cigars; in
the center of the room on a raised
platform sat Cuban reading in loud
voice the Havana newspapers to the
workers below, who are assessed few
cents each, he receiving about five
dollars day from this assessment.
The next point of interest was Port
Tampa Bay hotel, built at cost of
over two million dollars, containing