The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-25
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


Passing from Waycross, Ca, to
Tampa, Florida, in the night deprived
us from noting anything of the coun-
try until daylight this morning. But
passing down the west coast of Flori-
da, l am told is an uninteresting coun.
try most of the way. We are now in
the section Of country most severely
injured by the cold weather of last
! winter, Every orange grove that have
| seen, and,we passed many of them,
are entirely barren this year. The
trees were killed out to the very roots
and, it is Almost desolate sight to be-
hold. Groves that were cut down, :. e.
wherever the tops of the orange trees
were cut off, new shoots are coming
out and another year they will bear
| fruit; but where the trees were left
untrimmed many of them are entirely
dead, while it will take two and three
years before others will bear. This
condition of affairs makes times plen-
| ty hard down here, as oranges are the
principle product.
The city of Tampa has about TWEEN
ty thousand Inhabitants. 1t is prob
ably the greatest cigar manufacturing
city in America. There are about
eighty factories, which give employ
ment to fully 5000 laborers. Many of
these factories are large, three story
structures built Of brick, and in
thoroughly substantial manner, But
when one comes to purchasing the
weed, you can uyJust as good CT
gar in MankatO for the money as you
can here-either singly or by the box.
The natives here spot a northern man
at sight and pull him for all they
think he will Standard usually he
will stand good deal for the sake Of
carrying away souvenir. The soil
in, about, and for miles above Tampa
is clear white sand, such as would
not grow weeds ia our country,
and in fact it will not grow grass here.
All kinds of tropical plants, however,
thrive here with wonderful vigor and
Understandable beauty. Tampa Bay
Hotel, which is owned by the Plant
System, is magnificent house, fur
nished to the point of elaboration.
1t is capable of caring for about 1000
guests, and am told that it is filled
to its limit during the winter months,
The grounds are covered with the
choicest of plants and trees of almost
every description. | should think
that the Enclosure contains about
thirty acres, and is laid out with
handsome walks and driveways.
Port Tampa Inn from which point
L am writing, is about mile from
the main land, built on piles, and sur
rounded by water on every side. 1t is
delightfully."- cool and really enchant-
ing. The railroad trains run in here,
have spacious yards and immense ware
houses. The line of steamers oper-
ated by the Plant System start from
the wharf at the end of the platform
about quarter Of mile west of the.
Inn, and run regular lines OF steam
ers to Key West, HAVANA and Mo.
bile. @r.~
The thermometer registered 80 de-
grees at Tampa this morning at II
o'clock, while out here at the Inn, on
ly nine miles distant the highest
point reached was 80 degrees with a
delightful gulf breeze blowing. .
We leave here tonight at s O'clock
by steamer for Mobile and will arrive
there Monday morning at s, it requir-
two nights and one day to make the
trip. l.. 2. FL. q.
Port Tampa, Fla, Oct. 10, 1895.